Pusch Peak Hike – 8/16/08
Pusch Peak Hike to the First Saddle
It’s my usual hike part way up Pusch Peak. I haven’t been on the trail for six weeks, so I knew I was gonna be out of shape. Unfortunately, I was right! However, I told myself when I left I was not going to be in a hurry. When I’m in shape this hike takes me just under an hour and a half. Today it was right at two hours! While resting I took the opportunity to take some pictures. Here they are.
As always, click on any pic for a 1024×768 version.
Follow the trail about 3/4 of a mile. Hang a right and start climbing! I went about 1/3 of the way up. Total vertical elevation change about 1,000 feet to the first saddle. |
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Just after the 3/4 mile point. I’ve climbed about 300 feet in that distance. Not too streneous. Yet. Maybe a half mile of trail to go, but 700 feet vertical. It’s fixin’ ta get steep! |
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It’s hard to tell on a 2-D picture. The trail is pretty steep. |
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And rocky! Especially dangerous on the way down. Easy to slip if you aren’t careful. I always pray before I hike. And usually during :-) |
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The top of that cliff is the first saddle. The trail goes sort of along the left side of the picture and up, and then over to the top. |
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It’s a VERY scenic hike. Lots of critters and great views like this one. This is looking across to the slope on the other side of the ravine. |
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We’ve had a lot of rain this Summer. The trail was just a bit over grown, and the wildflowers are making a come back! |
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More scenic beauty. It only gets better the higher you go. Here are the Tortolita Mountains in the background. A yucca plant in the foreground. |
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One of my favorite parts of the hike. It’s a short but steep section of smooth rock. I hike in my tennis shoes that I bought for racquetball. They are really good at gripping the smooth rock. I prefer this to that loose stuff! |
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Made it! That’s Oro Valley 1,000 feet below. |
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Here’s a picture of Pusch Ridge taken from basically on part of Pusch Ridge. If you live in Oro Valley maybe you might know what I’m talking about. |
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Man was I tired. That’s what I get for waiting six weeks to exercise! I gotta get vack out here tomorrow and the next day. This is the only tree on the trail. I took advantage! |
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Sometimes I climb up there. I wasn’t quite up to it this time. |
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This is my favorite picture from the whole hike! I think it’s some sort of Barrel Cactus in bloom. Awesome. |
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I call this one, “Dangerous Beauty” |
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I tried to combine three pictures to give you an idea how steep the trail is. Not sure you can tell, but it’s kinda like standing on top of a sky run. |
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Ever have Prickly Pear Jam? Here are some Prickly Pear Pears to make some out of! |
