Less than two weeks ago we were feeling chilly as we quickly walked across campus so that we would arrive to the arena early enough to enjoy some of the pre-game activities.
It was in the low 60s as the sun was going down, and we had one last view of towering Mount Lemmon — the highest point in the Santa Catalina Mountains located in the Coronado National Forest north of Tucson, Ariz.
“In a few days, we’ll be wishing that it was 60 degrees,” my wife and I joked with our friends and their kids as we hustled across the University of Arizona’s campus toward the McKale Center arena.
Truer words have never been spoken, as the temperature hasn’t climbed above 10 degrees these last couple of days now that we’re back home in Hoosier country.
At this point, we’re ready to head back to the southwest.
I have been traveling to Arizona during the holidays for the past 15 years or so to visit my friends from college and their family with the exception of 2021 due to COVID-19.
The coronavirus reared its ugly head on this trip as well, but more on that later.
Spending a few days surrounded by desert landscape — mountains, cacti, rock formations and canyons — is good for the soul each December or January as we settle in for a few months of snow, ice and bone-chilling cold in northeast Indiana.
This year’s trip was no exception as we biked through mountains, hiked through the desert and watched the Arizona Wildcats defeat the Colorado Buffaloes by almost 50 points.
One of our go-to spots for mountain biking is the Desert Classic Trail in Phoenix’s South Mountains.
It is the ideal spot to bike because of its numerous ups, downs and wash crossings. Those steep wash crossings through the stunning desert landscape make it one of my favorite routes to bike in the Phoenix area.
We normally see a few coyotes while biking, and this year’s ride was no different from usual as we observed four of them from a distance.
The following day, we made the 90-minute drive on the I-10 from Phoenix to Tucson. This year, however, we stopped for a few hours on the way there to visit Picacho Peak State Park and climb to the top of the peak.
Anyone who has ever driven on I-10 between Phoenix and Tucson has seen Picacho Peak. Travelers use it as a landmark because it is visible from some 60 miles away.
The summit rises to 3,374 feet above sea level, and the climb to the top along the Hunter Trail is about 2 miles with an elevation gain of about 1,500 feet. The steep and twisting switchback trails, however, cause it to be labeled a difficult hike. There are steel cables along the steepest parts of the trail, which make the journey up (and down) a little easier.
For the first mile, it’s mostly straight up — until you reach the saddle, elevation 2,960 feet. Afterward, hikers drop down as the trail crosses a ridge to the back side of the mountain. Then, it is back up again as the trail on the south side of the mountain leads to the peak.
Once there, we were treated to a 360-degree clear view of the Sonoran desert and mountains, including the bustling traffic along I-10 some 3,000 feet below us.
A few hours after finishing the climb, we were in Tucson to watch the Wildcats defeat the Buffaloes — a great way to end a fun-filled trip to Tucson.
By the end of our four days in Arizona, we had hiked several miles, biked even more and spent several days with friends who we wish we could see a lot more often.
Time in the Grand Canyon state always leaves me feeling refreshed and rejuvenated, and my wife normally would say the same.
This year, however, her trip didn’t end as we thought. She came down with what we thought was a cold on our last day there.
She was still feeling ill when we got home the following afternoon, and she decided to take a COVID test. It didn’t even take five minutes for the test to come back positive.
She spent the rest of the week recovering from a terrible case of COVID. Somehow, I managed to dodge the COVID bullet after already having it twice since 2020.
The trip didn’t end the way we thought, but we’re glad we were able to enjoy three healthy days in a place that feels more and more like my second home each time I’m there.
jdpeeper2@hotmail.com
