Author: Charles Miles

Balloon, Vandalism, Firescape, Bighorn – 2/14/2016

Updated - Posted - Charles Miles
Balloon - trash on a hillside above La Milagrosa Canyon - there was a 2nd balloon below... February 2016.
Balloon – trash on a hillside above La Milagrosa Canyon – there was a 2nd balloon below… February 2016.

Balloons floating up into the sky can seem beautiful and symbolic – but after picking up balloons from an astounding number of places in the mountains – including many off-trail destinations with no sign of people/trash for miles – I cringe when I see a piece of floating trash ascending into the sky… For more sad pictures of balloons and a bit more information see Balloons in the Backcountry.

In January a boulder with a petroglyph was pushed over and some surrounding vegetation was damaged in Catalina State Park – if you have any information please contact the Coronado National Forest Supervisor’s Office at (520) 388-8300. It is sad anyone would vandalize a site like this – January was not a great month in regards to vandalism with an incident also reported in Saguaro National Park. Vandalism at Catalina State Park – Coronado National Forest, Catalina State Park vandalism under investigation – Arizona Daily Star, Native American petroglyph vandalized at Catalina State Park – TucsonSentinel.com, Vandals strike Catalina State Park – Tucson News Now.

The comment period for the Catalina-Rincon FireScape Project  is open and the Forest Service is holding several open houses about this project:

  • Saturday, February 20, 2016 – 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.  Chuck Bowden Mt. Lemmon Community Center, 12949 N. Sabino Canyon Parkway., Mt. Lemmon, AZ
  • Tuesday, February 23, 2016 – 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.  Oracle Fire Department, 1475 W. American Ave., Oracle, AZ
  • Thursday, February 25 – 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.  Morris K. Udall Regional Center, 7200 E. Tanque Verde Rd., Tucson, AZ

The press release from the Forest Service provides this quick summary of the project – “The CRFS is a landscape-scale restoration project that focuses on promoting resilient ecosystems; protecting life, property, and natural resources; and encouraging natural wildland fire to function as a healthy process in the ecosystem” – and the Scoping Notice provides background including:

The fire history recorded by tree rings indicates that, since the beginning of the early 20th century, the frequency of natural fire has decreased dramatically. Tree-ring research has shown that for many centuries, the Santa Catalina and Rincon mountains shared broadly similar fire regimes and ecosystem properties. However, since the early 20th century, natural fire regimes have been significantly altered because of grazing (which removes the fine fuels that carry surface fire) and continued fire suppression.

The latest Santa Catalina Bighorn Sheep Reintroduction Project update was recently released:

  • As of 2/10 the total number of lambs confirmed by visual observation is now 13! The Friends of Catalina Bighorn Sheep Facebook page has links to recent video/pictures.
  • Ewe #39540 died in the first part of February – “she had suffered a severe injury to her left front leg in addition to a
    superficial wound on her chest, both injuries likely sustained in a fall” – samples have been sent for disease testing.
  • Test results from Ewe #39554 who died in December indicate that she did not have pneumonia and that injuries sustained in a fall were the likely cause of death.

Coronado National Forest waives fees in honor of Presidents Day – Coronado National Forest: Coronado National Forest will waive fees at most of its day-use recreation sites Monday, February 15, in honor of Presidents Day – Fees are waived generally for day-use areas, such as picnic grounds, developed trailheads and destination visitor centers!

Recreation projects completed on Mt. Lemmon – Coronado National Forest: A recent press release from the Coronado National forest notes several recently complete projects include 22 new interpretive signs along/near the highway and new restrooms at the Cypress Picnic Area and Showers Point Campground.

Rescues/Accidents/Incidents including information from the SARCI Newsletter:

  • Finger Rock Trail 1/16/2016 – Hikers descending from Mount Kimball ran out of daylight on the way down the Finger Rock Trail, ended up at Linda Vista Saddle and couldn’t find the way down.
  • Alamo Canyon 1/18/2016 – Hikers returning from Romero Pools ended up in on the slopes of Alamo Canyon.
  • Blackett’s Ridge 1/20/2016 – A fall results in ankle, knee and face injuries – injured hiker was flown out by helicopter.

 

Agua Caliente to La Milagrosa Canyon Trail Loop – 2/7/2016

Updated - Posted - Charles Miles
A strange desert monster. February 2016.
A strange desert monster. February 2016.

The La Milagrosa and Agua Caliente Canyon Trail Loop is not a pristine wilderness experience – the walk thru the neighborhood at the beginning and end, old fence line, tanks, views of the city – but don’t be be fooled, the saguaros, flowers, water, big canyon walls and fun trails are too good resist…

Falling water in La Milagrosa Canyon. February 2016.
Falling water in La Milagrosa Canyon. February 2016.
Saguaro and Sun from the La Milagrosa Trail. February 2016.
Saguaro and Sun from the La Milagrosa Trail. February 2016.

Stars and Clouds, Night in Sabino Canyon – 2/6/2016

Updated - Posted - Charles Miles
Blackett's Ridge under the stars. February 2016.
Blackett’s Ridge under the stars. February 2016.
A tree above the Sabino Canyon 'lake'. February 2016.
A tree above the Sabino Canyon ‘lake’. February 2016.
Clouds and Stars above the Santa Catalina Mountains. February 2016.
Clouds and Stars above the Santa Catalina Mountains. February 2016.

