It's special to begin a Monday morning on this peak...any peak.
On a brisk winter morning, the sun was prominent on the mountain walls.
Jenni returned to the trails after an illness, making one boy very happy and a girl quite tired. We had
a quick three hikes following the tough Finger Canyon Trail. Tucson is a rugged hiking town when one follows
the trails to their termination points. There are sections of the city which are also very rough…people-wise.
We completed Romero Pools which was moderate of 7 miles with a cumulative gain of 1,200 feet; Ventana Canyon
of over 9 miles and 3,000 feet upwards had testing aspects. The difficulty of the latter hike was that for part
of it we climbed and crawled up a goat path, thirty or so minutes of testing situations—‘our guide’ seemed
to lose his way…what’s new?
Suppose it takes a bit of an effort to reach special places.
Out in the beautiful deserts, slightly haunting sunset.
For a little perspective, a profile of the small but unusual mountain.
Mom and Dad and the off-springs sprinkling the desert floor with their little saguaros.
"I think this is when I call for a cab.'
The pictures in this blog are almost exclusively from a repeat of the icon, Picacho Peak. We needed to reach
Las Vegas on Monday but not before stopping at the base to undertake this wonderful experience. The peak rises
to 1,500 feet but to get there one has to climb partway up and then go down on the other side before re-commencing
the climb. There are chains to assist the hiker in about seven positions. As we mentioned the last time we did
this climb, it’s rated difficult. We found it terrific, a great workout, the need for caution at times but not difficult.
On the last outing at Picacho, the editor questioned what she was doing on the trail—she whined quite a bit. This occasion,
it was Jenni who initiated the hike. That’s what I love about women—a person never knows what’s going on in their minds.
Oh! Thanks for coming...thought you were still talking your way up the mountain.
The editor returns from peak heading down only to get ready to climb again. Notice how
serious she becomes at times like these.
We met two gentlemen, Larry and Paul, one from North Dakota, the other Wisconsin. These soft-spoken and confident men,
who have undertaken some special hikes, proved what a treat it is to meet kindred spirits as well as fascinating
people. We have been blessed to have come across wonderful people over the years—a large benefit of Hike-about.
'Wait for me, Jen...I have the car keys.'
A favorite from this position.
Cheers,
Jenni and Jeffrey
What a world!
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