Snow Day – 2/22/2019

Pusch Peak - snow and clouds! February 2019.
Pusch Peak – snow and clouds! February 2019.

A second day of snow in the desert! The almost-accumulating snow in our backyard was encouraging, and the snow on Pusch Ridge was alluring – but we pressed on northwards, past Catalina, all the way around to the American Avenue Trailhead in Oracle. Soft shin deep snow made our short Mariposa and Bellota Trail loop a unique experience! Even in Oracle the day had changed by noon – drips of melting snow were falling from the trees by the time we were back at the trailhead – but the snow on Pusch Ridge from Naranja Park in Oracle was amazing. Snow Day!!!

Bighorn Mountain. February 2019.
Bighorn Mountain. February 2019.
Domes above Alamo Canyon covered in snow. February 2019.
Domes above Alamo Canyon covered in snow. February 2019.
Snow covered Cholla on the Mariposa Trail in Oracle State Park. February 2019.
Snow covered Cholla on the Mariposa Trail in Oracle State Park. February 2019.
Snow covered Bellota Trail in Oracle State Park. February 2019.
Snow covered Bellota Trail in Oracle State Park. February 2019.
Snow covered Bellota Trail in Oracle State Park. February 2019.
Snow covered Bellota Trail in Oracle State Park. February 2019.
Snow in Oracle State Park. February 2019.
Snow in Oracle State Park. February 2019.

North to Peck Spring, South to Peck Spring | Summer, Winter – 7/9/2018, 1/23/2019

SunZia News

The proximity of SunZia’s route to the San Manuel Ray Blair Airport triggered an FAA review of the project resulted in several notable changes – the proposed route of the line now runs closer to Oracle State Park, lines in the area will be required to have marker balls and 21 of the towers will have lights on top. A string of glowing lights in the San Pedro River Valley would be a disappointing addition – I am unsure about the impact to the views from Oracle State Park but this is a particularly unwelcome addition considering the International Dark Sky Park designation that Oracle State Park has achieved. This change has not yet been officially approved so there is some hope that a better solution might be found. The Arizona Corporation Commission eDocket for SunZia has documents related to this proposed change including comments from the Friends of Oracle State Park and Cascabel Working Group.

SunZia - FCC Route change bringing the line closer to Oracle State Park - not indicated on this map are the locations of the 21 towers that will require lights... February 2019.
SunZia – FCC Route change bringing the line closer to Oracle State Park – not indicated on this map are the locations of the 21 towers that will require lights… February 2019.

In July of 2018 the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission issued a Recommended Decision that denied SunZia’s request for location approval. After several months of additional filings, motions and responses that decision was upheld in a Final Order issued in September 2018. The request was denied ‘without prejudice’ so it is just a matter of time before SunZia submits this request again.

In October of 2018 the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission approved the location of Pattern Development’s Corona Wind Projects which allows construction to begin on an estimated 950 wind turbines. The projects – Duran Mesa, Cowboy Mesa, Red Cloud, Tecolote, Ancho and Viento Loco – are located in Lincoln, Torrance and Guadalupe counties in east-central NM. The project includes a 140 mile transmission line project that will connect this project with SunZia so that the generated energy can be sold to western states. Pattern Energy announced that purchase agreements have been made with Silicon Valley Clean Energy and Monterey Bay Community Power in California. A Utility Dive article indicates that Pattern Energy will be working with SunZia on the resubmittal of their application to the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission.

 


North – Davis Mesa Road to Peck Spring – Summer

Saguaro ribs along the SunZia route north or Davis Mesa Road. July 2018.
Saguaro ribs along the SunZia route north or Davis Mesa Road. July 2018.

Wandering cross-country thru the saguaros has a rhythm, a shape – step forward step forward; — pause — look; step to the side, squeeze thru, step forward step forward… Sometimes your path doubles back on itself and starts again – sometimes it curves with the landscape – never steady, never straight, infinite variations on a theme.

North of Edgar Canyon and the Davis Mesa road the SunZia Transmission heads north – white hills, red hills and down into flatter terrain before turning to the northwest to parallel the existing gas line. Previous section that I hiked had deep canyons – substantial vertical gains and losses – SunZia’s route is obviously a straight line on the map, but the experience of trying to follow it across broken terrain really didn’t bring to mind straight lines and clean angles. Today is different – a straight line thru this gently rolling desert is alien, infuriating – SunZia’s mechanical progression out of place and lacking grace, even the old road towards Peck Spring curves and matches landscape…

In this short section there will be 7 towers, 2 tension pads and 5 new access roads – it is nice to turn away and make the short walk to the Peck Spring area.

