Season Swan Song: Wasson Peak Via Sweetwater

Hiking season has wound down and Misty and I chose a favorite hike for our ultimate outing: the 9-mile Sweetwater Trail approach to Wasson Peak. A bonus is that the trailhead is equidistant from our respective places in Oro Valley and Tucson—around 25 minutes—so we didn't have to get up at the crack of Tony Orlando. 

This being a weekend, we did see quite a few bipeds on the trail, about the only wildlife one sees any more in this country. However, most of those hikers were encountered after the saddle where the Sweetwater meets the King and Hugh Norris trails, around 3.5 miles up. 

We did this very hike as the final hike of 2022 (December 30), so check out that link if you want more pictures and commentary. Happy 2023 and see you down the trail.

Tanque Verde Ridge to Juniper Basin Campground

Today's hike was a challenging 14-miler in the Rincons on the eastern edge of Tucson. The Tanque Verde Ridge Trail climbs up and out of the Javalina Picnic area in Saguaro National Park East, and continues for eleven miles to Cow Head Saddle. 

I hiked solo today, but I was only hiking seven miles up, to the Juniper Basin Campground, and I figured I would run into a few backpackers for safety, which I did: three hiking down from the campground, three on their way up for an overnight.

I hiked about five miles up the Tanque Verde Ridge in December of 2019. And prior to that, also in December 2019, my hiking partner Misty and I hiked it's entirety from the other direction starting at the Douglas Spring Trailhead and hiking to Cow Head Saddle and back west on this trail in an epic 20-mile point-to-point hike. Today’s hike was the furthest I'd hiked in this direction. I would have gone the extra two miles up to the peak, but there was snow at the campground, and much more higher up, and I’ll no doubt be getting my fill of snow in a couple of weeks.

I'm also hiking in brand new boots today (Keens—which I'd never worn—yet were comfy right out of the box), something not recommended by serious hikers, but they performed just fine. Normally, I'd try new boots out on a shorter outing, or at least wear them around the house for a bit, but hiking season is winding down, and today's weather was absolutely sublime: 53º at the trailhead at 8:00; 75º at 2:30.

Many false summits on this route. You can't see Tanque Verde Peak until you're right up on it. So no sightings this trip.

Lots of overgrown grass, often obscuring the trail, but all-in-all, fairly easy to navigate.

I stopped for a screen shot and a pic of how far 

up I hiked in 2019.

My lunch spot-ish in 2019, and the point at which I returned to the trailhead.

Two more short miles and I reached the campground

with campsites and a toilet.

The return should be faster and easier as I'd already 

realized the bulk of the elevation gain on this hike.

The campground had plenty of water running.

Three well-spaced campsites. I really should have brought my camping gear, but I'd probably be camping solo. In January of 2020, I did camp at the sister campground to Juniper Basin, the equidistant Douglas Spring Campground, about 6.5 miles from here, and itself 6.5 miles in from the Douglas Spring Trailhead. These two campgrounds make for a nice three-day, two-night, 20-mile backpacking trip.  And so close to Tucson.

Fancy plein air accommodations (not a Monet painting).

Amazing burnt tree carcass from the last fire to sweep through 

the area.

The winds from the latest cold front to move in rendered the air rife with particulate matter. Smog mixed with dust, not so great for one's upper respiratory, nor photographing mountain vistas.

 

Cactus Forest Trail (Das Boot Rant)

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Perhaps you're thinking that this blog post is about more than just a hike, and you'd be correct. While I did need a moderate (easy, in this case) hike as a warmup for Saturday's more consequential outing, I also needed a comfortable hike on which to break in a new pair of boots. This little 10-miler in Saguaro National Park East seemed to fit the bill. 

Note: Before I continue with this post, which really isn't about the hike so much as the boots, I hiked this trail about a year ago and wrote it up here.

It seems I am hard on hiking boots. That is one reason that I plonked down several hundred dollars last year to purchase an amazing pair of old-school all-leather Danners, made in Portland and completely reconstructable—perhaps the last pair of boots I'd need, considering my already advanced age. However, I haven't worn them on a hike yet, preferring to use my Southwest-specific boots I already have that have really shown the wear and tear this rocky terrain metes out. I also think the Danners are better suited to hikes in places like Oregon, Washington, and Colorado, where trails are more forgiving, and one is more likely to encounter mud and gravel and pine needles, not rocks, boulders, and shards of schist. So I've basically consigned myself to hiking in disposable boots as long as I continue to hike in Arizona.

I have been wearing Vasque hiking boots and shoes since I began Arizona hiking some 9 years ago. They have always felt comfortable right out of the box (until now), and held up fairly well, considering what I put them through (also until now). 

I bought a pair of Vasque Breeze boots in late 2019 in preparation for my solo six-day 60+ mile Grand Canyon backpacking trip the following May. That trip was canceled due to Covid so I wasn't able to make that trip until May of last year. Meanwhile, I hiked about 4 months in the new Vasques, including a weekend backpacking trip in Colorado. That iteration of the Basque Breeze pretty much wore out after five months. I wrote Vasque a letter with photographs of the boots, and after sending them back at their request, I received a new pair in the mail within a week. That is the latest pair I almost completely destroyed in six months of Arizona hiking. 

Last week, I ordered a pair of the more robust Vasque Talus, which REI had on sale. Those are the boots I wore today as well as the boots I'll be returning tomorrow. I guess I am no longer a Vasque guy. After only 10 miles, I developed nascent blisters in at least two spots on each foot—not a harbinger of long-term comfort.

The Vibram sole of each boot has completely worn through to the under-footbed.

Not the quality one expects from a brand whose parent company is Red Wing. 

These are the replacement boots. This is after the hike and after I cleaned them up. REI will be able to sell them in their used gear site, with only a very slight reduction in price.

Meanwhile, back on the trail. This sandy, flat trail bed is why I chose this particular hike. Easy on the feet; easy on the boots.

Tanque Verde Ridge in the background. I was planning on hiking up that challenging 15+ mile route in the Rincons this Saturday. That might now be off the table.

This is the replacement I decided on, the Keen Circadian mid waterproof hiking boot (and 20% off at REI). It felt great in the store, and two days after this 10-mile hike, where I tore up the ball of my right foot, and the heel of the right, I did a strenuous 14-miler up Tanque Verde Ridge and back. While the places on my feet that suffered from the Vasque tryout still hurt, overall I think I'm happy with them; the Keen's wide last, especially the toe box, fits my Frodo feet quite well. And they seem very durable. Only time will tell.