I got a chance to return to the Bug Springs Trailhead off of the General Hitchcock Highway to explore a little further as I ran out of time when I hiked this spot a month ago. I didn’t know what to expect but was pleasantly surprised at how awesome the hike turned out to be.
The first part of the hike was a repeat of my trip before, but the scenery was still just as pretty. Open grasslands with desert plants and rock outcroppings along a well defined ridge made for a great walk.
Once past my turn around point from my last trip here, I soaked in the views towards Bear Canyon and Thimble Peak to the southwest.
As I gained elevation from 5000′ to about 6000′, I enjoyed the commanding views back in to the Tucson Basin behind me.
The first part of the hike passed through an area with a lot of burned over small trees. The area must have been the site of a wildfire a few years back. That’s Tanque Verde Ridge in the distance.
The further I got, the more interesting the rock formations became. I guess you would call these stacks “hoodoos”, tall, thin spire of rock formed by erosion. .
Up a couple of switchbacks and around a corner, I came to this wilderness of rocks. The hike kept getting better and better.
I didn’t ignore the small views either. This striking plant with reddish smooth bark is desert mahogany.
And these are agaves. Agave plants are used in the production of tequila and are found through out the desert southwest as well as in the Caribbean.
After rounding one more bend, I came to an exposed ridge with the most amazing rock formations.
I got to see these hoodoos up close with their typical cap stones and fantastic shapes.
The ridge ended at this pile of rocks and from there the trail descended in to a ravine not too far from where I had turned around when I hiked out of the Lower Green Mountain Trailhead back in November.
I made this my turn around point but stopped to enjoy the views for a half hour of so. From this exposed ridge I could see the Santa Rita Mountains and Mount Wrightson maybe forty miles to the south.
As always, the views on the way back are a little different. I didn’t pay too much attention to this impressive wall of rock on the way in.
This massive hoodoo looked like it belonged on Easter Island.
As high as I got, there’s still three thousand feet of mountain above me. Mount Lemmon an impressive natural feature that dominated the north side of metro Tucson.
This turned out to be one of the best hikes I took during my stay in the Tucson area. The trail was really made for mountain bikers, but supports hiking nicely. You just need to be aware of the possibility of bikes coming down the grade. They are concentrating on the trail and since we can hear and see them first, it would be considerate to step a few paces off of the trail to make things a little easier on them.
My hike turned out to be about six or seven miles long with a thousand feet of elevation gain. Not too strenuous and not to easy, like Goldilocks porridge it was just right.
About an hour south of Tucson are the Santa Rita Mountains, one of Southern Arizona’s Sky Islands. Madera Canyon on the north side of this small mountain range is a popular starting point for some high altitude hiking adventures.
An eleven mile long paved road brings you from Green Valley, an exurb of Tucson, to Madera Canyon in the Santa Rita Mountains unit of Coronado National Forest.
At the entrance to the canyon you can purchase a day pass for $8 or a week pass for $10. Or you can like me use your America the Beautiful Pass. On weekends the entrance is staffed by folks from the Friends of Madera Canyon, a non-profit that helps maintain and improve the area for recreational use.
Most of the Santa Rita Mountains are above five thousand feet in elevation with the highest peak at almost nine and a half thousand feet allowing the area to support a temperate forest surrounded by desert basins.
I began my hike at the Mount Wrightson Trailhead at the end of the road. As soon as I got out of my rig I encountered a raft of wild turkeys.
My plan was to hike a little over six miles with 2100 feet of elevation gain by completing a loop using the Vault Mine Trail, the Aqua Caliente Trail and the Old Baldy Trail. Almost as soon as I started, I ran into a Forest Service Ranger who asked about my plans. He warned me that the Vault Mine Trail was really steep and that it would hurt. He also wanted to make sure I had enough water and some heavier cloths in case it got cold. I appreciated the concern.
He was right. The trail soon climbed steeply out of the dried creek bed on a series of switchbacks. It wasn’t the the hardest hike I’ve done in the last year, but it did get my attention.
As I climbed out of the canyon, I was treated to views of the high points to the east including the summit of Mount Wrightson.
The trail climbed through a forest dominated by hardwood trees with scattered stands of junipers and pines. It looked a lot different than most of Arizona.
A lot of it looked more like something from the East Coast. Except for the topography, I could have pictured this as some scrubby oak forest from Central Florida.
The vegetation was so thick that when I came to openings with views of the nearby peaks, the scene looked almost tropical.
The going was slow but eventually I came across the site of Vault Mine. It looked like they gave up looking for treasure pretty quickly. The tunnel only went in twenty feet or so.
The view looking back out was pretty impressive.
I ended up gaining almost all of the 2100 feet in elevation on the first mile and a half of the hike. I took my time and it took almost two hours to reach this point. The rest of the trip was level or down hill.
Although most of the vegetation on this hike didn’t have thorns, they’re were some exceptions. I was able to grab branches to assist my climb if I was careful and I only got poked in the ankle once by a hostile.
