Cathedral Rock

[Desert-Boonie]

Well I finally made it down to Cathedral Rock in the Catalina's down in Tucson. I've wanted to get up this summit for awhile now and figured it was time to go. I just want to start off by saying, this was the most challenging hike i've ever done, here's how it went.

I got down to the visitor's center area at 7 am after a nice 2 hour drive from Glendale. I looked up at the darkend mountains and saw a lot of cloud cover. I know it just snowed on Mt. Lemmon but did it snow on Cathedral Rock, I figured it did since they are about the same elevation and close to each other. I had on my winter gear. Mountain Hardwear Ice Pants, gaiters and my GTX Jacket. Wore my capilene 3 base layer under it and set off. I brought my boots, Koflach Degre's just in case the snow was deep. I also wanted to break them in. I put them in my pack along with 3 32oz powerades and a fleece jacket. I used my JanSport Endeavor 8000 pack for the first time to start breaking it in for other hikes. So I started off on the Esperero trail at 7:17am from the visitor's center. After leaving the parking lot I did't see a single person the entire day until I got back to the parking lot. Just the way I like it.

The first part of the Esperero trail is desert landscape, reminded me a lot of the Quartz Peak trail in the Estrella's. It was around 45 degree's out and about a mile into the hike I was burning up so I had to take off my jacket. I stuffed it in my pack and continued on. There's a luxury home off to the West in the middle of the mountain and a road that leads up to it. I joked with myself and said I would stop there on the way back for something to eat. I continued on and the day started off dark and cloudy. I passed by a nice opening in the rocks and then pushed up to Esperero Saddle. Here it actually started to drop some small snow flurries and I said hold up on that clouds, I don't want it snowing on me now. The wind started blowing and I began to get chilly so I put my jacket back on. The tops of the mountains were completely covered in the clouds so I had no idea where I was actually going up. I just followed the path. I took a powergel and a drink of powerade and was on my way.

Getting over to Esperero Canyon was a wet trek. All the tall grass was wet which made my lower half wet. My pants were okay, they can take that, but my shoes were now soaked and my toes were a little cold. I wanted to change socks already but didn't. I just went on to get into the forested canyon. Right before I go down into I hear a noise from above. I look up to my right and see a white @$$ of a deer getting away from me. It was gone before I could get my camera on it. First sign of life up here besides me, I felt good. I reached the canyon and went into the never ending forest, or so it seemed. Here the elevation is around 4500ft and you wind back and forth across the wash. After awhile I start to hear falling water, I must be close to Bridal Veil Falls. Sure enough I was and I went over to it. A nice dripping of water, nothing much, but the ice formed on the rock was the best part to see. I got some pictures and got on my way. Not too much longer after that I was finally out of the forest and on my way up the mountain.

I still couldn't see the tops of the mountains and knew visibility up there was going to be bad. When I was up on Mt. Kimball I couldn't see more than 50 feet in front of me so I was expecting that. The snow was starting to get thick so I put on my gaiters. I was going to put on my boots, but I knew that would slow my pace down and I was already behind the pace I wanted to be at, so I left my Vasque Pingora shoes on. I reached the Cathedral Rock trail finally and felt good, I knew it was just under 3 miles to the top. I was now in the clouds but could still see fairly well. I liked trekking through the nice layer of snow and not seeing any footprints already. Not too many people come up here, especially on a day like this. After winding around the mountain I reached the saddle. I couldn't see too well now, the clouds were getting darker and thicker here. Go left at the saddle and follow the cairns. Too bad for me I couldn't find the cairns in the snow to start off so I just made my way NW like I read to do. A couple slips and falls and I was covered in snow. I brush the snow off of me and now my gloves are soaking wet and no good. I was using my base layer Outdoor Research gloves. Oh well, time to put on my real gloves. I glove up and push on. What's That! A cairn. Yes! I found one I must be on the right path. I look at my GPS and i'm at 7200 feet. Here is where I couldn't see more than 40 feet in front of me. I lost the cairn path but just pushed upward. I reach a flat area and look around, the clouds are thick and I didn't know where to exactly go from here. I just start hiking along and spot another cairn. Now i'm in ankle to calf high snow going up. I reach the base of a huge rock face with an opening in the middle. I thought the summit was at the top of this. I take off my pack and use the top half which turns into a small pack from this point on. I have my headlamp, energy bar and gels and first aid supplies in it. I take a big swig of powerade and start to climb up the icy rock. I go inbetween some rocks and the wind is gusting through here, it felt like I just walked into a freezer. I work my way up thinking the summit is right above me. I get to an opening and to my left I can see more rocks 20 feet away and they were higher. Man this isn't the summit. I was suppose to go around this rock section I was climbing. I work my way down, slip here a slip there and i'm back on the ground.

