Here's a recap of the rest of January (you know, before we run out of "JUNE")...
I created a "Flagstaff AZT Loop" FKT in 2021 using inspiration from the Collegiate Loop in Colorado. A guy named Matt ran it last year and apparently that inspired him to create a similar version for the main/alternate AZT trails in the Catalina mountains. Love it! Of course I had to try it.
This southern loop is a bit tougher than the northern one. In other words, a really good training day. I had fun seeing some new trails, visiting the Beyond Bread in Summerhaven for a pastry resupply, and eventually getting back to the truck later than anticipated.
The full writeup with some photos:
And a few more pictures... looking forward to being in the sunshine soon:
The creek below Hutch's Pool, which has always had water in it when I've gone past (making it a rare mostly-permanent water source in this area):
Love the big rocks, and that might be Cathedral Peak up there:
That's definitely Romero Pass over there:
Looking over the other side of the pass toward Oro Valley (and before I started realizing just how much more steep climbing was in store):
More stony scenery:
Back in the ponderosas for a few hours, yay!
A bit of snow on this half of the route but not bad:
A taste of the interesting formations in the Wilderness of Rocks:
Thank you Arizona Trail!
On the backside trails now, where there is a lot less sunshine/melting. The snow was a non-issue. This one drainage crossing took a few minutes to figure out - I ended up scrambling into the ditch below the iced over spot and clambering up the other side. Safest but the most bushwhacky:
Hello alligator (juniper)!
The trail toward Bigelow, where there is still more climbing to do... this part was mentally and physically taxing, but I got there (and back to Tug-E) eventually:
Fun one, and I love seeing what new and creative routes people are coming up with around Tucson.
Next we drove west for an Anza-Borrego orienteering weekend. It was a fun set of events, we did a lot of navigating and climbing around on sides of hills and rocks, and enjoyed the weekend but barely took any pictures.
The race website has a few photos:
The only time I took out the camera was during a non-race trek down the slot canyon near The Maze (an area that is out of bounds during the event). It's pretty cool:
A giant chockstone to walk under:
Tall walls reminding me of Utah:
We recently got an adapter that allows us to charge at some Tesla Superchargers. Always helpful to have more options during road trips! This particular one also had a giant solar shade (we are big fans):
Back in Tucson, or at least nearby Oracle State Park, when I volunteered to do "sweep" for the shortest course. Watching the fast folks take off (this might have been for the half marathon, can't remember because it was a few months ago):
A creative place to hang a course marker:
Happily no course markers here:
More AZT trekking:
Scouting for a future FKT on a visit to Sentinel Peak ("A" Hill) with a view toward Tucson Mountain Park:
Checking out the Ignite Sign Art Museum - super cool! We got to see a glass bending demonstration, then roamed around looking for a list of scavenger hunt items. Fun little place.
Ah ha, it must be Gem Show time! This is a big couple of weeks in Tucson, and we usually try to visit at least some of the tents (there are too many to see them all). This year I ventured to some new spots and it was neat to see the variety of displays.
Just a tiny itty bitty taste of what they have:
Dinosaurs for some reason:
Loose stones of all shapes, colors, and sizes:
And some gorgeous art, including turtles :)
To finish off, here's a cactus wren singing outside our house:
Thanks for following along on our adventures!
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