Humphreys Peak, Flagstaff, AZ

Humphreys Peak, Flagstaff, AZ
Base meadow at Humphrey's Peak

Sunday, December 2, 2012

Hike #53 - Sipon Draw to Flat Iron, Superstition Mountains, Apache Junction, AZ

 Siphon Draw trail in the Superstition mountains has a reputation as a challenging hike. I can attest to this trail living up to it's reputation!  The 6 mile RT trail starts out gradual to the waterfall then becomes steep requiring a lot of hands and arm work to balance and pull yourself up large boulders and squeeze through narrow clefts in the rock. Paul and I hiked to the Flat Iron which is a large flat mesa like area on one of the highest cliffs.  We then hiked to the summit of the trail where there is a flag made from an agave stalk with a piecs of white denim where hikers can write there names etc.  The day we hiked was also the anniversary of a plane crash from one year ago that killed 6 people including the 3 small children of Karen Perry.  We met her on the trail as she was nearing the top of a memorial hike with some friends.  We visited the memorial that friends have made for the crash victims.  This was a long day of hiking, approx. 5 - 6 hours and very tiring but rewarding.











Hike #52 - Corona Loma - South Mountain, Phoenix, AZ




Thanksgiving morning a friend of Paul's (Bob) invited a group of us to do a trail run up this popular mountain biking trail at South Mountain Park.  The trail was approx. 5 miles round trip.  The first mile and a half was relatively flat dipping in and out of a washes, dodging cactus and other shrubs with lots of stickers.  The second mile was much more challenging having a steep grade of switchbacks climbing 1000' to spectacular views.  (I didn't take a lot of photos so I am posting photos from Mare Czinar with permission http://arizonahiking.blogspot.com/2011/11/corona-de-loma-trail.html)


Hike #51 - Seven Falls, Bear Canyon, Tucson, AZ


 Sabino Canyon in the Santa Catalina Mountains is a popular hiking area in Tucson, AZ. The Bear Canyon Trail takes you to Seven Falls which in the Spring time has seven spring crossings, large pools and seven water falls.  Paul and I hiked this trail in the Fall, November 10, 2012. There were 2 small pools of water but no water falls.  The trail is 7.8 miles round trip with an elevation gain of 650'.  We actually hiked a little further since it was a beautiful day and we were curious to see the view of the falls from above.



Saturday, September 15, 2012

Hike #50 - Barr Trail/Pikes Peak, Manitou Springs, CO


HIKE #50!!  I can't believe it has been a year already.  Last September at this time I was hiking The Inca Trail in Peru and just starting my hiking adventures.  Paul convinced me to hike Pikes Peak for #50, so I cautiously agreed.  I had mixed emotions about how I would hold up at 14,000'.  I knew it would be spectacular!  Paul recommended hiking this trail Labor Day weekend because the weather is perfect this time of year.  He has hiked it 4 other times at this time and always had great weather. To make this trip extra special we stayed at the historic Broadmoor Hotel.  This was the nicest hotel I have ever stayed in and it was nice to be pampered by the luxury, excellent cuisine and great customer service.  

Pikes Peak is the second most visited mountain in the world, second only to Mount Fuji in Japan. 15,000 people attempt to hike the 12.6 mile Barr Trail per year.  We arrived in Manitou Springs at the Barr Trail at sunrise, approx. 6:30 a.m..  The parking lot was already full so we parked near by on a side street.  The trail starts out at 6,700' and ends at 14,110' so the base to summit elevation gain is 7,400'. The trail is nicely wooded/shaded and maintained.  We took our time stopping every couple of miles in the beginning and every few minutes near the end. We made it to Barr Camp, which is approx. 1/2 way in 3.5 hours and 10,200'.  It is a wonderful place to stop and rest, eat, use the bathroom and refill your water.  We rested for an hour before continuing up the last 6 miles.  We passed through 3 different eco systems; Montane, Spruce-fir and Alpine. Once we reached treeline at 12,000' we still had two hours of climbing left.  The last two hours seemed to take forever but we pushed on taking mini breaks every few steps.  9 hours after we had started, we reached the top!  There were crowds of people who had either driven up or taken the Cog Railway.  Instead of taking the Cog Railway, we hitched a ride with a woman and her son that we had met the last few miles of the trail.