I spot a cairn, okay back on track. I head up a snowy slope and around some rocks. Is this the summit? I know there's a rope set up to get you up the summit and that's what I was looking for. I didn't see it and thought perhaps it's on the other side. I climb up some rocks and come to a nice drop off of about 40 feet. Well this isn't the summit. I go back down. The cairn path is lost again. I see some rocks that look high. I look at my gps 7650ft. The summit is 7952, it has to be this over there. I head over. I get to two rock faces that look equal in height about 30 feet apart. I still see no rope anywhere. I start to climb up the first one i'm at. I get to the side of it and notice a drop off covered by clouds. I don't know how far that goes down and the ice was too bad on the rocks to risk anything. I go to the other side and find a path to climb up. A lot of ice. I had to take my time getting ice off the rock and then making a climb. I get to a part where I just can't climb up with all this ice. I didn't think it was the summit because i've seen this whole rock and no rope. I make my way down, then all of a sudden I feel my toes slipping on the ice. FALLING I yell it loud. I was able to direct my fall on a snowy slope below. I think I fell 10-15 feet. Wow maybe I should call it a day. I look and see it's 1:30. I wanted to turn around at 2 since it was a long way back down. i'm over 9 miles into this hike. I go over towards the other rock that could be the summit, I still can't see too well with the cloud cover. There it is! The rope. I see the rope and I get the excitement to go over. I'm at the rope, I give it some good tugs and it's holding. I'm kind of nervous going up a set rope in fear it breaks. But the rock around gives you good footholds so I didn't rely on the rope the entire time. Acutally I couldn't it was all built up with ice. I would get the ice off by rubbing it, then drying my gloves on my pants. I inched my way up the rope and crammed my legs on each side of the rock. I got up pretty good, I make it to the top of the rope and thought I would be done. Nope there's still a small section to climb. It has ice on it again and I thought I was going to be 10 feet shy of the summit. Then something comes over me, I stop thinking about things and just start climbing. I find great footholds and get right up. The summit is full of snow and sloped. The drop off to the one side is huge. I couldn't see how far down it goes with all the cloud cover. I don't even feel much feeling at the top. I start dusting away the snow to see if there's a marker up here. I couldn't find one, just two holes that looked like poles were in at one point?. I take a picture of me and some things around it, couldn't see much. I spend a good 4 minutes on the top and decide to get down. My GPS dies on me, I turn it back on and see i've gone 9.47 miles. It dies again. First and Last time I use cheap batteries in it. My turn around time is here. I make my way down the little section I climbed up. I get to the top of the rope section. I virtually wrap one foot around the rope and slide down using my other foot to bounce off the rock and control myself. I got down quick. Once I was down from the rope my emotions came out. YYYYEEEESSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!! F-ING AWESOME. My adrenaline is flowing. I know the hardest thing I had ever done was over and i'm in one piece. I follow my footsteps back to where I left my pack. Boy I sure did cover a lot of ground up here. I spot my pack and feel good. All this icy climbing is starting to worry me, I don't want to make that one mistake now. I get to my pack and put the top half back on, take a gel and i'm on my way down.

THUMP!!! I hit the ground as I slip and fall. I agravate my right wrist which I had jammed at work during the week. OUCH!!!! DAMMIT. I get up and continue down with more caution. The shoes being soak just weren't the best for this part. Oh well. I get down the top half and off the Cathedral Rock trail in good time. Back on the Esperero trail and coming down. What's that, the sun finally makes its way out of the clouds for the first time today. I get some pictures of the mountains around me and i'm back into the never ending forest. Get a picture of my at the falls and make my way out. Once out of the forest the wind is swirling pretty good making it nice and cool. I loved it though. I took off my beanie and put my Cubs cap on. A few time I put my hood over to warm up the ears. I'm back at the saddle and ready for the final push down the mountain. I enjoy the last part down and stroll on down with my hands in my pockets smiling the entire time. I was still amazed by what I just done. I wanted to climb Cathedral Rock and now I have. I don't stop at the house like I wanted too but just make it back to my Jeep. BASE! I yell as I touch my Jeep after every hike and yell that. It's dark now 6:12pm is when I finished 10 hours and 55 minutes total time. I figure it to be 19 miles since it was 9.47 at the top when my GPS died. I get my stuff packed up and start to drive back home under the cool sky. I got home and ate 3 burgers from Carl's JR as I was craving food. I only had 2 energy bars and 5 power gels the entire hike while drinking 2 of my powerades. I downed my burgers with some Sam Adam's Honey Porter. Delicious!

This has certainly been my best hike. The most challenging thing I have done. I wish I could have seen the view from the summit, but that's what you get down there as clouds often cover the Catalina's. I put up tons of pictures in the gallery, perhaps too many, but i'm just so thrilled and proud of this hike. I know this was a long report and thanks to any of you who read the entire thing. Thanks to all of those who support me, it's not many and you know who you are. Keep on hiking and enjoy what life has to offer you.

