| | -
-
-
-
| 1 label |  |
|
|
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
|
| | |
|
| Hiking | 11.75 Miles |
1,979 AEG |
| | Hiking | 11.75 Miles | 5 Hrs 45 Mns | | 2.47 mph |
| 1,979 ft AEG | 59 Mns Break | | | |
|
|
| |
| Partners |
|
none
[ show ]
| no partners | | Huge kudos to Peter for the recommendation on this one! Sunrise Mtn is a real gem for city hiking; [and from what I've read / could see of them, the same is true for the nearby West & East Wing Mtns]. As always, I was looking for something I hadn't done before; and this weekend, something close by. My weekends are usually reserved for bigger/more remote ranges, but I first wanted to have a strong finish logging double digit mileage before driving several hours one way. Sunrise Mtn [etc.] fit the bill perfectly; in addition to tons of interconnected trails, there are also a gazillion and one "routes"; in fact, many of the "routes" are so well beaten in that 'unofficial trail' would be a more fitting designation. To top things off, the surrounding terrain has lots of excellent gripping rock and very little brush. With visibility better than many *trails and *easy off-trail opportunities, [*relative to what I'm accustomed to], I didn't feel uneasy bushwacking during snake season. That said, I'm not even attempting to describe my route... please reference my GPS tracks; and trust me when I say, it will save more than 1,000 words of reading. In other words, I had myself a blast free-styling up/around Sunrise Mtn. 
While the Sunrise Mtn portion of my adventure totally rocked, the second half, [although still filled with fun moments], left something to be desired. From one of the peaks on Sunrise Mtn, I noticed a small but rugged looking peak a short distance away. Route Scout identified it as Calderwood Butte, and it was under 2 miles as the crow flies. Eyeballing the topo, I estimated that incorporating it would put my RT mileage at around 11-12, [exactly where I wanted to be, distance-wise], while allowing me to finish with a fun little peak in the process.
It was a solid plan, but I was up against an element I'd totally underestimated: urban bushwhacking.  There were two main developments I had to get across to reach Calderwood Butte: the first was between Sunrise Mtn and North Lake Pleasant Pkwy, and the second was between North Lake Pleasant Pkwy and Calderwood Butte. Let's just say, not only was this the first I ever found myself switching from topo to satellite view while in route, utilizing satellite imagery while urban bushwhacking was like the 8th wonder of the world!
As I made my way across the first development, things were going very smooth. In addition to not feeling like a rat in a maze thanks to Route Scout's awesome satellite view, the development was also VERY hiker friendly, with tons of dirt roads/paths in between the homes. In fact, by the time I made it over to where I had to cross North Lake Pleasant Pkwy, I'd literally gone less than one tenth of a mile on pavement.
Unfortunately getting across the second development proved to be a less than pleasant experience. Thinking it would also be hiker friendly, I continued to head pretty much as the crow flies toward Calderwood Butte, down a dead end road; [many of the dead end roads I'd passed/seen in the first development had foot/bike paths between the houses]... well, NOT so with this one! No biggie, the satellite imagery revealed that one road over, there was an exist to the development. I'd wasted less than a quarter mile... or so I thought! Satellite imagery also showed that BOTH the road with the exit and the sidewalk were gated. Never having seen a gated sidewalk [or a gate/fence in such a neighborhood that I couldn't managed to get over/though], I think I had to see this one to believe it. Under normal circumstances, I would've had no trouble get over; but I definitely would've needed both hands/arms and climbing is still off-limits for me for a few more weeks. Thus, by the time I retraced my steps and went even further out of the way to find an unlocked exit to the development, I'd gone just over a mile extra.
The frustration did nothing but bring out the best in me though... as I approached Calderwood Butte, I noticed this FUN looking gully on the SE side. Not wanting to put forth the effort to ascend via the gully, I flew up the trail and thought to myself, 'at least I know which way I'm coming down.'  The trail then started to switchback in an area with good-gripping rocks and very little brush. I wasted no time and headed straight toward the summit, 'as the crow files'. Upon reaching the summit, there is short spiny ridge line, which the trail skirts for the most part; however, it is very well routed. I opted for the route over the trail and headed toward the high point. For such a tiny peak, the views are really impressive! After taking a few minutes to soak them in, I head back across the summit's ridge line toward North Lake Pleasant Pkwy and began my bushwhack down the gully. It is routed, but very lightly, [likely due to Class 2, possibly Class 3 climbs]. I managed to maneuver down much easier than anticipated, [given that I did so without using my left hand/arm even once].
While I had a blast going down the gully, the fun was short lived... no sooner had I descend from the section requiring use of hands/arms when I heard the buzz of a bee... and in less than 2-3 seconds later, the F'er stung my left ear. Let's just say, I've NEVER negotiated rocky/off-trail terrain that fast in my life! I literally ran down a steep slope with somewhat loose footing, [and miraculously managed to do so without falling, crashing into a cactus and/or twisting an ankle]. I thought bees were supposed to die once they sting you, but I heard/felt buzzing around my head for a good 30-60 seconds after I got stung; it could've been a different bee, but I was stung only once and the buzzing sounded like it came from just one bee. I'm wondering if the F'er was an Africanized bee, based on the way it stung me without warning... and on how badly it hurt. I have a crazy high pain tolerance, [and have been stung by bees plenty of times in my life, although not recently], yet I've never in my life recalled feeling pain/soreness from a bee sting, aside from the moment I've been stung/a few minutes thereafter... this time, however, it throbbed for several hours. When I got back to my vehicle, I examined my ear; it was moderately red but there was no swelling, [despite the fact that the stinger was still embedded]. Removing the stinger didn't make it feel better/worse, but luckily, [now 6-7 hours later], it feels almost normal. |
| _____________________
| God save the Prom Queen, cuz [reality check!] AEG's King...! |
| | |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Route Editor
Route Scout
