Sunsets – all taken in or near Catalina State Park, all taken on easy to find trails, all taken less than an hour from the trailhead!
Sunsets – 8/28/2016
Author: Charles Miles
Bears, Steward, Grants, 2006 – 9/10/2016
Bear sightings were in the news last month and this month a female bear who had reportedly followed hikers and tried to enter an occupied cabin was captured and taken to Bearizona in Williams, AZ (the alternative was likely killing the bear). It is worth restating some of the advice from AZGF that can help keep both people and bears safe:
- Keeping a clean camp or picnic site.
- Stowing food, pet food, trash and picnic coolers out of sight and out of smell range of bears.
- Using bear-proof food and trash receptacles where provided.
- Washing and stowing cooking utensils immediately after use.
- Not taking odorous items (toothpaste, lotions, etc.) or clothing used while cooking into tents.
- Keeping pets leashed.
- Avoiding contact with bears.
Yearling black bear nabbed on Mt. Lemmon near Tucson – tucson.com, Nuisance bear removed from Mt. Lemmon – KVOA.com, Young bear captured on Mt. Lemmon (WITH VIDEO) – TucsonNewsNow.
Steward Observatory is celebrating its centennial! From the University of Arizona:
Steward Observatory was officially established in 1916 through the foresight and perseverance of its first director, Andrew Ellicott Douglass. Douglass had come to Arizona in 1894 under the sponsorship of Percival Lowell. He was tasked to establish an astronomical observatory which became Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff. After he joined the University of Arizona faculty in 1906, Douglas sought to build an observatory in southern Arizona. Steward Observatory was made possible by the generous bequest made by Mrs. Lavinia Steward in memory of her late husband, Henry B. Steward.The Steward gift was used to build an observatory on an isolated tract of university land — a former ostrich farm. Its construction, delayed by World War I, was finally dedicated in 1923. The 36″ diameter Newtonian telescope was the first astronomical telescope to have been built using All-American made products.
Arizona State Parks Approves 29 Grants to Enhance Trails throughout AZ: “Arizona State Parks approved grant funding for 29 trail related projects totaling $3,079,377. Funds will be used to improve the state of existing trails and trail facilities and also to develop new trail systems.” This includes Catalina State Park – 80k, Coronado- Santa Catalina NF – 79k, Oro Valley – 30k, Climbing Association of Southern AZ – 73k and Assocation of 4WD Clubs 65k. Trail projects in Arizona to get funding – TucsonNewsNow
Work not over 10 years after historic flooding in Sabino Canyon – TucsonNewsNow, Residents remember Sabino Canyon flood on 10 year anniversary – KVOA.com: It has been 10 years since the flooding in the Santa Catalina Mountains that brought huge boulders and massive amounts of debris into the bottom of Sabino Canyon causing millions of dollars of damage to the road and facilities. Other areas in and around the Santa Catalina Mountains were also impacted – but none as dramatically as Sabino Canyon. For a contrast to the flood related footage the City of Tucson posted a 20 year old video from Tucson 12 that showcases the tranquil side of Sabino Canyon from long before the flooding!
Mayor Rothschild: City parks need our financial support – tucson.com: A case from the Tucson Mayor Jonathan Rothschild for funding City Parks including a brief discussion of the Land and Water Fund and the statement that he will “be working to make sure we include city parks in any revenue proposal we put before voters”.
Pima County road closures – TucsonNewsNow: There are quite a few washes/roads that can become impassable in stormy weather – if you are using Redington Road to access areas on the south/east side of Santa Catalina Mountains checking its status after significant weather is advisable. Pima County’s Road Closure Information can be helpful as can the Sheriff’s Department Hotline at (520) 547-7510 (as usual expect online information to lag behind the real world…).
North of Tucson, bright hues break out on Box Camp Trail – tucson.com: Inspiring coverage of the Box Camp Trail – “The Box Camp Trail in the Catalina Mountain offers a scenic hike at almost any time of the year, but a trek there in the wake of this summer’s abundant monsoon rains reveals a lush landscape of brilliant wildflowers, waist-high ferns and a gurgling creek.”
Lemmon Meadow: a haven of beauty and tranquility – tucson.com: Nice pictures from the Meadow Trail by Doug Kreutz.
The days are subtly shorter and there have been a few days recently where the temperatures have been beautiful – especially in the evening – certainly Oracle State Park will be having some beautiful days this month, as usual they have an interesting calendar of upcoming events.
Amy Michelle Kijewski was reported missing in early August – her car was found in the Palisades area. Search efforts were suspended several days after she was reported missing. She is described as “5’3″ tall, 135 lbs., with brown hair and brown eyes. She was wearing a royal blue short-sleeve shirt, green or grey shorts that fall above the knee” and her picture can been seen in the news articles about this incident – Sheriff’s department seeks missing Tucson hiker – Arizona Daily Star, Deputies look for missing hiker – KGUN9, Pima County authorities looking for overdue hiker – TucsonNewNow.
Girl, 8, injured in fall from Sabino Canyon tram – tucson.com: In an unusual accident a girl fell from a moving tram in Sabino Canyon – the owner of Sabino Canyon Tours stated “This is the first injury (involving a tram) that we know of in 30 years”.
It is a great time to visit Sabino Canyon – Monsoon rains have amplified Sabino Canyon’s beauty – tucson.com – but, as always, it is important to be prepared, especially for the heat, when hiking in Southern Arizona – SARA assists in 5 heat-related rescues in Sabino Canyon – TucsonNewsNow.
