Benchmark Mountain Tucson Mountains, Arizona February 6, 2015

                     Map showing my route in red with an ESRI Basemap in the background

Gates Pass is located to the west of Tucson in the Tucson Mountains. Take Speedway BLVD away from downtown. At the end of Speedway visitors will see the turnoff for Gates Pass Road.

Today I drove over Gates Pass and parked at the David Yetman Trailhead. The parking lot was full when I arrived and had to scramble to get a space when somebody left. The first half mile is on the David Yetman Trail which ends at Starr Pass. This trail is easy to follow and popular with visitors. At a small divide I departed the David Yetman and hiked the Golden Gate Trail which climbs on the side of the mountains and ends at Gates Pass. The scenery from this trail is very beautiful but hikers do need to watch for cholla polyps (or cholla bombs as they are affectionately called by hikers). The trail is also rocky so please watch your step.After a 1.5 or two miles about there is a small divide where hikers are rewarded with views toward Tucson. At this point I decided to summit Benchmark Mountain  I noticed a steep but hikeable trail leading up the slope of the mountain (cross-country hiking in the Tucson Mountains is not advisable because of all the cacti in the desert). After an initial steep pitch I noticed a nice well-maintained trail that wrapped around the peak to the summit, From the top I could see the Rincon Mountains and the Tucson basin to the north and Kitt Peak to the west. After eating some lunch I departed the peak to find some shade.

                      On the Golden Gate Trail looking toward the Old Tucson Studios and Kitt Peak

                                Sonoran Desert scenery

                Top of Benchmark Mountain looking toward Tucson

                               Right below the summit

                       Cool effect with the sun right behind the hill

                       Looks like the grass is lit from behind

Gadsen-Pacific Model Railroad Museum Tucson, Arizona Late January and February 2015

                      Photo taken by Tara Stauffer

Directions: The Gadsen-Pacific Model Railroad is located on Miller Road in west Tucson. From I-10 take the Prince Exit and turn east crossing the Union Pacific tracks. Drive until you reach Romero Road and turn left. Drive until you reach W Price Street and turn left again.Price Street is the industrial area of Tucson so you will be around warehouses.At the end of Price Street you will see the museum on Miller Street.

This museum is hard to find out about because they do very little advertising. Recently I have just started seeing their brochures around town. If you talk to individuals who live in Tucson most of them still have no clue their is a model railroad club in town. This is a shame because the Gadsen-Pacific is a great place for adults and kids.

The Gadsen- Pacific started as a small private organization in 1980; Historically they were located in Foothills Mall operating an O-scale layout and small HO.In 1997 the club moved to their present location.Today they have operational G-scale, Standard Gauge, S-Guage, HO, and N scale. Outside they have a larger 7 1/2 scale that kids can ride as well as a RIO Grande Caboose. They are currently building a G-scale garden railway outside. They are open on the second and fourth Sunday's of each month from 12:30 to 4:30 pm. They operate additional weekends in December, January and February. This year they will be closed in June, July and August for improvements. The Gadsen-Pacific Museum does not have an entrance fee but a donation is appreciated.  (Information from http://www.gpdtoytrainmuseum.com/index.htm).

                         HO Layout   Photo taken by Tara Stauffer

                        Quintin watching the HO layout (Taken by Tara Stauffer)

                           Great Northern Locomotive Photo taken by Tara Stauffer

                    O-Scale train (Taken by Brett Stauffer

                 O-Scale layout (Taken by Brett Stauffer)

                             O-Scale layout (Photo taken by Brett Stauffer)

                                 O-scale steam trains

                    Part of the O-scale yar

                    HO Layout trains and display

               S-Scale

                Tara and Quintin at the S-scale layout

               S-Scale Model train

                        O-Scale layout is their bigges

                 Quintin playing with Thomas

                   HO Layout

              Picture of O-Scale layout scenery

Tucson Botanical Gardens January and February 2015

                 Inside the orchid and butterfly display

Direction: The Tucson Botanical Gardens are located on Alvernon Road. To get to the gardens from the University of Arizona take Grant Road east towards the Rincon Mountains. Turn right onto Alvernon Road. Look for the entrance and parking lot on the left. Admission is $13 with three and under free. If you are going to go more than once I would definitely suggest a membership as it is very affordable.

 These gardens are small in acreage. Where most botanical gardens can be 35 acres Tucson's are 5-10 however, staff do a good job in utilizing the space they do have. I read online that Tucson's has the same number of plant species as the Phoenix Botanical Garden's but Phoenix's is about 35 acres. Definitely the highlight is the butterfly and orchid exhibit. At any given time in the Greenhouse there can be about 300 butterflies with many different species from Australia and New Zealand. I enjoyed this exhibit as much as my son Quintin. Keep an eye out for Dart frogs as they can be seen hidden among the plants.  For the railroad enthusiast they do have a G-scale Garden Railway based on a fictional town of Thornville. Other highlights include the Cactus and Succulent Garden, the Zen Garden, Historical Garden and Prehistoric Garden.

