Getting High in Arizona While Visiting My Mom

 

Sierra Vista from Miller Peak

Post by Eric 

Another great trip to visit my mom in Arizona and another round of peak-bagging.

I love visiting my mom. We never seem to run out of things to talk about. And I love the area where she lives. Sierra Vista is a small town about an hour south of Tucson. It isn’t particularly special, but the surrounding area has got some real gems. It’s a great place for an active person to take a mid-winter break from an Alaskan winter. 

Huachucas

A view of Mexico from the Crest Trail below Miller Peak.

The Huachuca Mountains are an outstanding place to visit right outside of town. One of several “sky islands” (isolated mountain ranges) in the area, the Huachucas have some great hiking trails. I’m drawn to them every time I go down there. Since I’m training to run the Chena River to Ridge 26-miler in March, I had even more reason to visit them this time. 

This trip, though, those mountains sported some snow and ice up high on the north-facing slopes. Some of the best trails are on those slopes and in north-facing valleys. So, I headed to the southern end of the range on the trails in and near Coronado National Monument. On one hike I headed up Joe’s Canyon Trail up to Coronado Peak with a side trip down Yaqui Ridge Trail to the U.S-Mexico border. There I got to see a lonely section of metal border wall. Not sure what it was doing there since on either side for a long way was just barbed wire. Maybe it was one of the demonstration projects. Anyway, it looked weird and ineffective all by itself.

A lonely section of border wall.

The temps were cool while I visited. Nights got down into the low 30s and days got around 60. And it was mostly sunny. Great for running and hiking! But on that particular day I got hit by a small squall while on Coronado Peak. Wind and even a bit of snow! Brrr! Fortunately, I brought a windbreaker, buff, and lightweight gloves. Once I got off the peak, I got out of most of the wind. 

Glad I brought a windbreaker when the clouds and wind moved in.

From Coronado Peak I saw that the Crest Trail up to Miller Peak looked mostly free of snow. So, a couple of days later I did that one. It’s a tough hike. About 3,000 feet of elevation gain over 5 miles. But so much easier when the temps are cool. And no storms that day. 

The first part of the Crest Trail to Miller Peak.

I did run into some snow and ice up high. Fortunately, I brought along my Kahtoola Microspikes. I didn’t need them on the way up, but I sure appreciated them on the way down. The physics are not in your favor when descending with slippery footing. 

Approaching Miller Peak.

San Pedro

The San Pedro River

On one day during my visit, I had only about an hour to exercise. I headed to the San Pedro National Riparian Area just to east of Sierra Vista. This is a great place to go birding. But I was moving too fast for that this time. I did a nice run along the river and then looped back to the San Pedro House, where I had started. Lots of people were out walking the trails and/or birding. Nice place for a flat run, too. 

There and Back - Picacho Peak

Picacho Peak from nearby Hunter Peak.

On this trip, I flew into Phoenix, braving the three-hour, mostly interstate drive. (I may just fly into Tucson in the future. The less time I spend on Arizona interstates the better: lots of big trucks, tailgaters, and clueless drivers.) But an advantage is that I drove right by Picacho Peak State Park. The site of the farthest west Civil War battle, this park boasts a little sky island of its own. Only this little mountain is more like a huge rock. Lots of steep, rocky faces. But the state has put in trails with cable railings where needed. Lots of people hike/scramble to the top. Fortunately, I was there on a Tuesday, so it wasn’t too crowded. Still, there were at least 20 or 30 people out and about on the trails. 

One tricky section of the Hunter Trail up Picacho Peak.

I went to the top, something I had done a few years before, but this time on the way down I took the Sunset Vista Trail to add some running miles. The trail looked mostly flat from up on the mountain, but it actually has some nice varying terrain and gets into some semi-wooded areas. And after all that scrambling, I thoroughly enjoyed running. On the downside, to make a complete loop, you must follow the park road for a couple of miles, but at least they had a trail that roughly paralleled the road. 

Along the Sunset Vista Trail,

Saguaro National Park

The Hugh Norris Trail to Wasson Peak has a lot of stairs!

On the way back to Phoenix, I decided to check out the Tucson Mountain District portion of Saguaro National Park. With a little online sleuthing I found the Hugh Norris Trail, which had the potential for a 9-mile out-and-back to Wasson Peak. I got a bit of a late start and had to park at a different trailhead, which added about a half mile either way, so I figured I wouldn’t make it to the peak. 

Surprise! The trail was great! I felt great! The temps were warmer down there – into the mid-70s – but were never too hot. I had set a turnaround time of an-hour-and-a-half, but by then I could see and taste Wasson Peak. What the heck, my turnaround time was a bit arbitrary anyway. Running through the saguaro “forest” was definitely interesting. The views from on top were nice, but nothing too spectacular. Still, it felt nice to be up there. And I made it back to the car in just under three-and-a-half hours. I need to spend more time exploring Saguaro National Park. It’s so different than Fairbanks. 

The wildest view from atop Wasson Peak.

Great Visit

Eating Vietnamese while in Sierra Vista, AZ.

Overall, I had another great trip visiting Mom. She’s 90 years old and still living well and independently. Besides all my hiking and running, the two of us had a great time visiting, watched some good movies and shows (including the awesome “Free Solo”), and ate out three times eating different types of food each time – Soul, German, and Vietnamese. Who knew a nondescript town like Sierra Vista would have such culinary diversity? While I was happy to get back to Fairbanks, I’m already looking forward to my next Arizona visit. (Except for those interstates!)

Another Time, Another High (and Low)

The headline for this blog post has a double meaning. One time I visited Mom, we shared a bit of pot brownie. She had been having sleeping troubles and had a medical marijuana card, so she got the brownie to see if that would help, but she never used it. 

When she told me she had it, I insisted that we try it together. Unfortunately, we forgot about it until my last night. We tried it just before bed. I felt fine for a while, but then it started to kick in. I kid you not, at one point I was staring at the back of my hands, thinking “I never really noticed my hands before. They’re so fascinating!” Sheesh. I finally fell asleep and had really weird dreams.

The next morning, I got up early as usual, but after I made my coffee and sat down to work on my computer, I realized I didn’t feel so well. I lay down on the couch. An hour later, Mom got up and said she wasn’t feeling well. But at least she was able to work on her computer. I lay on the couch with my eyes closed. 

About an hour later, Mom was feeling better. “Would you like me to make you breakfast?” she asked. I moaned out a “no” from the coach. I was really sick. And worried. Corrine was in Phoenix taking a continuing medical education seminar. I was supposed to leave by noon. I needed to drive to Phoenix, pick up Corrine, and then pack her bike up for our plane flight. 

Fortunately, I started feeling better by about 11 a.m. or so. I made it to Phoenix and by then had shaken off all the nausea. But who gets out-pot-brownied by their mom? From now on I’ll restrict my “getting high” to peak bagging!

Hunter Peak from atop Picacho Peak.