Arizona Archives – Page 32 of 32 – GlassMountains Trip Reports

Tucson Local Peak Hikes, Early 2015

April 3, 2015 by Paul McClellan 1 Comment

For the past two winters we have traveled to Arizona to spend a few weeks bicycling and hiking in the sunshine. Early this year we spent about 8 weeks in Tucson, our new winter home. While settling in we bicycled many routes around the Tucson area. I also enjoyed several peak hikes in the surrounding mountain ranges.

Wasson Peak

On Thursday, February 19, I hiked Wasson Peak in Saguaro National Park West (Tucson Mountain District) via the Hugh Norris Trail. The summit of Wasson Peak is the highest point in the Tucson Mountains with 2117 feet of prominence. It was a warm and sunny day. The hike was a good shakedown after months of relative inactivity.

I enjoyed watching several USAF jets pass over. It reminded me of my early years living on USAF bases and of my deceased father.

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Bicycling Kitt Peak, Arizona, March 2015

March 15, 2015 by Paul McClellan Leave a Comment

On Friday, March 13, Linda and I enjoyed bicycling up and down Kitt Peak east of Tucson. We had been bicycling several days in Tucson and thought we were ready for a more ambitious ride. It was a fun and memorable ride.

We parked my Jeep near the start of Arizona Highway 386 and its junction with AZ Hwy 86. The climb started gently, but soon steepened. Overall, the grade averaged about 7% for the 12 miles to the summit area. On our climb the traffic was light and there was an adequate shoulder. The climb was strenuous, but enjoyable.

Linda on summit of Kitt Peak — Linda near the summit of Kitt Peak

We rode our bikes around the Mayall Telescope. Linda started down and I began scouting how to tag the summit when a security guard drove up and told me to leave. Apparently the short road off Highway 386 to the Mayall Telescope is now open to “authorized vehicles” only. My bicycle and I were not authorized.

We visited the Visitor Center before enjoying the descent back to my jeep. There was a Border Patrol checkpoint on the highway on our drive home, but they let us pass without comment.

Arizona Bicycling and Hiking, March 2014

March 31, 2014 by Paul McClellan Leave a Comment

Linda and I spent several weeks in March of 2014 visiting Arizona for bicycling and hiking. This was our third Spring visiting Arizona and we were curious to see locations we had not previously visited. I enjoyed hiking several Arizona “prominence peaks”: Mount Ord, Pinal Peak, Mount Graham, and Chiricahua Peak. The only significant snow I encountered was on Mount Graham, and it was manageable. The weather was ideal for hiking and enjoying the scenery.

On March 10 we camped near the city of Sedona. The next day we moved camp to Dead Horse Ranch State Park near Cottonwood. We explored around Cottonwood on our bikes. On on March 13 we relocated to Payson Campground and RV Resort which was our base for four days.

On March 14 we drove south from Payson on AZ Hwy 87, turned east off the highway, and followed a gravel road to a locked gate. From the gate we hiked to the summit of Mount Ord, a 2000 foot prominence peak in the Mazatzal Mountains. The weather on the summit was light and intermittent hail turning to drizzle with thunder in the distance. But the hike was pleasant with good views of the mountains and valleys south of Payson. After returning to the highway we visited Fountain Hills, near Mesa.

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Bryce Canyon, Zion, and Grand Canyon Bicycle Tour 2001

January 30, 2010 by Paul McClellan Leave a Comment

In June 2001 Linda and I joined a supported bicycle tour and visited Bryce Canyon, Zion, and Grand Canyon National Parks. The tour was organized by Cycle America and Pedal the Peaks, a company based in Cannon Falls, Minnesota.

We decided to rejoin Cycle America for their Bryce Canyon, Zion, and Grand Canyon National Parks Bicycle Tour in 2001 after enjoying their Glacier and Waterton Lakes National Parks Bicycle Tour the previous August. This tour was held twice in the summer of 2001. We selected the earliest, which ended at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. The timing was better for us, and it seemed fitting to finish there. We again selected the camping option, rather than the motel option, and enjoyed meeting the other campers. The tour was organized by Cycle America and Pedal the Peaks, a company based in Cannon Falls, Minnesota.

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