#11 Highest: Mt. Wrightson

#11 Highest Peak: Mt. Wrightson

Summit Elevation: 9,453 ft.

Trail Length: 10.6 miles

High Point: 9,453 ft.

Elevation Change: 4,053 ft.

29 September 2013

Finally another hike to check off the list! Mt. Wrighston is about an hour south of Tucson and I can't believe it has taken me over a year to hike it. This was one of the most beautiful hikes I've done in Arizona. I doubted my friend Mike when he told me Mt. Wrightson was even prettier than Mt. Lemmon, but today proved him correct. Mt. Wrightson is the only peak in the Tucson area that provides a true 360 degree view from the top (unlike Mt. Lemmon, where you still enjoy gorgeous views, but they're always at least partially obstructed). 

The hike up was pretty challenging - even for me! You gain over 4,000 feet in elevation in just 5 miles, so it's a steady and decently steep uphill climb the entire way up with no breaks. This trail provided my absolute favorite type of hiking: SWITCHBACKS! Nice, hard, long switchbacks! The people I met at the top told me they counted over 30, but that sounds low to me. The trail is wooded with tons of shade and pine trees. After about 2.5 miles, the trail opens up a little to give you your first really amazing view. The next 2 miles or so wind up the side of the mountain through fields of tiny yellow flowers. This portion of the trail had been burned at some point, so you get to enjoy a beautiful view the whole way. But don't stop to take pictures just yet! It gets better and better as you keep climbing, so be patient!

Just before your final ascent, you walk through really thick, dense foliage that basically creates a 10-15 foot wall of trees and shrubs on either side of you. It's a little creepy because you can't see anything around you (except what is directly ahead), but it only lasts for about 5-10 minutes. The last half mile becomes pretty rocky, and you can finally see your final destination! 

The view from the top is incredible. Pictures and words just cannot do it justice. You can see Mexico to the south, Tucson and the Catalinas (and Mt. Lemmon) to the north, and even Picacho Peak waaay off in the distance. (Side note: did you know that "Picacho" means peak? So Peak Peak?). The view was just so much better than what I was expecting. Being so close to Tucson and Mexico, I expected pure desert - but there was green everywhere! It didn't exactly remind me of Flagstaff hiking (which everyone says looks just like Colorado), but it was similar. To sum up... this hike was the perfect combination of a good cardio workout with a huge reward at the summit. I'll be going back! 

 AND on my way down, I ran into a guy that was on his way up who said he had just seen a BEAR!!!! I obsessively looked for him for at least 30-45 minutes, but never saw him. This guy told me not to worry because brown bears aren't aggressive and they're used to seeing hikers. Apparently this mountain range is known for having a ton of bears. The guy said he was hiking once and there was a bear sitting on a tree branch right next to the trail, and the guy basically walked right underneath him! Cray.

MEXICO!