48.24 Arizona: Picacho Mountain outside Tucson, an opportunity to climb...and quickly.
It’s not so much that we tackle the challenge of the hike or climb, but more so that we allow nature to show us the path. The Picacho experience is fascinating. The mountain lies between Tucson and Phoenix, closer to the former, on the I-10 Freeway and along the railway line. Both the train and vehicles remain at ground-level, while those seeking the challenge, rise to the peak and return to complete the exercise. To the east, and visible through the camera telephoto, hundreds of airplanes sit on a tarmac, in storage. It makes one wonder why planes are being manufactured nowadays. It is a very steep climb and of course, descent as well as very decent. Upon reaching the initial shoulder, after of course, a steep climb, one heads west and then reaches the other side of the mountain, descends two hundred feet or so, heads east and then sharply upwards again until reaching the peak. The up-down and up again is the work of a trail designer with an off-center sense of humor. The...
