HILLS HURT, COUCHES KILL hiking log

Wow, amazing pictures there of the landscape. I am headed to CO from CA soon for the first time and can't wait to see a landscape like this for the first time.

Edit: How did you build your confidence in the back country to do these types of hikes? Just over spending time in the mountains?

 

Another training day but since we've had some monsoon rain, the ground was moist. I only got one photo with nobody in it today (but I noticed the stokes is in the bottom left). This is Box Camp up Mt. Lemmon Rd. in Tucson, Arizona. This is one of the areas the burnt last year during the 130k acre Bighorn fire.

 

Goat Lake

 

Hiked to 5 lakes on the Foss River Trail - 18 miles over 9 hrs.



Trout Lake


Malachite Lake


Copper Lake






Little Heart Lake




Big Heart Lake


Looking back down the valley toward Trout Lake

 

We're having the wettest monsoon season ever recorded. A nice break from the second driest last year (and the fires). This means I'm busy but also, we're seeing greenery like Nobody here has ever seen. The explosion of bugs and flowering plants is crazy. I did a non-rescue hike today. I was hailed on during the last two miles.

Area is Box Camp on Mt. Lemmon, Tucson, AZ.

 

Looks very peaceful

 

Had it been a bit earlier in the day and not hailing, I'd have spent all day by one of the streams listening to the water. There's so much flowing, the trail is a secondary stream. This is the first time EVER that I've seen water here.

 

Did the Melakwa Pass loop again, left my bike at one trailhead and parked at another. 16 miles on foot, 3-4 pedaling back down the hill to the truck. Took about 7 hrs



Denny Creek







Hemlock Pass



Melakwa Lake





Upper Melakwa, pass in the distance


Approach


View north from Melakwa Pass, Chair Peak Lake below


Chair Peak Lake





Now I'm above Snow Lake, which is well trodden territory. Been through here a ton..



Gem Lake (came through here just 2 weeks ago)


The sunbeam is directly on Chair Peak Lake where I came through the Pass


Cabin ruins

 

b_r_o your pics are always awesome and spectacular. Very professional. I enjoy them a lot. Thanks for sharing them.

 

Aspen Trail. Tucson, AZ on Mt. Lemmon. Not too many photos. I ate a bad clif bar and my stomach was angry.

 

Labor Day 2021 - circumambulation of Gold Creek Valley - 21 miles, 7,000 ft of climbing, completed under 9 hrs

Lake Lillian to East Alta Mt









Climbing East Alta



View from the top, Park Lakes and PCT in the distance





Park Lakes area









Chikamin Ridge - far end of Gold Creek Valley











Joe Lake, Chikamin Ridge in the distance



more Gold Creek Valley





Alaska Lake



Kendall Catwalk



Red Mt



Commonwealth Basin, Snoqualmie Pass/I-90


Guye Peak



victory cigar

 

18 miles over 10 hrs

Happy dog





Tuscohatchie Lake





Cat tracks





Pratt Lake





Mason Lake



Back on the ridge above I-90, Mt Ranier in the distance

 

Rode the bikes up to Monte Cristo, continued on foot up to Glacier Basin. 14-15 miles..




Looking back from the falls

 

I've been busy, days have been getting shorter.. the snow level has been dancing around the passes last couple weeks.

Late last week I hiked in the rain up to the head of the valley above Source Lake. Only a few miles at dusk, it changed over to snow around 4,000 ft








Doggo liked the new snow, here she is cheesing

 

Another short evening hike today. Parked in the rain and started hiking up to Mirror and Cottonwood Lakes. Turned to snow on the way up, truck was snowy when I got back




Cottonwood Lake






Mirror Lake

 

Not too many photos. We had a training today in a place called Tanque Verde Canyon (Tucson, AZ) and I grabbed a few photos. A nice, cool 92 degree day.

This is not a preferred hiking area. I would consider this place exceptionally dangerous. We train where the most common rescue calls originate.





Yes, there's an unofficial nude beach down here.

 

What kind of accidents do you usually see out there? Falls/injuries? Heat stroke?

 

Yes.

This place is easy to get to and attracts a lot of social media photos. There are lots of drugs and alcohol which helps the poor judgement. People jumping into too-shallow pools or having some sort of medical issue are very common. We don't have an exact count but over 40 people have died in a 2.5 mile stretch since the 80s.

Rugged terrain + desert heat + flash flooding + decision-altering chemicals + social media = busy rescue crew. Search Tanque Verde Canyon Tucson to see what I mean.

 

If only people would get lost during the day...