With water flowing all over the range we hiked to Maiden Pools to see the water – rushing, as expected – but the sunset and night in the canyon were the highlights of the hike…
Ventana Canyon Trail – 2/6/2017
pusch ridge wilderness
Pima Canyon Trail to the First Dam – 1/23/2017
January 2017 can’t quite rival January 2015 for weather in Pima Canyon – in 2015 snow fell low into Pima Canyon collecting on the tops of the Saguaros and making sections of the trail a snowy tunnel – but the weather this year has put a wonderful amount of water in motion and it was spectacular to see water covering and flowing down canyon from the first canyon crossing on the Pima Canyon Trail.
Developed Recreations Areas Budget Gap – 1/31/2017
Today is the first of nine public meetings that the Coronado National Forest is holding in the Santa Catalina Ranger District to explain the details of the Developed Recreation Program and to gather input on potential solutions for restructuring the program – a quote from the CNF’s information page succinctly explains the issue:
The estimated price tag needed to ensure that the CNF’s 204 developed recreation sites remain open, safe, clean, and in good repair is $3.8 million. The combined revenue currently received to manage these sites is $1.3 million, leaving a gap of $2.5 million annually. Without action to close the gap, developed recreation facilities and recreation opportunities are threatened.
The suggested strategies to close this gap are Eliminate developed recreation sites, Transfer management of developed recreation sites to concessionaires or partners, Increase fees or Increase the number of fee sites with the additional suggestion that: “No single strategy will close the gap. Likely, a combination of strategies will align the CNF more closely with sustainability goals.”
The meetings are listed below and comments can be made online.
- ORO VALLEY –Tuesday, January 31 from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Oro Valley Public Library, 1305 W. Naranja Drive, Oro Valley, AZ.
- ORACLE – Wednesday, February 1 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Mountain Vista School Library, 2618 W. El Paseo, Oracle, AZ.
- TUCSON EAST – Monday, February 6 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Murphy Wilmot Library, 530 N. Wilmot Road, Tucson, AZ.
- MARANA – Tuesday, February 7 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Marana Town Center, 11555 West Civic Center Drive, Marana, AZ.
- TUCSON NORTH – Saturday, February 11 from 1:00 to 3;00 p.m. at the Sabino Canyon Visitor Center, 5700 North Sabino Canyon Road, Tucson, AZ.
- TUCSON CENTRAL – Monday, February 13 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Himmel Park Library, 1035 N. Treat Avenue, Tucson, AZ.
- VAIL – Wednesday, February 15 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Rincon Valley Fire Station #1, 8850 S. Camino Loma Alta, Tucson, AZ.
- TUCSON SOUTH – Saturday, February 25 from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. at the Southwest Community Center, 5950 S. Cardinal Avenue, Tucson, AZ.
- COOLIDGE/MAMMOTH – Wednesday, February 22 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Central Arizona College Aravaipa Campus, 8470 North Overfield Road, Coolidge, AZ.
Pontatoc Ridge – 12/18/2016
The houses near the Richard McKee Finger Rock Trailhead crowd against the forest boundary and many of the views from the trail include Tucson and the surrounding communities – some days the city pulls me back down with thoughts of friends and the warmth of home, other days it is a sprawling terror that pushes me up the mountain.
I don’t quite make it to the top of the ridge today – too bad since it will be my last chance in 2016, the route up the ridge is not an official Forest Service Trail and it will be closed at the beginning of January to help protect the Bighorn sheep that have been reintroduced in recent years. Something for next year…
2017 – 1/1/2017
Dark pictures, but a happy start to 2017 – what a joy to be outside watching clouds hide and reveal the peaks in the Santa Catalina Mountains – eventually the flat grey of the rain is all around us and, with a smile, we make the short hike out.
Thank you to everyone who visited this site in 2016 – I hope you found it inspiring, useful and informative – I am looking forward to adding more posts and content in 2017!!!
