2016

Updated May 26, 2019 - Posted September 10, 2016 - Charles Miles

Clouds over the Santa Catalina Mountains. July 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

10 years ago - Boulders covering the Sabino Canyon Road. July 2006. — 10 years ago – Boulders covering the Sabino Canyon Road. July 2006.

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!

10 years ago - road damage in Sabino Canyon after heavy rains. July 2006. — 10 years ago – road damage in Sabino Canyon after heavy rains. July 2006.

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

Updated May 26, 2019 - Posted September 6, 2016 - Charles Miles

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!

Flowers and Rock, Catalina State Park and Alamo Canyon – 5/7/2016

Updated May 26, 2019 - Posted May 20, 2016 - Charles Miles

Saguaro Flower in Catalina State Park. May 2016.

More Saguaro Flowers in Catalina State Park. May 2016.

The pictures above are from Catalina State Park but Doug Kreutz’s recent article Saguaros on a blooming binge in Sabino Canyon still seems relevant – and on the subject of Saguaros perhaps some photographic inspiration from Jack Dykinga…

Leviathan Dome from Alamo Canyon. May 2016.

I was recently reminded of John V. Bezy’s A Guide to the Geology of Catalina State Park and the Western Santa Catalina Mountains (available as a free PDF file) – the guide is accessible to readers without any formal training in geology and has been interesting to read again because it contains information on so many familiar sights. From a section titled Granite Pinnacles (p.15):

Catalina State Park is best known for the dramatic granite pinnacles that have developed in the upper, cliff-forming unit of the Wilderness Suite granite in this part of the Santa Catalina Mountains. These towering spires are the products of surface weathering and erosion by running water guided by deep joints in the rock.
The Wilderness Suite granite differs from the Oracle and Catalina granites that make up the western face of the range in that it is dominated by widely spaced, vertical joints. These fractures serve as avenues along which chemical and physical weathering and erosion penetrate the granite. Rock shattering, caused by ice expansion, wedging by plant roots, and chemical decomposition, enlarges the joints. Water from rain and snowmelt is channeled into the joints, cutting them into ravines and canyons. Joints actually control the location of most streams crossing bedrock. This concentrated action of weathering and erosion eventually widens and deepens the ravines and canyons, leaving the massive granite in between standing as towering pinnacles.

Table Tooth from Catalina State Park - Table Mountain is just to the right. May 2016. — Table Tooth from Catalina State Park – Table Mountain is just to the right. May 2016.

A Guide to the Geology of Catalina State Park and the Western Santa Catalina Mountains – p.10:

The bedrock of this part of the Santa Catalina Mountains is mainly the Oracle, Catalina, and Wilderness Suite granites. These granites were injected deep within the Earth’s crust as great molten masses. They were emplaced at different times: the Oracle Granite 1.45 billion years ago, and the Wilderness Suite Granite 45-50 million years ago, and the Catalina Granite 26 million years ago. The molten rock, which cooled and solidified over millions of years and miles below the Earth’s surface, has since been exposed by erosion.

Near the Mouth of Romero Canyon, Below Breccia Hill – 5/8/2016

Updated May 26, 2019 - Posted May 18, 2016 - Charles Miles

With the Bighorn Sheep Closure over for the year we took advantage of a not-too-hot day to wander out of Catalina State Park and into Romero Canyon, just inside the Pusch Ridge Wilderness. Romero Canyon was completely dry in some places while other spots had trickling flow and pools of water.

Romero Canyon wall not far from the mouth of the canyon. May 2016.

In Romero Canyon below Bressia Rock. May 2016. — In Romero Canyon below Breccia Hill. May 2016.

Near the mouth of Romero Canyon there is an brief, but fascinating, section of canyon where canyon walls of an unusual rock close in tightly. This section of canyon is just below the prominent green colored Breccia Hill and the rock is mentioned in A Guide to the Geology of Catalina State Park and the Western Santa Catalina Mountains (p. 29):

Tremendous friction is generated as fault surfaces slide together. This grinding action produced a zone of powdered rock (fault gouge) and highly broken rock (fault breccia) that can be observed here at Breccia Hill and at other locations where the Cañada del Oro has exposed the fault surface … Movement on the Pirate Fault is thought to have occurred six to twelve million years ago. This demonstrates how an ancient geologic structure, in this case a fault, can control modern landscapes.