Have you ever schemed up an idea not really knowing the specifics about what you're contriving? Well, my most recent adventure was just that... It'll be fun! Hike up to the top of a mountain peak at 3,330-ish feet. About 5 miles round-trip. Just get in shape in a few months for this. Sure! Why not?! This sounds hopelessly easy, right? I had NO clue what was waiting for my buddy A., my youngest son (AKA Son B), and myself.
Hunter Trail @ Picacho Peak State Park--
My dear friend A. has hiked to Picacho Peak many times over the years and made it sound like a cake-walk. Being of spunky mind and soft body, I figured this hike to the Peak with Son B and A. would be an adventurous Spring Break trip. Months passed. The dust on the treadmill continued to layer on. However reality set in when a pair of fingerless gloves and a hydration backpack showed up in an Amazon box from A. And there were only 2 weeks to go until take-off. Guess we're really going to do this! Gulp!
The day came and I'm not going to lie... Looking up at the top of Picacho Peak and the winding Hunter Trail to get up there was intimidating! But self-dignity (and two plane tickets) over-ruled any second guessing I had. After all, Son B and I flew from Mississippi to Arizona to do this. If I chickened out, there would be NO living with Son B from here on out.
Loaded up with water and snacks, hiking boots laced up, and plenty of pluck, we began the march up. The weather, albeit slightly gusty, was PERFECT for this hike! Temperatures were in the low 60's and a partly cloudy sky helped keep us from getting overheated. We knew we needed to get moving since the trails closed at sunset and it was already 1330 (1:30 PM) when we started. But darn it! Around every turn was a more spectacular display of wildflowers or a remarkable Saguaro cactus needing its photo taken. Recent, abundant rains caused the desert to explode in color. The hillsides were blanketed in multiple shades of green. Golden Mexican poppies, purple lupine, and yellow brittlebrush flowers were everywhere!
The climb from Saguaro Ramada up to the Saddle (2,960 ft. elevation, and about 970 ft. elevation rise) was a mix of steep rocky steps, leveled out trail paths, and gradual inclines. For some of my vertically challenged friends, the steps up could be daunting. I'm 5'9" and my knees were barking! As you ascend up to the Saddle, the amazing views show you just how high up the mountain-side you're rising. Darn again! Drat those built-in camera and water breaks!
As we approached the Saddle, Picacho Peak's southwestern slopes began to reveal themselves. Based on the way the sun shone on to the this side, the Saguaro cactus turned neon and various formations of granite sparkled. Mother Nature meets Las Vegas?!
I thought the trail from the parking lot to the Saddle was laborious, so seeing the path drop on the other side of the Saddle (about 45 degrees for 200 feet) seemed like a relief. Notice I said seemed. On this trail, what goes down MUST go back up! And trust me, going back up this section involved a lot of shameless crawling and four-letter words.
As I slid down this incline, I was reminded of a hike I did in 2002 with my mom, a retired National Park Service Chief Ranger Secretary. Over the years, Mom has told tales of careless and unprepared visitors who attempted hikes in the National Parks she's worked at (namely Death Valley and Bryce Canyon). Some of these visitors were fortunate enough to have the rangers find and literally haul them out of some pretty remote, rocky areas. Others have not been this lucky... Needless to say, after years of reading incident reports, filing the paperwork, and speaking to the rangers doing the search/rescue/recovery jobs, Mom is pretty in tune with outdoor adventures and visitor antics. On this particular trip in 2002, Mom and I were in Capitol Reef National Park hiking the Cohab Canyon Trail. Mom was about 3 week post-surgery from a pretty major procedure. It was July, so temperatures were easily in the 90's in the shade. I was lugging my then 2-year-old son (Son A) in a backpack. What should have easily been a relatively short hike turned into a long, slow one. Every time we stopped to take a break, Mom would emphatically state "I am NOT having the rangers pack me out of here!" On this Picacho Peak excursion, I definitely was NOT going to have it end by telling my Mom about having to be packed out of the backcountry by rangers!
IMHO, the best part of the hike started here and continued twisting to the Peak. Son B lovingly (at least I hope it's lovingly!) refers to me as a "rock geek." So, it's no wonder the numerous shiny outcroppings of granite (biotic, gneissic, muscovite) caught my attention. Plus, this is the part of the trail where things got interesting. Climbing up crevices and along rock faces like a mountain goat was thrilling. If you're afraid of heights, this might cause you to pause. But once you rise to the Peak, breathless views are well worth the sweat, dry-mouth, and tingling leg muscles. I can't stress the importance of using fingerless gloves! They're a major help on the rock climbs and save on tearing up your palms on the cables. In the end, I'd gladly do this hike again! But we'll just conveniently forget about the wanton self-loathing and remember to pack extra ibuprofen.
Cactus Wren Trail/Encinas/Manville Loop @ Saguaro National Park-West District--
Flying standby has many advantages (of which I won't go into here), until you're not able to catch a flight home. Changing our return flight resulted in 3 extra days in Arizona, and later on, Chicago. I won't digress on this, but when in Arizona...take advantage of the surrounding sights and visit Saguaro NP!
Sure, Son B and I gazed at, admired, and posed in front of many Saguaro cactus at Picacho Peak State Park. But what impressed us about Saguaro NP is the absolute volume of these heavenly-rising behemoths. They're everywhere and in such a compacted area of the Sonoran Desert!
After recovering from Picacho Peak, Son B cringed and almost doubled over at the meer mention of the word hiking. Again, being of spunky mind and soft body, I couldn't not leave Saguaro NP without doing a hike of some type. After checking into the Visitor Center and conferring with a kindly volunteer lady, we decided on Cactus Wren/Encinas/Manville Loop Trail.
A slight side note...What impressed me about Saguaro NP was the well-planned out and informative hiking guide given out at the Visitor Center. Each hike is rated based on a boot scale (1 boot = relatively easy to 3 boots = more challenging). The hikes are color-coded based on distance, and elevation changes. With information like this given out, people of all mobility levels can experience the grandeur of Saguaro!
To reach Cactus Wren Trail, we hiked the hilly stone steps (about 0.2 miles) up to the top of Signal Hill. This is an excellent place to view petroglyphs up close and personal. It's almost uncanny how close you can look at them, but awesome nonetheless. Most people turned around and went back the way we came to the parking lot. However, Son B and I headed down in the opposite direction to the Cactus Wren Trail via the Manville Trail.
The hike from here has gently rising slopes and meandering trails. A much needed reprise! As I tagged along behind Son B, who was leaving me in the dust, I must admit I had an epiphany. Be like a cactus! Ok, Erin, so why is that?! The variety, sizes, colors and quantities of cacti on this particular trail are beyond impressive! Some were short and round like the fish-hook barrel, while others were tall and slender like ocotillo. But all of these cacti "stick" up for themselves, have thick skins, and are resilient. Life lesson from Mother Nature right?!
Picacho Peak's Hunter Trail and Saguaro NP's Cactus Wren/Encinas/Manville Loop Trail were two vastly different hikes, both in difficulty and terrain. BUT, in beauty, they didn't disappoint! Definitely consider visiting Arizona, or any other area of the desert southwest, from February to April. The desert truly turns into a rainbow of colors and is worth the time. I would be remissful of me (thanks Mom!) if I didn't encourage everyone to plan accordingly (i.e. taking adequate water, watching the temperature, wearing appropriate clothing and footwear, sunscreen, etc.). And to leave no trace. Take home only awesome memories and phenomenal photos with you. Here's to the next adventure!
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