catalina state park

Bighorn, Crossing, Decapitation, Comet, Snow, App, Rescues – 11/15/2015

Posted - Charles Miles

There are plans to release 30 bighorn sheep from near Yuma into the Santa Catalina Mountains during the third week of November. Pneumonia – identified as the cause in a number of recent deaths – is still a concern but the bighorn planned for the release “have been previously exposed to the illness and are therefore resistant to it.” More Bighorn Sheep Coming to Santa Catalinas Near Tucson – Arizona Public Media, More bighorns coming to Catalina Mountains next month – Arizona Daily Star.

Wildlife crossings pave the way for biodiversity in Sonoran Desert – Arizona Sonora News: There is an exciting project that is part of the widening of Oracle Road – two wildlife crossings that will help link the Tortolita and Santa Catalina Mountains! The Arizona Department of Transportation has a single sheet overview of the project that is quite informative. While the project is not finished it appears that a tortoise is the first documented user of the new crossing!

Decapitated deer found tied to tree on Mount Lemmon – KVOA.com: Near Molino Basin a deer that had been shot and decapitated was found tied to a tree on Nov. 6 – there is a $2,000 reward for information (contact Operation Game Thief – 1-800-352-0700). A quote from the article: “This case is very troubling, given the nature of the crime scene. We are outraged by this, and expect that the general public will be as well” – Regional Supervisor Raul Vega of Game and Fish in Tucson.

Mt. Lemmon biz looking forward to El Nino winter – KVOA.com: “General Manager [of the Sawmill Run Restaurant] Steven Sanders said the more snow, the more people come up and the more jobs there will be to go around.”

First snowfall of season on Mt. Lemmon brings out plenty of sightseers – Tucson News Now: First snow of the Season!

Catalina State Park: Blue skies, flowing water – Arizona Daily Star, Sabino Canyon gearing up for busy season – Tucson News Now: Two articles that are a great reminder that we are starting to have days with amazing weather for getting outside to the desert/lower elevation areas of the mountain!

Long Term Permit for Sabino Canyon Shuttle Services – USFS: This page contains information about the proposed 20-year special use permit for the shuttle system in Sabino Canyon. The SCRA Shuttle Scoping Letter has some interesting notes about the project including a list of design features that mentions minimizing conflicts between the shuttle/hikers/bikers and reducing ‘auditory impacts’ from the shuttle that seem to depend on ‘modernizing [the] existing 1970s era shuttle fleet’.

Space junk crashing toward Earth found by Mount Lemmon lab – Arizona Daily Star: Space debris – possibly an old rocket booster – that entered Earth’s atmosphere and splashed down in the Indian Ocean was first spotted by the Catalina Sky Survey!

Comet named after Catalina Mountains may soon be seen with naked eye – Tucson News Now: Comet Catalina will soon be at its closest to the sun and may be visible with the naked eye. The comet was discovered in 2013 by the Catalina Sky Survey. This post from EarthSky.org has information on locating the comet in the sky.

Closure of shooting sites on Redington Pass extended – Arizona Daily Star: Three unofficial shooting areas off Redington Road that were closed for clean up will remain closed until next year while the Forest Service works on a management plan for the Redington Pass area.

Motorcyclist airlifted after Mt. Lemmon crash – Tucson News Now: non life-threatening injuries sustained in a crash near milepost 17.

UA College of Science Produces Mount Lemmon Audio Tour – UANews: The University of Arizona College of Science has produced a mobile app for Android and iPhone called ‘The Mount Lemmon Science Tour’. The app is largely a guided audio tour with great accessible science content (how the mountain formed, life zones, water, …) that is timed for a drive up the mountain.

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

  • Crystal Spring Trail – 10/25: Exhaustion results in a hiker carried out to the Control Road
  • Blackett’s Ridge – 10/7: Ankle injury, hiker carried out.
  • Seven Cataracts – 10/2: Hiker injured in a fall on the unofficial trail/route from the Seven Cataracts Overlook to the pools in Seven Cataracts – hoisted out and transferred to a medical helicopter.
  • Sutherland Trail – 9/23: Lost hiker calls for help after being unable to follow the trail – the current trail conditions plus attractiveness of this route continue to cause incidents.

Buster Mountain Fire – 7/14/2015

Updated - Posted - Charles Miles

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…

1507 Buster Mountain Fire 01
Watching the fire – just off the road into Catalina State Park. July 2015.
1507 Buster Mountain Fire 02
Buster Mountain Fire. July 2015.
1507 Buster Mountain Fire 03
Buster Mountain Fire. July 2015.
1507 Buster Mountain Fire 04
Buster Mountain Fire. July 2015.

News Links:

Fire, Rain, Rescues, Camping, Trails, Steampump, Buffelgrass, Sheep – 6/29/2015

Posted - Charles Miles

Forest Service monitoring four small fires – Tucson News Now: “The U.S. Forest Service is watching four lightning-caused fires in the Coronado National Forest” including the Romero Canyon Fire which began on Saturday near the Sutherland Trail. At the time the article was written the fire was being monitored, not actively managed. 

Mount Lemmon gets ‘heavy dose’ of rain – Carmen Duarte – Arizona Daily Star: Beautiful summer storms have started to form over the mountain and there has already been rain!

Elderly hiker awaiting rescue from Finger Rock Trail – Carmen Duarte – Arizona Daily Star: “The 72-year-old hiker began hiking the trail at 6 a.m., but by the afternoon on his way back down from the trail he became tired and ran out of water”, while far from impossible this time of year the heat certainly makes the Finger Rock Trail worthy of caution and careful planning.

