Bellota Trail, Molino Basin to Redington Road – 3/26/2017

Beautiful green below West Spring near the large tank on the Bellota Trail. March 2017.
Beautiful green below West Spring near the large tank on the Bellota Trail. March 2017.

Pieces of the Bellota Trail are easy to see from the Molino Basin Parking Area or the Italian Spring Trailhead, but at over 20 miles for a full out and back it’s a long day to see the whole thing – so it was lucky to find a friend interested in doing a car swap/key exchange allowing me to make the rather beautiful trip out of the Santa Catalina Mountains over to Redington Road with a casual start, relaxed pace and plenty of time to enjoy the journey!

Scarlet Pimpernel high in Agua Caliente Canyon where the Bellota Trail crosses after leaving FR36A. March 2017.
Scarlet Pimpernel high in Agua Caliente Canyon at the Bellota Trail crossing (after the trail leaves FR36A). March 2017.
The Lake - this pool of water is just off the Arizona Trail (Bellota Trail) near 'The Lake' Trailhead on FR36. March 2017.
The Lake – this pool of water is just off the Arizona Trail (Bellota Trail) near The Lake Trailhead on FR36. March 2017.
Looking towards the Evans Mountain from Point 4622, just off the Bellota Trail. March 2017.
Looking towards the Evans Mountain from Point 4622, just off the Bellota Trail. March 2017.

Sunset from Point 6512 Above Bear Canyon – 12/11/2016

December 2016.
A brilliant sunset over Tucson from Point 6512 above Bear Canyon. December 2016.

The Bug Spring Trail from the Lower Green Mountain Trailhead provides an easy way to access ridge south of Bear Canyon – there are hints of a path on, or near, the top of the ridge, but only hints – if you follow the ridge for any distance you are bound to be pushing thru the brush and working around obstacles – you can continue past Point 6512, but it may be worth sitting, enjoying the ridge and waiting for the sunset…

December 2016.
Point 6512 above Bear Canyon – track from the Lower Green Mountain Trailhead. December 2016.
December 2016.
Looking across Bear Canyon to Lizard Rock. December 2016.
December 2016.
Sunset light south of the Santa Catalina Mountains. December 2016.

A Rainy Day on Davis Mesa – 9/7/2016

A stormy day on Davis Mesa. September 2016.
A stormy day on Davis Mesa. September 2016.

Unusual weather makes Davis Mesa seem remote and lonely – just me and the cows today. Too many clouds to see much of the San Pedro Valley to the east or the Santa Catalina Mountains to the west. The east side of the Santa Catalina Mountains – where the hills and canyons tumble into the San Pedro River – is often a good escape if you have time for the drive and a vehicle that will handle the, often rough, dirt roads. In 2011 Nathan Sayre noted in A History of Land Use and Natural Resources in the Middle San Pedro Valley, Arizona that “The current population [of the Middle San Pedro Valley], estimated at 175 year-round residents, is less than was found in the area in the early twentieth century, and probably less than occurred during some prehistoric periods.” (Journal of the Southwest, Volume 53, Number 1, Spring 2011)

 

The road across the Mesa descends towards Mesa Well and off into the clouds. September 2016.
The road across the Mesa descends towards Mesa Well and off into the clouds. September 2016.

Davis Mesa sits between Alder and Edgar Canyons. The land is part of the Six Bar Ranch – purchased by Pima County  in 2006. Cattle still graze here, as they probably have, at least periodically, for over a century. In a Pima County Conservation Report the section on the Six Bar Ranch notes that “This ranch is more remote and has limited access points so it does not get as much use as many of the other ranch properties” – certainly accurate, but considering the best case drive from Tucson probably a bit of an understatement…

Looking up Alder Canyon after parking off Black Hills Mine Road and hiking across the canyon. September 2016.
Looking up Alder Canyon after parking off Black Hills Mine Road and hiking across the canyon. September 2016.

The all-things-considered quickest access from Tucson that I am aware of is to drive thru Oracle, turn south onto Veterans Memorial Boulevard, pass San Manuel, continue on Black Hills Mine Road and eventually find a parking spot above the Ventana Windmill (probably 1.5 to 2 hours from Speedway and Campbell in Tucson) – from there it is a reasonable hike access across Alder Canyon up onto Davis Mesa…

Incinerator Ridge to Mount Bigelow – 9/21/2014

1409 Clouds from the Incinerator Ridge Trail
Clouds from the Incinerator Ridge Trail. September 2014.

The clouds over the mountain looked tempting and tall but I had to drive high on the mountain to get under their shadow – the cloudless blue skies around the mountain hint at higher temperatures to come, I don’t think summer is quite done… Ridgeline Parking Pullout, Incinerator Ridge Trail and Kellogg Trail up to Mount Bigelow. 4 miles, 1000′ of elevation gain/loss.

1409 Indian Paintbrush on the Kellogg Trail
Indian Paintbrush. September 2014.