Looking back down the canyon from the junction with the Aqua Caliente Trail, I could see the basin Tucson is in thirty or forty miles to the north. The distant ridges are the Santa Catalina Mountains and Tanque Verde Ridge which is more to the right side of this photo.
The next two miles of the trail followed the north face of a ridge through mostly hardwood forest that had already dropped its leaves. It was actually very chilly up here and even through I didn’t use it, I was glad I brought a light jacket in case it got any worse.
This part of my hike could easily pass for Appalachia during the brief period between the trees shedding their leaves and the snow hitting the ground.
As the trail headed east along the north side of the ridge that divided the Santa Rita Mountains, the big mountains on the east side became much closer.The top of the ridge seemed only a few feet above the trail, but there was no view looking south.
Finally I found an unofficial trail that lead to the top of the ridge. Sure enough in just a hundred feet or so I crested the ridge and had this amazing view looking towards Mexico.
As soon as I crossed over, the temperature was at least fifteen degrees warmer. It would have been comfortable to sunbath in. Back on the northside I had goose bumps on my bare arms.
I continued towards Josephine Saddle and was treated to better and better views of Mount Wrightson. At my highest point on the hike I was still over two thousand feet below the summit.
Looking back towards the northwest I could see one of the large open pit mines near Green Valley. It would have been kind of pretty if you didn’t know just how toxic the waste water from these sites is.
Just before I got to the saddle I caught this image of a high flying jet over the mountain.
At the saddle I took a quick detour down the Josephine Canyon Trail to see if the views to the south opened up. That’s when I saw the Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory on one of the peaks to the west.
I made it down a few hundred feet and got a couple of fleeting views looking south but turned back to avoid getting sidetracked. I still had a long way to go to get back to the trailhead.
When I got back to Josephine Saddle I came across a memorial sign for a tragic incident from over half a century ago. When I got back I did a little research and would recommend others do so as well. Six Boy Scouts attempted to summit what was called Mount Baldy back then on a clear November day. A freak blizzard struck the area and three of them never made it home.
After the saddle I headed back down towards the trailhead on the Old Baldy Trail. It wasn’t as steep as the Vault Mine Trail but it did lose a couple thousand feet over a little more than two miles.
Not too far down I ran across this little fella. Coatimundi’s are native to Southern Arizona. This was the first one I’ve seen and this was the best shot I could get of him. They’re a little shy.
I enjoyed walking down hill through the hardwood forest. By now I was in for over five hours. I know that’s a long time for a six and a half mile hike, but I took my time, after all what’s the hurry.
Looking back towards the mountains I was treated to a view of a half moon rising above them. Not a bad way to finish up a long hike.
Just before I made it back to the trailhead I passed by this sign that let me know I had been in a wilderness area. That wasn’t really a surprise.
Near the trailhead I was back down in the bed of the dry creek with it’s variety of trees. Also I ran across all those darn turkeys again.
It was one of the most beautiful hikes I’ve been on and I only scratched the surface as far as exploring this gem of a hiking place.
If I get a chance I will go back. There is a trail called the Super Loop that’s a little longer with more elevation gain. If I feel frisky, I’d like to try and make it to Baldy Saddle at 8700 feet.
A few days ago I rode the Chuck Huckleberry Loop from Valencia Road to Tanque Verde Road. A couple of days ago I picked up where I left off and rode along the Rillito River Parkway a few miles west and back.
I accessed the Loop Trail via a short spur along Sabino Canyon Road from Udall Park, a large park named after a former congressman and presidential candidate. Near the entrance to the park and over the connector trail is this most awesome piece of public art. It is wasted on a terrible site framing a nice view of a stop light.
Like most of the Loop Trail, this section follows one of the dry wash beds through the urban and semi rural area. This makes for a mostly level ride with generous buffer zones along the way. That’s Tanque Verde Ridge, a place I have hiked, in the background.
The trail crosses small side washes and drainage ditches on numerous and mostly unique bridges. Some of the route of the trail is surprisingly rural.
For much of the ride, the trail is bordered by small horse farms and desert preserves. I even had an encounter with a coyote near this spot. He refused to sit still for a portrait.
There was a lot of public art along the trail including this mural on a retaining wall. It looked a lot nicer than the graffiti I saw on some other blank walls.
Along most of the twelve miles or so I covered, there were bike trails on both sides of the Rillito River bed. At the two exceptions the route was well signed and either dedicated trail bridges or wide sidewalks on the roadway bridges connected the rider to the side they needed to be on.
I used both banks on my round trip where I could for the variety of scenery. Generally the south bank was the more developed side and the north more rural and suburban.
About half way on my out bound ride I passed by this old racetrack that is now a Pima County Park. It’s always nice to see a glimpse of the past. To the north behind the grandstands is Mount Lemmon, the highest point in the area.
There was more public art at this park.
The desert landscaping for the most part is really well done along the trail.
At about twelve miles in I called it good and repeated the ride this time mostly on the other side of the wash.
