Linda Vista Trail in the Pusch Ridge Wilderness of Catalina Mountains

This week our group hiked in the beautiful Pusch Ridge area of the Catalina Mountains on the Linda Vista Trail.

Our merry group – these people are some of the most cheerful I know – met at 8:00 a.m. at our regular spot. Several of our snowbirds were back so we had a little larger group this week, 12 hikers. We had JoAnn, Ernie, Connie, Chun, Barbara, Danielle, Judy, Dave and I. We were very happy to welcome back LaNeta, Linda and Kirk to the group for the winter months.

Well, temperatures were cool when we started out which is perfect for hiking. Pusch Ridge is one of the most beautiful and recognizable areas in the Catalinas. This was my first time doing this particular trail and it was I was simply in awe of the scenery.

In Spanish the name of Linda Vista means “beautiful view” or “lovely vista” and it certainly lives up to its name. You can make this hike as easy and difficult, as short or long as you like. The series of trails interconnect and you can to in and out trails or shorter loops. It has something for everyone. It is in the category of easy hikes and that is what we wanted as our last hike before Thanksgiving.

We had a wonderful time catching up with LaNeta, Linda and Kirk as we hiked. Even though the weather was chilly we still made sure to take lots of water breaks to stay hydrated. It is easy to forget when the weather cools off like this, but staying hydrated while hiking is very important. Taking lots of breaks also gave us a chance to stop and enjoy the scenic views.

Pusch Ridge is primarily made up of three distinct peaks, including Pusch Peak, Bighorn Mountain, and Table Mountain. It is named for a German pioneer by the name of George Pusch (1847-1921), who came to Arizona in the 1870s, and established the Steam Pump Ranch, one of the largest cattle ranches in the Territory of Arizona.

We only hiked a total of about 4 miles on this one, but a very enjoyable 4 miles. Another good one goes in the books for our group. Can someone please come up with a name for us so I don’t have to keep saying the group?

More views….