My last one for the AZ 6pop! It was warm (83 degrees) but in the afternoon the Huntertrail up until the saddle is in the shadow of Picacho. Ridiculously steep, but with the cables and a bit of care it was no big problem. I had brought gloves, and it was a short, enjoyable scramble. To get some extra miles I took the long route down via the Sunset trail where I encountered two older people in trouble, one with heat exhaustion. Gave them the rest of my water and contacted a ranger. Good reminder to do my research before every trip, to bring the right supplies (yeah for Garmin InReach!), and to turn around when needed; that peak will be there tomorrow as well.

I spend the night at the campsite at the foot of the mountain, which was lovely, though disrupted when I almost stepped on a rattle snake next to the tent. With ‘almost’ being a very good word here. Another rangers was alerted, who skillfully put the creature in a box and took to opportunity to educate the assembled bystanders before she relocated the rattler to outside the campgrounds. Hats off to the AZ rangers twice in one day!

On the way back I saw the temps drop from about 70 and sunny near Palm Springs to 50 and rain as I crossed the Gorgonio Pass. Those mountains sure structure the weather! Now I am waiting for better temps in SoCal, I have mountains to climb!