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Jan. 4 - Planned Cam-Boh in the Tucson Mtns. -- Did Cam-boh / Roadrunner / Panther Mountian Wash / Cam-Boh. Mostly wash hiking. Saw 2 hot air ballons.
8 semi-easy miles
Jan. 10 - Planned Bridal Wreath Falls in the Rincon Mtns. -- Did Douglas Springs(D.S.) / Bridal Wreath Falls / D.S. / Three Tank / Wild Horse / Garwood / D.S. Planned this hike because I was working on the burnt Mt. Lemmon Highway looking over to the Rincons and I saw plenty of water streaming down the gullies, so got to Bridal Wreath Falls and found a mere trickle, very disappointing! However, saw cool morning views of the moon w/cactus.
8 semi-tough miles
Jan. 17 - Planned Tanque Verde Ridge in the Rincon Mtns. -- Did French Joe Canyon in the Whetstone Mtns. from Hwy.90 to some kinda mine. Ran the last mile behind a van leaving the canyon and saw some very friendly horses by my car at the end of the hike, sure wish I'd remembered my camera!!
10 so-so miles
Jan. 24 - Unplanned -- Did Pima Canyon in the Santa Catalina Mtns. for 4.5 miles and turned around when the clouds started rolling in. So I tried to get higher than them, but only made it to cloud 9. Got sleeted on for about 15 minutes, and needless to say I lost the trail a total of 4 times on the way out!?!
9 hard miles
Jan. 31 - Unplanned. -- Did the David Yetman trail in the Tucson Mtns. from Camino De Oeste trailhead about half way to Starr Pass, past the Bowman Homestead. This shot greeted me as I stepped out to start the hike. Took an off-shoot unused/recently constructed trail to a mountian top with decent views of the Rincon Mtns.
7 easy miles
Feb. 7 - Planned Soldier Trail in the Santa Catalina Mtns. -- Did the Soldier Trail from Catalina Hwy. MP 1 to Prison Camp & along the Arizona Trail for 1/2 a mile to above the Molino Basin. Soldier Trail went straight up the mountian, it was a hard trail and it followed a stream for a few hundred yards just before Prison Camp. I saw the first wildflowers of the season. It was a cold windy day for a hike, but I was rewarded with fine sights.
7 tough miles
Feb. 16 - Planned Wentworth Trail in Saguaro Nat'l Park East -- Did Douglas Springs / Wentworth / Garwood for / Wentworth / Loma Verde for / Wentworth / Shantz / Wildhorse trailhead. This was a well maintained trail through a bunch of washes, the Wentworth trail is a fairly straight trail in the foothills of the Rincon Mtns. that runs through a mesquite bosque. The Shantz trail is a sandy, rutty trail that runs through creosotes and the bosque again. I got off the trail at Wildhorse Trailhead and walked up to the end of Speedway Blvd. for .2 to my car, Hale-Bopp-A-Lu-La, in the crowded Douglas Springs Trailhead parking lot.
6.6 easy miles
Feb. 22 - Unplanned -- Summited Wasson Peak(4687') highest point in the Tucson Mtns. via Sweetwater / King Canyon / Wasson Peak from the El Camino Del Cerro Trailhead. This was a nice morning for a hike, Sweetwater Trail starts off through a cholla forest and takes two 1 mile long uphill grinds mostly through jojoba plants. The wildflowers are just starting to bloom, I especially like these little lavendar orchids along this trail. Here are the views from Sweetwater Saddle to the southwest & the northeast. The trail passes a couple abandond mines and a cool ridge along the way to the top of Wasson Peak w/Tucson & Mt. Lemmon in the background.
9.2 semi-tough miles
Feb. 29 - Planned Tanque Verde Ridge in the Rincon Mtns. -- Hiked from the Irvington Trailhead on the Cactus Forest Trail which is just a split in the fence along Old Spanish Trail. At the beginning of the trail these fuzzy purple flowers were everywhere ankle to head height. Tanque Verde Ridge Trail is a series of ups and downs through mostly shindaggers(amole) and native grasses & the views of the Santa Rita Mtns. is great from this trail. Saw a little cave and hiked by some snow along the way to Juniper Basin Campground and of course the melting snow turns to running water.
15.5 tough miles
March 6-7 - No Go, recovering from the 15.5 miles last week & installing a fence between the back two rentals. Walked to Campbell and back via Speedway & Drachman, sos not to feel guilty for not hiking.
2.2 soft miles
March 14 - Unplanned -- Did Bridal Wreath Falls in the Rincon Mtns. -- Did Douglas Springs to Bridal Wreath Falls & back. It rained half of yesterday and half of last night, there had to be water at Bridal Wreath Falls, 'cuz if there wasn't I would have never gone back! The fuzzy purple bushes abounded at the middle of this trail and I really like this grotto of junipers and mesquite just before the falls.
5.2 moderate miles
March 21 - Planned David Yetman Trail from Gates Pass to Starr Pass Trail in the Tucson Mtns. -- Bushwacked to the Golden Gate Trail from Gates Pass road, this pretty little thing met me as I went into the first wash. The Yetman is a busy widetrack trail with lots saghuaros used by many hikers & bikers. Today there were lots of pink fuzzies & other pink flowers in the desert mountians. I took an offshoot trail along some cliffs to a saddle.