Bicycling on the Chuck Huckleberry Loop is mostly a pleasant experience, at least on the sections I have ridden on so far. There was only two at grade crossings with roads on the entire ride and both were lightly traveled.
Even through the scenery along the dry washes is alright, after a while it does all start to look the same. The only other downsides to the ride is the overabundance of spandex clad baby boomers all apparently practicing for the Olympics and an excessive amount of homeless encampments in the scrublands on the wash bottoms.
Dodging abandoned shopping carts is kind of a pain in the ass. If most grocery store chains required a deposit for using shopping carts the problem would be solved.
The bicycle loop around Tucson is well used and a great amenity for the community.
The trail connects many parks along the way and provides access to them for the people who live and visit here.
I hope to ride additional sections of the Chuck Huckleberry Loop during my stay in the area. If I do, look forward to more bicycling posts. It’s not going to be cycling weather in the Inland Northwest when I return.
For the second time during my stay in the Tucson Area, I hiked on the Tanque Verde Ridge Trail. This time I pushed it as far as I could with the goal of making it up to the transition zone from all desert plants to the dwarf juniper forest at five to six thousand feet in elevation. The trailhead is in Saguaro National Park at about three thousand feet.
From the park visitor center there is an open view of Tanque Verde Ridge. In the photo you can see where the ridge top transitions from pure desert habitat to a mixed juniper scrubland. I used my America the Beautiful pass to pay for the admission.
At the trailhead the first couple of hundred yards of the trail is relatively level as it crosses a couple of small washes before it really starts climbing the ridge.
The desert is a harsh environment. Most of the vegetation consists of various species of cacti.
Known sometimes as Jumping Cactus, these Cholla Cactus plants don’t actually “jump”. It’s just if you accidently brush against it the lobes break off easily, hook to you or your clothes and hitch a ride. Not being a moron I haven’t had a problem with them yet.
This is the dried out skeleton of a dead prickly pear cactus. Sometimes it’s nice to appreciate the small views.
The tail soon gets a lot steeper as it climbs up the ridge. I’m guessing I made it about six miles in before I turned around and the grade reminded me a lot of Scotchman Peak in Idaho.
About an hour of steady climbing got me to here. In places the trail crosses bare slabs of rock. The views back toward Tucson became more expansive.
On the way up I set my short term goals to reach the top of the small knolls ahead so I could see what the next view would bring. I was under no illusions about making it to the summit. The trail is fifteen miles one way and the elevation gain is almost four thousand feet.
From the ridge looking south is a view of Mount Lemmon, the highest point in the area at over nine thousand feet above sea level. You can drive up very nice road to close to the summit.
A couple of miles in I went off trail to check a view point and stumbled on this stash of water. I’m not sure of the purpose but assume it had something to do with a trail maintenance crew.
The views towards Tucson are very nice. The light colored patch in the distance at the center top, is the “Boneyard” at Davis Monthan Airforce Base. Downtown is on the far right side of the photo almost at the base of the far mountains about twelve miles away.
As I climbed the ridge I had views back towards the knolls that had been my goals on the hike. The one in the background with it’s bare rock dome, was pretty impressive.
The trail was well made even though it was very steep in places and despite the appearance in this photo, the thorny plant life was fairly easy to avoid if you use common sense.
About three hours in I came to my first juniper tree. This turned out to be a loner. There weren’t anymore for over a half mile.
The habitat was slowly changing with more grasses and less prickly pears in the under story. The stunted desert trees were a little larger this high up the ridge.
So after three and a half hours it was time to call it good. I made it to about 5800 feet and beyond the trail dropped sharply towards the Juniper Basin Camping Area. As you can see I was still in the semi-desert steppe area and didn’t make it to a juniper forest.
On the way down I had more time to enjoy the views. Tanque Verde Ridge is a nice convenient place to hike. You can pretty much hike as far as you want. I made it to my limit and that was fine.
I missed this gem on the way up. The imagination ran wild with ideas of what lived in there and if it watched me on the way up. It’s always a good idea to watch your six when you’re this far out there.
Six hours after I set out, I was back at my rig. I had to share a photo of my Free State America gear.
Tanque Verde Ridge is about a twenty minute drive from my temporary base camp. I may go back again before my time here is done. We’ll see. I’d like to see more wildlife next time.
The Greater Tucson area has a comprehensive bike route network of trails that encircle and connect the city to it’s suburbs and rural areas. Most of this 137 mile long network is managed by Pima County. A loop of about fifty four miles in length is the core of this network.
I started todays ride at the Valencia Road Trailhead. Valencia Road is currently being widened at this location and I assume the project will impact the trailhead soon. The trail continues south and connects to the Julian Wash Trail about five miles away. Today I headed north on the Harrison Greenway.
The first three miles of the Harrison Greenway follow the unrealized route of a section road between a desert preserve and Davis Monthan Airforce Base.
To the west, the trail is bordered by the security fence for the base. To the east there are expansive views across the desert to the mountains. The land east of the trail has been developed in to a mountain bike park with over sixteen miles of dirt trails mostly aimed at beginners and provides well made trails right in town.
