Fremont Saddle via Peralta Canyon Trail would culminate the Six Pack of Peaks Winter Arizona 2021 challenge for me – All six peaks in the challenge were hikes I had never done before, though I had heard about some of them from others in my hiking group – There was no sequence planning that took place beforehand on my part, however I was pleased that Fremont Saddle was the final hike – In reflection, it had 1,341 feet of elevation gain though it was so gradual relative to the other hikes that it felt more like a Sunday stroll – If one could associate the courses of a meal with hiking, I would say that Fremont Saddle was the dessert course – There was so much to see and the views were stunning – The best part was seeing Weaver’s Needle as I crested the saddle, an absolute, “OH WOW moment!” – It was also the least trafficked hike of the six – I did see hikers on my way up, but I did not encounter a single soul during my time at the saddle with exception of a helicopter that passed overhead – I was completely alone with mother nature on the way back – This could be because I did this hike later in the day on Friday, April 30th and the temperature was in the mid to upper 90s – I started hiking about 10 AM and returned to the trailhead a little after 3 PM –  AllTrails indicates this is a heavily trafficked out and back hike – Fortunately I experienced very little traffic

My trekking poles were a definite asset on this hike and my gloves, well they remained in my pack the entire time – I carried 3L of water in a bladder and a 1 QT Nalgene bottle filled with water in a side pocket