Great weather, with little wind and 45º at 7:20, rising to 77º in the afternoon. Had to don micro spikes for one small section, although not on the return, and there was a modicum of snow on Kimball, but overall, a wonderful hike. Saw only one other hiker past the Linda Vista Saddle, where we had lunch on the way back. This hike also uses the Pima Canyon Trail for a short stretch at the end, and we saw one hiker who ascended Pima Canyon, so strictly speaking, we saw two hikers past the saddle.
Misty and I last hiked this route a couple years ago, on January 25, 2022, and I still remember that hike as a challenge. It is so steep, rocky, and treacherous, even on the downhill return there is no getting your pace up. Still and all, we hiked a bit faster than two years prior (not that it's a race, but who wants to spend 10 hours on a hike?).
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We actually waited about 15 minutes for the sun to grace Finger Rock before we departed. A sign from the gods it was good to go. |
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| Linda Vista Saddle (top left), where we will have lunch. |
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| There is some water running down Finger Rock Canyon. |
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| Looking south at the Tucson sprawl. |
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| Hoo doo dat? |
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| Mount Kimball. |
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| Mount Lemmon (snow cap in the distance). |
Short video of the amazing views from Kimball.
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| Remnants of the 2020 fire that burned 120, 000 acres of the Santa Catalinas |
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| An example of the rockiness of this steep, ankle-twisting trail. |
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| Lunch at Linda Vista Saddle. three miles yet to go. |
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