My Hike on Mt. Lemmon, Oct. 14

Well, this day was beautiful.  I had planned to get up the mountain and see the fall colors!  Have done this before, but always got there when all was on the waine... Woke at 6 am, had already had things together, and got out the door by 7 am.  Wasn't sure how cold it would be , and took things in preparation.  Then thought "what if I need a hat"...tried to buy one, couldn't...oh, well would have to do I guess.

Anyway, so pretty driving up there, got to this one lookout, and thought I would take a picture...when the camera said "all pictures would be saved to the internal memory"...OH NO!!!! I had forgot the card again.  I really have to prepare better in the future!

I was able to adjust the picture size down which allowed me to take alot more pictures...took 6 with my cell too, course they are not nearly as good.

When I got to Summerhaven, thought I would buy a card there, the store has a sign out, CLOSED till October 19th.! ARRRGGG.... Thought, ok, the SKI lift store would work....NOT...the SKI lift was closed too...good grief...I had planned to ride it to the top.  Oh well...

Drove up the back road to the very top of the Mt.  There was Aspen in their glory, and the Big tooth Maple too.  WOW.

As I was driving up, 4 deer crossed the road in front of me, no bucks...and NO I wasn't fast enough with the camera!
However as I arrived at the top, a BUNCH of Wild TURKEY'S are running off and on the road... WOW, I never even knew they were up there.  OF all the times I have been there, NEVER saw any before....

Anyway one other car up at this site.

Got my gear on, and started to walk, when I decided, everything was DOWN HILL from there, and I was looking for the Aspen trail.  This view is looking up toward the Radio towers.... (taken with the phone)

Color seen from this trail....WOW...looks afire!

,After I got back to my car, I drove down to this other spot you could park at and walk from...however, got on a trail heading to Summerhaven. (as seen above)  It was WIDE, ROCKY and all down hill....well...after realizing this was NOT the trail I wanted, decided to head back up....hey I zig zagged all the way...sure made a difference!  Able to get up there without too much trouble.

Anyway, drove back up to the top, there were more folk there, and this one guy telling me about the trail I ended up taking.  Had not planned to go as far as I did on it, but it led alog the top pretty much, and I was not curious as to where it would go.

So here we go, heading down the Mt. Lemmon trail (phone camera)

 

Hope this rock looks as big when clicked on as it really was.  WOW, AWESOME, would that I could have a picture in front of it.  I believe this may be Lemmon Rock.

Awesome, the massive rocks up there.

I suppose one would miss some of these rocks, if the forest had never been destroyed. (Phone camera)

Aspen along the trail back. (phone camera)

WOW, (regular camera)

Trail along here IS actually a road, one can take an ATV on, it you had a mind to!

This is really quiet a nice easy trail. I still used my nordic walking poles which helps to steady me, and supports my knees.

More color....hey that is why I am up here!

The Mt. Lemmon trail....ended at the Sutherland Trailhead... couldn't believe that.  If that is the trail head, I would NEVER hike it from either end.

I had hiked that trail when I was in the Catalina State Park, had NO idea where it ended, and now I knew.  WOW what a view looking WEST, I was up above PUSCH Ridge, looking way down on Oracle Rd. and the Catalina State Park.  WOW.

Well, did not hike more of the Mt. Lemmon trail after that, as it was heading on a real path now, and who knows where to!

So I  headed back up it, and decided to take the Meadow trail, part of a loop back to the start.  WOW, that was really pretty, a TRAIL and not a wide rocky road.  BUT mostly up hill.

I am thinking this "meadow" is what the trail was named for!

More color along this trail

All I thought was, my first hike on Mt. Lemmon was on the Butterfly trail that was all down hill, and coming up it was SO HARD, I said NEVER again, yet, here going up and up, I realized, I have really shaped up my hiking ability, in that, I really had NO trouble going up that trail.

Got back to the car, and after almost 3 hours, that other car was still there.  Made me wonder about that hiker... there were ALOT more cars now.  Had my lunch, then headed down, taking pictures as I went.

This is Ski Valley from above.

I will take a rest for now. MORE pictures tomorrow, with alot more color!

What a day!!!!