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Bloated Chipmunk
Cock Rock Searcher



Joined: 29 Jan 2007
Posts: 2993 | TRs | Pics
Location: Margaritaville
Bloated Chipmunk
Cock Rock Searcher
PostMon Jun 20, 2016 4:12 pm 
I took a trip to Tucson last month for a couple wks. to visit/help family, & the timing worked out to be there for both Mothers' Day & my mom's 80th b-day. smile.gif Most of my time was spent @ my mom's house, but I did get out for one hike after my sis flew in from FL. We chose Rose Pk. in the Catalina Mtns. in honor of my mom's bday since she & my sis would frequently climb that peak on/around her bday. Rose Pk. is situated above Rose Lk. high in the Catalina Mtns. The lake gets many visitors (for fishing & camping) but the peak hardly any. It's amazing how many people are turned off by a lack of a trail. wink.gif I'd been to the peak before but not in many yrs. & most of my childhood hikes in the area involved bypassing the peak by dropping below Rose Lk. dam & sneaking into Sycamore Canyon for swimming in some semi-secret pools. wink.gif We arrived to a pretty full parking lot but were able to find a spot near a group picnic area. We geared up & started heading toward the lake. It was a little crisp, so I packed long pants in my pack in case the shorts got too unbearable.
Ducks
Ducks
Rose Lk.
Rose Lk.
BC @ Rose Lk.
BC @ Rose Lk.
We rounded the lake on the south side, then once on the west side found an easy spot to start heading up the ridge toward the peak.
Where we left the trail
Where we left the trail
The initial climb to attain the ridge is steep & a little slippery w/all the pine needles, but short. Soon we were on top & could see Rose Pk. in the distance.
Rose Pk. comes into view
Rose Pk. comes into view
There was a decent boot path @ 1st, but then it more or less petered out & we had to do a little bit of bushwhacking.
BC's like the tree
BC's like the tree
Gettin' closer
Gettin' closer
We reached the summit, then looked around for the register. It took a little time to find it, but we eventually spotted it stuck into the end of a log in a rocky area.
Where the summit register was
Where the summit register was
Summit register
Summit register
We looked for my mom's name but couldn't find it, but found out later that she & her friend had turned back early on their last visit so hadn't signed it. We wrote our names & then moved on to the viewpoints, which are located a little below the summit on either side.
Remains of the juniper tree my mom & sis would sit under
Remains of the juniper tree my mom & sis would sit under
BC & dead tree
BC & dead tree
BC w/Sycamore Canyon below
BC w/Sycamore Canyon below
My sis & I @ the 1st overlook
My sis & I @ the 1st overlook
Summit views
Summit views
Summit views
Summit views
Summit views
Summit views
BC w/the dead tree I attached the Gorilla Pod to
BC w/the dead tree I attached the Gorilla Pod to
Summit views
Summit views
The Thimble
The Thimble
Rocks below w/hwy above
Rocks below w/hwy above
Lizard Rock
Lizard Rock
My sis & I @ 2nd overlook
My sis & I @ 2nd overlook
Summit pano
Summit pano
Green Mtn.
Green Mtn.
"The Duckbill"
"The Duckbill"
The Thimble & distant Baboquivari
The Thimble & distant Baboquivari
Mt. Wrightson
Mt. Wrightson
Penis rocks below
Penis rocks below
Claret cup
Claret cup
Claret cup
Claret cup
Distant penis rock
Distant penis rock
View SW
View SW
After a leisurely lunch break, we looped back over to the center of the ridge & headed down. This time we finished rounding the lake & dropped below the dam where my sis said there are sometimes nice flowers. We didn't find them, but found some others. We climbed back up on the other side of the dam, & walked along the north shore back to the car.
Toppled over tree
Toppled over tree
A surviving tree
A surviving tree
The lk. comes into view again
The lk. comes into view again
Rose Lk.
Rose Lk.
Not the flowers we were looking for
Not the flowers we were looking for
Climbing back up the dam where we did so as kids
Climbing back up the dam where we did so as kids
Jazz hands
Jazz hands
"A Desert Forest"
"A Desert Forest"
Info about Rose Lk.
Info about Rose Lk.
And of course, enjoyed some post-hike margaritas back in town before heading back home to show my mom the pictures. smile.gif up.gif
Post-hike margaritas
Post-hike margaritas

Home is where the hiking is. "Peaks that have come and gone four times should halt a man in his steps." -- William O. Douglas A balanced diet is a margarita in each hand.
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