Wilderness of Rocks 8-14-10

Hikngrl · Posted: 7/27/2010, 7:12 am Post subject: Wilderness of Rocks 8-14-10

Starting to put together a plan for a weekend in the Wilderness of Rocks area with a hike to be planned for Saturday and the possibility of throwing a few ropes up some where in the area to climb a route or two on Sunday. Plans are just beginning and I thought I would throw it out there to see if anyone else was interested. Join us if you will if not we shall go anyway and just alter plans as needed! Awesome looking place and I have never been there so I am looking forward to it!

Planned hike is Mount Lemmon/Lemmon Rock Loop http://hikearizona.com/decoder.php?ZTN=785
Start this hike on the Mt. Lemmon trailhead at the very top of the Catalina highway. Meet at the TH at 0900 Saturday morning!

Planned Camping area is the general area of Mt Bigalow
Go 1.1 miles past the Palisades Visitor Center (which is at milepost 19.9 on Mt. Lemmon Hwy ) and turn right onto Mt. Bigelow Road, there is a sign. Make another sharp right and follow the dirt road down. Campsites will mostly be on your left, the ones on the right did not appear to be very flat. The road ends at the radio towers (at the Butterfly TH)
http://maps.google.com/maps?client=firefox-a&hl=en&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Phoenix,+Maricopa,+Arizona&ll=32.414748,-110.728927&spn=0.0146,0.041199&z=16…the college-aged kids we were camped near were at the last campsite near the towers. They were no trouble, and far quieter than a typical AZH gathering, aside from having some car alarm issues (like someone else we know around AZH Wink

)

Turns out AMC is having a climb in the area on Sunday which will provide us with a good lead climber or two so Todd and I signed up for that . Since neither of us can lead climb.

Thinking we won't head down till early Saturday AM cause I have been working a lot of late Fridays lately so it is just too ify as to weather or not I will be off in time to go down Friday.

Planning continues.......any further suggestions?
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paintninaz · Joined: 06 Jan 2003 Posts: 3515

Oooh, sompleace new!! Hiking

Sounds fun!!
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Hikngrl · Posted: 7/28/2010, 5:31 am Post subject:

Yeah Tom, the plan is to camp possibly Friday and Saturday nights. Don't know where yet since I have never been down there. I was hoping for some input from those who have for suggestions.

I know that the actual wilderness of rocks trail is kinda short so we can add to it what ever we want to make a nice sized hike out of it or leave it as is to make a short and relaxing sight seeing kinda day out of it. Again, kinda looking for some feed back so I know which direction to go with the thing.
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Deborah · Joined: 06 Oct 2008 Posts: 297 Location: Tucson

I will be backpacking in your neck of the woods. Winter Cabin Loop, but Wilderness of Rocks is a great place to hike. You can make a 11 mile loop out of it. Start at Marshall Gulch , Wilderness of Rocks ,and then up Mountain Lemmon Trail with a car shuttle. or add more..
Camping is very limited up there. I do not suggest free camping on Mt. Bigalow although there is some. I have just had bad experiences with the local high school/college party kids. Spencer and rose canyon are the only two campgrounds, which are usually full and cost $17 to camp.
There are a variety of routes, and explorations on the Wilderness of Rocks.
One of my stomping grounds!
Backpacking would also be an option for you which I have done twice and it is the best way to get away from crowds. You can camp by Lemmon Creek.

Enjoy..
Deborah Wink

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Hikngrl · Posted: 7/29/2010, 6:09 am Post subject:

OK, having talked to a few people here on the site it seems backpacking would make camping quite a bit nicer. Anyone interested or should we keep working on the car camping issue? Tracy, might you be able to do some reconnaissance this weekend if you are down that way?
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paintninaz · Joined: 06 Jan 2003 Posts: 3515

azbackpackr · Posted: 7/30/2010, 6:13 am Post subject:

I just checked the SAHC website and found that Deborah is guiding a hike to W. of Rocks for the club on the same day I planned my private hike! So I emailed her to say, we might run into each other on the trail! There is also a possibility I might join her group, if my group fizzles.

Her hike is to Lemmon Pools. However, I have a hankering to go on up to Lemmon Rock Lookout, and had planned to get to the trailhead VERY early, in order to miss the thunderstorms (hopefully). I won't go up to the peak if the weather looks like it is building up quickly.

PASSES: It is a good thing to look at the Coronado NF website, where there is a list of places you can buy the passes. It is $5 a day, or you can buy a yearly pass for $20. You can buy one on the road up to Mt. Lemmon but I doubt that booth will be open as early as I am going. But you can also buy them at gas stations on Tanque Verde, at the base of Catalina Hwy. which probably will be open early. When I get there I am going to call around and find out. I also want to check out some other areas after my hike, and I don't want to get a citation!

Incidentally it is actually a PARKING pass. Because, IF you backpack from the bottom of the mountain to the top and have someone drop you off, or park in a free area on the backside of the mountain, you don't have to pay any fee. But that is a long, steep backpacking trip. I have done it in summer, and it is pretty hot and nasty the first day.

Deborah · Joined: 06 Oct 2008 Posts: 297 Location: Tucson

You can get a self pay pass at the Molino Campground/Molino Basin picnic area.
To backpack I suggest getting there before 9 AM to find parking in the Marshall Gulch Picnic area.
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Those who dwell among the beauties and mysteries of the earth are never alone or weary of life. - Rachel Carson

paintninaz · Joined: 06 Jan 2003 Posts: 3515

desertgirl · Joined: 19 Jan 2003 Posts: 3350 Location: Chandler, AZ

What is the hike you all are planning on ?
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oliverr99 · Joined: 04 Jul 2006 Posts: 632 Location: Glendale

You could also try and get a camping spot at Shower Point Group Campground, I think that is the name of it, but they fill up fast!
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Anne
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azbackpackr · Posted: 8/5/2010, 8:02 pm Post subject:

I'll be up there at W. of Rocks on Sunday. A friend sent me a map with Lemmon Pools marked on it. That is exactly what I needed, as I wasn't quite certain where they were. Will report back later.

SkyIslandHiker · Posted: 8/6/2010, 1:47 pm Post subject:

Elizabeth,

I'm going to try and make Deborah's hike on Sunday so perhaps we'll bump into one another. Better bring your wet suit for Lemmon Pool. As if the water is not already cold enough, Sunday's high temperature is forecasted to be just 64!
http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lat=32.44024912337551&lon=-110.77651977539062&site=twc&smap=1&marine=0&unit=0&lg=en

Bill
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azbackpackr · Posted: 8/6/2010, 6:05 pm Post subject:

Oh, Ben, I am a polar bear! Last time I swam in the Catalinas was in November in Romero Pools. Hope to see you there! I got good directions from Mike C.

Hikngrl · Posted: 8/6/2010, 10:18 pm Post subject:

Hoping to get a few more interested individuals to help make this work. Sounds like we may have to scramble for a camping spot and having a few different people in a few different places might help and if one person gets a spot then every one converges....Not gonna be as easy as it is up in Flag!
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~~~Diane~~~

I want to shine!