Hutch's Pool West Fork Sabino Creek January 11, 2014

                                   Map showing Sabino Canyon and the wilderness

Directions: Sabino Canyon is at the end of Sunrise Road at the base of the Catalina Mountains.  To get to Sabino Canyon from the University of Arizona take Campbell Road all the way to Skyline Road. Turn right onto Skyline and drive all the way until Sabino Canyon. Skyline will become Sunrise. A pass to the Coronado National Forest cost about $20 for the year. $5 for one day.

Today I wanted to hike to Hutch's Pool in the Pusch Ridge Wilderness. To bypass some of the lower trails which I have I hiked I decided to pay $8 to ride the tram to stop #9 at the top of Sabino Canyon. The last tram leaves stop #9 at 4:50 pm. From stop #9 Hutch's Pool is a 7.5 mile roundtrip hike with approximately an elevation gain of 1300 feet. I want to hike another 1.5 miles passed Hutch's Pool to see more of the wilderness which will extend the trip to ten miles. Trails involved include Sabino Canyon and West Fork of Sabino Canyon. This hike required very little route finding. At the trail junction of West and East Fork Trails make sure to take the West Fork. There is no sign for Hutch's Pool.

Trail Description: The first two miles of the trip the trail is above the creek. Here the canyon is very dramatic with steep walls on the western side. The view opens up to the north as well with the towers on the top of Mount Lemmon visible in the distance. Before the trail junction the trail descends to the creek.  The West Fork trail follows the creek up canyon. After about a mile it crosses the creek. There are pools here but hike on; Hutch's Pool is half a mile farther. The destination is off the main trail. At a huge rock visitors will see a cairn and a trail to the right. This trail is rocky and relatively steep so watch your footing. The next mile and a half the trail ascends rapidly giving hikers views of West Fork Canyon. Use Leave No Trace principles because this area gets a lot of use.

The joy of hiking and traveling is meeting wonderful people. At 1.5 miles into my trip I met an older couple from Eastern Kentucky who were hiking to the pool. We talked about the Daniel Boone National Forest, The Red River Gorge and the University of Kentucky basketball team. I did not hike with them because of their slower pace. On the West Fork Trail I met a couple who live in Calgary, Alberta, as well as Tucson. I talked with them about Canada as well as Arizona hiking. I would also see them at Hutch's Pool and on the 4:30 tram back down. Finally, at the destination I met a couple in their seventies from Ontario who spend three to four months of the winter in Arizona.

                              Looking back down Sabino Canyon

                               Tree with the upper mountains of the Catalinas

                  Brett at Hutch's Pool

                        Another picture of Hutch's Pool. Very beautiful

                          Pools in West Fork of Sabino Creek

                         West Fork Canyon

                         Pusch Wilderness

                                 Another beautiful pool

                         Me with the dramatic scenery of upper Sabino Canyon

Saguaro National Park East Cactus Forest Garwood Trail Loop January 5, 2014

 



                                  Map of the Cactus Forest with route in different colors   

 

For visitors who are looking for a great place to hike in the afternoon the trails of the Cactus Forest are an excellent option. From the Douglas Spring Trailhead trails radiate in all directions. It is possible to link many different trails in this area depending on time and ability level. Carrillo Trail and Three Tank Trail are much steeper.

 

Today's hike is a distance of 5.8 miles with minimal elevation gain.  If you hike passed the Garwood Trail junction the Douglas Spring Trail starts to gain elevation quickly. Trails involved in the loop include the Garwood, Carrillo, Squeeze Pen, Pink Hill, Loma Verde, Wentworth and Creosote.  It is possible to simplify the loop by returning via the Kennedy Trail. You don't have to follow my loop remember part of the fun of hiking in this area is connecting trails to make your own adventure.

 







                               Many Saguaros together

                         On the Garwood Trail

                            Desert vegetation with Rincon Mountains in the background

Monument Wash



Arizona Sonoran Desert Museum January 10, 2014

                         Quintin walking on the grounds

Directions: The Arizona- Sonoran Desert Museum is located on western side of the Tucson Mountains. The most scenic route is to take the Speedway BLVD exit off I-10. Turn left onto Speedway traveling west. After a number of miles Speedway turns into Gates Pass Road. Follow Gates Pass Road over the Tucson Mountains. (This road is windy so take it slow). Turn right onto Kinney Road.

General Admission: Adults $19.50 Seniors $17.50 Youth $15.50 Children 4-12 $6.00 A year-long membership for families is $75. (Benefits include unlimited membership, guest passes, and discounts).

The museum's mission is to educate the general public to "live in harmony with the natural world" and to "appreciate and understand the Sonoran Desert." The museum accomplishes this through wildlife enclosures, plant gardens, and educational demonstrations. The zoo portion is organized by habitat. Animals seen in the Mountain Woodland and Desert Grassland are together. There is also a cat canyon, aviary, and hummingbird enclosure. The Sonoran Desert Museum is one of the top ten locations for public gardens in the United States. There are 1200 different species of plants with 56,000 individual plant specimens planted. Notable gardens include the Mountain Woodland, Desert Grassland and Cactus Garden. It is fun to sit on the benches, identify plants and watch native birds in their habitat.  Finally, throughout the day museum docents give visitors demonstration with some of the wildlife. (Information from the Arizona Sonoran Desert website).