After crossing Irvington Road at a signalized intersection, the trail continues to the north paralleling Harrison Road.
For most of the next mile and a quarter, the trail maintains excellent separation from the busy road as it travels downhill to Pantano Wash.
The route then turns in to one of the few on street sections utilizing lightly traveled Stellarole Street to make the half mile connection to the Pantano River Park. Here the trail passes through a semi-rural area with small ranches and horse farms.
At the Pantano River, the trail turns in to a greenway following the dry wash bed towards the northwest. There are numerous parks and trailheads along the route. At this point across the wash is one of the larger stands of palm trees I’ve seen in the area. They seem to mostly be found in older developments.
To the west is the dry river bed and to the east for a mile of so you are still in an area dominated by small ranches and horse farms.
This greenway portion of the bike loop is well maintained, well used and has lots of amenities along it as it enters a more urban area of Tucson.
The view from one of the parks along the way. The Pantano River Park section of the trail has no at grade crossings with roadways.
A particularly nice section of the bike trail is sandwiched between the Pantano River and the Pantano Parkway as it cuts through a very nice residential area.
The reason there are no at grade crossings is because at the major roads that cross the wash, the trail is routed under them with spurs leading up to street level. This is the road I take to one of the best hiking spots around, Sabino Canyon.
Many spur trails provide access for local residents.
There are a few bridges over ditches and small washes that feed in to the Pantano River.
Beyond 22nd Street the area becomes more urbanized. From Broadway to Tanque Verde, the Pantano River had bike trails on both sides which partially explains the discrepancy between the total mileage of the trail system and the length of the loop.
The trail passed under Golflinks, 22nd, Broadway, Speedway, Sabino Canyon and Tanque Verde Roads. I called it good at Tanque Verde. and made my way back to Valencia. At all of the underpasses signage warned the bicyclist to not proceed during flash flood events.
I ended up riding about a ten mile section of the loop out and back for a total of twenty miles. I spent a lot of time stopping and taking pictures. I covered all of the Harrison Greenway and most of the Pantano River Park sections of the trail. I can’t wait to explore more of this wonderful bicycle loop.
One of my pet peeves with bicycle trails is how little use they get for the money the taxpayers invest in them. That doesn’t seem to be the case with the Chuck Huckleberry Loop. It was hard to get photos without lots of other bicyclist and pedestrians in them. In general the trail surfaces were excellent and access was easy. This is definitely one of the best urban trail systems in the nation.
Today I hiked Bear Canyon in the Pusch Ridge Wilderness Area. Bear Canyon is the twin to Sabino Canyon and is separated from it by a ridge dominated by Thimble Peak. Both hikes begin at the same trailhead off of the north end of Sabino Canyon Road.
A wide trail leads from the visitor center and parking lot through flat desert to the east and the canyon mouth.
On the way to the beginning of the canyon about a mile and a half away, the trail passes through beautiful desert scenery and crosses the wash of Sabino Creek with it’s band of hardwood trees changing color in the late Arizona autumn.
After cresting a small rise, the trail drops down to Bear Canyon Wash. Unlike Sabino Canyon there is not a paved tram road accessing the first four miles of the canyon.
My goal for the day was to push about a mile past Seven Falls and catch a glimpse of a more remote canyon beyond the normal turn around point for about ninety five percent of the hikers.
After the first mile and a half the wide trail is done. The rest of the way is on a rough but well made single track. In the lower elevations saguaro cactus dominate the landscape. Saguaro National Park is only a few miles away.
Quickly I came to a sign that let me know I was entering the wilderness area.
On the way up the canyon the trail crosses the Bear Canyon Creek Wash seven times. The wash supports limited hardwood trees and some grasses giving a break from the cacti dominated habitat on the canyon rim walls.
From the wash looking up you get a feel for the scale of the landscape. Just a half mile of so into the canyon the walls soar maybe a thousand feet above you.
There’s not a lot of places I’d recommend stumbling off of the trail accidently, but this one would be worse than most.
Four and a half miles from the trailhead I got my first view of Seven Falls. Obviously being in the desert there’s water flowing down this cascade maybe a dozen days out of the year. I bypasses the “Falls” and pushed on up towards the rim of the canyon.
Looking back down the canyon I could see parts of Tucson in the distance. The trail followed the canyon through an S turn and soon the mouth of the canyon was hidden from sight making it seem like I entered a truly remote area.
The wash bottom seemed like an oasis compared to the surrounding canyon. In places there were small ponds where the stream bed was solid rock.
I pushed it maybe a mile past Seven Falls and the trail really closed in. The trail itself was well made but a years worth of vegetative encroachment had an effect. It’s not like the plants I brushed against were soft and spongy. Also I was wearing shorts and low cut shoes.
On the way back towards Seven Falls I had this view of the switchbacks that got me this far. In the Pacific Northwest you don’t usually get to see the path you took as there’s enough trees to hide the trails from across whatever canyon you’re on.
