[Bloated Chipmunk]

I met Suzanne, Barry, & Carla for some hikes in the Tucson area in the spring of 2021. It was a fun time & good to visit some old stomping grounds! A brief summary is below. DAY 1: SD to Tucson Drove from SD to Tucson, checked into an AirBnB, got takeout from Guadalajara Grill w/my sister, & went back to her apt. & met her kitties.

BFE rest area

@ the BFE rest area

AirBnb pano

DAY 2: Gibbon Mtn., Guadalajara Grill Suzanne, Barry, & Carla did a more difficult version starting from a lower elevation & I chose to meet them near a trailhead higher up & then we all hiked up Gibbon Mtn. together.

Froggy

Froggy

Froggy

Stats

Margarita time!

Post-hike margs

DAY 3: Ragged Top, Rosa's The 4 of us ventured out to Ragged Top, a peak NW of Tucson that I've climbed a couple times before - as a kid & once as an adult. This time, however, I was having some ankle issues and was unsure of continuing on the route so I explored around the nearby Wolcott Pk. while the other 3 went to the top. Meanwhile I found a turtle shell and later managed to drop my phone & crack the screen. @ least I went 7 or 8 yrs w/this phone before I finally cracked it so I'd say that's a win! (& yes, I'm still hanging on to my S4 until I have to upgrade by the end of this yr.)

Approaching Ragged Top

Tortoise shell

Tortoise shell

Ragged Top

Stats

After they dropped me off I did some shopping & met my sister @ Rosa's for dinner. My friend Jim who lives in Mesa drove down & visited for a couple hrs. He was all energetic & couldn't figure out why I was tired after a hike & margarita.

Post-hike margs

DAY 4: Catalina S.P. / Baby Jesus HP Time for a longer hike. I met the other 3 @ the ever-popular Catalina S.P. & we walked on the Baby Jesus Trail. Thankfully the crowds thinned out the further from the trailhead we ventured. We stopped for a break & then they headed back cuz they were mtg friends @ a certain time that afternoon. I did a quick side trip to a high point & then got back on the main trail & hiked @ my more leisurely pace to the car.

Stats

I returned to the AirBnb, cleaned up, then met the others @ their AirBnB for dinner. DAY 5: Shopping, back to SD I checked out of the AirBnB, did some shopping, stopped by my sister's place once more, then hit the rd back to SoCal. Another successful Tucson trip.

One of many murals in Tucson

BFE rest area