After our bushwhacking trip through the Chiricahuas, Paul and I were in the mood for some manicured trail for awhile. The Arizona Trail and the Sky Islands Traverse share a route over several of the mountain ranges closest to Tucson. Because the AZT is a well-traveled trail, the route is well-maintained and easy to follow. The Rincons are a prominent feature of the Tucson skyline, rising from the east like 2 huge mounds – one rounded, one pointed. Still, most people who live in Tucson seem unaware of the name of the range. Fewer still hike to the top of its prominent peaks.
Not only does the AZT cross these mountains, but the range falls within the boundaries of Saguaro National Park. Hiking in a National Park all but guarantees that the trail will be well maintained, so this was a nice change of pace from the absolute lack of trail we just left behind in the Chiricahuas. The downside of backpacking in National Parks is the permit system. To avoid the hassle, we made sure to avoid having to overnight within the boundaries of the park.
Day One
We hiked the range from North to South, starting at Molino Basin at the Catalina foothills and ending at the Gabe Zimmerman trailhead south of Colossal Cave Mountain Park. Although the trail was indeed in great shape, this is still Arizona, so the terrain remained rocky and rugged. Technically, the first ten miles of our journey were not in the Rincons at all, but instead making our way out of the Catalinas toward Reddington Pass, the divide between the two ranges. I had expected this section to be a mostly downhill journey, but I should know better than that by now.
It was so hot out! Record heat, in fact. Just a few days prior Tucson had set a new record high temperature for the date. In fact, although it was only the 10th of the month, Tucson had already set 5 new record high days that October. It was triple-digit weather in the valley, and while gaining a few thousand feet helped, the climbs were tough and not particularly shady. The heat slowed our pace as it tends to do, but we only had 15 miles to cover our first day so we could take our time.
Looking at the Rincons from Tucson, the northern slope of Micah Mountain looks like a rock pile. By the afternoon, we were in the midst of this rock pile, slogging up the mountain under the harsh sun. There would not be water until the next day, so our packs were heavy with the weight of our most basic necessity. Despite the lower mileage of the day, we were both tired by the time we set up camp. Declining to even set up the tarp, I threw the groundsheet down and inflated the pad. Paul questioned me for not taking more time to clear rocks and debris from the area, but I brushed him off. I’d regret it soon enough.
We ate some spaghetti for dinner. How delicious food is after a long and strenuous day! Ready for bed, I plopped down on the mattress and immediately heard the air rushing out. There was a small but sharp rock on the ground below my pad. My careless plop allowed the rock to puncture the pad through the groundsheet. And not just a little puncture, a gash. The pad was immediately deflated. In a way, this was a good thing. We didn’t have to search where the leak had sprung from, it was easy to find. We made the repair and while the pad did lose a little bit of air in the night, it held quite well considering the circumstances. I lay on my back and enjoyed the stars and the warm gentle breeze as I drifted off to sleep.
Day Two
Although I knew we should be up as early as possible, we both slept until first light. The morning was warm even before the sun peeked over the horizon. We packed up with haste, eager to finish climbing before the sun was overhead. Soon enough we were within the National Park boundaries, high enough to watch the sun rising over the Tucson valley. We made it to Manning Camp before noon, enjoying a long break refilling our water capacity and taking advantage of the shade of the pines. There were other hikers around, people who planned ahead and made reservations to stay in the developed campsites in the park. Eventually it was time to move on, away from the pines and back to the cactus of the desert floor. The descent was hot and rocky, and I was happy to be on the sandy desert floor by early evening.
We found ourselves in a mountain biking area – smooth, rolling trail that wound through the saguaros and creosote, never too far from nearby homes and yet quiet and remote all the same. As the heat of the day broke and the shadows grew long, I enjoyed the colors of the desert and the smooth trail underfoot. We walked until dark, taking full advantage of tolerable temperatures for as long as the light would allow. The ground was flat and it was easy to find a place to camp. Again we didn’t bother to set up the tarp, but I was careful to take a closer look at the ground I placed the groundsheet on. Before crawling into bed, I ducked off to pee, with my headlamp on as it was already dark out. As I squatted I saw a tarantula begin to emerge from his hole in the ground just near me. When I shined my light toward the hole, he retreated back inside. As I left and returned to bed, I hoped he would crawl in a different direction than the one we were sleeping in, then pushed it from my mind so it wouldn’t keep me awake.
Day Three
Determined to cover as many miles as possible before the heat on the desert floor became unbearable, I set an alarm to wake us up before dawn. We wanted to be walking by first light, eager not to waste even one moment of tolerable weather. We had a long stretch of desert ahead of us.
At 8:00am, we reached our water source for the day, and the first water since Manning Camp yesterday morning. It was already getting hot. This water source was from a spigot, and there was a gazebo with a picnic table, so we took full advantage. We washed our faces and our socks, and stopped for a snack in the shade. We dreaded leaving, but also knew it was still early and we should cover more ground before the full heat of the day set in.
We continued, hiking through Colossal Cave Mountain Park. Focused on moving, I stepped over a large rock in the trail, only for Paul to start calling me from behind. I turned around, only to realize it wasn’t a rock at all, it was a Desert Tortoise! Unbothered by me whatsoever, he continued about his business and paraded right past us as we watched him. This isn’t the first time I’ve been totally oblivious to wildlife right in front of me – I’ve even kicked a snake before.
Shorty after 11:00am, we made it to the Gabe Zimmerman trailhead. We were already suffering in the heat, and we decided to take a break in the shade of the gazebo. The rest of the day did not look fun. Elevation would be low and temperatures would be high. More of the same would follow as the weather showed no signs of breaking any time soon.
We contemplated our options and eventually concluded we’d head to Colorado for better weather and do some backpacking up there instead. This particular segment of the Arizona Trail will be there waiting when the weather is less harsh and we can truly enjoy ourselves.
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