Pontatoc Ridge Trail – 9/4/2016

Houses and private property push up to the southern edge of the Santa Catalina Mountains near the Pontatoc Ridge Trail and Tucson is nearly always in view – but the area, views and wildlife are beautiful and there is still plenty of wildness to be found!

A hillside across from Pontatoc Ridge. September 2016.
A hillside across from Pontatoc Ridge. September 2016.
A desert tortoise in the brush at the end of the Pontatoc Ridge Trail. September 2016.
A desert tortoise in the brush at the end of the Pontatoc Ridge Trail. September 2016.
Pontatoc Canyon in shadow at sunset from the end of the Pontatoc Ridge Trail. September 2016.
Pontatoc Canyon in shadow at sunset from the end of the Pontatoc Ridge Trail. September 2016.
Saguaro and moon. September 2016.
Saguaro and moon. September 2016.

Ventana Windmill, Alder Canyon – 7/7/2016

A baby Desert Tortoise speeding across a road above Alder Canyon. July 2016.
A baby Desert Tortoise speeding across a road above Alder Canyon. July 2016.

From Black Hills Mine Road, near Ventana Tank, a side road leaves to the south and takes you down to the bottom of Alder Canyon to the Ventana Windmill.

The remains of the Ventana Windmill in the bottom of Alder Canyon - now replaced by a solar powered pump. July 2016.
The remains of the Ventana Windmill in the bottom of Alder Canyon – now replaced by a solar powered pump. July 2016.

The Ventana Windmill is still where the map marks it – but now it lays in the canyon bottom watched over by the solar panels that replaced it – the solar pump is working well judging by the overflowing tank attracting swarms of insects.

Bees near Alder Canyon. July 2016.
Bees near Alder Canyon. July 2016.

Up a side canyon bees hang from the canyon wall – I feel lucky to see them, and lucky to have seen them before I was closer. Still in the side canyon an open sluice gate seems to suggest there was more water here at some point – but it is so dry, and hot, that it is hard to imagine. The old structure makes me think about a piece of the canyon’s history – from GOLD PLACERS AND PLACERING IN ARIZONA by Eldred D. Wilson:

ALDER CANYON PLACERS

Placer gold occurs in Alder Canyon, on the northern slope of the Santa Catalina Mountains, from near the National Forest boundary to within a few miles from the San Pedro River. These placers have been known and intermittently worked in a small way for many years. The gold-bearing gravels are reported to occur as dissected bars or benches along the stream and to some extent on the spurs between tributary gulches. The gold is coarse, flat, and ragged.

During 1932-33, a maximum of fifteen or twenty men carried on rocking, sluicing, and dry-washing operations in this field. Most of them were transients who remained only a short while and won but little gold. J. W. Lawson, postmaster at Oracle, purchased approximately $45 worth, near 936 in fineness, during the year. The Alder Canyon placers were credited with a placer gold output of $704 during 1934-40.

Water works near the Ventana Windmill in a small side canyon. July 2016.
An open sluice gate, no water in sight… An old structure near the Ventana Windmill in a small side canyon. July 2016.

From the windmill a rough road heads up Alder canyon and another climbs steeply up the other side of the canyon and continues thru a gate out onto Davis Mesa.

The road off the Black Hills Mine Road down into the bottom of Alder Canyon and to the Ventana Windmill - the tank and solar panels that power the pump that replaced the windmill are visible in the bottom of the canyon. July 2016.
Looking back from Davis Mesa at the road from the Black Hills Mine Road down into Alder Canyon and the Ventana Windmill site. July 2016.

Molino Basin to Agua Caliente Hill – 10/31/2015

Grass, grass and more grass – the Bellota Trail is covered in grass – hiding the trail and occasionally making the footing…interesting… Water is flowing at West Spring Tank and we almost get our feet wet at the junction with the La Milagrosa Trail.

Desert Tortoise using FR4445 above Agua Caliente Canyon. October 2015.
Desert Tortoise using FR4445 above Agua Caliente Canyon. October 2015.

Not long after turning onto FR4445 and beginning the descent into Agua Caliente Canyon we find a desert tortoise – perhaps enjoying a break from the tall grass?

Plentiful flowing water in Agua Caliente Canyon! A nice reason to pause before the long climb up to the Agua Caliente Hill Trail, past False Hope Hill and to the summit!

Water flowing in Agua Caliente Canyon at the FR4445 crossing. October 2015.
Water flowing in Agua Caliente Canyon at the FR4445 crossing. October 2015.
Agua Caliente Trail below False Hope Hill - heading for the summit! October 2015.
Agua Caliente Trail below False Hope Hill – heading for the summit! October 2015.
Butterflies and flowers at the end of October on the Agua Caliente Hill Trail. October 2015.
Butterflies and flowers at the end of October on the Agua Caliente Hill Trail. October 2015.

Molino Basin Parking Area, Bellota Trail, La Milagrosa Trail, FR4445, Agua Caliente Hill Trail, Agua Caliente Hill South Trailhead – 13.8 miles, +3200’/-4500′ of elevation gain/loss.