There is something magical to me about giant toads in the desert and this pool in Sabino Canyon had more Sonoran Desert Toads in one spot than I had seen before – fun to watch them swimming around their pool, and just a beautiful spot to begin with…
Reported at 60 acres with some expectation that it will burn out or be put out by rain I wasn’t really sure what this lightning caused fire would look like. I stopped briefly near the Linda Vista trail and watched flames peak over the ridge and highlight the smoke in the sky – interesting but not so impressive. Driving farther north the view changed quickly and soon I stood with a handful of other people just inside Catalina State Park watching the fire – from here quite a bit more impressive…
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While far from crowded there were a surprising number of people waiting at the Linda Vista Trailhead to watch the 9pm fireworks show at the nearby Hilton El Conquistador. On the trail the small crowd quickly disappeared and I smiled at the hikers moving up the steep trail to Pusch Peak – small white dots against the black hillside.
I worked around the trail and eventually moved a short distance off the trail to a spot with a good views – I could already see a number of fireworks shows in the distance as I setup my camera.
Between the bursts of light, experimenting with camera settings and keeping an eye out for the small spotted skunks (that visited several times…) the first part of the show was dazzling – but eventually the explosions thundering into the mountains felt excessive and after the show ended I enjoyed the peaceful hike back to the trailhead.
Rain! Warm summer rain fell for the first mile of my short loop, just long enough for me to gain some elevation and find a spot to sit and watch the lightning – flashes in the clouds to the south and bright bolts to the west – a beautiful summer storm over the desert!
