Tag mountains

Up for a Challenge? Try Wasson Peak

Reg Spittle 2 Comments

Sue and I can’t resist a trekking challenge; this time, it was Wasson Peak, the highest peak in the western Saguaro National Park. There are several ways up, but we chose Gould Mine for our start and it was deceptively moderate, even sometimes easy, for an hour. A left turn brought us to a steep, never-ending series of switchbacks through and over rocks as saguaro cacti stood like posts on a skiing course. (They dwarf me in the photo, above left.)

Joining the saguaros were ocotillo, prickly pear, and, surprisingly, early-blooming poppies. The 1,850 feet of ascent delivered us to the top at 4,688 feet. Lunch came with a 360-degree view of Tucson and so much more.

We took the Hugh Norris trail back, making it our favorite kind of trail, a loop.

Time to celebrate? Why not? Manhattans at our RV park’s bar brought a toast to Wasson Peak. We did it!

Why Is Minnie Returning to Colorado?

Reg Spittle Leave a comment

Why the photo of our rig from when we paused a few weeks ago on Colorado’s Wolf Creek Pass at 10,800 feet? Two reasons. First, my mom’s name, like our trailer, was Minnie, so our cross-country adventure has been dedicated to her memory.

Second, Sue and I turned around in West Virginia and are heading back to Colorado. This time we will camp at 10,000 feet, near Breckenridge, to hike as many high-altitude trails as we can do in eight days. Why the heights? We are conditioning. Can you guess the trail we are planning to backpack in August? Hints: 243 miles, mostly above 10,000 feet, named after a pioneer.

At the end, we will have camped for 30 days straight. The tent-camping part is new for two hikers used to a bed and shower, even after grueling days on the trail. Can we do it? That is what I wondered in 2013 before our first distance trek, Spain’s Camino de Santiago.