Ken
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~Never Satisfied~

"If I can't be my own, I'd feel better dead"

[Arizonaheat]

Awesome, Dude
Kudos
Nice write up, made me feel right there with you, wish I would have been.
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Our lives are not determined by what happens to us but by how we react to what happens, not by what life brings to us, but by the attitude we bring to life.

[LongStoryShort]

Very nice sucka. This is my favorite write up too.
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Happiness is being high on the food chain.

[Davis2001R6]

Cool Ken, loved the self summit picture as well.

[gpsjoe]

Outstanding! You are an animal. Watch out, you can get hooked on peak bagging.

[KIM*]

I always enjoy reading your write ups. Great job on the hike!!!

[Tommy]

Awesome!! loved the write-up and the pictures.

[Desert-Boonie]

[desertgirl]

Very cool Ken -- Loved your write up and pictures - Now don't you just need to find out how much that summit dropoff is ?
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Photos: http://www.pbase.com/desertgirl/galleries
Life is but a dream ...there is no end to what you can dream!

[Hikngrl]

Oh Ken! I can feel your excitement and my toes are freezing! What an awesome hike! Sounds like you had a great time! That was a hike to be proud of!

I wanna go down there and hike. The only hike I have done in the Tucson area was the Finger Rock trail and that was early on and I thought it was gonna kill me....all that up hill! Had my camera with me though so I had lots of excuses to stop and breath...JW and GB dragged me up practically!

Your pictures are awesome too! Looking at them and reading your write up I feel like I was almost there...
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~~~Diane~~~

I want to shine!

[Desert-Boonie]

[azbackpackr]

Loved your write-up! I've been as far as Bridal Veil Falls on the Esperero Trail-- always wanted to do Cathedral Rock!

When you say you're going to do Finger Rock, I'm assuming you're talking about actually climbing the thing? I think you need ropes for that!

[Davis2001R6]

Ok so after reading about this trail and Ken's adventurous trip there months ago I had to give it a shot. Ken and I exchanged to e-mails and dates around but were never able to make anything work. But luckily Tommy was adventurous enough to take on the challenge with me.

We tried this Nov 3rd, but it ended up being 93 degrees that day and I was only able to make it about 5-6 miles in and new it wouldn't be a good day if I continued.

So now that it finally cooled off Tommy and I tried it again. This time having no problem following the trail up Esperero Canyon to Bridal Falls but it got harder right after that. The trail is really overgrown and hard to follow in many places, but is cairned enough in most places to find your way through. Generally when we found that we were off trail it was much easier to just backtrack to where we saw the last cairn as opposed to try and cross cut to where you think the trail went. Needless to say we probably added about 1/2- 1 hour onto the trip each way because of this.

The climb to the top is a fun one, needing to climb a 40' chute with a rope in place. I half climbed and 1/2 used the rope, I suppose you could just climb it, but I was definitely happy the rope was there(especially on the way down). We finally reached the peak in 5 hours by Tommy math, really 6 hours we later figure out enjoy a nice lunch up top and head back down. Yes we take a NICE detour on the way down as well, ok actually a few. Make it back to the falls, which is really a dripping spring IMO and make the 6 mile hike back down.

From the trailhead to the peak it's 5102 feet elevation gain, but there are A LOT of ups and downs on this hike. I bet the accumulative gain is easily 6k feet. Roundtrip it's 18 miles and took us 12 hours.

This was a hard hike and a very worthwhile one at that. I would not recommend wearing shorts (like an idoiot = me would). I'm glad we were able to make it and we said yesterday we probably would never be back. But of course a day later I'm already reconsidering and looking at some very nearby hikes and loops in the area.

Sorry no pictures for this one, you'll just have to look at Ken's snowstorm and picture that ----- On that note, Ken - Your awesome, I don't know how you had the will to do that thing in a storm!

-TIM-

[azbackpackr]

I have long wanted to do this hike, just never got around to it. I have hiked Esperero to Bridal Veil Falls, (Or Drips, as you said!). I have also hiked from Sabino Canyon to Catalina State Park, and you do pass a trail that goes up to Cathedral when you are over there in West Sabino. In fact, I may go to Tucson in January and do that 22 mile Sabino to Catalina State Park--the hiking club does it as a dayhike every year for their winter picnic event.

[Tommy]

This is what I remember:

Tim: Hey Tommy, wanna do a tough hike up to Cathedral rock?

Me: Sure I guess.

What I don't remember:

Tim: Hey Tommy, wanna go for a marathon bushwack up to some big rock pillar where the majority of the trail is either completely overgrown and/or poorly marked, and oh by the way, has an accumulated elevation gain of over 6000 ft..

Me: