Three weeks in the Sonoran desert

[MojaveGeek]

I am always impressed at how green and full of bird life the Sonoran desert is, as opposed to our Mojave.  I have been going to the areas around Tucson and, south to Mexico in the Santa Rita range, for years.  This year I took nearly three weeks.   I've spent enough time that I know my way around out there, and do a lot of off trail hiking, or "connect the dots" style between  places I've been.   The core of the Santa Ritas is a decent set of peaks; Mt. Wrightson is at 9400 (above the plains beneath at about 2500) so there are some good workouts and nice forests up there.   Down lower are pinyon/juniper forest, grasslands, thornscrub, and, at the bottom, big cactus land with the iconic saguaro.   Here's a few photos from the trip.

[DeathValleyDazed]

Thanks for sharing this batch of lovely images taking me places I will most likely never be able to enjoy before age stops me out like a huge dry call in a Death Valley canyon. That saguaro cactus looks like a giant fist with a sore thumb sticking out. Your vast experience in the desert mixed with your coyote like wisdom of Death Valley details is much appreciated by this old tortoise.

[MojaveGeek]

Dazed, when do you expect age to stop you. I'm 69. I think you're a few years younger? I don't plan to stop though I can't do the distances I used to be able to manage. My attitude is that if I stop, I die, so... I just keep going Your hiking adventures leave me in the dust at this point, actually.

That is a "crested" or "crestate" saguaro. Maybe 1:1000 or fewer? Perhaps due to frost injury, they just go crazy. I reckon that particular one has not been viewed by very many people, as it was quite off trail.

[Kauri]

Dazed, when do you expect age to stop you.  I'm 69.  I think you're a few years younger?  I don't plan to stop though I can't do the distances I used to be able to manage.  My attitude is that if I stop, I die, so...  I just keep going   Your hiking adventures leave me in the dust at this point, actually.

I remember many years ago meeting an older couple in Mammoth hiking between Deer Lakes and Duck Lake. There's a faint use trail part of the way between these lakes but otherwise it's off-trail; the entire loop from Lake Mary is quite long. (Geek, have you done this loop, or just hiked to the lakes? I can't remember if I've asked you about this hike.) They were probably in their late 70s and they said they did that hike every year, because they knew that once they stopped doing it they wouldn't be able to do it again.

[MojaveGeek]

Dazed, I haven't hiked that particular trail but I have hiked around Mammoth and a bunch in and near Yosemite in the general area of Tioga Pass. I like the attitude those folks expressed

I was worried that being home-bound in 2020 might have quenched my fire, but I came back good in DV in April 2021 (though it was HOT that week, that was when those people got lost and one died over Greenwater way) and have been hoofing it all year since.

[DeathValleyDazed]

Dazed, when do you expect age to stop you.  I'm 69.  I think you're a few years younger?  I don't plan to stop though I can't do the distances I used to be able to manage.  My attitude is that if I stop, I die, so...  I just keep going   

I remember many years ago meeting an older couple in Mammoth hiking They were probably in their late 70s and they said they did that hike every year, because they knew that once they stopped doing it they wouldn't be able to do it again.

Okay now, I generally avoid discussing age because I don't want to curse myself and also that our experiences in Death Valley are not for competition but pure enjoyment. I'm 69 and turn 70 in a few months. Now get this about one of the most "amazing" experiences I've ever had in DEVA which is age related. 

In March of 2019 I was patting myself on the back and while resting and searching for my water stashed previously for the return decent I thought for an old goat like myself hiking from Badwater to Dante's Peak was damn good. When who should appear casually strolling up behind me after following me up the route (unbeknown to me) was an elderly couple both with waling sticks (not walking canes!) They must have been at least five and maybe ten years older than me. They acted like their hike was just another walk in the park. They were not heading back down but had secured a car ride from family members and said they'd like to visit but that they'd better hurry over the Dante's Parking to meet their family, which was still at least another mile of hiking. 
This hike was very challenging for me but they were so casual about it I was gobsmacked. LOL FYI - here's the video but I was not present of mind enough to request a photo of the "elderly couple."  Anyway, I hope to keep hiking and my motto still remains, "If I can see it, I can hike to it." 

[MojaveGeek]

Well, Dazed, for an Old Fart you get around pretty good I'm impressed. I have a lot of internal tension as to when to admit to myself that I'm slowing down (which in fact I am) and when to push it because you don't know your limits unless you test your limits!

That's a really nice video, makes the hike up to Dante's look beautiful. Maybe I should give it a try on my next trip. Where did you start up the ridge? There is a big bend in the road just south of Badwater where an alluvial fan comes out. I am thinking that is the Bad fan, and you started up south of there?

As for those folks with the walking sticks .. never tease a guy with a stick, he might hit you with it

[DeathValleyDazed]

Where did you start up the ridge?  There is a big bend in the road just south of Badwater where an alluvial fan comes out.    I am thinking that is the Bad fan, and you started up south of there?

Hey MG, I relate well to your comments. Especially the funny ones. 

I'd suggest a one way route up from Badwater to Dante's Peak and then over to Dantes View Parking Lot. The 5K elevation drop for the return is tough on the older knee joints. So far, up climbing is no problem but the down climbs are increasingly more challenging. You're correct about my route. I parked at Badwater and hiked across the Bad Canyon alluvial fan and up the south ridge line which afforded those jaw dropping views into Bad Canyon and Hades Canyons. Either drop your car off at Dante View and have someone drive you around and down to Badwater to start the hike or visa versa. Take your time and enjoy a slow pace. i had to bust my ass in order to complete the round trip and still ended up in the dark. The hole event was challenging but so well worth the memory. 

Just exploring lower Bad Canyon is fun with great views until you get stopped by the big dry fall just a mile or so in. Don't even try to by pass that first dry fall because its too treacherous up there. I mistakenly keep bypassing three dry falls thinking I'd end up on the floor of Bad Canyon but instead just got boxed out at the end of a smaller side canyon-tributary. I did not realize this until I completed the hike up to Dantes Peak which afforded orienting views and perspectives. 


Sorry to drag out this thread so much but the north ridge of Bad Canyon is equally spectacular but is very taxing and challenging. I attempted to duplicate the hikes of Steve Hall and Michel Digonnet into Bad Canyon from the Mount Perry Trail (which you have hiked and snapped those gorgeous panoramas of) but I was too frightened to follow where they dropped down from the Hades Fault crossing so I turned back. I won't attempt that until I have a companion and some ropes for safety. I admire those guys for pulling that one off. 

[MojaveGeek]

Son, I have one word for you: Plastics! (younger folks probably won't get that reference)
Seriously, the word is "Diclofenac". It is a topical NSAID, used to be RX but is now OTC I have quite bad knee arthritis and descents are always hard for me. I used to take two ibuprofin as my lunch desert, but now I take other meds for which the NSAIDs are not great, so I go with the topical stuff. I even carry a little vial of it in my pack and apply it a few times during the day. My main issue is that when my knees hurt, I walk more gingerly, which disrupts my gait drastically, and hence slows me down a lot, leading to "hike out in the dark" syndrome. If you don't need this stuff now, just file this away for future memory. It has been a game changer for me.

Now back to the topic. Don't mind hijacking the thread - it's my thread anyway I am easily distracted. And its timely as I'm starting to think out options for my next trip out there, in late March. There is no way in hell I'd go up and back down to Dante's. I'd either set up a shuttle (though that eats precious time) or just go up and back down, maybe up to the Hades Fault area, that looks very interesting, and some great colors up there. So your videos and commentary on the area are most interesting.

[DeathValleyDazed]

Son, I have one word for you: Plastics!  (younger folks probably won't get that reference) Zinger MG, Here's the clip for those impaired by youth:



Seriously, the word is "Diclofenac".   It has been a game changer for me. MG, thanks for the Rx tip!

Now back to the topic.  Don't mind hijacking the thread - it's my thread anyway   MG, had me chuckling on your response. Leslie Gore would respond with a cover of her own tune "It's My Thread, I'll Cry If I Want To." Here's another clip for the youth impaired of this forum. LOL


I am easily distracted. MG, I've got the same diagnosis. In fact, my day long hike exploring "No Name Canyon" happened due to distraction. The day's intent and goal was to return to Trellis Canyon (thanks to Steve Hall for turning me onto this remote canyon) for the third time and to do a photo shoot of what Steve calls "the slip n' slide" a cool fault slip on the west side of the canyon a few miles in. Well, it's quite a slog from Salt Creek (which was closed anyway due to the rain storm and flooding of Dec 14th-15th) just to reach the mouth of Trellis Canyon, let alone explore it So I tried the approach from Devil's Cornfield, about the same distance and slope. On the way, No Name teased me into taking a short side detour and the rest is history. I'll have to give Trellis another try later. Some of my best memories of DEVA are from "distractions." 

And its timely as I'm starting to think out options for my next trip out there, maybe up to the Hades Fault area, that looks very interesting, and some great colors up there. MG, this is an excellent idea for an all day hike as you'll capture most the beauty value by turning around at the Hades Fault area. This area alone has at least an hour or two of little side distractions to enjoy and the color is some of the best in DEVA. With a little effort and sideways ridge exploring you'll be rewarded by stunning views down into Hades Canyon and Bad Canyon without the scary scrambling Steve Hall and Michele Digonnet have done.