April 9, 2022 hike: Old Baldy trail to the Mt Wrightson peak.
I hiked with a friend on another hot day in Tucson. It was around 90 degrees there, but mostly in the 70s at Mt Wrightson. The sun was beautiful, but there were strong winds in certain areas (esp Baldy Saddle, part of Mt Wrightson peak).
As, usual the trail is a good workout on the way up, thanks to 6 miles and 4,000 vertical feet of virtually unbroken climbing. But, the trail is quite smooth, so it is less difficult than the stats would suggest.
Photo 1 shows the morning view the eastern side of Madera Canyon. The 8,000+ foot ridge line ascends to Mt Wrightson at almost 9,500 feet. Amazingly, the trail climbs this very steep pitch, thanks to many switchbacks, eventually emerging at Baldy Pass.
Photo 2 looks up to the Mt Wrightson peak from Baldy Pass. Only about 800-900 vertical feet and 0.9 miles to go, after climbing about 5 miles and over 4,000 vertical feet. Baldy Pass provides grand views of the mile-high Patagonian plateau, Tucson's local wine country.
Photo 3 looks southeast from the Mt Wrightson peak across the strange undulating hills and small range that marks the south edge of the Patagonian plateau. The mountains in the background are the Huachucas, which reach almost to the Mexican border. The highest mountain in the Huachucas, Miller Peak, is almost exactly the same height as Mt Wrightson.
Photo 4 looks north from the Mt Wrightson peak. The mountains in the distance are the Catalinas, which bound the north side of Tucson. You can vaguely make out the city, although it and the Catalinas are largely obscured by dust, a common occurrence in this part of the Sonoran desert.
Photo 5 is a video taken on the peak of Mt Wrightson. It begins looking southeast toward the Huachucas, pans south, then west and ends up looking north up Madera Canyon. You can see the vast range of microclimates in close proximity, depending on altitude and related rainfall.
Photo 6 looks southeast at the Mt Wrightson peak from a small gap in the forest on the lower Old Baldy trail. The forest is prodominantly very thick Ponderosa pine and Arizona oak.
Photo 7 is a close-up of a Mexican Jay, a common bird at about 5,000-6,000 feet in the Tucson-area mountain ranges. They tend to congregate in flocks of 10-20 birds and they make quite a squawking racket.
This was another great hike, especially for a very hot day in Tucson.
Hike stats: about 8 miles with 4,000 vertical feet to a 9,456 foot peak in about 6.25 hours.