I don’t know what these guys are called but they seem particularly formidable.
So I took the spur path to the bottom pool at Seven Falls. As you can see it’s a popular place. The third pool up (very top of the photo) looked even better from above but getting there would have required a real rock scramble. I saw some youngsters do it but sometimes I need to check my ego. I’m not one of them anymore and broken bones don’t heal real quick anymore. That’s assuming I’d survive the fall.
Below the pool the stone was as smooth as silk. The power of erosion by water is amazing.
So I took a few photos of the lower pond trying to work around the other sightseers and headed back to complete my hike.
The walk back down was just as pretty and the lighting a little different as is was several hours later. The clear blue skies did turn overcast but that was alright with me.
The last mile and a half back was through the desert flats. The retaining wall next to the trail apparently was part of a system used to mitigate runoff from flash floods.
Just before making it back to the visitor center I did get a look at some local wildlife.
I think Bear Canyon might be a little prettier than it’s more popular twin, Sabino Canyon. It sure has a lot less people and not having a tram road the first four miles makes it feel much more remote.
I ended up covering between ten and eleven miles over a six and a half hour time frame. The elevation isn’t bad, maybe a close to fifteen hundred feet, but over a hike that long it was not a bad grade. It is possible to do a loop up Bear Canyon and down Sabino Canyon. If I try that I might give in and take the tram as far up as I can to save a few miles. It would be an all day adventure.
I took a drive up the General Hitchcock Highway to the top of Mount Lemmon, a prominent peak just north of Tucson Arizona. Tucson sits at about 2700 feet in elevation. The top of Mount Lemmon is over 8900 feet. On the way up and back I checked out a few hiking options. One of them was a stand out. The others, not so much.
The road to the top is one of the prettiest drives I’ve ever been on. There are numerous scenic turn outs along the seven thousand foot climb over about twenty five miles. This one near the bottom has a view of Thimble Peak, a promontory overlooking Sabino and Bear Canyons.
A few miles in I came to Windy Point. There are really no trails out of this view point but it is extremely photogenic and a short walk on bare slabs of rock brings you to outstanding views of the Tucson basin. Here the desert begins to transform in to a dwarf forest of junipers and pinion pines.
I lingered here for half an hour enjoying the views. This is a popular place with tourist but as it was a week day off season I almost had the place to myself.
Looking up from Windy Point towards the peak of Mount Lemmon revealed a wilderness of rocks. Much of this back country is within the Pusch Ridge Wilderness Area.
The transition from one kind of habitat to another is fascinating. The views are a bonus.
I continued several miles up the mountain to the Palisades Visitor Center and then on to the trailhead for the Aspen Trail. The description sounded nice. There was no signage providing guidance from the trailhead to the trail and after walking through an area of vacation cabins I ended up on a dirt road that doubled back to the main road. At least I got this photo on the way.
Next I drove past the ski area, yes they have a ski area outside Tucson, the snow is mostly manmade, to the Marshall Gulch Trailhead. The trailhead was closed for the season so I had to walk half a mile to it. Once I got there I discovered that the trail was so poorly made that is was difficult to follow and to be honest kind of dangerous as well as not very scenic.
At least I got this picture of a local rodent on the way back to my car.
I headed back down the mountain and stopped at the Bigelow Trail Trailhead. This place had some nice views to the north towards Oracle Arizona but the trails was extremely steep and headed down in both directions. I pushed it a little but turned back soon.
The area this trail went through obviously was the site of a fairly recent wildfire. There were a lot of hazard trees and the trail itself was rough as hell.
My next stop on the way down was at the Upper Green Mountain Trailhead. I had high hopes for this trail as it started out steep but scenic and well made. It followed a ridge up towards a saddle.
By now I was down low enough in elevation to appreciate the transition zone between alpine forest and desert but the trail got worse.
Like ridiculously worse. Some of these “steps” were so tall that I had to climb up a couple of them on my hands and knees. I got to a pretty place and then suddenly the trail started descending again. It became evident that the trail was going to be up and down. I made it maybe half a mile in before I called it good. Turns out these are all mountain bike trails for gonzos.
This rock was my turn around spot. It was a pretty place but the trail dropped down in to the ravine and I wasn’t interested in gaining the same elevation multiple times.
Defeated I headed down the mountain taking a few photos at turnouts on the way. The roadway at least was well worth the drive but I really wanted to stretch my legs a little.
I stopped at one last trailhead this one called the Bug Spring Trailhead. It looked kind of boring at first but the grade although steep was consistent and the trail well made. Down here it was more of a desert with grasses instead of bare dirt.
The trail climbed up a series of switchbacks to a rocky knoll. The place had kind of a East Africa vibe. The hiking was strenuous but not ridiculous.
After half an hour I made it to a ridge top. I sat on the rock on the left side of the knoll and ate my lunch. It was a beautiful spot.
After the first knoll the trail leveled out and came to this second rocky knoll.
