Gold Hill scramble

Cool and windy temperatures were forecasted for the afternoon.  DrS from the hiking club had a hike scheduled for Gold Hill.  I wanted to do this scramble again knowing he was starting from the south end.  Ryan and I did it from the north end almost two years ago.

We were to meet at 9am off Gold Gulch Road.  I left the house with Hansel and arrived at 8:50am.  I didn't even get lost driving around Warren this time.  The doctor, SteveA, BarryD, DougB and Karen and DavidS were already waiting.  Were more coming?  Susan never showed up (she never answered my text at 7am).  It was 49F with high wind-swept cirrus clouds above us. We were anxious to get started on time, to which the doctor replied: 

"If this were the Bisbee group, we'd still be standing around talking!"  I know, I've hiked with that chatty group, but most of us in the Huachuca Hiking club are retired military and like timeliness.

We started the hike walking east down the old mining road, then continued in the gulch and then cross-country in a northeasterly direction toward Gold Hill. The elevation quickly accumulates as we scrambled up the loose rock hillside, looking for limestone outcropping for better stability.  Fossilized coral protrude from much of the limestone.

SteveA and Barry were higher up as I stayed with Doug and the doctor, with Karen and David below.  David recently recovered from a fractured ankle and had to take it easy, but at our first rest break he determined it was better to drop out.  The scramble only got worse as we gained elevation.

Most of the flora that we walked across was dead sage which easily gave way.  There wasn't any catclaw or other prickly flora to cut up our legs.  The ocotillo and prickly pear were easily avoided. Views to the south opened up.  The border wall was visible and the Sierra La Esmeralda range, part of the Sierra Madres, thrust toward the sky.  The primary colors were hues of browns.

We had no radios with us.  Normally this group has two radios.  We had to be vigilant, as the doctor was now behind us and Barry far ahead. Doug, Steve and I stayed in the middle but we all joined at the summit for our lunch break.

Winds were beginning to pick up.  Barry mentioned he got blasted by a few ravens when he reached the summit.  He was busy getting his drone set up for a few videos.  I had heard the drone buzz overhead and commented that I hope it didn't capture my butt crack; my jeans were loose and I kept having to pull them back up.

I like the views from atop Gold Hill.  There are so many peaks here I've yet to bag.  But Barry and I both agree that Gold Hill is not a peak we need to bag again.  It's just too much work and the steep descent can make climbing down treacherous. I did fall three times, but luckily I fell backwards on my ample butt rather than forward and into an ocotillo. 

Doug was the last person back to the cars.  It was 1:40pm.  This hike had taken us almost 4.5 hours! I racked up 3.4 miles and an elevation gain of 1265'

We wanted to eat in Bisbee afterward, but the Brewery Gulch was crowded with tourists.  We all just drove home.