Green Mountain Trail, Santa Catalina Mountains in the Coronado National Forest

Our small group of 4 – Stan, Gina, Ernie and me – started out at 7:30 a.m. and made our way through town to the Catalina Highway.  So extraordinary that within an hour or two you can leave town and be out among the ponderosa pine, Douglas fir, and Arizona cypress.  This is a nice short one-way hike which can be done in any season, although spring and fall are the best times to do it. The trail goes through different types of forest, and there are very nice views at the upper end. There are also a number of short side trails that you can take.

The Green Mountain Trail starts at over 7,000 feet and winds down about 1,000 to the General Hitchcock campground, the 3.9 mile trail (one way) offers excellent views across the San Pedro Valley.  This hike is a one-way hike where you usually would do a car shuttle to get back to your starting point. Keep in mind… our hikes are becoming more and more abbreviated and modified because of the weather.  We have already had temps of 100 degrees so we have had to alter the normal trails to suit our very selfish need to hike as long as we possibly can.  That being said, we started our hike in reverse, starting at the General Hitchcock campground and climbing up. 

We started out with temperatures a gorgeous 67degrees, knowing that it wouldn’t be long before they would begin to climb.  The views were absolutely wonderful.  There were hillsides covered with rock formations and thin scrubby forest of pine, oak, manzanita, chaparral and juniper. From some points along the trail we could see Bear Canyon and see Thimble Peak framed at the far end of the canyon. The smell of the pines was amazing, but even more amazing was the sound of the wind blowing through them. 

The group was small and quiet for the most part so we could really enjoy the sounds of nature.  I tried to sing at one point – as I am known to do on hikes – but my song was very short-lived as I was having trouble with the altitude. 

 

We had to make frequent stops because of the altitude.  It wasn’t hot, so we didn’t have to make stops for drinks….it was only because we would become short of breath after the steep climbs.  I say “we” but maybe I should speak for myself.  I am the novice hiker and I am not ashamed to admit when I am out of breath.  The others seemed to be doing fine, but it got harder and harder for me to face another steep incline.  Finally, at about 90 minutes or so in, I felt I was really pushing myself and decided it was time for me to stop.  I offered to stay at this point while the others went ahead to the saddle – our turnaround point (which was actually in view) but the others decided we should stay together as a group.  You have no idea how happy I was at their decision, because I am a big chicken when it comes to lions, tigers, and bears! 

 I don't remember what Stan was teaching us on this one :-(

We took about 20 to 30 minutes to have our lunch before starting back down.  It seemed I picked a really nice spot to give out.  There were some incredible rock formations all around us.  One even looked sort of like a totem pole. 

Thimble Peak

After our light lunch, which did wonders to renew my strength, we started our hike back down to the campground.  Going down was much easier (as usual) than the climb up. We had a wonderful hike, no misadventures, no rattlers, bears, mountain lions or anything.  We were just enjoying each other’s stories and nature’s beauty…..until we reached the end of the trail – the campground – where we were met with a camper in the all-together walking around his campsite.  We weren’t prepared for this much nature, so agreed it was time to call it a day.

Modesty prevents me from posting pictures of the camper....

Oh yes, I would like to take this time to also mention that I didn’t mention any of our group’s unmentionables or wardrobe malfunctions.  lol

Sweetwater Trail in Saguaro National Park



Me and cactus flower

Well, I’ve been off the trail for several weeks because of personal obligations.  Translation: I had family visiting for a week, I had jury duty the following week, and the third week I was a no account slacker.  That being said, our hikes are dwindling down to a precious few now.  The main group disbanded last week because the temperatures reached way up in the 80s and several people showed signs of heat exhaustion.  We are now operating with a much smaller group and we are abbreviating the length and difficulty of the hikes because of the heat. 

  

We have decided to gather an hour earlier figuring we can get started earlier and end the hikes before the heat gets dangerous.Whereas our normal hiking group ran between 12 and 18 members per hike, we only had four in our abbreviated group Wednesday.


We left the community center bright and early at 7:30 a.m., which means I was up at 6:00 a.m. so I could walk my dog before starting out. Needless to say….I was not bright eyed or bushy tailed in the least!   

BrickleBush

This week we hiked the Sweetwater Trail in Saguaro National Park in the Tucson Mountains.  We were aiming for the 3.4 mile mark as our turnaround spot.  This point is called Sweetwater Saddle and is the point where the trails from the west side of the park meet the Sweetwater Trail and from here all the trails share the same route to Wasson Peak, the highest point in the Tucson Mountains.   

