Trailblazers in the cool pines.

Nine trailblazers assembled at the Mint Springs trailblazers on a cool (in Summerhaven) summer day . Actually, the small amount of parking space there was already full even early on a Sunday and we had to park down the road, adding mileage and elevation to the hike. We had a nice stroll to the Marshall saddle and went down to Marshall Gulch, where we rested and had a snack.

Recovering from the fire.

Li & Tom.

Flowers are out.

Down to Marshall Gulch.

Next we faced the uphill slog back up to the saddle and began to hear the rumbles of not so distant thunder. We reached the Mint Springs trail again and hoofed it back to the traihead with more thunder and lightning looming. Just as we got back to the cars, the heavens let loose and the rain arrived on and off for the ride down the mountain. Additionally, I learned the lesson that going up a 30 mile road up a mountain with no gas station while low on gas is not a good idea. I coasted back down and barely slid into the first gas station at the bottom.

The Mint trail is overgrown.

The view of Tucson.

The clouds are building in.

A group of us met up at Eclectic cafe for a tasty lunch while huge wind and ferocious rain surrounded us. Muscles fatigued and bellies full, we went our separate ways back home.

The clouds are getting darker.