Today’s hike was a twosome-turned-threesome with a guest hiker from North Tucson: Donna from MA joined Big Steve and me. We met at the trailhead at 8:45am and right away I knew Donna was hiking at a professional pace. I was expecting that, as she’s training for a group hike up Mount Whitney in June and has hiked up Mount W three times now in two weeks. That woman can hike!
And me, well, I felt like a novice this time. Not because I was dressed all in blue and was wearing my Keens with socks, but also because I tripped once, tumbled down the trail once (got a few superficial abrasions from that triple axel!) and fell a third time on the descent. Really, why was I so klutzy today? The sunglasses didn’t help, having Sadie on a leash didn’t help, and neither did Keens with worn-out soles help, either. It’s time to renew my summer hiking gear.
Starting elevation was 5400' from the paved parking lot. We ascended via the Super Trail, a 3.7-mile trail with a steady grade and shade. The creeks were dry but the scenery toward Madera Canyon and Tucson were beautiful. We got to the first saddle, Josephine Saddle, at 10:30am. The second part of the hike, 2.2-miles of steep grade around large rock outcroppings to the higher saddle, took me longer than expected: I arrived there at 12:20pm Donna had already taken off for the last .9-mile up to the peak. This was the first time I aborted a peak due to health reasons and didn’t feel guilty. I know I must try again when the climate is more friendly. By then Sadie will be in better shape, too. Her bahavior was great, once again. She stayed right by my feet.
We had a lot of fellow hikers coming and going along the trail. Some had even JOGGED up the peak and were descending as we got to the second saddle. The parking lot was full from start to finish today.
The 100F in Tucson today was noticeable even at the Baldy Saddle at 8740’. This is where the 2005 Florida Fire scorched a good portion of the eastern slopes of the Santa Ritas. PArts of the slopes here are now charred and barren slopes of dead and blackened pine poles.
Parts of the Old Baldy trail were exposed and ~HOT~ and both Sadie and I were hurting. By the time I got to the Florida Saddle I was nearly half done with my lemonade and my thighs were cramping. Steve by then aborted any attempts to scale the peak with Donna, who took an hour going up AND down and joined us briefly at the Saddle before our descent down Old Baldy trail to the parking lot.
Because Sadie was feeling tired, I took it slower going down, and missed out on a lot of the conversation between Steve and Donna. Originally from just outside of Worchester, MA, she came to Tucson-UA with a full scholarship, then married and raised two kids with her husband, now 16 and 19. The marriage ended in divorce six years ago, she got laid off from her job as a hospital dietician, and is now hiking and doing things she couldn’t do earlier. Wise investments are affording her the pleasure.
But she also said she hates the Tucson heat and wants to move to either Idaho or Montana as soon as her younger child is out of high school. Why Montana? She just does. She wants to live somewhere where it’s cooler.
We parted ways back at the trailhead. Donna promised to send me the photos she took of Steve and me (since I was rushed this morning and left the camera on the kitchen counter!) and Steve and I drove the dusty trail back to town. The fire in the upper western slopes of the Huachucas looked contained on our way back, but in the morning thick dark white smoke was coming up from Garden Canyon. (The local paper said the fire was a 25-50 acre fire near Pat Scott Peak, which is where I was two weeks ago talking to the two Border Patrol agents.) The paper didn’t state this, but I suspect the fire was started by an overnight camp fire that was abandoned by a group of illegals crossing over the mountains.
Sadie was exhausted as we got back, but the older dogs were anxious to go for a “W” with me. After the hot and crueling12-mile hike, I gave both dogs a rain check.
I hope the fire in the mountains is contained by tomorrow. So far the forecasters were right when they said this fire season is going to be a hot one. I have no doubt that the fire was started by illegals sleeping the night near the Crest Trail off Pat Scott Canyon trail (there’s a high level grassy area nearby). The only good thing about today’s fire, which started this morning, is that the fire surely burned some of the trash the illegals leave behind: backpacks, dirty clothes, and plastic water bottles. The downside of course is the destruction of pristine wilderness, but illegals don’t care about that since this isn’t their country.
http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/hourlyupdate/292247
http://www.svherald.com/articles/2009/05/09/news/breaking_news/doc4a05bc808e5e5375433863.txt
http://www.azcentral.com/community/surprise/articles/2009/05/11/20090511gl-nwvhiker0511-ON.html
And me, well, I felt like a novice this time. Not because I was dressed all in blue and was wearing my Keens with socks, but also because I tripped once, tumbled down the trail once (got a few superficial abrasions from that triple axel!) and fell a third time on the descent. Really, why was I so klutzy today? The sunglasses didn’t help, having Sadie on a leash didn’t help, and neither did Keens with worn-out soles help, either. It’s time to renew my summer hiking gear.
