Mon 3/12 - AM/PM 6 hour run/hike

Big loop in Saguaro NP east. Visitor center to Tanque Verde Ridge trail to Cow Head Saddle, down to Douglas Springs CG and then (eventually) back to the visitor center via Three Tanks, Carrillo, Squeeze Pen and finally, aggravatingly, the Saguaro Loop road. Looked good on paper, similar to this but in the opposite direction. turned out to be a minor ordeal the last two hours. Great views from the top at least. Climbed for a good 2.5 hours from the visitor center to the top of Tanque Verde. Took what seemed like forever to reach Juniper Basin, after passing one false summit after another. The final push to the peak was where it began to dawn on me that I maybe had bitten off more than I could chew. Also where I saw multiple mountain lion scats lying in the trail, all of them fairly old looking. Eventually made it to the summit and enjoyed the panoramic view.

What I should have done at the summit was turn back around and descend the way I came, but the opportunity to actually see Douglas Springs had an irrational pull and so I pushed on. Hoping the miles would go by a little quicker on the descent into Douglas Springs but not so much. Became clear I didn't bring enough water by this point, as the hour approached noon.

 Douglas Springs CG, finally made it, won't ever go back

Thankfully, someone had left water at the campground. In hindsight this prevented what could have been an ugly dehydration situation. Drank 48 ounces or so, which still wasn't nearly enough. Heading down from Douglas Springs, the miles got longer and longer, once back on the bajada they felt longer still. With minimal knee lift I knew a stumble was probably inevitable and sure enough, face planted and scraped up my hand. Not surprised or really that perturbed by then. Walking breaks became more frequent and longer, by the time I got to the lower "easy" trails I'd had just about enough. The final indignity was slogging along the meandering and rolling (mostly uphill) Saguaro loop road, which I came to despise with a passion. Mostly walking by this point, not really by choice. Cursing my poor judgment and trying to avoid becoming a statistic. At long last, the end was reached and many, many ounces of water, gatorade and even pepsi were consumed. Over a gallon of fluid in fact, which my body absorbed like a sponge. Set a new PR for amount of dried salt on my skin and clothes, in addition legs streaked with yellow from some plant I was brushing up against. Didn't bring enough food, enough water, didn't start early enough. Despite all that, worth it for the first 3 hours of mostly climbing and the lesson learned.