Santa Rita Mts: Old Baldy & Super trails with a side of Rogers Rock

=> CAR POOL from the Home Depot on Irvington
Madera Canyon is a FEE AREA: See info below
Maps for Home Depot and Wrightson picnic area as well as a Madera Canyon Hiking map can be downloaded here: https://tinyurl.com/wt497o5

• 6.2 total 1700' total (+ -)
• Rating: Intermediate
(See "What we're about" at https://www.meetup.com/Hiking-Tucson/)

**RESTRICTIONS: No guests, dogs, firearms or tobacco
• Cell phones SILENT during hike
Be sure to bring adequate water and snacks.

CAR POOLING:
Please arrive in time for a DEPARTURE at 10:00 from Home Depot
The hike starts at 11:00

Google maps location for Home Depot 1155 W Irvington Rd: www.tinyurl.com/y2ty2xjg
I will meet you at the Home Depot. Look for a white car with the trunk lid up at the NW corner of the parking lot. See location map in the photos section of this announcement.

The trail head is approximately 1 hour/40 miles south of Tucson.
• Route from Home Depot to Trail Head - www.tinyurl.com/sfd5jdh

Or, you can meet us at the Mt Wrightson parking area for an
11:00 hike start time. Meet by the rest rooms which are in the very UPPER parking area.
PLEASE let me know if you will be meeting us at the trail head.
The Mt Wrightson parking lot is the very last one at the dead end of Madera Canyon Rd. Rest rooms and maps are available here.

-----------------------------------------------------------------
Madera Canyon is a fee area - $8.00 per car or a Federal pass
All Federal Passes: https://www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/passes.htm
Coronado National Forest Passes: www.tinyurl.com/ry4qq9h
If you have any federal pass including a Coronado NF recreation pass PLEASE bring it with you.
A pass MUST be displayed so it is visible through the windshield.

------------------------------------------------------------------

The Hike:
Bye-bye cactus - hello pines and oaks.
The trailhead is at the very END of north facing Madera Canyon in the Santa Rita Mountains. This Sky Island hike will be quite the change of scenery from the low cactus country of the Tucson Basin and surrounding foothills.

We will start this hike on the Old Baldy trail (5400') and wind our way up for 2.5 miles to Josephine Saddle and gain 1700' of elevation - this is most of the elevation gain for the entire hike. We will take a short break then start the return loop on the Super Trail stopping at the monument which was placed for the 3 Boy Scouts who on November the 15th, 1958 perished near the site. They were casualties of a winter hike gone bad. You can find out more about this tragedy by downloading in the file "boy_scout_tragedy.pdf" here: https://tinyurl.com/wt497o5

We will then head down the Super Trail for about 1.5 miles to the cut off for Rogers Rock (6500').
From this point it is about 1/3 of a mile to The Rock where we will snack, relax and take in the views.

When we are ready we will then hike down the scenic and steep Fern Canyon on an unofficial trail until we reach the intersection of the Kent Springs Trail.
At this point we will take the unofficial Pipe Line trail to the lower Super Trail, then the Super Trail back to our starting point. This section is about 2.2 miles with an elevation drop of about 1100'.

RSVP etiquette:
• Sign up only if you really intend to come
• If you need to cancel, do so BEFORE the deadline so someone can get your spot
• If you change your mind take yourself off the Going or Wait list
• Please don't be a no-show

Be sure to bring adequate water, food, trekking poles, etc.
As always - Hike at Your Own Risk

Questions?
Email me: www.tinyurl.com/y3pz2gs9
Cell: 304.290.8066 (Service in Madera Canyon is very spotty)
WV-Mike