Saturday, February 16, 2019

It's Good to Turn Around and Live

Today we took the trail that branched to the left.  Yesterday, we went right.  I think right might be the better of the two forks.  It was windy and cool today.  Both of us were wearing long pants and long sleeved shirts, which is something of a rarity for Tucson.  It was, however, a pretty day with clouds moving through making shadows.

Someone was nice enough to make a cairn to indicate there was a trail split.

The trail continued up.

Unfortunately, I didn't get any pictures of the trail.  It was a steep little trail, and was side hill for much of the really steep part.  It kept getting more narrow, and was starting to give me the willies.  We reached this point.  I had to turn around and go back down.  Jim is looking at it contemplating his mortality.  What you can't see, because I had to retreat, is that you have to go around that outcropping and make it across a 12 inch wide piece of trail that's TOTALLY exposed.  One would have to not use the poles, face the rock and move the feet sideways.  Not today!  Falling would be fatal.

We went back down.  If you look dead center in the photo you can see the outcropping that we did not walk around.

Cactus are really tenacious.  This is a Cardon, which is a false Saguaro.  They don't grow arms.  Anyway, he's growing out of a rock.

Here is Jim, sitting on another rock.

The left arrow is where we were today, the right arrow is where we were heading yesterday.  I think next time we'll go right and try to make it to the top of the ridge.  Those trails are not side hill and aren't as willie inducing.

It was a good hike.  We're both really pleased at how many trails there are which can be reached from the house.  It the high winds don't die and the temperatures don't increase, we're never getting back on the bikes.

Update to post 3/21/19:

We went back up the left trail yesterday.  I really wanted to see the ledge and if it was passable.  It's certainly not by us.

It was hard to get decent pictures because the wind was coming around the corner so hard Jim was afraid I'd get knocked off the trail.

Falling off the ledge has the potential for a long trip down the hillside.

If you go across, this is the trail leaving.  It goes over to the other trail (right fork) which is much less fraught.

So, we've been up there twice.  We're never going across that section.  Getting up to it and then going back down is a pain in the butt due to all of the loose rocks that roll under your feet.  Pretty sure we're two and through.


  1. GREAT trail!! I love to see all that cactus. They look so happy!!! The views look spectacular too. You would never know this exists if you didn't hike it.

  2. Our bikes still have two flat tires from Honeybee. Waiting for a nice day to fix them :)