                            Quintin playing with rattlesnake scales

                                 Prairie dogs

                           Wooden covered enclosure with surrounding desert

                             Cactus wren

                        Desert bighorn sheep

                              Quintin walking in one of the gardens

                               Cactus

                    Cacti on the grounds

Bernardo Mountain Escondido, California January 3, 2014

                 My mom walking up the trail to the summit

Before leaving on Saturday to drive back to Tucson, I wanted to do one last hike with my parents. We chose Bernardo Mountain because it is close to Rancho Bernardo, has a moderate elevation gain of 1000 feet and offers great views from the top. We drove to the trail head on Bernardo Drive and  began hiking at 11 am. The weather was beautiful but the temperature was very warm for January. I was happy I had brought three water bottles instead of the two I was planning on bringing. Around Lake Poway and the San Dieguito River Park I saw a total of seven hawks circling in the thermals. Without binoculars I identified four as Red-tails. On the summit I was struck by how much drier the mountains looked this year from last December. San Diego needs more rain in January and February. (Trail description available in my January 2012  post on Bernardo Mountain).

            My mother and father on the summit

                  My father looks like a mountain man.

             A nice picture of me with my father.

Woodson Mountain to Big Sky Ecological Preserve December 31, 2013

                              My mom hiking up to the top of Mount Woodson

When I returned to Southern California over the New Year to visit family, re-hiking my October route from Highway 67 to Big Sky over Mount Woodson would be a priority. This hike offers everything including great views, Lake Poway and the majestic oaks of Blue Sky Ecological Reserve. The hike is approximately 8 miles with 2000 feet of elevation gain. If visitors do not want to hike the whole route it is possible to hike to the top of Mount Woodson from Highway 67 (three miles) or the longer route starting at Lake Poway (seven miles).   The route up Mount Woodson from Highway 67 offers more shade from the sun.

Today I hiked the route with my mother. Over the years I have not been able to hike much with her so it was great she could join me. Her presence also forced me to slow down and appreciate the views and ecology of the area. This hike is very popular  in fact today we saw many groups of four or five hikers. When I hiked this route in October Potato Chip Rock was deserted. I was able to climb on it but didn't get the ubiquitous photo because my camera stopped working. Today the line for Potato Chip rock was about 75 people definitely too many to wait. (For more information on the route itself please consult my October 13, 2013, post).

                At the top of Mount Woodson showing the great boulders on the mountain.

              Top of Mount Woodson with the transmission towers definitely not a pristine summit.

              Me in foreground looking north

                 The line for Potato Chip rock
   

       View toward Poway from the top.

                  The blue of Lake Poway

San Pedro River from the San Pedro House Sierra Vista, Arizona December 27, 2013

                            The river and riparian habitat

Location: Today I am going to begin my hike along the San Pedro River at the San Pedro House.  The house is located off of Highway 90 east of Sierra Vista, Arizona. This is a nice place to begin a hike because many different trails begin here. The San Pedro House is staffed by volunteers who are knowledgeable about access points, trails and historic sites along the San Pedro River.

I am visiting one of the most endangered ecosystems  in the Southwest--the cottonwood willow riparian habitat. In the Southwest rivers have been dammed and water diverted for irrigation purposes. As a result, cottonwoods have declined and riparian habitats have suffered. The San Pedro is important because it is the only free-flowing river in the Southwest, features larges stands of cottonwoods and it also supports a wide diversity of wildlife.

The Hike: I started out hiking along the Self-Guided Walk. The loop is two miles long with twelve stops which teach visitors about the area. After a mile of hiking I departed the trail and then followed game trails and other illegal trails for an extra three miles. I have included my favorite photos of the hike. Bird sitings were scarce because it was in the middle of the day. I did see a couple of Gila woodpeckers and Red-tailed hawks. Snakes are present throughout the year so watch out especially if you are going off-trail.

                                     Cottonwoods

                         Very picturesque

                      The San Pedro River

Pomona Mine Huachuca Mountains, Arizona December 26, 2013

               Brown Canyon from on the Pomona Mine Trail

Over the Christmas Holiday I hiked up to the Pomona Mine in the Huachuca Mountains. Historic mines are numerous in southern Arizona. Oftentimes they offer historic structures and equipment making them great hiking destinations. The Pomona Mine was active intermittently from 1918 until 1963. While open the mine produced around 570 tons of tungsten ore. (Information from www.mindat.org)

The Hike: The hike to the Pomona Mine starts at the Brown Canyon Trailhead on Ramsey Canyon Road. It is over 8 miles round trip (mileage approximate depending on how much you explore) with approximately 2000 feet of elevation gain.  The first 1.1 miles the trail is non-existent. Hikers follow ATV roads until the outlet of Brown Canyon where the Brown Canyon Trail 115 begins. The next two 2.5 miles are along the bottom of the canyon. Be careful of mountain bikers coming downhill because they do not watch for hikers. Major vegetation is grass, oak and manzanita which gives visitors shade from the Arizona sun. The Pomona Mine Trail branches off after 2.5 miles. This trail is steep in places and gains elevation quickly. The first 1.5 is on an old road that goes to the base of an old tram used to transport ore from above. The next two miles to the top of the tram is along trail that is narrow, extremely steep and rocky. Watch your footing.  Views of the valley and surrounding mountains are extraordinary. The trail becomes faint and hard to follow so route finding is necessary if you want to hike to the top of the ridge. Once on top of the ridge I found a nice place to eat lunch on a cliff with views of Miller Peak and the valley below. The weather was definitely colder as I was about 8000 feet in elevation with pines and two inches of snow in the shade. On my map an unofficial trail is shown to Ramsey Peak and the Crest however, I saw no evidence of this trail and I do not know whether it exists.

                           At the entrance of the Pomona Mine with the Tram cable in front

                             Mining Equipment

                    View of the Huachuca Mountains from my lunch spot

                                  Cliffs in the upper part of the Huachuca Mountains