Thann Scoggin

Bittersweet final day of hiking today in the Tucson area, and this one had a distinctly different feel from all the others I've done. The gray sky wasn't great for pics, but the conditions were very cool and pleasant. I’d gotten to observe this majestic peak from a distance a couple times driving to performances in Green Valley, so I was really stoked to give it a go!

Mt. Wrightson is the high point of the region at 9,456 ft. Due to a late start departing my homestay in Oro Valley and a growing laundry list of things I’d need to do before heading east afterward, I hiked to the top on the shortest of several options from Madera Canyon, up Old Baldy Trail. The trail was excellent throughout, making for a very smooth and worry-free trek. Probably for the best as I was really trying to go easy on my quickly deteriorating Sauconys (last time I ever opt not to bring a backup pair).

The hike begins at a high enough elevation that that there is no Saguaro component. It begins in pine forest and ends above a relatively low treeline. I didn’t see much in the way of wildlife, but it was a bit of a surprise to run into a group of wild turkeys about halfway back down. It definitely felt like an area that mountain lions would dig, and there have definitely been reports of black bears in Madera. Nothing registered on my Spidey-sense today, though.