SunZia Route - leaving the Davis Mesa. July 2018.
SunZia Route – leaving the Davis Mesa. July 2018.
Fallen Saguaro fruit along the Sunzia Route. July 2018.
Fallen Saguaro fruit along the Sunzia Route. July 2018.
Red rock along the SunZia route. July 2018.
Red rock along the SunZia route. July 2018.
East side of the Santa Catalina Mountains from the SunZia Route north of Davis Mesa Road. July 2018.
East side of the Santa Catalina Mountains from the SunZia Route north of Davis Mesa Road. July 2018.
SunZia Route Map - Davis Mesa Road to the road to Peck Spring. July 2018.
SunZia Route Map – Davis Mesa Road to the road to Peck Spring. July 2018.

 


Interlude – Peck Spring

Dry tank in the Peck Spring Area. July 2018.
Dry tank in the Peck Spring Area. July 2018.
A maze of chutes and fencing in the Peck Spring area. July 2018.
A maze of chutes and fencing in the Peck Spring area. July 2018.
Gila Monster above Peck Canyon. July 2018.
Gila Monster above Peck Canyon. July 2018.
Beautiful Tree shooting up from Peck Spring. July 2018.
Beautiful Tree shooting up from Peck Spring. July 2018.

The name ‘Peck’ predates Arizona’s statehood and surrounded by old fences and corrals I can’t help but think about the small bits of history I have learned over the past few years – from Bernard W. Muffley’s 1938 History of the Lower San Pedro Valley, pages 29-30:

In 1885 the Bayless and Berkalew Company purchased the homesteads of William and Edward Peck. Near by on a school section they founded a ranch later known as the Sacaton. From this humble beginning the company gradually increased its interests until at one time it comprised 9000 acres of patented land. Starting about the same time, Demitrus Markham built up a large ranch between Sacaton and Reddington. Later, however, this land was acquired by Bayless and Berkalew. The trade of this section of the San Pedro Valley became so important that in the summer of 1885 a road was constructed across Cabadillo Pass into the San Pedro Valley. On this same road Dr. C. H. Davis, brother of W. C. Davis of the San Pedro Valley, was ambushed and killed by the Indians early in June, 1886. Thus the fact is shown that bands of renegade Apaches were still at large.

The map below is drawn from the Bureau of Land Management’s General Land Office Records and shows land ownership along the San Pedro before 1900. Of course the San Pedro River Valley has been inhabited for thousands of years, in the big picture all the names here represent newcomers – but a number of these names make their way onto present day maps and histories. Whitlock Canyon, Peck Basin, Peck Canyon, Peck Spring, Stratton Canyon (and the very interesting Pioneering in Arizona, The Reminiscences of Emerson Oliver Stratton & Edith Stratton Kitt), Davis Mesa, Redfield Canyon, Bollen Wash, Markham Canyon… Land ownership was concentrated along the river – still somewhat true today – and the original 1880 survey for 10S18E leaves much of the land farther from the river basically blank with labels indicating ‘land rough’ and ‘land broken by canyons’.

General Land Office Land Ownership along the San Pedro before 1900. February 2019.
General Land Office Land Ownership along the San Pedro before 1900. February 2019.
Original Survey of Township 10S Range 18E - approved in 1880 with land ownership, including the Peck's land, overlaid and Alder Wash and Kielberg Canyon labeled. February 2019.
Original Survey of Township 10S Range 18E – approved in 1880 with land ownership, including the Peck’s land, overlaid and Alder Wash and Kielberg Canyon labeled. February 2019.

 


South – Black Hills Mine Road to Peck Canyon – Winter

Cracks and ripples in a fallen Prickly Pear. January 2019.
Cracks and ripples in a fallen Prickly Pear. January 2019.

It’s been some time since I followed the SunZia route – a break from the heat, a break from thinking about SunZia – but it isn’t time to stop and today I head south from Black Hills Mine Road. Rippling hills, alternating white and red soils, views across the valley to the Galiuros… But dominating the day are the cracks in the landscape – steep sided dirt and rock washes, awkward and loose, dry rocks and sand at the bottom – V shaped views down into the valley and across to the Galiuros. Cool winter weather and the occasional feeling of being nowhere – a beautiful day.

Wash and Saguaros along the SunZia Transmission Line route. January 2019.

Wash and Saguaros along the SunZia Transmission Line route. January 2019.
Red Sand, Prickly Pear and Brittle Bush. January 2019.
Red Sand, Prickly Pear and Brittle Bush. January 2019.
Panoramic view of the Galiuros across the San Pedro River, the SunZia Route will run south on the far right. January 2019.
Panoramic view of the Galiuros across the San Pedro River, the SunZia Route will run south on the far right. January 2019.
Alder Wash. January 2019.
Alder Wash. January 2019.
Sand and rocks in an unnamed wash. January 2019.
Sand and rocks in an unnamed wash. January 2019.
SunZia Route Map - Peck Canyon to Black Hills Mine Road. February 2019.
SunZia Route Map – Peck Canyon to Black Hills Mine Road. February 2019.

