The book 100 Hikes in Arizona rates this as a strenuous hike. However, by our scale this is probably a moderate hike.
You need to be in pretty decent shape for the uphill part of this hike, but it's not so hard that I'd discourage borderline hikers (on the border between easy hikes and moderate hikes) from going. Note, however, that estimating a hiking speed of 1 mph indicates a steep trail in places. (An average hiking speed is 2 mph.)
You'll have to pull yourself up using your hands on parts of the trail; there are cables for you to hold onto for this purpose. Also, people with a more than normal fear of heights would have trouble with some of the "bridges" on the "trail."
We usually start this hike at Sunset Park, hike up the Summit Trail, and then down the Hunter Trail. I'd like to do this version of the hike again this year if we have enough vehicles to set up a shuttle, so the hike would be about 5 miles long. You'd have to do most of the hike once you started, unless you wanted to backtrack without the rest of the group. If you don't want to go all the way to the peak, you could wait at the saddle for the peak-baggers to return there. That would probably take out between 1 and 2 miles of the hike.
The book 100 Hikes in Arizona says this hike is "not recommended for children under fourteen or inexperienced hikers of any sort" and to "be prepared for loose footing and precipitous drop-offs."
Everyone hikes at their own risk.
There is a fee for entering Picacho Peak State Park ($6 per vehicle with up to 4 occupants, per http://azstateparks.com/Parks/PIPE on 2/25/2009).
Wear sturdy shoes with good grip for getting up the steep rocky parts of the trail. The hike is only more "technical" than other hikes because of the climbing using cables. You don't need climbing shoes, but you do need shoes with good grip, especially if it's wet.
Gloves are optional but can be helpful when you're using the cables along the trail. Make sure the the gloves stay on and have enough grip to hold onto the steel cables without sliding too much. Inexpensive gardening gloves usually work fine.
We'll be hiking in the desert, with all its inherent dangers (lack of water, large temperature changes, venomous critters, falling, etc.), so be aware and prepared.
Wear easily layered clothing for both warm and cool weather, and possibly rain.
Be sure to bring enough water for desert hiking. It's easy to underestimate your water needs this time of year; either it's hotter than you expected or you don't realize you're getting dehydrated in the cold, dry air.
The park has restrooms, but the trail does not, of course. Probably our last chance for flush toilets is at the Barrett Loop turnoff.
See below the list of REQUIRED hiking supplies we use for all day hikes.
This is just a guess. If you need to be somewhere at a specific time, you should only carpool with people agreeable to your schedule.
Check back here for updates before the hike.
The Chili's has closed.
For the 3/6/09 hike, we will meet south-siders at the Arby’s on the NE corner of Priest and Elliott, and park just north, along Priest, more in the outer Wal-Mart parking lot.
This schedule is based on notes from one of our previous Picacho Peak hikes:
This was a fun hike. It took about an hour and a half to get there and almost four hours to do the hike and lunch. Don't try this in the summer.
Let's try to decide how we're going to do the shuttle when we meet at Denny's.
Check out the freeway closures.
Picacho Peak State Park is on Interstate 10 (at Exit 219) between Phoenix and Tucson. Follow the signs into the park from the highway. We can regroup at the park entrance, where we have to pay the entry fee.
We plan to leave at least one vehicle at the Hunter Trailhead (on Barrett Loop). Everyone else will go to the Sunset Park Trailhead. We plan to start at Sunset Park and finish on the Hunter Trail. To get to Sunset Park, drive straight through the park on the main road all the way to the end. We'll need cars at both ends of the hike.
Please caravan to and from the trailhead together if possible so that no one can get stranded with car problems along the way. With multiple vehicles going on a trip, we have no excuse for letting anyone get stranded.
We'll be driving on paved roads the whole way.
Print and bring a park map. We
plan to hike up the Sunset Vista Trail to the peak and hike down the
Hunter Trail.
We encourage anyone who goes on one of the club hikes to write a trip report. You can write anything you like and as little or as much as you like. We really need some new authors! Just e-mail Kathy your report.
These days we usually only bring FRS radios (such as a Motorola TalkAbout) tuned to channel 9 code 1, if we bring any radios.
On hot days bring at least one quart for every 5 miles and every 1000 feet of elevation gain. Each person should carry his or her OWN water, so that people getting separated doesn't cause a problem.
You'll need at least something for carrying your water. One pack for several people may be okay, as long as you can fit everyone's required supplies in the pack.
An el-cheapo plastic poncho is fine. In an emergency, you can use your rain gear to protect you from more than just rain.
We usually do half the hike, eat lunch, and then finish the hike. Make sure you bring foods that don't go bad in the heat. Also, remember that foods in your pack may get squished.
In case the hiking group decides to split up or gets split accidentally, everyone should have a reference.