The Spencer Canyon Campground was closed for several days while reports of a mountain lion in the area were investigated – after nothing conclusive was found the campground re-opened. The last article linked below mentions that “Arizona Game and Fish estimates about 600 mountain lions live in southeast Arizona”. Spencer Canyon Campground closed after possible mountain lion sighting – Cynthia Washington – Tucson News Now, Mountain lion sighting reports close Mt. Lemmon campground – Anthony Victor Reyes and Matt Fernandez – Tucson News Now, Spencer Canyon Campground re-opens after no cougar found – Curt Prendergast – Arizona Daily Star.

Blackett’s Ridge Trail, Aspen Draw Trail, Bug Spring Trail – Doug Kreutz – Arizona Daily Star: Three great hikes, three great workouts – a nice bit of inspiration now that the summer heat is here.

OV budget passes after criticisms – Hillary Davis – The Explorer, Steam Pump funds OK’d – Hillary Davis – The Explorer: After budget wrangling “the Oro Valley Town Council voted June 17 to allocate $425,000 for the stabilization of the historic property”.

Camping: Roughing it made easier for families – Angela Pittenger – Arizona Daily Star: A write up about a Family Campout event at Catalina State Park – for a fee tents and equipment are provided, a great way to experience camping for the first time or just an easy way to get outside!

NATIONAL TRAILS DAY MOONLIGHT HIKE: “Join the Town of Oro Valley Parks and Recreation Department for our annual nighttime, flashlight hike, held in partnership with Catalina State Park.” – if you haven’t gotten to hike at night in the desert a hike like this is a great opportunity to see a very beautiful part of the summer.

Sabino Creek dwindles, but tranquil pools remain – Douglas Kreutz – Arizona Daily Star: Lovely pools remain in Sabino but with the flow almost at zero more water will depend on the summer rains…

Forest returning — ever so slowly — after Aspen Fire – Douglas Kreutz – Arizona Daily Star: “Twelve years after the Aspen Fire roared over the Catalina Mountains, once-blackened slopes are showing expanses of bright green new growth.”

Preserving Sabino Canyon means defending against invaders – Mark Hengesbaugh – Arizona Daily Star, Funding boosts battle against buffelgrass – Douglas Kreutz – Arizona Daily Star: Articles about invasive species including buffelgrass and fountain grass in Sabino Canyon – and the great news that the Department of the Interior will provide $150,750 to help with buffelgrass removal in Southern Arizona. Coronado National Forest, Saguaro National Park and the Southern Arizona Buffelgrass Coordination Center (a fantastic resource if you have questions about buffelgrass!) will all receive funds.

Mt. Lemmon a training ground for visiting military – Craig Reck – Tucson News Now: Military High Angle rescue training on Mt. Lemmon.

From the Santa Catalina Bighorn Sheep Reintroduction Project – May 21 – June 3, 2015:

“From June 2-4, a research biologist recorded visual observations of 22 of the 40 collared sheep in the Santa Catalina Mountains. Three notable groups were observed in the Pusch Ridge Wilderness area. The first group included 7 ewes and 7 lambs; the second group was composed of 1 ram, 8 ewes, and 5 lambs; the third group included 5 ewes and 1 lamb. All observed lambs appeared to be between 3-5 months old, with the exception of one lamb that looked to be about 1 month old. Some of these lambs were observed nursing, while the larger lambs in the groups were seen feeding alongside adult sheep. All observed collared sheep as well as the lambs appeared to be healthy and in good body condition.”

Other Trail Incidents:

  • Stranded in the dark – Sabino Canyon Phoneline Trail and Sabino Canyon Historic Trail
  • Hikers in need of assistance due to exhaustion – Green Mountain Trail
  • Ankle injury – Butterfly Trail

Other links:

 

Romero Canyon Trail to Romero Pass – 3/22/2015

Updated - Posted - Charles Miles

Up the Romero Canyon Trail from Catalina State Park – flowers and pools, steep climbs, stops at the two big fire rings and good memories of past hikes with friends.

1503 Pools in Romero Canyon
Pools in Romero Canyon – above Romero Pools. March 2015.
1503 Scoured Canyon
Following the cairns along a section of washed out trail in Romero Canyon. March 2015.

From Romero Pass I wandered off-trail to random points and points where Bighorn Sheep have stood, slowly collecting vegetation data as a volunteer for a AZGF research project.

1503 Sunset from the Mount Lemmon Trail near Romero Pass
Sunset from the Mount Lemmon Trail, a few minutes above Romero Pass. March 2015.
1503 Looking down from near Romero Pass - Night
Looking down into town from near Romero Pass. March 2015.

The sliver moon disappeared early in the night, with temperatures were the 30s I spent most of my time in my quilt, reading, watching the clouds, looking at the stars and occasionally taking a picture.

1503 Indian Paintbrush
Indian Paintbrush along the Romero Canyon Trail. March 2015.
1503 Poppy 1
A poppy on the Romero Canyon Trail. March 2015.

It was warm on the way down, as the trail went lower I hurried thru the sun back to the car. 20 miles, +/-6000′ of elevation gain and loss.

Night at Romero Pools – 3/11/2015

Updated - Posted - Charles Miles
1503 Romero Pools by Headlamp
Devin exploring Romero Pools by headlamp. March 2015.
1503 Night Hike to Romero Pools
Looking down Romero Canyon. March 2015.

A night hike to Romero Pools – sunset, centipede, sounds of water, red spotted toad, the pools by headlamp, stars, great company – 5.9 miles, +/- 1300′ of elevation gain/loss.