username
X
password
register
for free!
help
show related photosets
mini location map2021-12-27
48 by photographer avatarBubbaJuice
photographer avatar
page 1   2   3   4
 
Agua Caliente HillTucson, AZ
Tucson, AZ
Hiking9.57 Miles 3,122 AEG
Hiking9.57 Miles   5 Hrs   31 Mns   2.01 mph
3,122 ft AEG      45 Mns Break6 LBS Pack
 
1st trip
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
I've wanted to do Agua Caliente Hill for a while now. I finally had a day to do it. It wouldn't be too bad, it's only a hill right?

I got to the trailhead at 9:30 and got going. Today was forecasted to be cloudy and 60 degrees all day, wonderful weather. I got a geocache right after I got going and continued on. The canyon to the north had some cool rocky canyon walls. There was also a slope on the side of a ridge with just dead grass, which was also pretty. I stopped to get another geocache and continued on. There were some big steps that you had to go up. Kind of annoying. I got another geocache along the where the old 4WD road intersected the trail. There was a spider on it. There was a peak on the side of the trail with a trail to the top of it. The peak offered the best views of the hike so far. I took two panoramas, one from the summit, and the other from a couple feet below it, then continued on my way. I got to the next cache when the trail flattened back out. It was a really nice section. There was a lot of rock with a moss like plant on top and Mammillaria tetrancistra growing around it. It took a couple minutes to get to where the cache actually was but when I got to the right spot it was in plain sight. I continued on. I got to a saddle where you got to see the rocky walls on the canyon on the right of the ridge I was on. It was pretty cool. At the saddle there is a little side trail and a rock face which offers the best views of the canyon. Continuing along the trail I went towards the grassy slopes of what lay ahead. There was another rocky peak on the side of the trail. This one was to climb up to and see the views of the Rincon Mountains. Just a short walk from there was my next geocache. It took a minute to find it. It looked like something lived under it. :scared: Loosing elevation brought me to the Cat Track Tank. There was a bit of water in it and a ton of animals tracks around its waters. The trail then started slowly gaining elevation again. I crossed the ridge and then the train descended into the canyon. I did not like what I saw ahead of me. I was going to loose elevation and then steeply gain elevation going up to Forest Road 4445. In the canyon there were two stagnant pools of water with bees buzzing around them. I quickly moved on and the trail quickly steepened. My calves started burning as I pushed up the trail. I moved along and was welcomed by the grassy slopes and oak trees. Views of the Catalina Mountains opened up and it was very pretty. Continuing along I saw some poop on the trail with juniper berries next to a juniper tree, a beetle, and even better scenery. I had planned to hike up to Peak 4765. I got to a good spot on the trail and then started hiking up the steep slope. The ground had a very good grip. I pushed my way through orange dead grass, scratching my legs with the occasional dead regular grass only brushing up against me. I made it to the top of the ridge, just below the summit. The view was amazing up there compared to the rest of the hike I had just done. I took a panorama. Being horrible descending steep slopes, I opted to take the ridge back down to the trail. There was a thin face of bare rock that I had to maneuver across before reaching the more gradual ridge. There was plenty of "Agave schottii" or shin dagger along this route, but less orange dead grass. I got back to the trail, feeling beaten up. The trail started getting steep. The trail became either rock with loose rocks on top of it or silty dirt. It was real steep and I had to slow done at some parts. Calves were burning. I thought this was a hill? A turn in the trail gave hope though. It flattened out. It got windier. I could see all around me and the CLUM benchmark in the dead center of a clearing at the peak. It was pretty windy and combined with the 60 degree temperature my hands immediately got colder. I put my jacket on. I ate a banana. I took pictures of all of the benchmarks. My favorite was reference mark 1 because it has a copper color to it. The other benchmarks were pretty dull and kind of hard to read. I wanted to get moving because I was getting pretty cold. In this rush, I forgot that there was a geocache near the summit. Oh well.

Going down was rough. I moved slow and my legs were giving in. I almost slipped in fell 2 or 3 separate times. Somehow I kept my balance. Once I got down to the small saddle I sat down and had an orange. I took a couple minute break. Thing were a lot better from there on because it was a lot less steep. There were some good views coming down that I had not noticed on the way up. It was pretty easy going on the way out and back to the trailhead. Only harder part was descending into the canyon from the forest road but that wasn't too bad.

This trail was awesome and fun. :) :) :)
 Named place
 Named place [ checklist ]
[ checklist ]  Agua Caliente Hill  Cat Track Tank
foliage observationfoliage observationfoliage observationfoliage observationfoliage observation
Autumn Foliage Observation None
None along the way.
wildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observation
Wildflowers Observation None
No wildflowers were observed.

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water less than maxwater less than max Cat Track Tank 26-50% full 26-50% full
It has water.
_____________________
Check out my benchmarks website :D : https://bubbajuice.github.io/benchmarks WIP!
  2 archives
helpcommentissue

end of page marker