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| Hiking | 15.50 Miles |
2,060 AEG |
| | Hiking | 15.50 Miles | | | |
| 2,060 ft AEG | | | | |
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| no partners | | The secret to an enjoyable hike is to travel light yet to bring enough items to ensure an amount of comfort on the trail. Four things make up the base weight of a pack. The pack, the tent, the sleeping bag and a sleeping mat. This hike I opted for a very light and very thin Thermarest pad. Mistake. These bones need more cushion. So, two nights of fitful sleep.
Another beautiful desert morning to enjoy my morning brew and wake up. Hopeful and Rocks came down the trail to our camp. Easy D asked them if she could get them anything for their hike. When people through hike, resupply is an issue. They made a small list and hiked on.
My legs were very stiff and sore. A little ranger candy (ibuprofen) and we were on our way in the lowlands of Redington Pass. Half a mile in the legs warmed up and the hike was on.
Five miles in we found the Tacoma on Redington Road. Easy D Simondi took the keys and drove ahead to meet me at thrice named Catalina Highway 10 miles on. (Also called the General Hitchcock Highway and the Mt Lemmon Hwy).
Another 5 miles of desert grass, bright sun and blue sky. Spooked two large deer. Began to feel the heat. Listening to one’s body is important. Found some shade, ate lunch, drank a lot of water and felt much better.
A couple of miles further I found Hopeful and Rocks lounging in a self-made pond in Aqua Caliente Drainage, a small running creek. After a break, we hiked on. Thirteen miles on the trail climbed 800 feet up through a valley. At the base of our ascent a helicopter began circling overhead. After several circuits, Rocks said, “not getting too personal, but are you wanted?”
As we came around a bend in the trail we noticed several people under a tree. Three young persons were in orange T-shirts that said AZCC (Arizona Conservation Corps). A hiker was lying in the shade. One of the AZCC workers said the hiker’s resting pulse was 118. Looking closer I realized it was Digger. He'd been pushing, trying to get 30 miles a day. Physically unprepared, drinking unfiltered water, and not enough water, the heat took a toll. (It’s very unwise to drink unfiltered water. Especially in the Arizona desert where cattle roam freely).
Digger had a satellite device similar to the Delorme Easy D and I carry. Feeling distress, he'd sent out an SOS. The 3 AZCC workers were the first wave of rescue. The chopper circling earlier while we gawked and took pictures had been looking for a good landing zone. Meanwhile, two search and rescue members hiked quickly down the trail. Our services not required, we resumed our hike up the hill. Four more rescue crew passed us. Behind them, a deputy sheriff dressed in a black uniform. He wasn't happy.
Meanwhile on the other side of the hill, Easy D was nervous about the activity given my heart history. She later told me she'd finally gotten one of the rescue personnel to offer up some information. When they said bald man in his 50s she knew it wasn’t me.
The chopper landing aborted, a ground rescue began. As we hiked down towards the road several more rescue personnel passed pushing a litter attached to a large wheel. Bless them, they had a mile to go and two miles back with a casualty on the stretcher and 90 degree heat.
Enough excitement. Found Simondi in a parking lot across the road. Not only had she bought some requested supplies for Hopeful and Rocks, she also had cold water and a sub. I reached into the cooler in the back of my truck and pulled out two ice cold beers. Hopeful and Rocks were incredibly grateful. We told them to pay it forward.
Miles: 15.5
Total AZT Miles: 379 of 788.7 |
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