Thursday, March 2, 2017

Lunch with a View on Wasson Peak!!!!


Wasson Peak was a scenic and diverse hike and making it more memorable and honestly unforgettable was that we completed this hike with John and Pam! In our circle of blogger/hiking friends John and Pam are known for their ultra-hiking skills. We were excited yet apprehensive to tackle this peak with them. We likened it to golfing with Jordan Spieth or playing tennis against one of the Williams sisters. We had no idea how we would fare.
Although we love hiking we don’t consider ourselves anywhere near their ability. I am happy to report they took it easy on us and we had an incredible day!

After meeting them at the King’s Canyon trailhead just past the entrance to the Desert Museum we headed up the trail. The trail itself is listed as a 7.4 mile loop (our GPS’s showed just over 8 miles) with ~2,000’ in elevation gain. The first few miles are fairly smooth a moderate incline, the perfect way to start the hike.
John ready to head up the stairs
Ready to head up the trail!
Looking back the way we came

Two tough guys taking a break amongst the blooming poppies

We named this one the buckhorn
The trail winds its way up hills, around hills and through saddles with constantly changing views. Both John and Pam educated us as with the names of many of the flowers, bushes and cacti. Pam seemed to know the names of about every plant we came across and it soon became apparent that John has a unique skill at naming plants on the spot. (who knew there is no such plant as the Sonoran Pink Buttercup).


About ½ way to the peak the trail became much rougher and steeper with a series of switchbacks resulting in more photo ops (rest stops) along the way.  
One of the many switchbacks, you can see the trail in the background

We eventually made it to the top where we had a 360° views of the surrounding area.
You can see the switchbacks and trail on the opposite hillside

To the north


For those of you who know John and Pam, you also know that they are known for their “Lunch with a View” shots. It took us almost 3 years but we finally had our opportunity to take part in this infamous tradition!


The backside of the loop was a bit longer but equally as beautiful.
We saw this beauty on the way down

The round trip took us about 5½ - 6 hours but we really took our time stopping to talk, look at plants and take pictures. The temps were in the 60’s and I would not want to do it when it is much warmer than that. We could definitely recommend this hike for anyone who is in the area!
Highlight #2 for the week was our visit to Kartchner Caverns outside of Benson. Barb and I made this trip by ourselves and was our first cave tour of any kind. Discovered in 1974 these caves have a very interesting history which can be read here. Due to the fact that these are “living caves” the state goes to great lengths to protect it including several airlocks as you enter and exit the caves, a strict no photography rule and a mist shower for the visitors as they enter to maintain the moisture levels within the caves.

We toured the Throne Room. (Pictures provided by Kartchner Caverns State Park website).


In addition to that excitement we had a farewell happy hour with Greg, Cori, Guy and Susan who are all headed to Cabo for a couple of weeks (some people really have it rough).
Susan and Guy

Cori and Greg
But we said hello to Jim and Brenda who have returned to the area for a few days. We headed out to Nimbus Brewery with them. It was good but not as good as the other two that we went to.


Their flights included 9 beers!
Still no word on our window so it looks like we will be here for at least one more week!


21 comments:

  1. That's quite the hike...great pics! We hope to meet John and Pam one day too. Kartchener Caverns are on our to do list next year. That flight of beer reminds us of our beer tasting days with you guys not so long ago.

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    1. Nah, this flight was only 9 beers, I believe our tasting was something like 16 beers followed by some wine and Caroline's!

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  2. I am buying you shorts for Christmas. You have never been spelunking? I can't believe it.

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  3. The pictures were awesome...good thing we weren't there we would have been sitting waiting for you to come back!! We are wimps!!
    Have fun there in the desert without us!

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    1. We have moved on from Snyder Hills and are spending the week at Diamond J's but it is just not the same without you guys and the Young's here!

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  4. Looks like you are spending your "waiting time" wisely. Sure wish we had the umppph to hike but we certainly enjoy seeing the sights through your eyes.

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    1. We are very thankful to be able to do what we do and try not to take it for granted.....

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  5. Even though you are keeping busy while waiting for your window that last picture makes it look like you don't mind. LOL
    Be Safe and Enjoy!

    It's about time.

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    1. Although we hope to get the window very soon there are a few breweries we have yet to hit!

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  6. Looks like an absolutely gorgeous hike! Kudos on successful completion of another challenging trail!

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    1. This was our longest hike from both a time and distance perspective!

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  7. I might suggest an Adventure hat from sundayafternoons.com to go with Dino's shorts. We love ours for hiking, beach walking and just plain being out in the sun. They are all the rage with the landscapers down here in Florida, as they are so lightweight and breathable.

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    1. We will have to check them out. Neither Barb or I wore hats that day and we both regretted it burning our necks.

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  8. You are too funny, Jim!! You had us both laughing out loud as we read the first half of your post. Glad you chose our favorite golfer to compare us to! It was a great day and Wasson Peak is always a spectacular hike with very impressive views. Glad we could share it with you and Barb.

    I didn't realize Kartchner Caverns had such a set up for visiting. Other caves are still living but I've never heard of so many preventative measures to protect the moisture level. What a great idea!

    That was a dangerous beer flight! Sure hope you had a driver:)

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    1. Sometimes the posts just write themselves.....It was great sharing the trail with you, thanks again!

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  9. One day we'll have the privilege to hike with them also! We loved Kartchner. Incredible how they have it set up as well as the campground. You'll be spoiled if you go to others now.

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    1. John and Pam are really great people and we hope to share a trail with them again. We really want to hit Carlsbad Caverns sometime next year, we hear those are worth the trip.

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  10. It was John and Pam who also took us to Wasson Peak last year. They love this trail and love to share it with like minded hikers. If you survived Picacho, Wasson Peak was easy and this time you had great company.
    The Kartchner cave discovery story and its preservation is quite amazing.

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    1. Sorry we missed each other in Tucson, hope you are feeling better soon!

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