Elevation: 6520' - 7067'
Significance: a quiet walk on a mountain road with moon shining above.
https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/cor
https://www.arizonahighways.com/explore/scenic-drives/mount-hopkins
I hadn't been on Mount Hopkins since 2009, when I went on a hike with Bill Bens and SteveS and young Sadie. Bill led that hike that started from the Madera Canyon parking lot, up the Vault Mine and Carrie Nation trail, then took a well-traveled social trail to the Mount Hopkins Road and walked the rest of the w ay to the top where there is the Fred Whipple Observatory and ample views in all directions. It's a trail that requires good navigation skills or a good GPS, as some people have gotten lost hiking this trail. One man, 82-year-old Joseph Smallwood was one such victim in February 2019. Another hiker who had gotten slightly off course hiking to Mount Hopkins found what turned out to be his hiking poles, a fanny pack and one hiking shoe. Smallwood's body was found in July.
The Observatory has been closed since late March due to this covid pandemic and that means access from the road are also closed. I knew this, so I told Nina, who wanted me to lead this hike, to have us meet at the Visitor's center and we drive up as high up as we can and start a walk there. With the 8pm curfew that the Governor implemented last week, though, that meant we had less time to ramble, but all worked out in the end.
The hardest part for me was the drive from Hereford to the Visitor's Center. I met SteveT at his place and we convoyed in separate vehicles (that came in handy later), but despite my AC on high, I could not stay awake while driving in that 105F heat. I was miserable!
Steve and I got to the Visitor's center at 5pm. The Visitor's Center is by the first group of giant telescopes off the mountain road. There's plenty of parking and the restroom was open. We walked the 1/4-mile Nature Trail and read the informational signs (anything to avoid just sitting and waiting). Nina wasn't late by much. She parked her Escape and drove up the road with Steve as I led the way, driving up a road that at times was only wide enough for one vehicle. The speed limit is 10 miles. I pulled over several times to let cars coming down the mountain pass me. All the cars were from employees working at the Observatory who were driving home.
We stopped the cars a few times to take pictures, then decided to park at the last parking area just before the gate at the 13km mark. We explored an old carriage road here but turned around when it began a steep descent, walked a short distance to the gate, then walked downhill far enough to make it four miles total. By now the near full moon was already high up, but the hills and trees around us did not give us much view of either the rising moon or the setting sun. The cool temperature of 70F after sunset was refreshing, but the lack of a good sunset was a tad disappointing. I'm sure had we access to the peak, we'd have seen a much better view.
The only other person on the mountain was a camper who was set up at a perfect campsite affording views of the sunset. That same campsite I later discovered is listed in the "free campsites" webpage.
https://freecampsites.net/#!99337&query=sitedetails
We turned around at what looked to be a parking or camping area for multiple vehicles, just past the 10.5km marker. Here was another old carriage road leading down the mountain. I enjoy exploring abandoned roads and I wouldn't mind coming back to Mount Hopkins and camp out here, but I'm sure all the campsites are coveted sites that go fast.
We got back to our cars at 8:15pm, We were now fifteen minutes into official curfew. None of us was concerned. Who would be looking for vicious hikers violating curfew up here? I was more concerned now at getting off the mountain safely. Parts of the road do not have guardrails and some of the switchbacks are steep and narrow.
I led the way going back down, stopping for an erratic bunny that was making vertical jumps in the air (was my car's lights confusing it?), and later a striped skunk that sauntered along the road as if it owned it. These were both tame animals, considering the Mount Hopkins area has some of the most calls for black bear sightings in southern Arizona. We didn't see any bear scat along our walk. It took us 45 minutes to get back to the Visitor's center. It was back up to 84F again.
The walk got my appetite going, and although I had food with me, I wanted an excuse for us to gather around a little longer before driving back home. A lot of places had shuttered at 7:30pm because of the curfew, but a McDonald's off Continental Road was open for pick-up and drive-through. We ordered our meals and then sat in the parking lot and camped out! Steve had brought two camping chairs that he let Nina and I use as he sat in the driver's seat. We must have looked odd sitting in the parking lot chatting among us. I noticed a police car in the nearby stripmall parking lot facing us. Perhaps we were acting suspicious?
We departed at 10pm. Steve and I talked about camping in the national forest somewhere, but we ended up driving to a spacious rest area 14 miles north of Sonoita before I pulled over due to fatigue. Steve stayed with me. I was asleep pretty quickly and was very comfortable all night, but Steve complained of howling coyotes.
https://www.mapmyhike.com/workout/4366145938
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