Lucky Penny - Hiking in the New Millenium

This has been our back window view for the last month, and I finally got serious about seeing what it was like on top of that "mesa" behind us - Ridge Peak.  I had imagined it was like the Book Cliffs north of Grand Junction - an elevated table land, ending in a large cliff face.  Well, today I got to see it first hand.

This was my first solo hike of any length in about 15 years, so I had some some sensible concerns about safety - particularly since the rattlesnakes are waking up and active right now.  One of our neighbors dogs was bitten by a rattlesnake 2 days ago, in the green looking wash you see on the left.  He's doing OK ($2000 later for a Sunday night anti-venom vet call).  So that was on my mind, along with can I still climb a real hill, 15 years and 10 pounds past my last real hiking adventures.

I have been slowly training the last few months on hiking and climbing, and gearing myself up.  Relearning the use of a topo map, which I was never very good at, and beginning to use a Garmin for navigation - a totally new experience.  Anyway, I used my new adjustable hiking sticks for the first time today.  Laced my boots up tight, packed enough food and water to last for a day, and headed out in shorts and a T shirt and hat, with extra clothing and emergency med and survival supplies in a day-pack.

If you're thinking this would have been much easier and safer With a group, you are absolutely correct.  And that ridge gets hiked every day, there was even a party 20 minutes ahead of me, that disappeared when they made the mistake of following the correct and marked path to the top.  Meanwhile, I cleverly navigated a mile to their north and ascended a much more troublesome spur right below the peak.  Their way was shorter and easier and safer, but mine was more interesting and hairier(sp).  But all paths lead to the top of the mountain, eh?

This is the view from halfway up the spur I climbed.   I drove and hiked in from the winding wash that comes in from the top right of the photo.  I should have been on the jeep trails you see scarring the side of the hill in the middle.  But my trusty Garmin was assuring me of the peak's location, and I saw a reasonable looking spur going up.  It turned out to be a steep lava rock slope that made me doubly thankful for the high tech walking sticks.  Halfway up the final slope, I rested and had brunch. That cleared my mind enough to continue up the last, tricky 300 feet to the top.  Now, I was committed to this ridge, and to connecting with the correct and reasonable trail coming down.  This is the view from the top of the ridge, looking down my path of ascent.  I was definitely not coming down that way.

The long ridge top was between 3 to 20 feet wide, depending - plenty of fresh air! There was no "mesa" at all up here, just a view northeast over the Imperial Dam desert area where we're camped, and 180 degrees opposite, a view of the lush farmlands of Yuma valley.  I took a 360 degree video, but can't upload it without destroying my month's data.  

Near a cairn on the peak were a bunch of oxidized small cylinders and larger ones that looked wired as I wisely picked them up to examine.   I assume these were blasting caps and detonators used in mining?!?

Views from the top

Oracle on the ridge;

Following the ridge for about a mile, I encountered the cairn marking the correct descent, a much easier route than I came up.  On the cairn, someone had left a lucky penny face up.  2 days ago on our weekly trip to Yuma, Jean found a bright face up penny in the street as we began our weekly errands.  Our shopping day was quick and efficient, even finding a bargain priced excellent hiking jacket, and we kept commenting on how the lucky penny was being kind to us.  When I left on this solo hike, a bit anxiously, she said, "I'll bet you'll still have that lucky penny working for you.  And here it was again, on the cairn marking my safe trail down. 

I made the round trip in 5 hours, not real long on miles, but the toughest hike/climb I've done in 15 years or more, orienteering on my own (and we've seen how classy that comes out).  If I were 40 or 50, I wouldn't consider this much of an accomplishment, but at 65, I've shown myself I can still climb safely alone, make good decisions, and have fun doing it.  That's feeling like quite an accomplishment and a joy.  And a setup for a lot more healthy fun!