8 semi-easy miles
March 28 - Planned Ironwood/Golden Gate/David Yetman/offshoot in the Tucson Mtns. -- Got on Ironwood Trail from Kinney Road trailhead for about a mile and it met Golden Gate Trail to the Yetman/Golden Gate/Gates Pass interchange, and down Yetman to an offshoot that took me around Bren(?)Peak with great views of the interior of the Tucson Mtns. to a saddle where I met the Gates Pass Trail and back to the trail interchange.
8.5 semi-easy miles
April 3-4-5 - No Plans -- Rainy days and no rain gear - nor do I want rain gear!
On Monday we got done with work a little early so I started at Cypress Picnic Area and bushwacked up a very steep drainage to get a look across to our jobsite. I was rewarded with a fine view of this box canyon w/Mica Mtn. in the background. Also hiked from Windy Point Vista on the Vista Trail #14 to Geology Vista.
2.75 tough miles
April 11 - EASTER -- LAZY!
April 18 - Planned the deep cut drainage at the base of the Mt. Lemmon Hwy. in the Santa Catalina Mtns. -- This was about the extent of the trail off the road. This was a very lush and beauitful hike to the top of the drainage, the wildflowers were really out today. Here is a view from halfway and from the top looking out a crack in the cliff that I passed through.
6 hard miles
April 25 - Unplanned -- Did Shantz/Pink Hill/Saguaro/Wentworth/Loma Verde/Shantz/wash/Wentworth/Loma Verde/Cholla/Cactus Forest trails in the Saguaro Nat'l Park East. This was typical view of the trails with the yellows and whites abounding along the them. As I turned the corner to go through the mesquite bosque on Shantz trail this blue orchid met me. The Pink Hill & Saghuaro trails are aptly named!. Here is a view of the beautiful green desert from atop Pink Hill and the Hedge Hog Cactus are starting to bloom.
6.66 meandering miles
May 2 - Unplanned -- Did Thunderbird/Gila Monster/Coyote Pass/Cactus Canyon/State Trust Land wash/Gila Monster/Thunderbird trails in the Saghuaro Nat'l Park West. These wash laden trails went past about 8 old mines, here's a shot from about 25 feet inside one of the horizontal shafts. The wildflowers seem to be done but most all the cactus are blooming, cholla, prickly pear, saguaro & ocotillio at the base of Wasson Peak in the beautiful saguaro forrest.
7.5 semi-easy miles
May 8 - Planned Douglas Springs to Cowhead Saddle -- Wussed out! Did Douglas Springs/Garwood/Bajada Vista/Kennedy/Deer Valley/wash/Saguaro/Wentworth/Freight Wagon/Wagon Spur/Wildhorse trails in the Saguaro Nat'l Park East. Going to an all day concert tommorrow so decided the 17 miles to Cowhead wasn't in the works for today. The saguaros are in bloom so I decided to hike and find some views of blooming cactus. The Kennedy trail cuts a straight wide swath through the desert. Along the Deer Valley trail the Desert Willows were blooming, the sight and smell was amazing.
4.6 easy miles
May 9 - June 25-- WAY TOO LAZY!
May 26 - Planned to meet James Martin & Co. in Chiricahua Nat. Mon. -- This ill-fated journey began with me forgetting my camera and then breaking down in Paradise, AZ with a flat tire and 20lbs of pressure in the spare, limped back to Wilcox and missed my connection w/James. Hiked Sugarloaf Mtn. in the Monument proper.
3 easy miles
June 26 - Summited Carr Peak (9200') in the Huachuca Mtns. -- Camped at Ramsey View campground & hiked in the morning. The trail started out through a beautiful Manzanita stand and quickly became a very lush hike through the aspens it seems they almost form a tunnel! This intresting plant was everywhere along the trail today mixed in with these blue flowers. Me on top of Carr and here's a view along the trail over to Miller Peak.
6 semi-easy miles
Sept. 15 - Back on the Trail again!! I don't like hiking when it's humid out. Hiked on the CLOSED Green Mountian Trial almost to the Maverick Springs Trail Junction during work hours?!? Went from Bear Canyon Picnic area thru General Hitchcock Campground and up the mouintian on a pretty switchbackafied trail.
4 welcome-back miles
Sept. 16 - Summited a mountian peak along the Gutherie Mtn. Trail via the Green Mtn. Trail(same one from yesterday)here is a view both ways from the summit, and look back to the jobsite about halfway on the Green Mtn. trail. The monsoons have brought the wildflowers back out with plenty of reds, yellows and lavenders as well as plenty of ferns along the creek beds. I also saw a 2' king snake on the jobsite today.
6 easy miles
Sept. 26 - Did some urban hiking today, went past an old haunt I used to work at, then proceeded to walk along the U of A mall where they were just cleaning up from the party after losing to Wash. State in football. I then walked past my first place of residence in Tucson, the Alpine Chalet(1st)--witness--it didn't last very long we moved in July 26th '85! Past another residence(4th) then by the old Dover Trench house, & past yet another rental we called Fort Irvington(2nd). Finally past the ever expanding UMC and still another rental(7th)! We'll visit the other three places I lived in Tucson on a future walk.
7 very easy miles
Oct. 3 - Did some more urban hiking today, walked to the other(3rd) three places(5th) I've lived(6th) in Tucson and right back home(8th).
9 very easy miles