Jumping Cholla Cactus

We had agreed at onset to hike 1 ½ hours one way, stop for a brief lunch and head back.  We had plenty of breaks to drink water and take pictures.  The scenery was absolutely breathtaking! 

The most notable thing of this hike was the flowers.   The desert was definitely in bloom and we had a wonderful time just trying to identify all of the flowers, cactus, plants and birds along the trail.  There were blossoms of every size and color.   We even took picture of this one cactus flower that looked as if it were coming out of a rock.   

Jorge snapping pics of flowers

This was a most enjoyable hike.  We didn’t quite make it to Sweetwater Saddle before we stopped and turned around, but that’s okay.   We were close enough and we didn’t have any problems – heat or otherwise. 





Me, Connie, Stan and SAGUARO

Hike Statistics (We only did 3 hours, with a break in the middle so we didn’t make the total mileage )

Distance Round Trip 7.36 mile

Trailhead Elevation 2,543 feet
Elevation Gain 412 feet
Accumulated Gain 536 feet
Average Time Round Trip 3.5 hours

Pima Canyon Trail in the Santa Catalina Mountains

Okay, so if you’ve been following the blog weekly, you know that I admit to being a novice hiker – thus the title of the blog.  I have been fortunate enough to keep up with the rest of the hikers pretty well every week.  Last week I was even talked into taking the more difficult of two hikes and was able to do it.  That being said….I was lulled into a false sense of security and thought the hike of Pima Canyon Trail this week would be a piece of cake.  NOTHING COULD HAVE BEEN FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH!!!  I was told it was an easy to moderate hike.  We were to hike about 6 miles round trip with about a 700 ft. elevation gain.   

Our group was 10 strong this week.  We headed out at 8:30 a.m. from the community center, our usual time.  It only took a short time to reach our destination, maybe 30 minutes or so.  Our group leader Joanne always gives us information on the hike as far as how hard, how long, etc. so I felt pretty good starting out.  The Pima Canyon trail is a beautiful and easily assessible trail.... so assessible it suffers from overuse.  The Pima trail ascends a V-shaped notch carved along the south face of Pusch Ridge.  Views down the canyon get better as you climb.  The riparian area on the floor of the canyon are ecologically diverse and may be home to a wide range of plants, insects and amphibians that make them ideal for different species of birds.  This provides an excellent birdwatching opportunity for resident and migratory birds.  

Well, after nearly 2 hours I started  wondering why it seemed to be taking us so long to reach the dam, which was the turnaround point for us.  It should only have been about 3 miles right?  3 miles shouldn't take so long should it?  I'm new, but I know I was really feeling the burn in my legs after a while.  As we passed hikers on their way back down we would inquire as to how much further and was always told with a smile…not much further.  We were given approximations like another 30 minutes, or ¾ of a mile, or right around the next bend you climb a little and then down. 

Crested Sahuaro

Well, let me digress a little bit….I seem to be whining a little more than usual....  I have to admit that the weather was great.  Sunny and a little on the cool side, which is wonderful for hiking.  The scenery, resplendent with wildflowers, cacti and trees, was beautiful and the trail was clearly marked.  We hiked through cottonwood trees and along a streambed (which was mostly dry) and we crossed it several times.  When we finally reached the dam where we would turn around, I was pretty tired and hungry.  We ate our lunch at this point and rested a little for the hike back down. 

Indentation left by Native Americans grinding meal

There are grinding rocks near the dam that the Hohokam Indians used to grind their mesquite pods into flour.  This was especially interesting for me.  I mean it really brings it home that this area was inhabited by Native Americans that walked, and lived and hunted through these mountains hundreds of years ago.  I took pictures of the grinding area, and could imagine the women there working with children playing in the streams.  Wonderful…..

George & Jim having lunch

Now, the trip back down….RATTLESNAKE!  Yes, I big diamondback rattler decided the middle of the trail on the rocks was a wonderful place to sun itself.  I am so glad the men went ahead of us on the way back down and were able to pick it up with their walking sticks and place it on the side of the trail (or should I label this a trial) in the brush.  This is the first large snake I have seen since I moved to Arizona, and I was amazed at how calm, cool, and collected everyone was.  I wanted to scream!  I wanted to run!  I wanted I wanted…I wanted to take its picture, but they had put it in a position where I couldn’t safely do so.  Oh well.  I was able to get a picture of the next best thing.  We had our very own Sasquatch sighting and I got a picture of it's feet! 

Sasquatch Mike's feet

We made it safely back to the trailhead and one of the guys who had an altimeter (I am the only novice hiker in the group, so these guys have all the tools of the hiking trade with them when we go out) which showed that this hike had in fact been a 1,000 ft. elevation gain just like the one last week to Romero Pools.  That is why it seemed so hard (to some of us) and why it seemed to take longer than a 6 miles hike should take. 

