A Return to the Scene of the Climb...

...and Fall

I finally returned to the David Yetman Trail, a favorite hike that, while longish at around 13 miles, is not overly challenging or dangerous, and is well-trafficked enough to give a soloist some comfort. Plus, if one is really hoofing it, this hike can be completed in under 4 hours. My PeakFinder app shows both of the peaks on this hike I climbed last year: Bren Peak, on the right spurred me to hike Golden Gate on the left after a hiker on Bren said there was a direct—albeit unofficial—trail to the summit that makes short work of it. That was advice I decidedly should have ignored. 

Besides getting back in the saddle after being thrown by a mountain, I was also seeing if I could beat my previous solo hiking time from three years ago, which I did by 10 minutes. So I must be getting back in some sort of shape after my forced hiatus.

Perfect weather today in the low 70s. Quite a few hikers out on this Christmas day all of whom were doing shorter hikes from either trailhead as happens on a holiday outing.

The Bowen House, low hanging fruit and primary culprit in keeping the parking lot packed as it’s only a mile in from the trailhead.

These few clouds, leftovers from yesterday's rains, will shortly disappear.

Closed trail to Golden Gate Mountain. Next time I will take the hint.

My lunch of choice: Homemade peanut butter (chunky 

of course), homemade tart cherry jam from our own 

trees, Dave’s bread, and a bag of original Lays (thanks 

for the hiking hack, Misty!). 

I got too close to one of these chollas and a golf-ball size cluster broke off on my hand and proceeded to to do yet more damage as it rolled around while I tried to extricate it with a stick.

Hard to see, but it also caused some bruising. Chollas are pretty but best given wide berth.

 

Linda Vista Loop Trail+

Still biding my time and hiking short, safe hikes while I wait for my hiking partner's return. In addition to my training walks 3-4 times a week, which don't have any rock scrambles or much in the way of elevation gain, there are short hikes in the area like this one that provide better hiking fitness training. If I have an hour to kill, the Linda Vista Loop is 5 minutes from the house and has some beautiful views looking east to the Santa Catalinas. This postage stamp of a hike is also quite rocky in spots, so I also get a little practice in ankle twist avoidance, not an insignificant skill to hone. This short hike is listed at 2.6 miles. I added another half mile more to maximize the hour I allotted myself. 

Another hot day—over 80º—but the sun was lower in the sky late in the afternoon, so that cut the intensity of the heat. Saw two young hikers descending from Pusch Peak, which they hiked toward but didn't ascend. I hiked that bear once previously, in December, 2018 with my Canadian pal, Jack (Jacques) and some folks from the University of Arizona. That hike is a genuine challenge in its very steep grade (2,000+ feet of gain over 1.5 miles), and also a great way to cover oneself with Teddy Bear Cholla spines.

Pusch Peak center-right, like a corporate Dem.

Still pretty green from last month's rains.

Cañada del Oro Trail

I was hoping to get in a short 5-10 mile hike in preparation for my upcoming 15-miler, but it was too hot today (for me) at 82 degrees, so I opted for a short, yet cooling bike ride up to Catalina State Park. The Cañada del Oro Trail adjacent to the Cañada del Oro Wash proved just the ticket. This trail is only 20 miles long, but connects to the 130-mile Tucson Loop Trail (see below), which circles the city. They have a great interactive trail map here. The Cañada del Oro trail is accessible fewer than 100 feet from our winter place in Oro Valley, so it's quite convenient. This was not a day to set records, obviously, especially considering I am decidedly out of biking shape because of a several month layoff. But I aim to get my biking and hiking legs back this winter, and have already improved on the hiking front. And the shoulder felt just fine on today's short ride.

Data from my watch, not the AllTrails App as usual.

More of the Santa Catalinas.

Tortolita Super Loop

We finally scheduled a longer hike (15-20 miles) as I've been a little cautious getting back to where we left things in February after my fall; I just ain't as fit as I was then with the 10-month layoff. We were planning on the 18-mile Seven Falls-Phone Line loop, which we last hiked in 2022, but my hiking partner Misty had a family emergency and had to head to Colorado for a bit. We had to scotch that hike as it is rather  isolated and not smart to hike solo with so few folks doing the back-country portion of the loop. I chose instead the 17-mile Tortolita Super Loop hike in the Tortolita Mountains in Marana, near Dove Mountain. This trail always gets a few mountain bikers and hikers, even in the loop’s apogee (and other nether regions away from the trailhead). Ironically, I met only two hikers all day, but did meet a couple mountain bikers in the afore-mentioned apogee, at about the nine-mile mark. 

The Tortolita Superloop is not an official name for this hike, but an abbreviated way of referencing a patchwork hike composed of most of the peripheral trails in the park. Easier than saying I hiked the Wild Burro-Lower Javelina-Alamo Springs-Ridgeline-Loop-Wild Mustang-Upper Javelina-Wild Burro Trails.

Saw some wildlife today, a couple of Javelinas having breakfast on some shrubs just as I began the hike, and a beautiful Gila Monster, mauve to match the color of the rocks and dirt where he resided. 

All-in-all a nice outing and, despite the hot weather (around 80º mid-hike), and I nearly managed to match my pace from the previous time I hiked this solo, in December of 2022. 

Two Javelinas at their morning repast.

Hard to capture just how rocky the trails are starting out and ending up, but they mellow out considerably after the climb up to the ridges.

The Ridgeline Trail lives up to its name. From here on, most of the trails were ridge-line or similar.

My Gila Monster. So uncalled-for to name these beautiful creatures monsters, especially since we have several actual monsters in the MAGA-verse.

Remnants of an old dam near Alamo Springs.

There is now a converted windmill (converted from wind to solar) to pump water into the water tank for grazing horses and cattle, of which there are few.

One of the cows near the water tank making a scarce showing.

Two miles to go, and boy were my dogs barking.

Garnet Trail

It was with a bit of trepidation that I chose the Garnet Trail for a strenuous hike that can be knocked out in a couple of hours. On the one hand, it has 1,500 feet of elevation gain and it’s only a little over four miles; on the other hand, most of that gain is in the last mile making for a very steep hike. Couple that with the rockiness, and the slippery talus in parts, and my caution, especially on the descents, was mingled with a palpable fear of falling; not sure if I could  stanch my instinct to catch myself with my right arm, the one attached to my newly bionic shoulder. I am sure I slowed down because of that fear. But since it's been seven months since the operation, I'm hoping this fear is unfounded. I was able to complete the hike in just under 2 hours, however, so I must be getting my leg and lung strength back from ten months of relative inactivity since my accident on February 10.

Temps in the 60s at the start, mid 70s at the end. Clear skies and nary a wisp of wind. Saw only five other hikers.

Finger Rock, top middle.

My destination, the flat formation tilting up to the left (north).

Old sigh revealing the fact that, until last year, the Garnet Trail was called the Pontatoc Ridge Trail.

A lot of greenery and flowers due to climate change. Even saw a lizard scurrying among the rocks. Neither of these phenomena are normal for December.