We woke to clear skies again this morning...the forecast is for sun and a high of 20C/68F today...and the forecast only gets better as the week progresses...mid 20’sC/70’sF sounds good to me!
We thought we would go for a hike today, so after our resistance exercises, showers, breakfast and dishes, we were ready. It is 1 ½ miles to the trailhead, so we decided to ride our bikes and lock them up there. After loading up the backpack with the binoculars, 2 bottles of water each, snacks, cell phone and my distance tracker (“MyTracks” app on my smart phone), we were ready to go.
It is a holiday down here in the States...President’s Day...so the parking lot at the trailhead was quite full...all the trails are busy on this beautiful sunny day. We were both wearing jackets but they were quickly taken off and put in the backpack when we arrived at the trailhead. Steve locked up the bikes and we were on our way...it was 11:30 a.m.
The Romero Pools Canyon Trail is described as ‘moderately-difficult’. It immediately crosses Sutherland Wash...
After an initial steep climb as you leave the Wash, it is a relatively flat and easy walk for the first mile to a junction in the trail where you can either go to the right to Montrose Pools or the left to Romero Pools. We chose Romero Pools...”a steep and rocky climb”....we have two mountains to climb before we reach the pools...
The scenery and views are absolutely stunning...as usual, the pictures just don’t do it justice. And up we go...
Time for a rest...and a picture...
That's the community of Catalina behind me to the right...
We continued to climb...another break and another picture...
What do you mean this is only the first mountain we have to climb!
It's steady climbing...you got it...time for another rest...and picture...
Almost at the top of the first mountain...
A bit of a valley before we start climbing the second mountain...
Finally...the Romero Pools!!!!
Now, the literature says that the distance from the trailhead to Romero Pools is 2.8 miles...but we figure that distance must be “as the crow flies” because when we finally reached the Pools, I checked my tracker and we had gone 4.4 miles! It had taken us 1 hour, 45 minutes.
After a nice 20 minute break...having our snack and finishing off our first bottle of water, we hit the trail...time to head back. One thing that we were really amazed at were the number of elderly people hiking this trail...we passed one lady that must have been well into her 80’s...she said to us...”how are you kids doing?” Too funny! She wasn’t by herself...she had a much younger woman with her...thank goodness!Our first rest on our way back...
Our campground...way off in the distance...
Down, down we go...
The early Spring flowers are beautiful...
Time for another break...
We didn't see any Big Horn Sheep...just a squirrel (I think)...
"Walk this way!"...haha, Steve...I really should have had my walking stick with me...
We're almost back down to the main trail now...
We arrived back home at about 4:00...after an 8.8 mile hike into the mountains plus a 2.5 mile bike ride...we were hot and tired! We relaxed with a few glasses of ice tea....ahhh...what a great day! This is a picture from our back window...we went way up there...
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