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| Hiking | 16.60 Miles |
6,402 AEG |
| | Hiking | 16.60 Miles | 12 Hrs 36 Mns | | 1.48 mph |
| 6,402 ft AEG | 1 Hour 25 Mns Break | 22 LBS Pack | | |
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| no partners | | Picked this one to get two trails off the list. Since junior high-school I've visited Ventana, but was never really intrigued by it, so I've been dragging my feet on doing the entire trail. The on that's been bothering me for some time now is a 2ish mile section of the Esperero, stuck in the middle of some previous excursions.
Ventana, as many know, is an incredibly rocky canyon with steep walls that force a lot of zig-zagging cross canyon in order to gain any distance. It's very exposed, requiring precise timing in order to avoid the sun. More so now than 35 years ago, the humidity in the lower canyon is aggravated by the irrigation of the resort at its foot. With that said...
I opened the car door at 5:00 sharp. I immediately lost my breath to the wet air, with a taste of treated, reclaim water. I half ran the first mile hoping for fresh air, but found little until I was well beyond the "pools". I was sweating like a pig, breathing like Darth Vader, and had chugged a quart of water by mile 3. This was not a good start. The next 2 miles were up, up, up, but a least offered an occasional breeze. I was like a kid on Christmas when I finally reached the Esperero junction.
I blew through the next mile, to the Window with renewed energy. From there, it was new territory for the next 2 miles. As I had hoped, the Esperero did not disappoint. In fact, this is my new favorite section of the Esperero. Even the downhill was tough, but the scenery cannot be beat. At various stops along the way, you might see Mt Graham, turn 180ish to see Kitt Peak. I hit one side peak, east of Window Peak that actually offered a true 330 deg panorama.
The return down Ventana was more painful than the accent, but Ventana is now off my list and I've found yet a new favorite in that trapped piece of the Esperero.  |
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Route Editor
Route Scout
