Romero Pools in Two

Ok. I know this is a silly goal, but I really do think I can do this hike in two hours flat, gods willing and the creek don’t rise. No chance of the latter with this severe drought. This was my first attempt at 3.0 mph/2 hours, and I came up 0.1 mph and 5 minutes short. Not unlike similar attempts on the shorter but steeper Blackett's Ridge. The problem is this trail is so damned rocky that, despite the substantial elevation gain, going down ain’t all that much faster than going up because of the real danger of an errant face plant or ankle twist. There is a reason AllTrails conservatively rates this as a difficult 3+ hour hike; I rate it as "moderate" because it's short.

I have really only hiked Romero Pools as a stand-alone, out-and-back once—last year with my Michigander pal, Jack. And that was a bit more leisurely as I was introducing him to the Catalinas. However, this short 3-mile stretch of beauty has been part of many of my other hikes. There was the rather dangerous, even foolhardy 12-hour, 24 mile slog up the Sutherland Trail in February, 2019, where the more familiar (to me) Romero Canyon Trail provided the guiding light, buoying our ragged spirits back to the car at midnight; then, last year with my hiking partner Misty, an epic 20 miler over Romero Pass to Sabino Canyon; plus a few assorted other hikes, notably one I did with my good friend Ira way back in February of 2017, when we hiked the 5 miles up to the first campground and back.

Today I really put the pressure on myself by arriving at the trailhead at a quarter past three, giving me only two hours before the sun would set. I made it back to the car just after sunset at 5:20, and good I did as I left my headlamp behind.

Beautiful 70° weather at the start, and not one cloud. Saw few other hikers, much to my liking. The pools were almost dried up, but the colors were subtly radiant, signaling their late-season evanescence. 

The first of the pools had but a bathtub's worth of

water. Usually, one has to rock hop to keep from 

getting wet.

A reminder the the sun was on its way down and I'd better hie on back to the car.

Still hints of fall color.

I have never seen the pools this empty.