Pusch Peak

Winter in Tucson is a perfect time to hike because the sun is not as hot, the rattlesnakes are asleep in their caves, and there is less of a chance that a monsoon will come and cancel your plans. Eric and I love to explore the outdoors and this area of the country provides lots of opportunities for hiking and adventures. Living in the northwest part of the city means that everyday we look out our window at a mountain called Pusch Peak which is part of the Catalina Mountains. When we look at it we think to ourselves "That needs to be climbed." So, I looked up the trail that goes to the top and it is described as "strenuous" and "intense" but a 49-yr. old smoker wrote how he had completed it and it wasn't a big deal so we thought it would be good exercise for us.

"Intense" was exactly the word that describes what we experienced! The first quarter mile was a level path into the desert and then we went straight up for the next mile and a half. It was very steep and we wore gloves to help us climb up the boulders. There were tons of prickly pear cactuses all over the place always threatening to stick us if we lost our balance at any point. Eventually I didn't know if I would make it to the top because I was so winded and my legs hurt quite a bit. I was on my hands and knees crawling up rocks only looking down because I didn't want to see how much was left to go. One of Eric's favorite parts was when he made it to the top and heard me coming behind him praying over and over again, "Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy."

We did make it to the top, however, and we were rewarded with great views of Tucson, the Catalina Mountains and the snow covered mountains north of us in the Pine Top area of AZ. We ate lunch, Eric made a little snowman out of the snow that was on top and then we started back down. The down part was also painful. I had blisters on my feet and my legs were shaky from trying to stay balanced. At one point, I lost my balance, fell and put my hand right onto the big leaf of a prickly pear. Thankfully I was wearing leather gloves and the thorns didn't penetrate.

After this hike my ambitions to hike the Grand Canyon have wilted a bit because yesterday was pretty hard. We've talked to some people who have done it and they say we can do it with a little preparation. Tucson gives us lots of ground to cover for our prep so maybe sometime this year we will hike the Grand Canyon. It is one of my goals for 2010. Anyone interested is welcome to join us!