On the one hand the flowers last year were much more impressive – on the other hand even a ‘less impressive’ year still has an incredible number of flowers to see! Photos from a hike up the Pima Canyon Trail to the dam where the only water remaining is in small pools hiding near the cattails…
A few minutes from FR639 on the Oracle Ridge Trail I heard my first rattle of the season. With a long stretch of 100 degree days in the forecast it felt like a warning of summer’s arrival – a strange Arizona variation on Groundhog Day with the messenger hidden in the deep dry grass.
Unlike most of the trails in the Santa Catalina Mountains the Oracle Ridge Trail uses a number of Forest Service roads. North east of Rice Peak the trail uses part of a network of roads that ascend from the Control Road in the Peppersauce Wash/Nugget Canyon area and allow 4WD access to the peak.
With enough vehicle traffic these roads would be a dusty misery on foot – but it is easy enough to find days when the roads are quiet and you can use them to make a variety of longer or shorter loops thru the mountains – like many hikers I generally choose trails over roads, but there are so many beautiful details hiding in the mountains, no reason to avoid a quiet road when you have the chance…
From Alvernon follow the trail until it crosses Pontatoc Canyon, climb to the junction of the Ridge and Canyon trails, turn left, traverse the hillsides north, cross Pontatoc Canyon again and look to your right as you start to climb to catch a glimpse an old earth platform.
I have never heard, or read, anything about the history of this platform – my guess is that it dates to the early to mid 20th and is related to cattle ranching – but maybe it comes from the mining that took place in this area? Or something altogether different, older??
Regardless of its history it had started to fade, slowly, gradually, appropriately, back into the landscape – until earlier this year when it was brutally cleared – cactus, flowers, grass and brushes cut and removed – scraped bare, a table and chairs placed in the center. Clearing this area wouldn’t have been appropriate anywhere in the forest – but it is especially out of place inside the wilderness.
Months later the table is gone – maybe the platform will have a chance to recover from this strange and pointless act of vandalism – and hopefully in a few years the flowers will return.
Point 7556 is a short distance from the Knagge Trail – no trail, but easy enough to get to. I can’t remember having walked out to it before, no idea why not, but I guess with so many places to explore…
In a way it might be better that I overlooked it until now. Years ago the views would have been just as spectacular – a sweeping view down into the San Pedro River Valley and across to distant mountain ranges, east side canyons and rolling hills folding the landscape – but looking down now, after having spent more time in recent years exploring the east side of the Santa Catalina Mountains, is more interesting, and more personal, than it used to be.
Clouds cover the mountain, small waterfalls decorate highway road cuts and on the trail every small drainage is flowing – the variety on the mountain is infinite, what an interesting day to be on the Knagge ‘Trail’!
The Knagge Trail is still drawn onto maps of Santa Catalina Mountains, but like the Davis Spring and Brush Corral Trails, it disappears long before reaching it’s eastern terminus. You can, of course, still make your way down to the junction of the Knagge Trail and the Davis Spring Trail in Edgar Canyon, and even find occasional convincing pieces of old trails, but at this point it is an off-trail adventure.
From Look to the Mountains, p. 69:
In addition to their homestead and the pack train, The Knagges worked a mining claim in the Catalinas. It was located on the east side of Kellogg Mountain. From around 1916 into the 1930’s, the family spent time at the claim during the summer under very rustic conditions. A simple cabin provided shelter and a spring supplied them with fresh water. On occasion, a mountain lion stalked the camp, lured by their horses and burros.