Starting elevation was 5400' from the paved parking lot. We ascended via the Super Trail, a 3.7-mile trail with a steady grade and shade. The creeks were dry but the scenery toward Madera Canyon and Tucson were beautiful. We got to the first saddle, Josephine Saddle, at 10:30am. The second part of the hike, 2.2-miles of steep grade around large rock outcroppings to the higher saddle, took me longer than expected: I arrived there at 12:20pm Donna had already taken off for the last .9-mile up to the peak. This was the first time I aborted a peak due to health reasons and didn’t feel guilty. I know I must try again when the climate is more friendly. By then Sadie will be in better shape, too. Her bahavior was great, once again. She stayed right by my feet.
We had a lot of fellow hikers coming and going along the trail. Some had even JOGGED up the peak and were descending as we got to the second saddle. The parking lot was full from start to finish today.
The 100F in Tucson today was noticeable even at the Baldy Saddle at 8740’. This is where the 2005 Florida Fire scorched a good portion of the eastern slopes of the Santa Ritas. PArts of the slopes here are now charred and barren slopes of dead and blackened pine poles.
Parts of the Old Baldy trail were exposed and ~HOT~ and both Sadie and I were hurting. By the time I got to the Florida Saddle I was nearly half done with my lemonade and my thighs were cramping. Steve by then aborted any attempts to scale the peak with Donna, who took an hour going up AND down and joined us briefly at the Saddle before our descent down Old Baldy trail to the parking lot.
Because Sadie was feeling tired, I took it slower going down, and missed out on a lot of the conversation between Steve and Donna. Originally from just outside of Worchester, MA, she came to Tucson-UA with a full scholarship, then married and raised two kids with her husband, now 16 and 19. The marriage ended in divorce six years ago, she got laid off from her job as a hospital dietician, and is now hiking and doing things she couldn’t do earlier. Wise investments are affording her the pleasure.
But she also said she hates the Tucson heat and wants to move to either Idaho or Montana as soon as her younger child is out of high school. Why Montana? She just does. She wants to live somewhere where it’s cooler.
We parted ways back at the trailhead. Donna promised to send me the photos she took of Steve and me (since I was rushed this morning and left the camera on the kitchen counter!) and Steve and I drove the dusty trail back to town. The fire in the upper western slopes of the Huachucas looked contained on our way back, but in the morning thick dark white smoke was coming up from Garden Canyon. (The local paper said the fire was a 25-50 acre fire near Pat Scott Peak, which is where I was two weeks ago talking to the two Border Patrol agents.) The paper didn’t state this, but I suspect the fire was started by an overnight camp fire that was abandoned by a group of illegals crossing over the mountains.
Sadie was exhausted as we got back, but the older dogs were anxious to go for a “W” with me. After the hot and crueling12-mile hike, I gave both dogs a rain check.
I hope the fire in the mountains is contained by tomorrow. So far the forecasters were right when they said this fire season is going to be a hot one. I have no doubt that the fire was started by illegals sleeping the night near the Crest Trail off Pat Scott Canyon trail (there’s a high level grassy area nearby). The only good thing about today’s fire, which started this morning, is that the fire surely burned some of the trash the illegals leave behind: backpacks, dirty clothes, and plastic water bottles. The downside of course is the destruction of pristine wilderness, but illegals don’t care about that since this isn’t their country.
http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/hourlyupdate/292247
http://www.svherald.com/articles/2009/05/09/news/breaking_news/doc4a05bc808e5e5375433863.txt
http://www.azcentral.com/community/surprise/articles/2009/05/11/20090511gl-nwvhiker0511-ON.html
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