I can say I made it and I am happy I was able to make it.  It is possible I would have had second thoughts if I had known it was another 1,000 ft. elevation gain so soon.  I’m glad I didn’t know when we started out.  Another successful hike under my fanny pack! 

Dog-tired dogs - mine!

Romero Pools - Catalina State Park

On Wednesday, Feb. 29th we hiked in beautiful Catalina State Park in the Santa Catalina Mountains.  Our fearless leader Joanne gave us a choice between two trails. The reason for this was because of the difference in the difficulties of the trails.

Hike A was an easy hike of a total of a little more than three miles.  The Canyon Loop Trail was 2.3 miles with an elevation gain of 100ft.  This was combined with the Ruins Interpretive Trail of 3/4 of a mile.

 Hike B was The Romero Pools Trail. This hike is considered a moderate plus trail.   It is a total of five miles long – 2.5 miles up with an elevation gain of 1000 feet and then 2.5 miles back down.  WHEW!

Of the two choices and I had decided waaaayyyy last week that I felt more comfortable following the first hike, the easier hike.  After all, I am still a novice at this.  This would just be my 5^th hike.

Don't let this innocent smile fool you

The blog title indicates trails and trials….well, I think you know where I’m going with this one, and this one was a bit of a trial.  As we gathered in the parking lot of the community center, I allowed one of the seasoned hikers, Ernie a seemingly nice guy with an honest enough face to talk me into Hike B.  He told me he was SURE I could do it.  And yes, you guessed it, I fell for it. 

Our group of 13 hikers headed off to Catalina State Park at 8:30 a.m. with confidence high and arrived approximately 30 minutes later. Today, as in previous hikes – the weather was gorgeous.

Peeling off layers as the sun warms

This trail is very popular because of the beautiful scenery, it’s not too hard, and leads to the natural waterpark of Romero Pools.

                                                                            

The first 15 or 20 minutes of the trail is over the desert floor, but then it gets very rocky and starts climbing steeply up the north side of Montrose Canyon. About 45 minutes in from the trailhead you get to the top of the ridge between Romero and Montrose canyons, and then head up canyon near the top of the ridge. This area on the top of the ridge is very beautiful, since it has rock formations, great views, and it takes some work to get up there.

 The trail winds through the rocks at the top of the ridge for about 20 minutes, generally climbing, but with some short descents, until you drop down to the stream crossing at Romero Pools. There are pools and waterfalls up and down the stream from this point. To return, you just retrace your route back to the trailhead.

The Fork

Both trailheads started at the same place and our group divided in two.  One group of 5 took the trail to the nature trail to the left and the other group of 8 took the fork to Romero Pools.  This would be my last chance to change my mind and go on the easier hike….I didn’t.  I believed in my ability (and Ernie) and I wanted to try it. 

The wildflowers were spectacular! We saw poppies, foxgloves, brittle bush (I have since purchased several of these for my yard), fairy dusters, daisies, and more.  I am sorry I could not take photos of these beauties, because if just wasn’t that type of hike.  I had to keep my eyes on the trail and on my feet and the person ahead of me.  I just was too whimpy to try to take pictures while I hiked. 

The pictures I was able to snap of scenery were mostly when we stopped for a quick drink or at our lunch break. 

One of the things that kept me going and from complaining too much was a young man on the trail with his four, yes I said four children.  One was in a child carrier on his back and the others were probably ages 4, 7 and 10.  These ages are approximations but the skill of these kids was amazing.  I refused to be beaten by this group of super-humans! 

Reaching the pools

 I have to say once we got back down and were walking back to the parking lot, I felt a great sense of accomplishment.  I am glad I took the high road. 

People dive off the rocks into this pool-CRAZY!

Heading back down

Until next time…keep tumbling along like tumbling tumbleweed.

Madera Canyon

This week our hike took us to beautiful Madera Canyon. Madera Canyon is located in the Coronado National Forest on the northwest side of the magnificent Santa Rita Mountains under the towering Mount Wrightson (elevation 9453 feet) the third tallest peak in Arizona and the tallest in the Santa Rita Range. We hiked the Madera Creek Trail which was only about six miles round trip, but filled with plenty of hiking challenges.  Our adventure began at the Whitehouse Picnic area and we followed along the creek on the Nature Trail.  I have probably said this every week so far (in my four weeks as a hiker) but I have to say it again.  This had to be one of the most stunning settings in the world for a hike to date. 