I finally found a pleasant hike on Mount Lemmon.
The desert grass made for a nicer background than dirt and rocks. Down in the Tucson basin that’s all there is. The ridge in the far background is Tanque Verde Ridge. I’ve hike there and in the canyon between at Tanque Verde Falls. Spoiler, there’s no water in the canyon or falls most of the time.
The day was getting short so I had to turn back after a couple of miles. I will go back and push it as far as I can in the near future.
By the time I got back to the trailhead the shadows were getting long. Bug Springs was a nice hike. Some of the ones before were obviously made as mountain bike trails and therefore were not suitable for hiking. This trail had a warning at the beginning about heavy mountain bike use but still it was a nice walk.
The drive up the General Hitchcock Highway was amazing. the trails along the way were more of a mixed bag. There are beautiful ridge lines and canyons that would lend themselves to awesome hiking if the trails were there.
I’ll go back to Bug Springs soon. If I can find other decent hiking trails along the road, I’ll try them out.
I had the privilege of returning to Sabino Canyon a year to the day after may first visit to this amazing place. Sabino Canyon is on the north edge of the Tucson urban area at the base of Mount Lemmon. It is the most popular hiking spot in the area.
Sabino Canyon is supported by a elaborate visitor center with parking lots, restrooms, concessionaires, and a shuttle service. A paved road that is shared by hikers and the shuttle trams leads from the visitor center in to the canyon. The shuttle could be nice for families with small kids to explore the canyon but it is spendy.
The first half mile of this hike passes through a flat desert with giant saguaros and all the other species of plants found in this habitat.
It seems counter intuitive to speak so highly of a hike that starts as a paved road but it is a wonderful start to this adventure. You will be passed by an electric tram about once an hour. The steady easy grade walking up in to the canyon allows one to really enjoy the scenery and to “warm up” for the more challenging parts that follow.
Soon enough you leave the flats and are in the canyon. The road follows a substantial wash “dry creek bed” and the seasonally wetter environment supports some actual trees. In places you can leave the road and follow the wash up the canyon.
Saguaro cacti line the trails through out the natural area. Saguaros are the largest cactus found in the United Sates and can grow to over forty feet in height and live for over two hundred years.
The roadway crossed the wash numerous times. These narrow concrete bridges were built by the Works Progress Administration in 1936, the same year my mother was born.
As you walk up the canyon the rock walls tower above you. The narrow strip of trees along the wash provide some fleeting shade. The bare slopes above have none.
At a little over four miles in the paved road comes to an end. There is one last tram stop that some hikers use as the starting point for their hikes in to the wilderness. A series of switchbacks on a single track trail get you high above the canyon floor and here the real adventure starts.
As you get away from the roadway and above the bottom of the canyon you can clearly see the curvy path of the wash highlighted by the trees along its course with the foliage turning yellow in the late Arizona fall.
At the top of the switchbacks you can continue up Sabino Canyon or take the Phoneline Trail high above the valley back towards the visitor center. I opted to continue deeper in to the canyon at least for a mile or so. Soon I came to this bare rock with a commanding view back down the canyon.
Beyond the end of the pavement, the canyon seems much wilder. There is a new view around every bend.
Higher up the canyon I ran in to some real trees in shadier sections. These were nice places to rest and drink some water. They encourage hikers to make sure they bring a lot of water. I did and still finished all of it before the day was done.
I pushed up over a small saddle as the trail was high above the canyon floor. I couldn’t tell if the rock formations ahead had caves in them or if I was just seeing the effects of the shadows on the rocks.
Beyond the saddle I found myself above a large open basin overlooking the wash. Then I heard the sounds of running water and could just see it below. I guess this far up the stream was still running. I enjoyed the view and called it good. I was in about six miles at this point and had almost that far to go to get back.
I retraced my path back to the top of the switchbacks and then continued on the Phone Line Trail above the canyon. Thimble Mountain overlooks the canyon and is a very distinctive feature as seen from above on the General Hitchcock Highway up Lemmon Peak.
This trail is mostly flat and as I walked down the canyon the canyon drops further and further below me. I took a little time to admire the desert vegetation.
Pretty much everything here has thorns. Do not touch is the watch word in the desert.
Looking back to where I came from I could clearly see the switchbacks that brought my up here.
Looking down the canyon I could see part of Tucson in the distance. The Phoneline Trail is about half way between the bottom and the rim of the canyon.
You might be high above the wash but it’s still a long way to the top and the vegetation does not lend it self to bushwhacking.
In fact it seems almost like the Forest Service installs these devices to keep folks on the trail. That is a lot of prickly pears.
In places the vegetation along the trail looks like it belongs in a botonical garden.
Here is the view looking back up the canyon from the Phoneline Trail towards the end of the road and the switchbacks.
And here is the view looking down towards the mouth of the canyon as I was nearing the end of my hike on the Phoneline Trail. A connector trail brings you back to the tram road again on a series of switchbacks.
As I descended back in to the canyon, I enjoyed the views each unique and beautiful.
