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| Hiking | 9.50 Miles |
4,400 AEG |
| | Hiking | 9.50 Miles | 7 Hrs 35 Mns | | 1.50 mph |
| 4,400 ft AEG | 1 Hour 15 Mns Break | 15 LBS Pack | | |
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| partners | | I headed down to Tucson to meet up with Matt to hike Kimball as I had wanted to hike this to see how it looked after the Pontatoc Fire, and he wanted to, as well. It ended up being a little hotter than we hoped, and it was certainly a lot more humid than is ideal for myself. It felt more like August, than October, that was for sure. There were more than a few times I was thinking it would have been nice to be up on Humphrey in the cooler air and 30 degree dew points. I bet the north and northeast views off the summit were fantastic yesterday, too. Just saying. I enjoyed this and it was a great hike!
It was really nice being back in Tucson. I miss the Catalina views and easy access to hikes like this, but I did note that doing this frequently, as with Pusch last year, can be hard on one's knees. I still find the sustained steepness to be a lot, even after 19 hikes up and down this trail. Maybe it is the 4400 feet of it, but my right knee and both feet were a little sore in a way they haven't been in a while. Then again, we were racing against a setting sun to be off the switchbacks.
It took us a long time to get out of the canyon, and I spent 15 minutes on the summit before turning back after 4:10. I could easily see Superstition and Matazal peaks, but stuff in other directions was hazed out. Fire affects are not that bad, and it greened the grass up a lot. At least 1 deer likes it, and this area would have burned fairly often in the past. It is fall up there, with bird calls down, insects getting quiet, and some noticeable soil erosion on the trail in most areas where there are slopes. Lots of down leaves near the top, probably from a hail or other severe storm last week. |
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