Tucson for a change

While I was going up, I was going to call this hike “the easiest” in the challenge. Trail was wide, slow but steady elevation, and some people were running it. But the trail surprised me in the 2nd half. Trail started turning, became a bit rugged, and elevation got steep. By the end of the hike my rating went to moderate-hard. It is 7 miles round trip and took me about 4 hours to complete.
Made it to the top, and honestly I think this peak has the best views! While it is the most “desert-y” and doesn’t look that exciting, proximity of other mountains in the Saguaros make it worthwhile. Other peaks have vastness, but also some emptiness around, while this one sits in the middle of all.
I did King trail up and down, but if I was to hike it again, I’d do a loop around the mountain. I started hiking around 8am and sun was still down, but it was “always there” by 9am. Make sure you bring hats, glasses, and sunscreen.