Dale Ball to Picacho Peak

Today I went on a hike with Agent 86. Our goal was Picacho Peak. I have to say I was worried about this hike because it has been a while since I have done it and I am not in the best shape. But I decided that somehow I would do it. I met Agent 86 at his house around 8:00am and we headed to Upper Canyon Road and parked at The Nature Conservancy's Santa Fe Canyon Preserve. We then crossed Upper Canyon Road and began our ascent up the Dale Ball Trails. It didn't take me long to figure out that this hike was going to kick my butt. So we continued along the trail (taking frequent breaks so I could catch my breath and give my legs a break) turning left at Marker 30. We then continued to climb to Marker 31 and took another left. From here we traveled through quite a few switchbacks until we arrived at Marker 34. Here we turned left again and took the final bit of trail up to Picacho Peak.

At Marker 34 I went ahead and looked for Dale Ball Trails by Agent 86 and ArnoldZiffel. For this box I had to head all the way up to the peak. While I was doing this Agent 86 was going to look for my box - Waiting on the World to Change. I got to the top and followed the clues and easily found the box. I sat on a nearby rock and stamped in. When I was done and had replaced the box I started to head back down but Agent 86 had made his way to the top. He was unable to find my box. So we rested at the top for a bit before heading back down. As we went down we looked for my box again. At first I had trouble remembering where the box was hidden. But after we went over the clues things came back to me. But still I wasn't able to find the box. Another one bites the dust! I am not sure if I will replace it or not (mainly because I am not sure I can handle the trail again) - but we will see.

So now it was time to head back down the trail to the car. This part was so much easier!!! I guess I should really try this trail again and get into shape since the views from Picacho Peak are incredible. It was a beautiful day and I was happy I was able to do the entire hike.