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| Hiking | 4.20 Miles |
847 AEG |
| | Hiking | 4.20 Miles | 3 Hrs 7 Mns | | 1.76 mph |
| 847 ft AEG | 44 Mns Break | 20 LBS Pack | | |
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| partners | | This was our fifth trip to the swingset since I last posted a photoset/triplog for this hike, which is pretty much down to no change worth noting, to the point that on one of the trips I did not even take a single photo.
Ok, preamble (ambling?) over with, let's find out why it was worth a posted photoset/triplog this trip... what's different?
Difference #1: It's a hike with your kids hike... at least once a year.
Since my 'kids' live in Minnesota and neither are hikers, as usual we make it a cozy foursome with Tracey's kids.
Same old: The drive up FR 201 was good, other than playing chicken with the cows along the road. (More than I'd seen in years)
The hike along FR 191 was ok with some parts somewhat smooth (as in 'slightly less rocky') in the tracks of a recent trip by a 4x4. There were a couple be-careful spots from rockslides, but of course most of it was just a loose, sharp-rocky tread... yup, the type that raises Cain (Pain) with my aging arthritic hips.
Difference #2: All the remains of the old 1930's car was missing from its last known position at N33.98219 -111.43060.
Although we'd hiked past the spot twice since the photo of this 1930's vehicle door was taken in August 2016, I don't remember it being missing. Whatever, sometime since 2016 the door (and a few other assorted parts) has likely been washed down the slope, to be completely absorbed into the thick Manzanita.
Same old: No complaints from the kids along the way, but of course there was plenty of conversation with all the catching-up to do between Tracey & her kids. For once I had little to say (huh?!) but then again I was pretty well absorbed in a daze by the loud-and-constant tinnitus cicada music. ](https://hikearizona.com/dex2/images/smilies/eusa_wall.gif "Brick wall")
Difference #3: Wow! What's this? NEW SWINGS at the swingset? Whoopee!
Swings #1 & #2 (as you approach) have been replaced by two new heavy-duty playground-quality seats.
Swing #3 is now a super-heavy-duty small-child bucket swing, complete with what?... a large rabbit and a somewhat less-than life-size doll.
Swing #4 is still the aged-rubber & rusted steel band as before.
But no matter... now with no chance of getting black stripes on our pants from the old deteriorating and faded rubber we could swing 'til our hearts' content. Which meant we spent more time than usual enjoying the swings.
I wanted to shoot a video of Tracey competing with Erin to swing the highest only to realize the battery was too low to shoot any video.
(Yup, mea culpa I'd neglected to charge it since last use... unlike the camera I take mountain biking, which gets charged immediately after every ride.)
Hot tip: Swing #2 appeared to have the smoothest pivot bearings (what, even after all these years exposed to the weather?), making it effortless to swing high.
Or was it Swing #1? Memories can fade fast at my age, so who knows. I guess that means for a definitive answer you'll have to hike out and see for yourself.
Same old: The 'trail' from FR 191 up the hill and around to the swingset is still in pretty good shape since the Manzanita trimming I did last year, which meant I only felt the need to trim one obstinate bush.
Difference #4: For the first time EVER, we encountered other human beings on the return leg. In this case it was a group of five on dirt-bikes.
Difference #5: Although just a tag onto Difference #4, I would be remiss to skip it due to how totally different these riders were to the majority of encounters I've had with ATC's over the years. They were friendly, very considerate by stopping, shutting off their bikes, and waiting for us to pass by. And to top it off, the last of the bikers greeted me with "HikeArizona.com, huh? A good site!"
He said it so fast it didn't quite register with me that he said "good SITE" not "good SIGHT" and he was gone before I was able to respond other than an automatic weak affirmative, so I blew it. But in my defense, my hips were squawking in an attempt to gain my attention over the cicada symphony ringing in my ears.
Only a minute or two later did I realize he'd seen one of three HAZ decals on the 4Runner. (A new windshield has yet to get stuck with a decal)
Almost forgot... with it only 45° when we left home we expected that at an elevation 4,000 feet higher it would be very chilly. But even with the gusts of wind at times, the sun took full advantage of the altitude and made it not-to-hot, not-too-cold, but just right... in the Goldilocks zone. |
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