SKIT Day 19: Down Instead of Up

Daily Miles: 11.0, Total Miles: 255.9

I reluctantly left the SKIT last month for a Thanksgiving trip to see family near Charleston, SC. But so good to see family and took the opportunity to explore a few other coastal towns in SC and Georgia. We gorged ourselves on southern cooking, lots of seafood and oysters, live music and culture/history.

In terms of hiking, I thought that might be it for the year, with holiday preparations and winter setting in. Well, winter may never “set in” this year in Arizona. And what better way to spend the shortest day of the year? Mrs. Haze offered to drop me off for a continuation of the SKIT in the Catalinas, but today, in reverse. I hiked downhill from near the top of the Catalinas at the Palisades TH to my end point last month at Gordon Hirabayashi CG (Prison Camp). This is a slight variation to the official SKIT route to avoid some trail closures near the top of Mt Lemmon.

I enjoyed a beautiful morning drive and sunrise over the Catalinas. Then a brisk morning start to a 4,000′ elevation drop down Palisade Canyon to the East Fork Trail. I picked my way down the canyon floor for six miles on generally a good trail. But typical of most SE Arizona trails this year, overgrown with tall grass, bushes and wayward cactus. Helped along by some well-placed cairns but still managed to miss a few switchbacks and having to backtrack to the trail.

I had lunch at the AZT junction and climbed back up to Sycamore Creek and the last uphill push to old Prison Camp. I didn’t see anyone today until a few day hikers close to the finish line.

I think that will be it for the year – Merry Xmas and Happy New Year to all!