It took many years for me to realize that Arizona State Trust Land is an important portion of the lands that give Southern Arizona its character and feel – a glance at the Arizona State Trust Land Parcel Viewer shows (in blue) the large amount of Arizona State Trust Land around, at the border of and between Southern Arizona’s Sky Islands. The east side of the Santa Catalina Mountains would be a very different place without public access (for a fee) to the land that is currently owned by the State Trust.

North of Catalina, just past E. Saddlebrooke Blvd, a section of State Trust land covers an area labeled ‘The Cordones’. Several roads lead out into the area and in some spots the combinations of ridges, washes and hills conspire to hide many of the nearby roads and homes – occasionally making the area feel a bit more remote than it really is. I intended to catch the sunset – but being there for a storm was just good luck…