We Were Tired!

Wednesday, we did our almost-annual hike to Fremont Saddle in the Superstition Mountains.  This is the fifth time we have done this hike.  Although the hike is only 4.4 miles, round trip,it has a total round trip elevation gain of 1,396 ft. Whew, we were tired when we returned to our truck. Every year, the hike is tough. I wasn't quite as sore the days following the hike as I have been some years, so I guess that was good news.

The scenery on the hike is beautiful and this year we had more green vegetation that in the past. This has been a fairly wet winter.

The reward when we reach the top of the saddle is the view of Weaver's Needle. There were a number of other people there when we came to the top. One young family had their 8-month-old baby in a backpack. Another hiker was taking their picture with Weaver's Need in the background.

John posed in front of the landmark, as well.

Wildflowers are starting to bloom. We enjoyed the fairy duster and some plant from the pea family. I'm not sure what it is called.

I don't usually like the globe mallow flowers, but Wednesday the provided a bright orange spot of beauty.

A Tough Hike

Yesterday we went on what will most likely be the most difficult hike of the season. We hiked up to Fremont Saddle. The rugged trail climbs at least 1,300 ft in its approximate 2.25+ miles. Barbara and Ron joined us on the hike. Here we are, ready to go.



The lower part of the trail is surrounded by a large number of saguaro cacti.



There are lots and lots of rocks.



Also, beautiful rock formations.





We have hiked this trail three times before. If you are interested, you can see those posts here. The previous posts contain more information about the trail and the hike.

This is what we were looking for. It is worth the hike.



John made it to the saddle first. He took a picture of Barbara and me as we struggled up the last leg of the climb.



After we sat down for a lunch break, we braced ourselves for the hike down to the parking lot. I really think it is harder to hike downhill than uphill. Going up may use more energy, but going down is hard on my aging, arthritic knees. But is was a really good day. We are really glad we did it.

Ron turned around before we reached the top. But the remaining three of us made it.