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| Hiking | 14.04 Miles |
4,120 AEG |
| | Hiking | 14.04 Miles | 7 Hrs 24 Mns | | 2.22 mph |
| 4,120 ft AEG | 1 Hour 5 Mns Break | | | |
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| partners | | My first hike in the Tucson area. While all hikes are good and most great, it's a bummer when you don't achieve the goal. I crashed and burned a half mile and 500-600 feet short ](https://hikearizona.com/dex2/images/smilies/eusa_wall.gif "Brick wall") , my legs dead with the steepest section of trail ahead of me. It happens.
With that out of the way, this was still a great hike with great company. There are two long and fairly steep ascents (very steep up to the peak) with a flat section between them. The hike along the first ascent was sunny and warm as we trekked up the eastern slope. That changed once we passed the Happy Valley saddle and started the second ascent on the west side of the mountain. No more sunshine, windy to gusting at times, the peak shrouded in clouds. We started to see snow above 7000 feet.
When I hit the wall, I sat on a rock and decided to wait for the rest of the group to come down. Before I lost them, I told them I was struggling and not to wait for me. I waited about 10 minutes before I started shivering from the blustery winds. Time to get moving. I took a few breaks along the way, hoping the group would catch up, but we didn't see each other again until the 2.5 mile mark. They stopped for lunch near the Happy Valley Campground. That's what I should have done.
The drive down was as entertaining as the hike. Beautiful sunrise, beautiful views of the approaching peak and a Disney-like ride on the road to the trailhead in JJ's Cherokee. We were all wide awake when we arrived!
Fun times everyone. Thanks for a great day! |
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Route Editor
Route Scout
