Vandalized platform off the Pontatoc Canyon Trail. March 2018.
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.
Brutally cleared. March 2018.Platform off the Pontatoc Canyon Trail. May 2015.Platform off the Pontatoc Canyon Trail. May 2018.Sadly cut. May 2018.Chairs and rusting metal off the side of the Platform. May 2018.
Sunset from the Pontatoc Canyon Trail. March 2017.
The Molino Fire started on April 4th in the Molino Basin area – the fire was quickly contained and limited to 50 acres. The Forest Service has suggested that the fire was caused by recreational shooting and is seeking information on a ‘person of interest’ – “a tall, white man of husky build wearing a light-colored hat, gray shirt, shorts, and tennis shoes. Witnesses saw him move toward a forest green, mid-1990s Ford Explorer parked in the area.” If you have any information please report it to the Coronado National Forest Supervisor’s Office at (520) 388-8300.
Hikers: Commercial horseback rides are damaging popular Oro Valley trail – Arizona Daily Star: Last month I mentioned a letter in the Arizona Daily Star that was critical of the condition of the Linda Vista Trails since the Tucson El Conquistador Golf & Tennis Resort began offering guided horseback rides on the trails about 6 months ago. There is now a petition that has been given to the Forest Service asking that the renewal of their permit for commercial use of the trails be denied. The Forest Service commented that “an evaluation of the condition of the trail will be completed before a decision is made on renewal of the use permit in May” and a representative from the El Conquistador said that “said the guides leading the rides “want to make sure (the trail) looks good for anybody who visits the area. From a cleanup standpoint, they do quite a lot of cleanup.”
Community members continue to push for improvements to the Sabino Canyon Tram including electric vehicles, credit card payments and an alternative to the current loud narration – an article by Tim Stellar for the Arizona Daily Star contains a number of interesting details including information from an interview with Sabino Canyon Tours owner Donn Ricketts, well worth reading – Pressure increases to get new Sabino tram operator | Latest Tim Steller columns | tucson.com – Arizona Daily Star, Letter: Sabino Canyon needs a new tram – Arizona Daily Star
Rescues/Accidents/Incidents including information from the SARCI Newsletter:
3/4/2017 Pima Canyon Trail: Exhausted hiker helped out
3/6/2017 Pima Canyon Trail: Ankle injury results in a carry out
3/10/2017 Bug Spring Trail: Head Injury
3/10/2017 Seven Falls Trail: Exhausted hiker – walked and then ridden out by horse
3/11/2017 Romero Canyon Trail: 4 hikers assisted out
3/11/2017 Aspen Trail: Lost hikers found and assisted out
3/11/2017 Sycamore Canyon: A group of 8 descending the canyon – they separated into several groups – 1 hiker was unable to follow the Sycamore Reservoir Trail and turned up Bear Canyon (found and helped) – three exhausted hikers were given water/food and gear to spend the night and then short-hauled out the next day.
3/12/2017 Seven Falls: Injury results in a short-haul out
3/13/2017 Bear Canyon: Ankle injury is assisted out on foot and horseback
3/13/2017 Pima Canyon Trail: Ill and unresponsive hiker flown out
3/14/2017 Butterfly Trail: A head injury in the Novio Spring area eventually results in a hiker being flown out
3/16/2017 Bellota Trail near La Milagrosa Canyon: Chest pains reported by a hiker via Personal Locator – hiker flown out
3/18/2017 Palisades Canyon: Rockfall injury during a canyoneering descent – two party members flown out, two assisted out on foot
3/19/2017 Willow Canyon: Hikers became lost in the Rose Canyon Lake area and are assisted out after ending up in the Seven Cataracts drainage
3/20/2017 Window Peak: Hikers become lost when they take the trail up to Window Peak rather than heading down – hoisted out the next morning
3/21/2017 Bear Canyon Trail: An exhausted hiker with medical complications and ankle injury are assisted out
3/25/2017 Seven Falls Trail: A fall on the trail results in a hiker being unresponsive for several minutes – carried and flown out
3/29/2017 Romero Pools: A fall results in a head injury – injured hiker was flown out
Sunset from the Pontatoc Canyon Trail. March 2017.
Brittlebush and sunset on the Pontatoc Canyon Trail. March 2017.
The Brittlebush has lined the Pontatoc Canyon Trail with yellow flowers filling the gaps between all the other flowers – it has been fun this year to make enough visits to the lower part of the trail to see the wildflower season start/grow/explode along the trail!
Sun, Brittlebush, Ocotillo. March 2017.Brittlebush along the Pontatoc Canyon Trail. March 2017.Ocotillo Flowers in the Sunset. March 2017.
Shallow water near the start of the Pontatoc Trail – this area is more often seen completely dry… February 2017.
It is always a treat to start the Pontatoc Trail and see water flowing in the first wash – as you might expect farther up the Pontatoc Canyon Trail there was water at each crossing of Pontatoc Canyon. New-to-me on this hike was watching the moonrise over Pontatoc Ridge – I wonder if, or how many times, it has risen behind me on other hikes, but tired and staring down at the rocky trail in front of me I missed it…
Looking into Pontatoc Canyon from the Pontatoc Canyon Trail – in the lower right section of the picture you can see a section of the trail (sometimes bypassed by a scramble up the canyon!) February 2017.A small spill in Pontatoc Canyon. February 2017.Sunset on the Pontatoc Canyon Trail. February 2017.Saguaros – end of the day looking down towards Tucson from the Pontatoc Canyon Trail. February 2017.Moon over Pontatoc Ridge. February 2017.
End of the day glow in Pontatoc Canyon. March 2016.
We have been returning to the Pontatoc Canyon Trail more frequently lately – it has been interesting to watch the sun changing angles on the landscape and the subtle changes of the the desert seasons – in spite of the beauty I suspect the heat may keep us away during the summer months…
Sun and Saguaro in Pontatoc Canyon. March 2016.A section of the Pontatoc Ridge Cliffs. March 2016.
