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This was a banner, four star experience. Picacho Peak is the 'plug' on the west side of town, for those who aren't aware. In almost 6 years of living here, that mountain has taunted me, daring me to climb it. Today, I tackled it. You have to take a series of side roads off of Picacho Hills Drive to access the trailhead, but really, there isn't a defined trail up there as it soon tapers off shortly after the trailhead. You just have to make your way up, and that's precisely what I did! Miraculously, I did not turn an ankle, no abrasions, punctures, incisions, snake encounters, etc. Just a great experience:
Start:
Getting a little closer:
Nearing the top:
"I could go east, I could go west, it was all up to me to decide":
Summit:
The Organs from afar:
This took me a shade under 4 hours, but I spent about 40 minutes on the top of the summit, reading a book. I went up the high cliff face going up, but went back down the more gradual south slope.
Photos taken earlier today 1/17/2011. A pretty vertical 1 mile climb, from Dripping Springs Road, trailhead just across the street from the soon to be high school.
That is the most beautiful sunrise I have seen over the Organs. I sure hope to see some from our own home when we are living there permanently.
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