Cerro de la Silla (Saddleback Mountain) Hike

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We got up early this morning and headed into to town for a hike up Cerro de la Silla.  That is our famous symbol of Monterrey and I am sure if you have visited us you have seen it unless it was a foggy day.  

The trail is packed with people early on and the crowds coming up die down on the descent because of the sun.  It can become baking at times because of the elevation.   There are two trails; one goes to the old teleferico platform and the other goes to the antennas for television broadcast as well as government microwaves.

The cable car was built in the late fifties and the first ride in 1961 was a disaster.   The cable didn't have enough tension, jumped the track and the four designers and engineers were killed.   The cable car was never put in to service after that.  You can still see the towns, the platform and what is left of the visitor's building.   We have been up to the platform before and we decided it was high time to do it again.

Not easy going even up to the entrance.  The neighborhoods in the area are upper middle class but these houses are built on very steep streets with wonderful views.  You start to build up some pressure going up the main street to the park entrance.   

Off we went and we only made two five minute stops along the way.   On the way up you pass the shrine to the Virgin of Guadalupe and then it is off to the platform.   It took us almost three hours to go up and come back not including the picture taking at the top.  The antenna is about another hour and a half up and it gets pretty dicey.   From there, you can go to the peaks but it is recommended to have a guide and camp overnight.   I was satisfied with our hike and the great views. 

Thermal inversion was well at work.  It was chilly this morning and the temperatures soon began to climb.  We arrived at 8 a.m. to start the hike and it was already getting warm.   By the time we made it back down at 10:45 it was already 28C and went up to 32C today.  Tomorrow it will drop again to 12C and rain.  Oh brother!   We took a bag to pick up trash and others were doing the same thing.  It was pretty clean overall considering the amount of people. 

Now my three complaints:

I don't want to listen to your music

I don't want to pick up your trash 

and I definitely don't want to step in your dog's poop  (lots of dogs on leashes)