Pikes Peak was the inspiration for school teacher Katharine Lee Bates to write "America the Beautiful" in 1893. (Once you've seen Pikes Peak at sunrise or sunset, you know what she meant by "purple mountain majesties.") More important, it hosts three of the best trail races in the U.S.—the 12.6-mile Barr Trail Mountain Race (mid-July), 13.3-mile Pikes Peak Ascent and 26.2-mile Pikes Peak Marathon (mid-August). The trail, an almost entirely dirt and gravel singletrack route, passes through three ecological life zones as it climbs up the eastern flanks of the mountain. The trail is named after Fred Barr, who directed its construction from 1914-1921, while Pikes Peak is named after American explorer Zebulon Pike, who discovered the mountain in 1806.
http://www.runnersworld.com/cda/microsite/article/0,8029,s6-238-511--14032-0,00.html
Trailhead the door before




Almost Treeline!
16 Golden Stairs - near the top

Broadmoor Hotel
We Made It!!



Broadmoor Hotel




The Manitou Incline

The Manitou Incline

Top of Manitou Incline

Pikes Peak with snow cover

The following day, Paul convinced me to hike up the Manitou Incline. . . . WOW!
The Manitou Incline is a uniquely challenging one-mile route lined with wooden railroad ties as it climbs 2,000 feet up the side of the mountain. It's the site of a former cable car railway, but the rails were removed in 1990, making it one of the most challenging time trial test pieces anywhere. With an average grade of 41 percent—and a super-steep section that climbs at 68 percent—most people find it to be an ambitious 45-minute hike, but plenty of hearty local runners have sped up the trail in less than 25 minutes. (The record to the top is under 17 minutes.) But here's the thing: even though locals have been hiking and running this route for 20 years (including athletes who live and train at the nearby U.S. Olympic Training Center), it's technically illegal. But that is expected to change soon as Manitou Springs is working with the U.S. Forest Service and other agencies and land owners to officially open the Incline for public recreation. http://www.runnersworld.com/cda/microsite/article/0,8029,s6-238-511--14032-0,00.html

Saturday, August 4, 2012

Hike # 49 - Hidden Canyon, Zion National Park, UT

From Observation Point Paul and I spotted people (through binoculars) hiking along the narrow ridge that leads to Hidden Canyon.  The trail looked narrow and scary on the side of the cliff.  As we came down the Observation Point trail we decided to hike into Hidden Canyon.  We hiked about 1 mile (RT) of this 2.2 mile (RT) hike.  The trail is secreted between Cable Mountain and the backside of the Great White Throne.  We clinged to chains for support as we walked on the slippery sandstone trail.



Hike #48 - Observation Point, Zion National Park, UT

This 2,000' ascent strenuous hike takes you to a spectacular vista where you can see nearly every major attraction in Zion Canyon.  The trail is 8 miles round trip and has short sections that are very steep and other sections that are more level through beautiful Echo Canyon.  We did not pass very many people hiking this trail.  At the Observation Point you get a nice view of Angel's Landing.  We could see people on the trail and on top through binoculars.  We also noticed the Hidden Canyon Trail in the distance which we decided to took a detour on the way down to hike.









Hike #47 - Emerald Pools, Zion National Park, UT

There are three Emerald Pools at Zion National Park, Lower, Middle and Upper.  The Lower Pool is 1.2 miles round trip with an elevation gain of 70'.  This area is lush with greenery, cottonwood trees and leads into a gorgeous canyon with pools of water.  Emerald would not be a color I would use to describe them but nevertheless they are nice.  We hiked to the middle and upper pools on a separate hike.  The distance was 1.5 miles round trip.