Madera Canyon, Hike on Oct. 24, 2009 (Part 3 and done)

On going here....still up, on yet another switch back...a pretty one too...

Very pleasant along here for sure. The view is sparse of forest , secondary to the fire of 2005. Saw alot of burned trees interspersed .  Considering it was only 4 years ago.  Amazing to not see alot worse.

View of a "finger rock"  Yes I DID get up to that, and go PAST it and looked down at it.  GOLLEE!

Beauty along the way

Hey this is looking DOWN to the trail I came up on....2 in the distance.

Can you see them?

At Baldy Saddle...WOW...what a view from here....like sitting on TOP of the world for sure! The far mountain, I believe is Mt. Graham.  I lived at the base of that Mt. 8 months.  Hiked a bit back then, but NOTHING like I am doing now.  ONE DAY...I do want to hike there....

Not sure the mountains seen here in the distance. What a view!

The fire affecte this side of the mountain alot more obviously.

This trail continues to the peak of Mt. Wrightson in the distance.  .9 miles from here.  I WILL do that in the future....the view from there is even more

phenominal than at the saddle.

There while I was resting with a snack, this nice oriental fella arrived.  He had been there before, with snow here.  NO THANKS!

I left here at 1:30 pm.  It took me 5 hours up there...wasn't sure about the trip down!

Last view for now.

This pine reminds me of the Bristol pines , in that you can see how it formed in the wind....and it WAS windy up there too.  VERY windy, and COLD!!!!

Here we go down.....

Hey couldn't resist!

Looking up from the trail as I am going down.  WOW.

This very green tree, was a surpise in light of all the color up there.

again, looking up the hill...

Resting at Josephine Saddle...looking back up where I came from.

Getting there ?! BOY...couldn't believe only 3 hours to hike down.  That was something else.

The peak I will scale the next adventure!!! 9,4530 feet

Highest point in the area around Tucson, Arizona

Driving away, with the afternoon soon creating alot of beauty!

Back towards Tucson....Catalinas in the distance...
Amazing thing is my work here goes automatically into a SAVED site, thank goodness....because while I was posting here it crashed!

Well that is it for this time!

Madera Canyon, Hike on Oct. 24, 2009 (Part 2)

Ok well, continuing on here....UP of course....always up for this post I am sure!

Well, really, how can you resist?!  YES, this is goal! Believe me, there were several times, I said NO WAY...this is going to become TOO hard....

Ok, this sign is pretty on the money...course doesn't account for what I have already done.  Had already gone about 1.5 miles to this point.

So up we go

Crested this ridge, not realizing what was over it...and got a WOW view !

Believe it or not this is NOT flowers!

Not sure what it was, but the leaves were chaning colors.

Ok, now we are really up there!  All I kept thinking here was the song Mt. Pisgahs lofty heights! Hey don't ask!

Thought this pine was very pretty, asymetrical to say the least.

The mountain in the distance....yes, I came up that one!

Mt. daisies....ended up taking pictures of these two twice....not easy finding any flowers at this time.

There were some Nettles way up there too.

Another view west, but higher than my first one.  The Awesome views from here were something to say WOW to!

Then we continue up....there were MANY switch backs, which really do make a difference in the trek...could not have stood that long going straight up....

First into the sun, then away from the sun.  back and forth!!!

Shall leave you with this one for today...have to get to Curves.

I did have several people pass me on the way, up.  This one group of 3...the guy, 59, and his wife....both is shorts....I prefer my legs covered on hikes...less scratches....their compainion a 56 yr. old CPA, looked 10 years younger, said her husband turned back way down the mountain...don't remember why... Ya to Women Power! ha. I had met them at Josephine Saddle, and again at Baldy Saddle.  They DID pass me up on the way down.  I made it in 3 hours, I am sure they did it in 2.5!  His knees were hurting.  NONE had hiking poles, and really, they make the trip DOWN so much different...as it is VERY hard on ANY knees!!!

Saga continues tomorrow!

Madera Canyon, Hike on Oct. 24, 2009 (Part 1)

Planned out my trip before hand.  Packed my Camel back the night before with essentials I would need for this hike...however....NEXT time, I remember to take along some Ibuprophen....that trek down was HARDER than going up, my legs were so tired!

Anyway, got up at 6:30, filled my bag with 2 liters water with 2 pkts. of KO2 Protein Water mix.  10 grams of protein , very helpful in your water when hiking. Next time will add one more pack though. 

Anyway, on my way at 7:30.  Driving towards Mt. Wrightston on Madera Canyon Roadway.

Pretty in the distance for sure. Oh my what to expect!  Got to the trail head and ready to leave by 8:30 AM.  Pretty good....Distance about 49 miles from my home.

Love these trail head signs.  They are common everywhere so far!

I marked this one with my hike...

Never noticed the ONE WAY sign here as I drove in...could have parked a bit closer to the trail head! Oh well...

Anyway, the SIGN pointing the way!!! YES...Super trail is not one I will do at this point, it is 2 miles further in distance to the Baldy Saddle....NO thanks! However, a thought in the future I guess....WHAT am I saying? MERCY!
I visited the "fun" bathroom you find at these points in the National Forest....then on we go...

Little did I know what I was heading into when I set off up this road way wide trail to start .  So pretty, figured, it would get better and better!  I was committed to this trek, so what may will come....

Well, the "roadway" trail didn't last long, and here we turn up...and it did continue, UP and UP and UP!!!!!

Promise!

Trail here stretches out....one of the few times!  Still heading up, but gently.
Actually the trek up was not as hard as you would expect considering the elevation was from just over 5,000 going to 9,000 feet....WHAT? Yes, really makes me sound a bit teched in the head!!!!

Oh , my goodness, tell me I am NOT got to the top of that?!

The view along here is spectacular for sure!

Continuing on the trail.

Up and up!

Finally getting to see the view, pretty high here....looking west...

Lots of areas along the trail with so much green grass.  There was NO running water on the mountain.  A Ranger told me later, it was because the Monsoons did not drop the expected rain.   But what they did get sure makes the difference.

Well I want to add more, but 16 pictures and all is alot for now.  I WILL add more tomorrow continuing my trek to the top!  This will be MORE than 2 or 3 parts I am sure....Come back and see!  I love to share this beautiful area!