One last look from up high revealed this striking cloud formation behind one of the rocky pinnacles.
All too soon I was almost back down to the wash and the tram road.
A walked the last mile or so back to the visitor center on the pavement. It is an easy walk and easy on the knees as well. I was out of water anyway.
Sabino Canyon is definitely the prettiest desert hike I’ve been on. There are lots of big views along the trails.
And small views like this bud on a saguaro that may some day grow in to one of those impressive arms.
I ended up hiking between ten and twelve miles over a seven and a half hour period. The elevation gain over all is pretty moderate for a hike of this length.
I plan on exploring the area more during my stay in the area. There is a second canyon, Bear Canyon right next door in the same natural area that doesn’t have a paved road half way up it. Sounds like a cool place to check out.
After a quick day exploring the Grand Canyon, I continued to Flagstaff Arizona to spend the night. The next morning at the crack of dawn I was on the road towards Sedona. I didn’t really have a plan but research showed that all of the trailheads didn’t open until 8:00 AM. I’m glad that was inaccurate. Just over the pass I came across the trailhead for the West Branch of Oak Creek Trail. The reviews I read the night before spoke very highly of this hike.
So I drove to the small gatehouse and asked the guy manning it what the deal was. He told me that because the place had been so busy the previous week he came in an hour early to open up. Said there was a twelve dollar fee. Apparently this site is operated by a concessionaire. I asked if it was worth it and he said it was one of the top ten hikes in the United States and voted best in Arizona, so I ponied up and took my chances.
He went on to tell me that the experience of walking up the canyon was “mystical” and that there were thirteen stream crossings. That sounded good to me so I parked my car at 7:00 AM. I was the fourth vehicle to park in the lot and took off.
Just past the trailhead I came to the remnants of an old ranch. Interpretive signage told the story of a man who gained the nickname of Bear because he killed so many of them after one mauled his friend to death.
The collection of old buildings made for a great back drop for the scenery at the head of the canyon.
Right after the old ranch the trail crossed the main channel of Oak Creek on the one and only bridge along the route. At a rail fence I saw a collection of walking sticks leaning against a post. Experience has told me that if you find a bunch of walking sticks left by previous hikers that it is a good idea to take one.
Soon I was walking up a beautiful little canyon with the last fall colors in the leaves of the hardwood trees. On one side of the canyon were the red rock cliffs the area is so famous for.
The mixed hardwood forest had an east coast feel to it. In my home area all of the forest are almost exclusively made up of evergreen trees and the sights and smells are totally different.
The walking stick I barrowed came in very handy during the numerous stream crossings. This late in the season the creek had dwindled to the point it was possible to rock hop across all of the fords. In the spring and early summer I’m sure you would have had to get wet making the same crossings. Turns out this is one of the big draws for this hike as getting wet in the summer in Arizona helps keep hikers from over heating.
Early in the morning and in the deep shade of the canyon walls, it was kind of chilly. As the day progressed and the sun rose higher I was sweating by the time I finished the hike.
The canyon bottom was as the ticket guy said “mystical”. When you start as early as I did the few folks you come across on the trail are uniformly awesome. They’re out here for the same thing as you are.
The hike turned out to be right at a seven mile round trip. It was nice to stretch my legs after covering so many miles sitting in a car the day before. The previous days drive from Moab through the Grand Canyon and on to Flagstaff was tiring.
The stream alternated between flowing at the base of the cliffs to the southeast and the northwest. At each transition the trail crossed the creek. The walking stick I used helped with balancing on the logs and rocks at all of these crossings keeping my shoes nice and dry.
I took my time and enjoyed all of the views, both big and small.
At the end of the trail a small deep pool filled the narrow canyon and blocked further easy access and this was the official turn around point. I met nice people here and along the trail to share stories and pictures with.
As I made my way back I encounter a lot more people. This is one of the most popular trails in the area and on most days the parking lot fills up early. I was glad I was one of the first ones on it on this beautiful Veterans Day morning.
One of the only downsides to the hike was that I passed a couple of hikers who decided to share the pungent aroma of their drug dependency. Smoking pot on a hike is no better than lighting a nasty cigar or spilling a bunch of beer. Just stay home if you can’t refrain for a couple of hours.
The canyon walls provided a wonderful background for the fall foliage. It made for a nice combination of colors.
Near the end of the hike the scenery was still amazing but the trail did get a little crowded with louder and less considerate late comers.
At the end of the trail I notice that all of the walking sticks were now gone, presumably being used by other hikers. I left mine were I found it and a hiker immediately picked it up to use on his hike. It made me wonder how many times this one sturdy tree branch had made the trip up the canyon. Recycling at it’s best.
By the time I made it to the old ranch and the trailhead the parking lot was completely full and cars were waiting outside the gate for a spot to become available. I have to say it was one of the best twelve dollars I ever spent.
So I hit the road to Sedona and took a couple of photos on the way. Sedona was very beautiful but I was turned off by the crowds and the traffic. There are tons of additional trails in the area many of which require a Red Rock Pass to use.
