Ellen asked me on Monday if I was planning a long hike this weekend. At that time, no, I hadn't, but she gave me the excuse to plan one as she's a strong hiker and I needed a challenge. I chose Mt Wrightson (9453', 2881.274m) today, a peak in the Santa Rita mountains south of Tuscon. This is a popular hiking destination and also a popular birding habitat for Tucsonans. John, also a club member, joined us. We were a good team with around the same hiking ability, stopping only three times for water and snacks but stopping many more times for short bursts to take photographs. John is as avid a photographer as I am.
We started at 8:58am to a parking lot that was already half full. I had left the leash at home, something I discovered too late. "Pets on Leash" is clearly noted at the trailheads in Madera Canyon. Luckily Sadie was not a problem as she stayed right by my side. She wore her blue pack, and when we passed other people coming down, I pullled her next to me.
We could see fog shroud the peaks at the start. The clouds above gave the sky a mostly overcast appeal, but blue patches also poked through. Was it going to rain? I made the mistake of wearing a cotton t-shirt for today's hike. This shirt quickly became wet by the time we reached Josephine saddle at 10:32am. When we arrived at Baldy saddle I had to put my jacket on to stay warm, but then took it off just before we got to the peak at 1pm. The fog came and went with the traffic the entire time.
The higher we got the more wildflowers we saw. Golden Columbine, Red Cardinal jackets, fleabane, Goldeneyes, Firecracker Pestemons just to name a few. This was the most lush, green I have seen the Mt Wrightson wilderness. All the springs, from Sprung to Baldy and Bellows were running, too. This was a wonderful introduction for Ellen, who had never been up here before. She was impressed. The only rattler we saw was a juvenile one about a foot long that scurried into a hole when it sensed us approaching.
We kept a steady pace, stopping only at the springs for quick water and snack breaks.
Sadie was tired when we reached the peak four hours later. She rested in the shade of the old foundation of the look-out tower, where the first of the seasonal ladybug beetles were gathering. These red beetles start grouping around the peaks in August.
At least eight people were already at the peak, including two men drinking 24-ounce cans of Heineken. One of those men was an air force reservist out of Davis-Monthan AFB who also flies search and rescue operations for the area, another one was an ultra-runner named Chris who had just made it to the peak a second time today. He stayed only long enough to eat an energy bar and then he took off for the descent.
Hikers were coming and going the entire time. We stayed for almost 40 minutes just chatting with everyone. We were in no hurry and I enjoyed the friendly conversations. The peak is always a big meeting ground; I do not hike Wrightson for solitude.
I was amazed that it was so mild at the top, and at one point it was so warm my damp shirt dried. It's usually cold and windy at the top. The last time I was at this peak my fingers were cold and I was uncomfortable. We could see most of the panoramic vista, but heavy clouds were around us. By the time we left for our descent, it was cool and overcast again.
Ellen and John wanted to do the loop, so we went around the mountain back down the Super Trail. The burned-out area from the 2005 Florida fire was still looking burned, although there was lush green grass everywhere. Most of the new growth came from rejuvenated rootgrowth around the stumps, which made the trees look odd. The oaks are coming back but I saw little conifers, mesquite or even manzanita. This trail is apparently not used very much because thorny brush and scrub oak poked our naked legs these two extra miles and we didn't see a soul. The sky was clearing as well, giving us the open sun just as it was at its hottest. I kept my eyes out for snakes and all we saw were all kinds of lizards.
"Three fifty-three!" I announced as we made it back to the Josephine saddle, followed a few minutes later by thunder. We stopped here for the last time to sugar up before finishing the hike at 5:10pm via the steep but shorter Old Baldy trail. Other groups were still venturing up this steep section despite the threat of storms! It drizzled in parts but it never rained on us, and the clouds held back all the way home. We could see rain cells to our southeast and northeast, but nothing overhead.
The parking lot was much less crowded when we got back. A Forest Service truck was parked in the next aisle over. The ranger in the truck was watching us. I was afraid he'd cite me for having Sadie off leash, but he said nothing.
We were clearly tired by now. My toes were swollen inside my Columbia high top day hikers but I couldn't afford to take them off. I smelled funky, too. And now my shins were getting tight from sitting behind the wheel.
Kevin was asleep when I got back home at 7:30pm. I was very hungry and appreciated the chili-mac he had left for me in the frig.
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