The Santa Catalina Mountains rise above the Sonoran Desert near Tuscon. Stream-cut canyons provide access into the mountains. A narrow and winding road was built into the canyon, wide enough for only vehicle at a time and since 1978 a tram has run up the canyon for 3.8 miles with 9 stops along the way, providing access to various trailheads. … Continue reading…
In winter I either hike in the valley or snowshoe in the high country. One of the areas that offers many routes choices is Lodgepole Lake. I drive to the end of the road at the Rec Site and then head out on one of the many route possibilities, sometimes exploring new routes. On a mild winter day, I went … Continue reading…
The hike into Romero Canyon is one of the best hikes in the Santa Catalina Range near Tuscon. It starts in Catalina State Park. There are a number of connecting trails in the park, but the Romero Canyon Trail climbs out of the park into the Coronado National Forest and the Santa Catalina Natural Area. The hike to Romero Pass is … Continue reading…
On the last day of fall we hiked into the Middle Grasslands, making our own route across the hills. At about the 7.75 mark on the Lac du Bois Road we parked in a small pullout, then hiked northeast to the foot of Raptor Ridge. Raptor Ridge is a glaciated feature, a drumlin-shaped hill of glaciated materials. We hiked 1 … Continue reading…
On a mild day right before the winter solstice I explored the riverside area south of Cinnamon Ridge. I walked the Rivers Trail from the west end, then cut through the thick brush on a game trail all the way out to the bank above the river. I followed the rivershore east, mostly on the crumbling river bank, but also … Continue reading…
On an early winter day I hiked to the top of one of the three Sugarloaf summits, exploring the ridges, gullies, and clifftops, enjoying both the views and the local discoveries along the way. Access is difficult because of private lands, but the upper part of the hill is on Crown Land. I usually go up from the north side, … Continue reading…
I have been exploring the hills for decades, often finding old homesteads in unexpected locations. I have also researched the locations of old homesteads from historical sources and I have used the imagery on Google Earth to find even more. A few books (some no longer in print) have also helped. Some of the homesteads have been featured on this … Continue reading…
At the end of fall as snows started to blanket the hills I ventured into the upper middle grasslands to hike along various glaciated features, including pothole lakes, eskers, kames, moraine ridges, and erratics. Since the last Ice Age, erosion has also deepened drainage gullies, some ponds were filled with run-off silts, and melt-freeze cycles have broken rocks, boulders, and … Continue reading…
As winter approached the lower trails became icy, but the slopes of Lac du Bois Grasslands were much better for hiking, even though we needed to create our own route through the hills. On a mild day we parked at a pullout area off the Lac du Bois Road and started our hike up Red Hill. There are … Continue reading…
In shoulder season we can drive up into higher terrain to hike on snow-covered tracks in the forest. Roche Lake Provincial Park lies at 1100 to 1300 m (3600 – 4200 ft.). Within the park are a number of lakes connected by double and single tracks. Many of the lakes (on the east side) require high-clearance or 4WD and in … Continue reading…
Over the years I have climbed Jag Hill from every direction. Recently I hiked up from the Pimple on double tracks to the right elevation, then traversed along the ridge off trail to the summit overlooking the valley. We have driven up Rd Plateau Forest Service Road and traversed to the summit (the easiest route). I have gone up from … Continue reading…
On a grey late fall day we drove up through the Lac du Bois Grasslands Protected Area to the Lac du Bois Grasslands Conservancy and parked at Lac du Bois. We hiked south along an old double track in the upper grasslands. We had hoped to have the sun break through the fog, but we only had a few glimpses. … Continue reading…
I drove up Rose Hill Road above the housing areas and parked near the water tower. Many years ago I would go up the hill and there were many places to hike and explore, but most of the lands in the area are now private property or grazing leases so there is a limited access. Some of the area between … Continue reading…
The Garden of the Trolls is an area of interest on the slope below Jag Hill. It has about 30 large volcanic boulders, some full of holes or fissures spurring the imagination to think of stone trolls (Tolkien). There are no trails to the area and the trolls can’t be seen until you hike right into their midst. They can … Continue reading…
The Outer Inks area has a combination of backroads and single tracks (ATV) in the forest. In summer the tracks are used by motorcycles and a variety of 4WD, mountain bikes, quads, and a few hikers. The lower area next to the main access road is sometimes a place for people to party or camp and there is rubbish and … Continue reading…
In mid-November we hiked from the McQueen Lake area to Isobel Lake, then around the lake, and back on the same trail, a 5.5 km hike on the snow. My usual route for this hike was along the former Forestry Capital Trail (now called Beers-a-Waiting by mountain bikers) but with recent snowfall there was not much parking for a group … Continue reading…