We hiked, slowly and with pauses for pictures, out passed the dam and to the lake, under the stars and clouds – it was a beautiful night and as our friend Mindi wrote “I can’t even describe how much fun it is to go sit in the dark with your camera!”

Sutherland Wash Rock Art District – 1/30/2016

Updated - Posted - Charles Miles

The Sutherland Wash Rock Art District was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1993. Located in and around Sutherland Wash the area holds an incredible number of Hohokam petroglyphs. Ceramics and artifacts found in the area indicate that it was inhabited by the Hohokam between 1000 A.D and 1300 A.D. The water in the area would certainly have been an attraction and researchers have identified probable prehistoric trails both to the top of the Santa Catalina Mountains and to nearby locations such as Romo Peak pass thru this area. (The Romo Cache was found on Romo Peak and contains 100,000 beads and a number of copper bells) .

Flower petroglyph. January 2016.
Flower petroglyph. January 2016.

In Flower World Imagery in Petroglyphs: Hints of Hohokam Cosmology on the Landscape by Janine Hernbrode and Peter Boyle the petroglyph above is identified as a flower – from a BorderLore post:

There are more than 600 petroglyph panels in the district, including many representations of flowers, butterflies and birds. Such imagery is characteristic of a spiritual landscape known as the Flower World. In this Uto-Aztecan belief system of ancient Mesoamerican origin, believers evoked a flowery, colorful, glittering paradise through prayers, songs, and other actions. The likelihood of this connection is strengthened by the discovery of Mesoamerican copper bells at Honey Bee Village (a nearby Hohokam settlement) and in a cache of Hohokam artifacts found near the rock art district.

A panel of petroglyphs in the Sutherland Rock Art District. January 2016.
A panel of petroglyphs in the Sutherland Rock Art District. January 2016.
Female anthropomorph and flowers. Januaru 2016.
Female anthropomorph and flowers. January 2016.

Gender in Hohokam Imagery and Landscape: Sutherland Wash Rock Art District, Coronado National Forest, Arizona by Janine Hernbrode and Peter Boyle examines gender in the Sutherland Wash Rock Art District – out of the 419 anthropomorphs at the site 64 male and 65 female figures were identified – the image above clearly matches the female characteristics described in the paper.

Zoomorph. January 2016.
Zoomorph. January 2016.

Even more common than the anthropomorphic petroglyphs at the site are representations of animals – it is difficult to tell what animal is represented above, but interesting to dream about what people were seeing in this area 1,000 years ago…

Snow and Ice, Lambs, Babad Do’ag, Missing Hiker – 2/2/2016

Updated - Posted - Charles Miles
Light Snow in Bear Canyon. February 2016.
Light Snow in Bear Canyon. February 2016.

By mid-day the highway had re-opened – low on the mountain there was no sign of yesterday’s storm – but somewhere before Bear Canyon snow started covering the ground. There was more snow higher on the mountain – and an impressive display of ice on the roadcut above the pullout for the Ridgeline Climbing Area.

Road to Mt. Lemmon closes as storm makes for a chilly Monday – Arizona Daily Star, Storm closes road to Mt. Lemmon – KVOA.com, Monday’s winter storm brings fresh snow to Mount Lemmon – KVOA.com, Road to Mount Lemmon open – Tucson News Now.

Ice on the road cut above the Ridgeline Parking Area. February 2016.
Ice on the roadcut above the Ridgeline Parking Pullout. February 2016.

The latest Santa Catalina Bighorn Sheep Reintroduction Project update was recently released:

  • 8 lambs have been confirmed this season!
  • The past several updates have talked about the collars dropping off as the batteries run out – 3 of the collars failed to drop off, but “This does not create any added potential risk to the animals since they are mature adults”.
  • Since the end of 2013 there have been published updates on the project every two weeks – starting in March the plan is to go to once a month updates: “With the continued positive indicators on this project (including a successful November 2015 release and 2013 collars now dropping off as anticipated) the Catalina Bighorn Sheep Reintroduction Project is running smoothly and requiring less intensive management. Coupled with this milestone is an anticipated reduction in the frequency of the current routine bi-weekly project updates. Beginning in March we intend going to a monthly update schedule (issued on the last Friday of each month).”

Hiking around Babad Do’ag Trail – Toni Savanna Photography: a great set of pictures from the Babad Do’ag Trail!

Mt. Lemmon search crews looking for missing hiker – Arizona Daily Star, UPDATE: Hiker who went missing on Mount Lemmon found safe – Tucson News Now: A hiker missing after going for a hike on the Bug Spring Trail was found in good condition.

The Southern Arizona Buffelgrass Coordination Center recently made a Facebook  post about Sahara Mustard, an invasive species in the Sonoran and Mohave Desert – while I am not aware of Sahara Mustard being found in/around the Santa Catalina Mountains it was interesting to learn more about it – some information from the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum – and from the TUBB CANYON DESERT CONSERVANCY SAHARA MUSTARD: FAQS:

Sahara Mustard threatens to bring a real “Silent Spring” to the Anza-Borrego Desert and other deserts of the Southwest. Sahara Mustard quickly multiplies to overshadow, poison, and rob water from the wildflower fields and blooming cacti that bring so many visitors from around the world to see the. Eventually, Sahara Mustard can kill even tough creosote, cholla and barrel cacti, literally taking over the desert and turning it into a mustard wasteland devoid of the biodiversity needed to sustain desert wildlife

Ice on the roadcut above the Ridgeline Parking pullout. February 2016.
Ice on the roadcut above the Ridgeline Parking Pullout. February 2016.