Luci stayed with Aunt Brooke while we hiked! Thanks for everything Aunt Brooke and maybe-someday Uncle Sunidh ;)
Luci in her new sun hat & adorable outfit from Great Aunt Brenda! We were off to shop at Clara's Toy Store!
Pardon the runny nose...it flows non-stop these days...
Playing with toys borrowed from Clara's Toy Store! Thanks for sharing Clara...you are a great friend!
We left on Wednesday for Arizona to do a bit of practice hiking...the big Grand Canyon hike is quickly approaching (April 2-6) and neither of us think I'm ready. The first day we hiked the Pima Canyon...and both Clay & I were worried about my performance on the short, relatively flat 6 miles (the Grand Canyon is about 11 mi each way with 5000 feet of elevation). My ankles really, really hurt & I didn't find any of it to be very fun. We just meandered about on loose rocks and I couldn't even enjoy the view because I was too busy watching every step trying not to break my ankle. The next day we decided to find a hike that had a good goal...I wanted to reach the top of something if I was doing all of that hiking...but that was shorter and had more elevation. Brooke suggested the Picacho Peak hike and after reading this summary we decided to do it!
Highlights: A short strenuous hike to the top of a spectacular summit
Near: Tucson, AZ
Distance: 3 miles round trip (it was actually 4 miles round trip)
Elevation Gain: 1780 ft
Hike Time: 2.5 hours (yeah right)
Difficulty: Moderate (a bit misleading)
Trail Condition: Well maintained trail
HikeType: Out and Back
Summary: You will enjoy a short strenuous hike to the summit of this isolated desert peak. From the start the trail gradually gains elevation until you reach the main saddle just below the summit buttress; once at the saddle, the fun begins. Expect short steep sections requiring hand-over-hand climbing aided by steal cables and handrails. When you arrive at the summit you will be rewarded with 360 degrees of breathtaking views of the surrounding Sonoran desert.
Clay described it as 'the most arduous 4 miles I've ever experienced'. And he's done some tough stuff. I don't think we fully appreciated what 'hand-over-hand climbing' meant...but I do now. Overall it was very, very tough, but gratifying...and Clay now believes me when I tell him that I'm really kind of sneaky tough...
Click here to see more photos of our hike!
1 comment:
I didn't know you guys were going out there! Scott and I just turned down a trip to Phoenix. I still don't want to fly with Noelle. I know, I know...I have to get over it, but I hate flying to begin with. Maybe when she's a little older (I'll say that forever...)
Post a Comment