My detour to the West Branch of Oak Creek was very worth while. The site is in and managed by Coconino National Forest.
I ended up hiking seven mostly level miles in a beautiful canyon and was refreshed for the four or five hour drive to Tucson. I wouldn’t call this gem of a hike hidden in any way shape or form but it was still a wonderful experience.
After spending the day exploring Arches National Park and spending a second night in Moab it was back on the road well before dawn. My next goal was Grand Canyon National Park. On the way I drove through some fascinating scenery, at least it looked like it after the sun finally came up.
On the way the road was long and lonely. Much of the drive was through the Navajo Nation.
Just before I hit the Arizona state line I got my views of Monument Valley including this shot from “Forest Gump Hill”. Fans of that movie will remember the scene.
Time was of the essence so I snapped a couple of quick photos from the turnouts and headed to my real destination.
I rarely take photos of the entrance signs to the various parks I visit. Usually there’s a crowd of tourist posing in front of them so I skip it. Coming in the east entrance of Grand Canyon National Park, I was surprised that the turnout was empty so I said what the hell, why not.
Once I used my America the Beautiful pass to enter the park I stopped at what is called First View. Here at the bottom of the canyon is the mighty Colorado River. In much of the rest of the canyon the river is not visible from the rim.
The collection of tourist facilities at the east end of the park is called Desert View. The National Park Service has constructed some very interesting buildings in the southwest style including this watch tower. As to be expected the place was very busy and it took some creative camera angles to get shots without tourist milling all around. I used the facilities and headed west on Desert View Road to find less crowded views.
The first few turnouts had lots of folks checking the views. It took a little jockeying to get a parking spot in a couple of them. The views were nice though.
Looking across the canyon I believe the formation that looks like a small volcanic cone is Cedar Mountain.
Heading west the canyon gets deeper and the rim becomes less desert like.
To be honest the views all start to look a lot a like after two of three stops. The Grand Canyon is impressive but I was looking for a little more solitude.
At one of the turn outs, I had a nice view towards the south away from the canyon. In the distance are the highest mountains in Arizona near Flagstaff including the tallest peak in the state, Humphrey’s Peak.
At Navajo, Lipan and Moran Points, spur roads lead to parking areas. Away from the main park road, I was able to walk off trail along the rim to a few view points without company and enjoy the views unbothered.
The harsh conditions on the South Rim causes the vegetation to become stunted and twisted. Most of the trees are either pinion pines of junipers.
When I walked away from the turnouts and found my own views the only company I had was of the avian variety.
A couple of scenic turnouts had trailheads for hikes that lead down in to the canyon. I wasn’t interested. Climbing a mountain is one thing. The hardest part comes first and then you have the reward of a commanding view. Going down in to a big hole and then having to climb back out to where you were anyway to enjoy the view seems like a waste of effort and time.
Heading west the park road passes through a very beautiful open pine forest. I came across a herd of elk being harassed by dozens of turons. I refused to take part in the circus. and instead continues to Grandview and Shoshone Points.
It was a nice day to enjoy the views. I was glad I wasn’t the only one doing so.
Nearing the park headquarters I parked at the Pipe Creek Vista and walked on the Rim Trail to the Kaibab Trailhead where another trail leads down in to the canyon. The road to the trailhead is closed to private vehicles and access is either by hiking of the park shuttle buses.
I returned to the Pipe Creek Vista and followed the Rim Trail to Mathers Point. It was the nicest walk I came across in my short visit. It is amazing how few people will walk more than a couple hundred feet from their cars.
Part of the trail passed through an area that experienced a wildfire a couple of decades ago. Forest recover very slowly in this type of environment. The habitat looked very much like scrublands I was familiar with in Central Florida.
At Mather Point which is right next to the visitor center I encountered hoards of tourist again so I turned around and enjoyed the one and a half mile hike back to my car. On the way I noticed this rock feature. Kind of looks like the head of a griffin to me.
The shadows were starting to lengthen and I still had a long drive to Flagstaff.
After taking one last picture from the canyon rim, I drove through Grand Canyon Village before I left the park. I was not impressed. It was over built and crowded.
The Grand Canyon is a very beautiful place and has always been on my bucket list. The views are outstanding and the scenic drive is amazing. However like most national parks there are always crowds. I’m very glad I finally saw the place but truth be told I’d rather find another hidden gem to explore than to return here.
All together I probably walked less than five miles in the park. If I do go back again I would definitely take advantage of the efficient mass transit system in the park in order to have time for a longer one way hike. The Rim Trail between Kaibab and Mather Points was the highlight.
I made the last hour of my drive to Flagstaff in complete darkness including going over an eight thousand foot pass at the base of Humphrey’s Peak with my low fuel light glowing. I was very relieved to get back to civilization. Driving through Flagstaff I was surprised how dark the city was. Outdoor lighting was minimal. I later learned this is because of the close proximity of Lowell Observatory.
