Arrived at 6 AM, with less than 5 cars in the parking lot. Started hiking at 6:20 AM. Made it to summit just after 10 AM. Not counting our break time at the saddle (to eat, rest, and reapply sunscreen), total hike time was 3 hours, 18 minutes. At the top, someone left bottles of Fireball and tequila. Saw and passed less than 20 people on the way to the summit. Everyone was pleasant and tried to keep social distancing rules in mind. Ate a sandwich and rested at the summit for a half hour, while waiting for people to clear out the “photo op” area. Began hiking down at 10:56 AM. On the way down, more people coming up with bandanas, buffs, and one N95 mask for Covid-19 protection. With the increasing heat, more bugs started to come out. The last 2 miles involved hiking through intermittent swarms of baby ladybugs (this was kind of freaky to see and feel as they are tiny and you can feel their little legs on your skin). Made it to the car around 1:40 PM – making the total hike time, with breaks, over 7 hours (approximately 4 up, 3 down). Summit view was hazy but nonetheless beautiful!
AZ Winter 20% off early-bird rate ends in
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