Wednesday, March 25, 2020

Attempt to hike to the Arch

Location:  Darby Well Road near Ajo, Arizona

This morning I woke up at 7 o'clock after a very good night's rest.  My feet didn't bother me last night.  Laid in bed till 8 o'clock and it is already 61 degrees and will reach the mid seventies again.

I failed to mention that Gaelyn stopped by last evening after dinner and we had a nice long chat.  It was fairly dark when she left to head home.

Today, I did nothing but rest my feet and take short walks around the area again.  My ankle is still sore and bothers me when I walk.  The sun beat down and it got fairly hot till around three when clouds came in and cooled things off a bit. 

Let's finish up with my day at Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument.
There's actually two arches.  How's my shooting? :))
A view of the whole mountain.
The path leading into the canyon.
 Here's where I made my first mistake.  There is a sign at the beginning of this trail saying it was fairly flat and easy to walk.  I stopped reading and Yuma and I thought we were heading up a nice easy trail to take wonderful close-up pictures of the arches.




There's the end of the canyon dead ahead.
 At the end of the canyon there was a sign saying Arch and pointing to the right.  As we turned to walk up the trail there was another sign saying this trail was very rugged and difficult.  I'm thinking they wouldn't lead me to this point and then make it too hard to get to the top.
This is what the beginning of the difficult trail looked like.



The trail started going up at a pretty good incline and much of it was boulders and bare rock slanted dangerously to the side.
View across the canyon.
Looking back at the trail we came up.


Walking in the shadows along the side of the mountain.

One of the easier straight up portions.
Where am I?  The Alps!
Anyway, to make a long trek short, I failed to read the second part of the sentence on the sign at the beginning of the easy trail.  The last .6 of a mile is rugged, dangerous and steep.

By the time I got back down I felt like my toes were trying to go through the ends of the city shoes I was wearing.  My legs and ankles were so sore I could hardly walk.  

I think I made it about half a mile up but I knew that if I didn't turn around and come down, I may not have the strength to do it.  Plus I knew going down would be harder than going up.   Sorry, no pictures of the arches from the top of the mountain.  I waited a few years too many to try it.

Just as I got back down and had passed the sign pointing up, I ran into these two little tykes and there mother and father plus a dog.  Yuma had to try and play of course and the other dog was just as friendly.
 The time is now after 3:30 and the sun is heading down and the shadows are creeping in.  I told them to not go any further than the sign because it was very rugged to go any further.  I sure hope they listened.
Heading out of the canyon very slowly and sore.


Goodbye arches.
 It was getting late, so I headed on around the loop taking some pictures as I went.  With the low sun hitting the mountains, it made for pretty pictures.











I've never seen so many Saguaro and Organ Pipe Cacti in my life and everything is so green with all the rains we've had recently.  Perfect day for my drive.  

It was almost dark by the time we got back to the White Lion and I could finally soak my feet.  I think Yuma is a little tired too.  Hope you enjoyed the loop as much as I did, even though it ended with a very sore body.  I'm sure a little rest will fix that.

See you later. 

27 comments:

  1. The pictures really gave a good view of your trip. I can't get over how green the saguaro and organ pipes are. They look amazing. You got close enough to the arch to get a neat picture. Next time wear boots and take your walking stick. 😀 Hope your able and toes have recovered.

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    1. Thanks Dolly. I did get great pictures from the front. Sounds like others have tried it too. It is one tough trail. Feel back to normal now :))

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  2. Just visiting from Gaelyn's blog, Great set of photos. Hope the feet soon feel better, my husband has Peripheral Neuropathy and has permanent pain in his feet so I know what it is like for him. Stay safe Diane

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    1. Welcome Diane. Gaelyn has beautiful photos that's for sure. Thanks for the compliment. Foot pain can bring hiking to a halt pretty fast. I need better boots if I'm going to climb mountains:))

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  3. I well know how rugged that Arch trail is. Kelly and I tried as well but didn't make it to the Arch either. That Ajo loop drive is one of the best for Saguaro and Organ Pipe Cacti. A beautiful area we have driven a couple times. A lot of desert poppies one time.

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    1. Glad I'm not the only one :)) It is certainly beautiful and so great that it is accessible to anyone with the well kept road through the mountains 😀

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  4. Hi Doug, you took some amazing photos of a beautiful area - just sorry you had to pay such a high price to get them. Yikes.! 😱

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    1. Thanks Moonfly. I wasn't prepared for a tough mountain climb and paid the price for being stubborn:)) I'm back to normal now 🙃

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  5. Beautiful area Doug, we will certainly have to get there to see it. Take care and be safe.

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    1. Thanks Bill. You must make this area a destination one winter. The loop is easily accessible with BB and the views are gorgeous.

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  6. I sure appreciate seeing all the cacti again. It is the inspiration to keep going as we head south for the winter. Looking for our first sighting!
    Take care of your self! The pictures are lovely.

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    1. Ha ha, didn't you say yesterday in reply to my comment that you were done with mtn. climbing for now? You are too funny!

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    2. As I mentioned to Bill you just have to visit this area. They have nice RV parks too.

      I just need more don't do that power. I guess I'm a glutton for punishment:))

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  7. We took that hike too, but only up to the sign warning about the rugged trail ahead. We've sometimes regretted turning back there, but now we're glad we did! Thanks for the tour Doug, beautiful area. Gord.

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    1. You're very welcome. You definitely made a better decision than I did. Its not only strenuous but dangerous when you get tired and careless.

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  8. That is beautiful country, especially after winter rains. At least you won't feel bad about sitting around for the next two days. You and Yuma both will need a little recovery time. Hope you muscles don't scream too loud.

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    1. Thanks Nancy. Two days and I'm back to normal. Nice to just be lazy for a couple of days. Didn't make any cakes either:))

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  9. Beautiful pictures Doug! I love that area and the arch..but definitely wouldn't attempt the trail so congrats to you for doing all that you did! Hopefully your feet and ankles feel better! Keep on enjoying!

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    1. Thanks Shirley. I'm feeling much better today.

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  10. Know that feeling well! Answering the call to explore and enjoy nature, but the geriatric body is not always up to the task. Great pictures from the hike.

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    1. Thanks Jeff. Old age is a b.... but better than the alternative 😉 Amazing the difference in my strength from just two years ago when I was last here.

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  11. Once you feel rested and recovered you should try again. It's the same as exercise you build yourself up but it takes time.
    Still taking a lot of beautiful pictures.
    Be Safe and Enjoy the Freedom.

    It's about time.

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    1. Thanks Rick. I think one try was enough. Maybe in my next lifetime:))

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  12. What a hike! I'm glad you have recovered and are feeling better. The pictures were gorgeous. I wish we could have spent more time in Arizona. It will definitely be a place we will return to.

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    1. Thank you Cheri. Hope you do come back and we meet again. I'll show you and Dean around.

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  13. Well I surely enjoyed your pictures but doubt I was able to enjoy it as much as you without being there. Enjoy that sunshine!!

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  14. Thanks Steve. It was gorgeous to see. I think I have enough of a tan for one winter. :))

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