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| Hiking | 4.97 Miles |
1,436 AEG |
| | Hiking | 4.97 Miles | 3 Hrs 11 Mns | | 1.68 mph |
| 1,436 ft AEG | 14 Mns Break | | | |
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| no partners | | For day hikes, I'm much more of a flatlands rambler kind of guy. I set out fully intending to do the Granite Mountain Loop but, seeing the signs for Tom's Thumb TH, I immediately felt a rush of excitement at the thought of something more challenging instead of contemplative.
And I had never done it.
Without as much cloud cover as the forecast had led me to believe, I hesitated at the start. I also hadn't brought along the amount of water I usually would have for this more strenuous choice. Having given myself permission to turn around without shame at any point, I boldly set out.
As is evident from the data, I didn't set any records for the ascent. Judging from the fashion choices of the handful of others I saw, I apparently arrived overdressed for the occasion in my hiking boots, sun hat, sun shirt, and day pack, looking like I was ready to, you know, go hiking. Zero pumpkins given.
Some early instances of tread erosion had me expecting conditions to be far worse than they ended up being. Tread is still in pretty good shape but slippery in many places where small scree dominates. I felt much less sure-footed coming down than I did going up. I never hike without poles anymore. I wouldn't have even attempted this trail without them.
Having not really felt all that energetic to begin with, I made it to the top with relative ease by just taking it slow and stopping at the numerous vistas along the way. While I was perfectly ready to turn around whenever I felt like it, I never did. I'm happy to say I can check this one off the list.
Returning to the TH, I was treated to the sight of a rattlesnake (pic in my photoset) trying to make its way past the facilities infrastructure and back out into the desert. My first ever sighting of one! Special thanks to the individual who alerted me to its presence. I never would've seen it, approaching from the direction that I was. |
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