Box Camp Trail, Hutch’s Pool, out to Prison Camp – 9/23 and 9/24/2018

A view from a ridgetop section of the Box Camp Trail. September 2018.
A view from a ridgetop section of the Box Camp Trail. September 2018.

Pictures from last Fall – watery Hutch’s Pools, a bright moonrise from the West Fork and a beautiful night – but what really sticks in my mind is the lower half of the Box Camp Trail. The rough trail hides other footsteps – hard to guess the last time someone has been here – an hour? a week? Nice to be alone and wonder!

Water at a canyon crossing on the Box Camp Trail. September 2018.
Water at a canyon crossing on the Box Camp Trail. September 2018.
Grinding holes along the West Fork Trail. September 2018.
Grinding holes along the West Fork Trail. September 2018.
Hutch's Pool off the West Fork Trail. September 2018.
Hutch’s Pool off the West Fork Trail. September 2018.
Moonrise on the West Fork Trail. September 2018.
Moonrise on the West Fork Trail. September 2018.
Camped above the junction of the Bear Canyon, East Fork and Sycamore Reservoir Trails. September 2018.
Camped above the junction of the Bear Canyon, East Fork and Sycamore Reservoir Trails. September 2018.
Looking across the Santa Catalina Mountains towards Romero Pass. September 2018.
Looking across the Santa Catalina Mountains towards Romero Pass. September 2018.
Sacred Datura in the Sycamore Reservoir Area. September 2018.
Sacred Datura in the Sycamore Reservoir Area. September 2018.

A Merry Buster Mountain Christmas – 12/25/2018

Light on the top of Buster Mountain. December 2018.
Light on the top of Buster Mountain. December 2018.

Buster Mountain – if it didn’t have a name I wonder how often this spot on the map would be visited – just one of many protrusions on the ribs running west and down from Pusch Ridge. But the question is irrelevant, this rolling hilltop is named for Buster Bailey – probably best know thru Charles Bowden’s Frog Mountain Blues – and the summit register is filled with signatures.

Leviathan Dome, Wilderness Dome and Solitude Pinnacle from Buster Mountain. December 2018.
Leviathan Dome, Wilderness Dome and Solitude Pinnacle from Buster Mountain. December 2018.

From Frog Mountain Blues, p. 46-47:

He has become a footnote. Up on the mountain, there is a Buster Spring and above Buster Spring rolls Buster Mountain. For the old man this seems a trifle strange. He is Buster Bailey, seventy some years old, a man living in a junkyard with a household bagged at the bump. In a city of half-a-million, he is a ghost. And now they’ve gone and made him into some kind of landmark.

A new bridge over Canada del Oro on the Oracle highway swallowed the land he settled as a boy in 1927. The new Catalina State Park spreading against the north side of the range has entombed the ranches he worked and built in the thirties. Mesquite roots chew the soil of his old corrals, hackberry spreads over the spot where he once put his still, and a bulldozer has sliced off his old house lest it blemish the natural setting.

Frog Mountain Blues was published in 1987 and the details are aging – the city of half-a-million has added hundreds of thousands, nearly double depending on what you consider ‘the city’, and Catalina State Park as anything but new.

A few pages later a Jack Dykinga photograph shows bulldozers under curving utility lines, Buster Mountain in the distance on the left and Leviathan Dome rising out of Alamo Canyon on the right. Giant machines plowing thru the desert is a sort of sad ageless classic, but the 77 corridor thru Oro Valley has had so much construction and development for so long that it is hard to muster any deep emotion for a bit more or less asphalt.

Looking south along Pusch Ridge from Buster Mountain - Table Mountain, Bighorn Mountain and Pusch Peak. December 2018.
Looking south along Pusch Ridge from Buster Mountain – Table Mountain, Bighorn Mountain and Pusch Peak. December 2018.

The storm has given us a gift today – clouds and light all around, rain mostly in the distance. In a few more days this area will be legally closed until May, but it will be practically closed until next winter when the summer heat recedes. It is a privilege to be on this landmark, unseen ghosts on the empty mountain side, alone above the city of just-over-a-million.

Watching the clouds and storm on the way down from Buster Mountain. December 2018.
Watching the clouds and storm on the way down from Buster Mountain. December 2018.
Samaniego Peak from the trail up to Buster Mountain. December 2018.
Samaniego Peak from the trail up to Buster Mountain. December 2018.