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| Hiking | 11.19 Miles |
3,682 AEG |
| | Hiking | 11.19 Miles | 6 Hrs 10 Mns | | 2.13 mph |
| 3,682 ft AEG | 55 Mns Break | | | |
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| no partners | | This was my first time hitting Wrightson from Gardner Canyon and I am now under the belief that you really can't go wrong with any of the approaches to this worthy sky island peak.
Its a bit of a drive to the Gardner trailhead from Phoenix and the road in was a little slow going in spots, plus some of the creek crossings may have been running a little high due to some recent rains, but we were still able to hit the trail by 8:30 a.m. The first mile or so along the creek was great and the water seemed to have a robust flow. The climb to Baldy Saddle was a little bland and warm at times, but the final push to the peak was breathtaking as usual. Jackie fell in love with all the flowers and the nice trail up to the peak, coupled with a manageable grade and tremendous views, immediately made this one of her favorite peaks. We hung out on the peak for a longer than usual time and chatted it up with a couple of really nice retired school teachers. Its always nice to see someone still standing after 30 years of teaching, it gives us young teachers hope. After the summit, its a pretty quick hike down and the return took just about two hours on the dot. The drive out seemed to go a little smoother, as I was able to hit some better lines with the creek crossings and crawled through a couple in 4L.
I wanted to give Jackie the whole Wrightson experience, so I shot a text to JJ on the descent and asked for the name of the good Taco place we have always frequented on the way home. By chance (not really chance, as Tucson is JJ's second home) he was on his way there, so we all enjoyed a nice post hike meal together. |
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Wildflowers Observation Substantial
Getting close to the end of the season, but they were still pretty substantial around the Baldy Saddle area to peak.. |
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Baldy Spring |
Dripping |
Dripping |
| | | Trough Dry, but spring flowing with modest pool to drink from.. | | _____________________
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