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| Hike & Climb | 14.60 Miles |
6,650 AEG |
| | Hike & Climb | 14.60 Miles | 8 Hrs 55 Mns | | 1.77 mph |
| 6,650 ft AEG | | 20 LBS Pack | | |
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| Solo G • Boulder • 3rd Granite Excellent • 10 Feet 1 Pitch | | |
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none
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| no partners | | This was by far my largest AEG hike since May of 2012 when I was hiking Catalina SP to Mt Lemmon and back. I've come close a few times with several hikes in the mid to high 5,000' AEG range, but being well over 6,000' of AEG was a little bit of a struggle. Not going up, but down, when fatigue and the rough nature of Finger Rock's final descending switchbacks were getting really tiring. I'm tired and sore, and I wanted that.
Matt likes this hike. I had rejected it on the basis of it being too long as recent as our last Kimball hike together, but last Friday for some reason, I had a sudden change of heart and it was getting me excited. It is long for AEG and on the higher end for miles, but very doable. The only issue is the poor condition of Finger Rock between Esperero and Pima Canyon Trails, but that is so heavily cairned you can't get lost. This is despite the feeling of it being little more than a rough game trail at times, and there actually being a few game trails that branch off from the "trail". However, those cairns will lead the way.
I skipped Kimball, I don't consider that part of a hike to Window Peak from Finger Rock, and I was just there 5 days ago. Besides, I was tired and wanted to get down, and with the still short days and the long drive time from Phoenix, I wasn't even interested. I edited the original GPS to arrive at what appears to be an accurate route for this hike, but trimmed some AEG and miles, due to an issue near Window Peak.
I started at 9:50 AM, was on Window by 2:22 PM, spent just over 20 minutes on the summit, and was down by 6:45 PM. Being pressed for time, I only took a few short breaks, usually for food or water. This was a goal hike as much as an enjoyment one, and so this falls into my category of being too long to be enjoyable most of the time. I had to keep moving the entire time to be done before dark. So, there were no frequent, "sit and listen breaks", or, "stop and smell the air breaks (no flowers up high)". Not a hike I would do often, as a result. Perhaps next spring, at the earliest. I am training now for a larger goal, so I was happy with this. Besides, those views from Finger Rock's back side, Window Peak's awesome summit, and most of the Esperero Trail's upper end, are totally worth the punishment this hike provided. |
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Route Editor
Route Scout
Route 
It woke him and he wasn't the most cooperative for a photo. I told him I was sorry and we kept moving.