The trail head is at an elevation of about 4500 feet and we gained about 600 ft. elevation on the nature trail.  There were spots in the trail where you hardly caught your breath from one pretty steep little junction before another was upon you.  Experienced climbers probably call this hike easy, but you notice my blog is titled the “novice hiker”…thus my whining at some of the challenging spots.  I will admit I got pretty winded a couple of times before we stopped for our lunch break, but I am quick to add that I’m getting a little better every week.  At least I’m not reaching for Aleve or Advil as soon as I come in the door like I did after my first hike. 

   
The trail was clearly marked and actually had identifiers on trees and other native plants which made the hike so much more educational for those of us new to the Tucson area and still learning the plant life (other than cacti).  We have a fellow hiker that is very well informed on all the flora and fauna and helps fill us in on all the plants we have questions about, but he deserted us this time for some golfing event that was going on in town....the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship or some such nonsense. 

Maybe the draw of big names like Tiger Woods, Bobby Jones, Luke Donald, Rory Mcllroy, Bubba Watson and others was enough to spirit away our resident botanist George, and a few others, but we had a relatively large group of 13 on the trail not giving a thought to the hundreds of people on the links. We were in our element.  

After our lunch break at the halfway mark on the trail we followed the road down to the Santa Rita Lodge where they have a large enclosure where they feed the birds.  There were several large wild turkeys while we were there today and we were able to identify quite a few other birds feeding in the area – Mexican Jays, Red-breasted Nuthatches, sparrows, finches, and many more. 

We continued down the road on our way back down to the parking area and stopped in at several bed & breakfast establishments for information.  There were bed & breakfast, lodges, cabins, casitas…WHO KNEW!!??  Anyway, I picked up information brochures on accommodations at several of these hidden jewels for future possibilities…

  

Another perfect hike under our fanny packs!

 Many thanks to the Friends of Madera Canyon for the brochures on hiking in Madera Canyon and Birds of Madera Canyon. 

Golden Gate Loop Trail

We could see where this huge bolder fell from

Our hike this week was considered an easy hike.  It's said it's so named because early prospectors thought Gates Pass and the mountain constituted the gate to the gold in the Tucson Mountains.  Golden Gate Trail circles Golden Gate Mountain but can also be combined with other trails to form a loop that takes you back to the parking lot.  That is the trail we took - the Loop.  The hike was 6.6 miles and really was relatively easy.

Where the trail forked - David Yetman left, Golden Gate right

The weather was awesome! Blue skies and plenty of sunshine put us all in good moods. We did not see many flowers in bloom yet. We also did not spy any animals of any kind. Well, I guess I should count the hawk we saw sitting atop a tall saguaro cactus. All the other hikers tell me I should be happy we are not seeing animals and that I probably won't be happy when I do see one.  We'll see....


The scenery here in the mountains is unparalleled. Just breathtaking. The trail itself was pretty easy to hike. The terrain changed almost constantly - one moment it was very rocky and hilly and almost before we realized it, it would change to smooth and straight.


We had walked just a couple of miles when we looked over to the right and in the distance could see Old Tucson.  We were still a pretty good distance from the town so none of my pictures came out clearly....sorry.


http://www.oldtucson.com/  Old Tucson is a popular tourist attraction here in Tucson and the backdrop for a lot of western movies such as  Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, Cimarron, Rio Bravo, The Three Amigos and a host of television westerns.  For one while on the hike we could actually hear the music from the saloon.



We stopped at the halfway mark for our sandwiches and a rest.  We really were roughing it on this walk....no facilities - if you know what I mean.  :-P  Oh yes, I did promise trails and trials...other than the no facilities thing the only other trial was with my camelback.  There was a crimp in the tubing so I was not able to get a drink for over three miles...from the beginning until or stop for lunch.  I took the bladder insert out of the camelback at our lunch break and straightened the tubing, and it was then that I noticed the bladder was leaking.  All along the trail I simply thought my back was wet because of perspiration....not so.  Over half of the water had leaked out!  Needless to say, I was really rationing my water on the walk back (when you are more tired and thirsty).  I had to carry the camelback in my hand, upside down to keep it from dripping down my back.  I have since replaced aforementioned cursed equipment.

Well, the second half of the hike - the way back - was pretty uneventful, but just a lovely as the first half.  As you can see in the picture below, our lady that had the little misstep accident at the beginning of the hike was all smiles at the end of the hike with our resident physical therapist who had checked her after the fall kept an eye on her throughout the hike. 

All's well that end's well

We had a good full day of rain recently, so I am waiting to see the wildflowers burst through within the next few weeks.  I'll keep you posted....

Until then....Happy trails to you, until we meet again.