                     Butterfly on orchid

                        Orchid

                      Love the pattern on this one

                               
 

                     Garden railway

                  Train coming around

                   Buildings in the town

                        Quintin siting on a rock

                              Love the composition of this photo

                          Succulents

Tortolita Mountains Alamo Springs January 19, 2015

             Alamo Trail scenery

Directions: The Tortolita Mountains are an overlooked mountain range to the west of Tucson, Arizona. Visitors tend to stay in Saguaro National Park or hike in the Catalina Mountains. This is a mistake because the Tortolita Mountains are very scenic. From Interstate 10 take the Tangerine Road exit. Turn east, crossing the train tracks, and drive until you reach Dove Mountain Road. Turn left onto Dove Mountain and follow it until you reach a sign for the Ritz-Carlton Dove Mountain. This area has been built up significantly in the last five years. You will see signs for the Wild Burro Trailhead where there is a big parking lot.

Hike: Last year I hiked the Wild Mustang and Wild Burro Trails with my friend Nathan. The objective for todays hike was to hike the Alamo Springs tTail and then come back on the Wild Burro Trail. Total mileage was about nine miles with over 1500 feet. I started late in the morning and the temperature was already warm under the sun. I was glad I brought the six containers of water with me. There is not a lot of shade on the Alamo Trail but hikers can find some shade under Mesquite or Palo verde bushes. In the future I want to get started earlier in the day especially on this trail. When I arrived at Alamo Springs I returned to the parking lot via Wild Burro. On the way back I met two older gentlemen from Ohio who were geocaching in the mountains. They were following their GPS and wanted to go cross-country to the cache. I advised them that it would not be a wise decision because the Sonoran Desert is one of the most difficult deserts to hike off-trail in.

                    A hot but scenic section of the Alamo Springs Trail

                    Looking toward Wild Burro Canyon

                                  Neat looking Saguaros

Carillo and Wildhorse Trails Saguaro National Park East January 18, 2015

                      The Carrillo Trail

Avid readers will find this post familiar because I have hiked in the cactus forest of Saguaro National Park many times in the past. This trailhead is located about 20 minutes away from Pima Air and Space so it is an attractive destination after volunteering at the museum.. I arrived at the Wildhorse Trailhead, located at the end of Speedway BLVD,  at 2 pm. Today's objective was to hike the Carrillo and Wildhorse loop. This loop is about five to six miles (depending on deviations on other trails) with most elevation gain occurring in the first mile on the Douglas Springs Trail. All trails are well signed; however, a map is necessary to keep from getting confused and turned around in the many trails. For visitors who are new to the Sonoran Desert these trails give a nice introduction to vegetation and terrain for the area. Remember this is desert country so wear a long sleeve shirt, hat and sunblock and carry plenty of water.

                        Saguaros on the foothills of the Rincon Mountains

               Saguaros with Catalina Mountains in the background

Picacho Peak Tucson, Arizona January 17, 2015

                     On the backside of Picacho Peak near the cables

Directions: Picacho Peak is located directly off of Interstate 10 about 24 miles west of Tucson, Arizona. If you are traveling west from Tucson to Phoenix on Interstate 10 travelers cannot miss it on the left side of the road. This peak is not the tallest of the peaks in the location but it is by itself so climbers are rewarded with a 360 degree view. Because the peak is on a state park it cost $7 for a day pass.

Trail Description: Round trip to the summit on the Hunter Trail is about 4 miles with 1800 feet of elevation gain. The first part the trail ascends about 960 feet by a series of switchbacks to a saddle. The tricky part of this section is their are many loose rocks and footing can be treacherous.  In the afternoon this section also gets intense sunlight making it much hotter. After the saddle the fun begins. This part of the trail would not be possible if it were not for boy scouts who built cables in sections to aid hikers. After leaving the saddle, the trail descends precipitously about 400 feet to go around a steep section of rock. From here the trail is easy to follow but there are four sections that  require scrambling. One of which requires visitors to use strength to pull themselves up. A second one is almost a vertical section of rock for a short distance. In these sections there are many foot and hand holds so the climbing is not too technical but it does require confidence. Because the peak is relatively isolated in relation to other mountains the view from the top is great in all directions. Highlights include Casa Grande to the west, the Catalina Mountains to the east and Kitt Peak to the south.

Special Considerations: This is a winter hike because summer temperatures can be well over 100 degrees. Visitors have died in the park because they get lost and do not have enough water. However, daytime temperatures can be warm in southern Arizona at all times of the year even the winter. Please bring a hat, sunscreen, and plenty of water. Finally, the hike might be short but it is intense. Do not attempt this peak if you are not in good shape.

                            Steep descent from the saddle

                                 Me on top looking west

                  Looking east from the summit; Interstate 10 is on the lower left part of the photo

                             One of the smaller summits

                            The rocky trail

Phoneline Trail and Sabino Creek Loop Sabino Canyon, Arizona January 11, 2015

                   Foothills of the Catalina Mountains

Directions: From the University of Arizona campus take Campbell Avenue to Skyline Road. Turn right and follow this road all the way to Sabino Canyon Road. Turn left and then an immediate right.

Around 2 pm after volunteering at Pima Air and Space I arrived at Sabino Canyon for an afternoon hike. After our cold snap over the New Year the weather has been gorgeous every day I chose one of my favorite short hikes in Tucson. It is a 3.5 mile loop connecting Phoneline and Sabino Creek trails. This hike truly has it all with great views and a desert riparian area. Along Sabino Creek I had the added bonus of seeing the cottonwoods with fall foliage. I was surprised and some of these trees made for great photos. For a more detailed description please see my December 2013 post.

                             Rocky Phoneline Trail

                   Cottonwood with fall color

                     Nice light with dark clouds over the Catalina Mountains near Sabino Dam

                            Looking south from Phoneline Trail