Picacho Peak State Park - Day Two

Bill and I knew today's hike was going to be a tough one so we wanted to hit the trail by 9:00.  Well, after coffee, breakfast, and clean up, we made it to the trailhead at 9:45, not too bad.

There are two trails which lead to the top of Picacho Peak.  We opted for the Sunset Trail, a 3.1 mile trek to the top.  The first two miles are rated moderate, while the last mile or so is rated strenuous.

Bill and I hike a lot, and on some of our hikes I have often wished for the abilities of a mountain goat.  However, this is the first hike where I wished I had the abilities of Spiderman.  Did you know it is possible to scale the face of a rock wall?  Just keep reading....

The trail started out simply enough.  We hiked through a "forest" of saguaro, barrel cactus, and chollo cactus.  It was beautiful!  And, of course, the humming of the Border Patrol helicopter just adds to the southern Arizona hiking experience.  : )

 

 

 

 

  

As we expected, the trail became a little more difficult.  First, we had some switchbacks to climb.  Then, we came to the first cables, and these cables were almost vertical.

 

Bill went first, and then I followed.  We both made it just fine, although we were breathing pretty hard.  From there, the trail got even more interesting.  I'll let these pictures speak for themselves.

 

 

 

 

Our efforts paid off!  We made it to the top!  Here's a picture of the campground.  See that blue speck in the southeast corner?  That's our tent!

 The view was pretty nice!

 

And Bill got all theatrical on me.  When we reached the top, he stood on this rock and sang out, "Somebody left the gate open!"  (You have seen that commercial on TV, right?)

We have hiked using cables before in Arches and Zion National Parks.  But this hike to Picacho Peak is the most extreme hiking experience we have endured.  Man, what a hike!