Hike: Mt Lemmon to Oracle, Az - 30 miles

3/28/2010
Highlights:  Unexpected snow storm. 
Lessons Learned: Prepare with warmer clothes. 
Companion: Alone.
AZ Trail Passages traveled: 12 &13 

Barbara and I  left Phoenix about 10am.  It was a beautiful day and no clouds in the sky.  The trip to Tucson was uneventful and so we decided to have a leisurely afternoon lunch in Tucson.  The Mexican food was just right.  We knew we had plenty of time to hike this trek but were a bit surprised when we came out of the restaurant and there were some some high clouds in the west.  My hike was from the top of Mount Lemmon, in the Catalina mountains, to Oracle, for a distance of 30.3 miles.

Mount Lemmon is in the Santa Catalina Mountains located in the Coronado National Forest north of Tucson, Arizona, United States. It is 9,157 feet above sea-level, and receives approximately 180 inches of snow annually. Mount Lemmon was named in honor of botanist Sarah Lemmon, who trekked to the top of the mountain with Native American guides by mule and foot in 1881.

In Tucson we took Tanque Verde Road and traveled up the Catalina Highway which leads to the top of Mt. Lemmon.  The road is paved and at this point it looked to be clear and dry.  Seemed like an ideal day to go camping.  Sky was beautiful blue with white billowy clouds. The drive took about an hour and we stopped several times. Beautiful mountains.

Tucson from the top of Mt Lemmon

From the top of the mountain we could see all of Tucson.  We also noted the clouds seemed to be coming in faster now and seemed to cover the entire valley below.  Summerhaven  is a small town near the top of the mountain. It is a summer residence for many but there are some year round residents. There are many small cabins most of which are being rebuilt after the Aspen Fire.

Much of this town was devastated by the Aspen Fire of July 2003, and recovery is still taking place.   It is near Ski Valley which is the southernmost ski destination in the continental United State.

Trail covered in snow

At the top, which had patches of snow,  we got out.  It was cold and so I put on my light jacket.  The drive  up on the south side was completely different than on the north side.  I told Barbara that I would go down the trail a bit and come back and give a report. Twenty minutes later I came back and assured her that indeed there was snow on the north side of the mountain, but as soon as I got down several hundred feet the snow patches seemed to disappear.  Somewhat apprehensive, she left and I started down the mountain. 

I quickly  noted that I had made a big mistake.  My initial estimate was that the snow would disappear after 200-300 feet drop in elevation.   It was not until the next day that I realized that the snow drifts were present even 1,000 feet lower in elevation.  But more significant, the trail did not go straight down, but instead weaved slightly downward which meant I had to travel through numerous snow banks.  Some snow was hard, other times I would sink into snow often 2' or even 3' down to solid earth.

In the meantime, the clouds in the sky got darker and darker.  The wind started blowing and it got colder.

Next there were  light snow flurries. I hurried along hoping the trail would drop down to a lower elevation. Soon I got winded and at this high elevation I stopped to rest and review the situation.  I could see several advantages of leaving the trail and just arrowing straight down the mountain.  First, I would get out of the snow and then I would also have a flat place to place my tent.  The downside of this decision would be that I would have to find the trail again which would require going cross country.  The terrain was very steep, there were many logs and branches strewn everywhere.  I decided to stay on the trail and continue forward.

Snow started coming regularly and I decided to hunker down but I could not find a flat place for the  tent. Several hundred yards down the mountain I thought I saw a flat place. Going there was tough.  I had to fight my way through downed trees and bushes.  Finally found a tall tree with lots bark at its base.

I thought if I could rearrange bark, I might be able to pitch a level tent. It was now bitter cold and I was most anxious to get inside. Once inside the tent provided much protection.  I got my cold clothes off and I jumped into my sleeping bag to warm up. It was 6:30pm and outside it was snowing.  Now was not a good time  to go to sleep. Rested, recovered and then got organized.  From door of tent I started my gas stove, heated water and prepared a freeze dried dinner. Hot chocolate was especially great.

I did go to sleep about 8:00pm and I clearly realized that I might be up quite early the next morning.

