Yesterday we took our final conditioning hike. Seven miles in the Tucson Mountains. The hike up Wassen Peak, the highest point in the Tucson Mountains at 4687', is 3.5 miles each way and climbs almost 1700 feet. Not exactly Grand Canyonesque, but close enough. We were awed by the variety and beauty of the rock that makes up the mountain. Saguaros in all their variety, as well as ocotillo, prickly pear, cholla, barrel cactus, and jojoba. At the peak we were treated to 360 degrees of view. Kitt Peak to the west, Picacho north, Catalinas and Rincons east, and Santa Ritas south.
The best part was that we could declare ourselves fit for the big challenge next week. We have our packs honed down to just the essentials.
And we were entertained with repeated fly-overs by a 50 year old KC-135 and a pair of F-16s of the Arizona Air National Guard shooting touch-and-goes.
Meanwhile, back at the house, the kitchen/bath remodel is coming together. Tile and other fixtures are arriving FedEx almost daily. Our cabinets are being built, appliances are on order. And we haven't busted the budget. Now, if the schedule can be kept, we will return from NY to a finished project.
Grand Canyon, here we come!
Thursday, October 29, 2015
Friday, October 16, 2015
Home again, for a while
We arrived at our house just after dark, in the rain. We love the rain....but, come on, when we have to unload the trailer?
So we prioritized and brought in just the essentials for tonight. Tomorrow, tomorrow, the sun'll come out tomorrow.
Maybe.
On our final Colorado hike, we found a fairly easy, fairly level trail and decided to hike 2 1/2 hours in, then hike back out for a total five hour hike. Good plan. We carried our full packs even though we were not spending the night out. Good practice.
As you know, we always appreciate seeing wildlife when we are in the wild. On this day, which was the first day of elk hunting season (we wore bright orange) we returned to the trailhead, loaded up and headed down the mountain. We came around a curve and saw... a bear! Yeah. The second Colorado bear for us, and we were safely in our truck, and didn't have to think about bear spray.
It was a smallish bear who ran up the hillside a ways before turning to watch us.
So we are back home. Have a lot to do, and have to continue our training for the big Grand Canyon Adventure.
So we prioritized and brought in just the essentials for tonight. Tomorrow, tomorrow, the sun'll come out tomorrow.
Maybe.
On our final Colorado hike, we found a fairly easy, fairly level trail and decided to hike 2 1/2 hours in, then hike back out for a total five hour hike. Good plan. We carried our full packs even though we were not spending the night out. Good practice.
As you know, we always appreciate seeing wildlife when we are in the wild. On this day, which was the first day of elk hunting season (we wore bright orange) we returned to the trailhead, loaded up and headed down the mountain. We came around a curve and saw... a bear! Yeah. The second Colorado bear for us, and we were safely in our truck, and didn't have to think about bear spray.
It was a smallish bear who ran up the hillside a ways before turning to watch us.
So we are back home. Have a lot to do, and have to continue our training for the big Grand Canyon Adventure.
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