#TOTTAZ keepclimbing LFRF getyourvert earnyourbeer mountainpeace

[mubal4]

Time on the Trails – Mount Ord

 Over a year ago I heard about Mount Ord from some folks I run with occasionally.  A few of us were all training for a race, which was all climbing up the Bradshaw Mountains, and they were hitting Mount Ord to train.  It was a similar course, uphill all the way, good vert, Forest Road, and some elevation.  So, it took me over a year to finally get there but yesterday I went. I wasn’t planning on writing about it, since I did a Facebook Live, but I had some thoughts throughout the 6+ hours I climbed this beast………..TWICE!!!!

 The first time up is when I went live on Facebook and took the pictures.  I was soaking it all in, and as you may have seen from the video or these pictures here, it was beautiful.  The purpose of starting these lives streams back in March was to help take some of our attention away from, at that time, the coronavirus media explosion. We had such fun with them we continued them and will keep with that trend.  We have a few ideas and fun stuff in our thoughts so we want to share more; so, we will, because it is fun, and hopefully, provides some distraction.  I also, like I said, wanted to share in the beauty that we get to experience throughout this state.  

 Mount Ord, near Payson, AZ, is only about an hour drive from our house in Phoenix.  It is nestled in the Mazatzal mountain range and sits just under 7,200 feet high.  The trail head is at roughly 3,900 feet and typically is about 20 degrees cooler than Phoenix. So, it being June and temperatures hovering around 105* lately, earlier in the week I thought yesterday would be the day to get up here.  Funny however, the high temp in Phoenix was going to be 92* with morning temps in the low 70’s.  When I got to the trailhead, just after 6am it was an awesome 57*.  I don’t think the temperature got above 75* on the mountain and hovered around 65* the entire time as I was climbing.  Wonderful break from the heat and I now know where to go when we want to cool off.  One of the great things about this trek is that, as I said, it is all Forest Road from the start till about ¾ of a mile from the summit.  It starts off as a paved road for the first ½ a mile or so then it turns to dirt the rest of the way up.  I saw a couple of trucks heading up and a few ATV’s and talked to Robin when I got home about taking the family up there.  We can head up in the truck till where the gate is near the top and then hike the mile or two round trip to the summit.  Don’t want to make the girls hike too much 😊!!  But I think that is awesome to have that opportunity.  Take the afternoon to head up and watch the sunset then drive down.  It being only an hour away and that much in temperature drop, pretty awesome.  Of course, the views are amazing too.

 That is what hit my yesterday.  As you can see from some of the shots, the landscape that surrounds Mount Ord is different. You have the Roosevelt Lake, pine trees, high desert, green trees, and lava rock.  People think about AZ and they think heat, desert, rattlesnakes, and scorpions.  Drive a short hour and you will be 7,000 feet up in tall pines with some canopy overlooking breathtaking views.  It felt surreal and I felt fortunate to be able to have access to this beauty.  The 2nd time up I tried to stay open to my surroundings, taking in more the scenery.  Since I was getting tired, it made it easier.  I was able to see the back of 4 Peaks; another mountain to hike to the east of Mount Ord that is prominent even from Phoenix.  I stopped to soak in the Mogollon Rim, as mentioned Roosevelt Lake, and so many of the other surrounding mountains.  I noticed, what I believe to be 2 cabins, next to each other, on one side of the mountain.  They looked newish and in good shape but didn’t see folks around them.  I thought about living up in one of those, middle of a mountain, waking up to these views every morning.  Then I thought about getting a gallon a milk 😊.  Payson, I guess would be the closest and that is an hour drive!! Still, pretty cool.

 There weren’t many people out there yesterday. When I first got there, a group of mountain bikers, 4 totals, where getting ready to make the climb.  They passed me within the first couple miles and then I caught them off the summit as I was reaching the top. There were two guys, I would guess to be in their mid-60’s that I passed about a mile from the top.  One was a former Marine and we had a great conversation. Saw them again on the way down and then once more as I was going back up.  These dudes made me smile all three times we engaged.  It was only for a minute or two but to be able to stop, and connect over the beauty that we were sharing, was awesome.  At the top, there were 3 others, one woman and two guys that were headed back down and I passed two other dudes on the way down the 1st time and again heading back up.  All those folks where running back down the mountain after hiking.  That first group, the 1 woman two guys, had just finished up and where at the trail head has, I was making my turnaround.  It was just before 10am and I noticed they were enjoying some Corona’s, rewarding their effort. We got chatting a bit, since they were parked right next to me.  I was filling my water bottles and getting some more Clif Bars when the one dude said, “got one extra Corona in here if you want it.” Yes, yes, I did want it but said that I was heading back up.  We talked for a bit more and the other dude, right as I was getting ready to move goes, “you can still have the beer even though you are going back up.” Very true and was grateful but I declined.  About halfway back up I was wishing I had that Corona 😊!!  On that 2nd time up, as mentioned, I ran back into the Marine and his buddy and about 15 minutes later, the two other guys came running down.  Another 10 minutes after that, the two ATV’s came down off the top as well.  At that moment, I was thinking if there were any others that were up here.  No, I was the only one left on this mountain.  

 For about, I would say an hour, I was the only one that was on Mount Ord.  Sort of freaky for a second but then it sunk in, talk about solace, peace! I stopped for about a minute to listen and to look around me.

 Nothing – no noise. No distraction. Nobody.  I saw some birds flying overhead.  I can see all the way to the bottom and noticed cars driving on the highway far below.  I noticed the other mountains surrounding me. All quiet.  As I neared the bottom I stopped again to look back up to the top. It was quite a site from that perspective.  I felt fulfilled.  

 As I headed back to the trailhead, my car being the only one in the lot now I had a thought!!!  “Damn, that Corona would have tasted real good right now!”