Morning came much earlier than I anticipated.  At 1:00am I woke cold and shivering. I did not pack for snow camping. To keep warm, I put on every piece of clothing I had with me.  The fleece sweater was especially helpful.  I recalled a trick Ron Watkins taught me.  If I should wake in the early morning, cold and shivering, I should pop a Jolly Rancher into my mouth and just suck on it.  This would give my body some quick energy... I had an energy bar and I quickly consumed it.  My body must have really needed it because I was able to go right to sleep.  I went back into a solid sleep and awoke about 7am the next morning, completely rested.

Frozen Pants

Wednesday March 29, 2010

I looked out the tent and saw my pants hanging on my trekking pole.  Because they were wet when I took them off, they were now stiff and frozen.  I had to put them on.  Heated more water for breakfast and enjoyed my oatmeal and chocolate. Started the long climb up the mountain to get back on trail.

View from first camping spot back up to the ridge and the original trail.

Sometimes the trail would follow the top of a ridge. While the trail went down the very top of the ridge, that was where the snow was deepest, so I generally hiked where there was no snow which constantly forced me into brush and big rocks.

Gradually the snow did disappear.

 

Occasionally I encountered thick drifts of snow. Even though it was late March, the sun did not have access to the many ravines on the path. I had to climb through 2', 3' or 4 ft of snow which was quite tiring. If the crust on the snow did not support me I would sink in and  then my shin or knee would  feel the impact of that hardened crust.  By the time I got back home my legs were pretty well banged up. 

At noon I had lunch. My water was mostly gone, so I melted snow to refill the canteens. For lunch I  ate hot soup from Top Raman. It was tasty and provided much energy. From time to time I was able to get a glance of the Biosphere 2 structure. As I got out of the snow, I was able to make much progress at getting off the mountain.

Biosphere 2 as a faint white blotch in the center top of this photo.

Thursday March 30, 2010

Near the base of the north side of Mt Lemmon I encountered two lady horseback riders.  They lived nearby and liked to travel in the area on the healthy animals.  They let me feed them apples which delighted all of us, even the horses.  I told them I was low on water and they offered me one of their bottles.  I have found that it is a good thing to beg for water as the alternative is not a choice.

 

Later the same day I met an older man and his dog hiking the trail. 

At the foot of the north side of the mountain the land was quite flat in places.  Interspersed between flat places are great ravines and valleys caused by the snow and rain.

This trip has given me great insight into how the rivers flow in southeastern Arizona.. The San Pedro River is a northward-flowing stream originating about ten miles south of Sierra Vista, Arizona near Cananea, Sonora, Mexico. It is one of only two rivers which flow north from Mexico into the United States. The river flows 140 miles (230 km) north , going east of Tucson and the Catalina Mountains.  It continues north past the towns of Tombstone, Benson, Mammoth, Winkleman up to the confluence of the Gila River.  The Gila river then goes due west past the South Mountains and Phoenix. 

The Mormon Battalion marched through the San Pedro River valley in 1846, and the only battle the battalion fought in their journey to California occurred near the river. The battalion's presence aroused curiosity among a number of wild cattle, and the bulls of these herds damaged wagons and injured mules. In response, the men shot dozens of the charging bulls.  Mormon settlers later returned to this area in 1877 to found a settlement that became St. David.   They also logged the Huachuca Mountains to provide lumber for building Fort Huachuca and Tombstone.

One of the many washes we crossed was Kannally Wash.   Nearby we found a source of water.

  

This windmill provided a welcome source of water and looked to be abandoned.  It still provided an opportunity to fill all my canteens.  This provided  me with the necessary water to complete the last 4 miles of this trek.

In the last portion of this trek, the trail followed the power lines shown in the photo below.  While this might appear as a good thing, it really made the trek quite difficult.  The towers were on the top of the rolling hills and the trail followed up the hills and then down into the ravines.  Going up and down was quite exhausting.

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We traveled a little over 30 miles in 2 1/2 days and 2 nights.  I arrived at my car after walking in the moonlight and this was quite peaceful.  Several lessons were learned on this trek.  First, never underestimate cold weather.  Packing extra clothes is wise.  Second, we need to carry more water as I found myself begging for water several times on this hike.  Stay tuned for more reports on the Arizona Trail!