Rescues/Accidents/Incidents including information from the SARCI Newsletter:
- Sabino Canyon, The Crack 8/7/2016: A man was hoisted out after a fall.
- Marshall Saddle 8/10/2016: Hikers were stranded in the dark and assisted out by climbers and SAR teams.
- Pima Canyon (Off-trail) 8/14/2016: Hikers without lights were helped out by a hiker and SAR Teams.
- Box Camp Spring 8/16/2016: A hiker was unable to find the trail and requested help – he found the trail after requesting assistance and was met by a Mount Lemmon Deputy and SAR teams on his way out.
- Butterfly Trail 8/16/2017: A son, part of a group of hikers, went in search of his father who was reported missing. The father was found but then the son was missing – he was found near the Davis Spring junction on the Butterfly Trail.
- Pusch Peak 8/17/2016: A hiker was reported missing on a hike to the Pusch Peak area – contact was established by phone as he was coming back down and teams accompanied him out when he reached the Linda Vista Trail system.
- Pima Canyon 8/21/2016: On the return trip from Pima Saddle a hiker slipped and injured his hamstring. He was spotted and hoisted from near the 2nd dam back to the road.
Conjuring – 7/27/2016
We are surrounded by what seems like an infinite variety of insects – walking this trail in the daylight, just hours earlier, there was little hint of the magnificent horde that would be conjured from the darkness…
If you enjoy insects certainly don’t miss Arizona: Beetles Bugs Birds and more!
Honey Bee Canyon Trail Access Issue – 9/4/2016
Bicycle Tucson recently made two posts – Honeybee neighborhood to attempt bike ban Oct. 1 and Show your support for trail access at OV town council – that you should read about an access issue in the Honeybee Canyon/Rancho Vistoso/Oro Valley area.
Access has been an issue in this area before – see After 30 years of fighting and compromise, Rancho Vistoso nearly complete for some details back into the 1990s and HONEYBEE CANYON/TORTOLITA MOUNTAIN ACCESS UPDATE for more recent history – and it appears that there may be an upcoming chance to influence future access – posted to Facebook by The Damion Alexander Team:
The Home Owner Association at Honeybee Ridge has put up a sign saying that trail access via the easement off of Quiet Rain Dr. will be closed as of October 1, 2016.
There are differences of legal opinion as to if the HOA has the authority to do this. Regardless of if they have the law on their side, what is clear is the community needs to create a permanent access to these trails.
We need the elected officials to know how important this for the kids and families, businesses, tourism, health and vitality of Oro Valley and the region. HoneyBee/Rail X Ranch Trails offer some of the best beginner trails in the region and are often used in the National promotion of our region.
At the city council meeting on September 7th at the call to the audience the cycling community and other trail users need to show up and tell the mayor and council how important this access point is. We also need to make them aware of other options (AND THE CURRENT LACK THERE OF) for accessing Honeybee trail.
With the current election many in candidates are calling for a new and improved Oro Valley. One that is not known as just a retirement community. Because of this our voice will resonate louder. Please take your time and show up for this meeting. If you can’t make this one, show up at the next one. We are going to need to keep a constant vigil to save our trails.
The meeting is at 6:00 PM on September 7th. at the Oro Valley Town Hall. 11000 N La Canada Drive Oro Valley, AZ 85737
Above the San Pedro – 8/20/2016
A hint of trail leads us away from a road thru Pima County’s A-7 Ranch and out onto a ridge above the San Pedro River. The fields below and occasional engine noise make it clear that this isn’t pure wilderness – but we are alone with the creosote and cactus.
The sparse population and relatively long drive into the valley mean that there are many (maybe a limitless number?) of small, subtle, seldom visited places to enjoy – better perhaps that the drive into the valley today still reminds me of this passage in the conclusion of Bernard W. Muffley’s excellent 1938 thesis The History of the Lower San Pedro Valley in Arizona (pp. 71-72):
Possibly one reason why the lower San Pedro Valley was never a cohesive unit lies in the fact that there were no good roads. The Leach Route of 1857-58 had been only a clearing in the mesquite wide enough to permit the passage of a wagon. This road had never been extensively used. The later roads were developed from trails made by the early settlers. By 1930, the quality of the highways in the lower San Pedro Valley was much below the general state average. Even then, if a traveler wanted to go from Reddington to Mammoth by automobile the best route was by Tucson, a distance of 130 miles to cover what might easily be a level highway of less than thirty miles.
Another description from The History of the Lower San Pedro Valley in Arizona that still seems relevant today (pp. 57-58):
The story of the farms was the saddest part of the history of the lower San Pedro Valley. Once a hardy, ambitious, energetic class wrested many fertile acres from the mesquite and rocks. By 1904 the river had carved away the choice pieces of land. The more energetic of the settlers had moved on to places of greater promise. Ditches from the river were difficult to keep in place, and many an acre of land was allowed to grow into a mesquite thicket. Farmers found it easier to keep a few head of range cattle and forget about tilling the soil. One by one, as the large barns or fine homes collapsed or were destroyed, mud shacks or sheet iron sheds took their places. Along the San Pedro where once, more than fifty fine farms were to be seen, by 1930 only a few remained, and they were fast deteriorating. Only in Aravaipa Canyon did the farms retain a semblance of their old beauty.
