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| Hiking | 17.77 Miles |
4,687 AEG |
| | Hiking | 17.77 Miles | 11 Hrs | | 1.78 mph |
| 4,687 ft AEG | 1 Hour Break | | | |
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| partners | | Jim and Brian and I carpooled out to the upper Turkey Creek trailhead for our long anticipated Rincon hike, negotiating some nasty spots along the upper trailhead road (road 4408) along the way.
We started late morning under a merciless sun, temps being pretty warm, our destination being Reef Rock and Manning Camp. No shade and lots of sweating for us all the first few miles until we reached some much appreciated pines and a small pool of cool water at Mudhole Spring, where we cooled off and ate lunch. A bit more climbing brought cooler temps, full pine forest cover, and a gentler rate of ascent. I made a quick side trip to Spud Rock Campground to see the aspen grove.
We met Mike below Man Head on Heartbreak Ridge Trail, and stopped to rest for a bit. Mike then continued downhill while we went up and on to Reef Rock. The beauty of the forest on top of the Rincons exceeded my expectations and I found myself taking a lot of photos. The views from Reef Rock were incredible, one of the highlights of the day.
We then went west through the mountaintop forest, passing under some massive and very tall pines, and on to Manning Camp, where we took a break, pumped water, and enjoyed the beauty of the area and the old Manning Cabin’s rustic charm. We checked out the little pool below the cabin and the helipad nearby, and then left to begin the long journey down a little after 6 pm, with golden light starting to flood the mountain summit.
We heard a turkey, a whippoorwill, and a poorwill calling on the way down as darkness set in. Also noted was what we assumed to be Mike’s taillights driving down the 4408 road far below. The last few miles seemed to drag on as we descended the rocky trail in darkness and wind.
We were all happy to reach the truck a little before 10 pm, where we ate a well deserved dinner on the ground in the moonlight. The drive down 4408 was less intimidating now that we knew what to expect, and after a long sleepy drive, we all made it back to Tucson, exhausted.
Great hike with Jim and Brian and very nice to finally see the summit of the Rincons, a place I’d been wanting to visit since moving to Tucson in 2013, but had never gotten around to doing. The Rincons surpassed my expectations, absolutely beautiful up there. A lot of effort to get up there, but it was worth it. |
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| "…you never know when a hike might break out" -Jim Gaffigan |
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Route Editor
Route Scout
