Lightning, Pima Canyon Trail – 7/30/2016
pusch ridge wilderness
Golder Ranch Sunrise – 7/7/2016
Taking a break on the way north to watch the sunrise from dirt roads near the Golder Ranch Parking Area.
Flowers and Rock, Catalina State Park and Alamo Canyon – 5/7/2016
The pictures above are from Catalina State Park but Doug Kreutz’s recent article Saguaros on a blooming binge in Sabino Canyon still seems relevant – and on the subject of Saguaros perhaps some photographic inspiration from Jack Dykinga…
I was recently reminded of John V. Bezy’s A Guide to the Geology of Catalina State Park and the Western Santa Catalina Mountains (available as a free PDF file) – the guide is accessible to readers without any formal training in geology and has been interesting to read again because it contains information on so many familiar sights. From a section titled Granite Pinnacles (p.15):
Catalina State Park is best known for the dramatic granite pinnacles that have developed in the upper, cliff-forming unit of the Wilderness Suite granite in this part of the Santa Catalina Mountains. These towering spires are the products of surface weathering and erosion by running water guided by deep joints in the rock.
The Wilderness Suite granite differs from the Oracle and Catalina granites that make up the western face of the range in that it is dominated by widely spaced, vertical joints. These fractures serve as avenues along which chemical and physical weathering and erosion penetrate the granite. Rock shattering, caused by ice expansion, wedging by plant roots, and chemical decomposition, enlarges the joints. Water from rain and snowmelt is channeled into the joints, cutting them into ravines and canyons. Joints actually control the location of most streams crossing bedrock. This concentrated action of weathering and erosion eventually widens and deepens the ravines and canyons, leaving the massive granite in between standing as towering pinnacles.
A Guide to the Geology of Catalina State Park and the Western Santa Catalina Mountains – p.10:
The bedrock of this part of the Santa Catalina Mountains is mainly the Oracle, Catalina, and Wilderness Suite granites. These granites were injected deep within the Earth’s crust as great molten masses. They were emplaced at different times: the Oracle Granite 1.45 billion years ago, and the Wilderness Suite Granite 45-50 million years ago, and the Catalina Granite 26 million years ago. The molten rock, which cooled and solidified over millions of years and miles below the Earth’s surface, has since been exposed by erosion.
Near the Mouth of Romero Canyon, Below Breccia Hill – 5/8/2016
With the Bighorn Sheep Closure over for the year we took advantage of a not-too-hot day to wander out of Catalina State Park and into Romero Canyon, just inside the Pusch Ridge Wilderness. Romero Canyon was completely dry in some places while other spots had trickling flow and pools of water.
Near the mouth of Romero Canyon there is an brief, but fascinating, section of canyon where canyon walls of an unusual rock close in tightly. This section of canyon is just below the prominent green colored Breccia Hill and the rock is mentioned in A Guide to the Geology of Catalina State Park and the Western Santa Catalina Mountains (p. 29):
Tremendous friction is generated as fault surfaces slide together. This grinding action produced a zone of powdered rock (fault gouge) and highly broken rock (fault breccia) that can be observed here at Breccia Hill and at other locations where the Cañada del Oro has exposed the fault surface … Movement on the Pirate Fault is thought to have occurred six to twelve million years ago. This demonstrates how an ancient geologic structure, in this case a fault, can control modern landscapes.
Montrose Fire
Update 5/17/2016: What looks like the end of the Montrose Fire – from InciWeb:
No smoke has not been observed over the Montrose Fire for two days. Fire managers will continue monitoring the fire area over the next several weeks.
This will be the last update for the Montrose Fire unless circumstances change.
Update 5/15/2016, 4:30PM: The Montrose Fire continues to be listed as 80% contained, from a recent update:
The Montrose Fire, first discovered May 12, on the Coronado National Forest Catalina District, remains 80% contained. It is located near Box Spring 3 miles northwest of Rose Canyon Lake. One hotshot crew remains on the incident. With high winds in the Santa Catalina Mountains, their diligence is intended to prevent the fire from again becoming active. No smoke has been detected today. The crew will spend the remainder of the day and this evening monitoring the fire to ensure the perimeter is secure.
Rose Canyon Lake has been reopened for recreationists. Rose Canyon Campground is also open.
5/14/2016:
The Montrose Fire started on 5/12/2016 and, unlike the Finger Rock Fire in 2015 that was allowed to burn, there was a very prompt effort to suppress the fire – undoubtedly due to it’s proximity to homes and infrastructure on the mountain.
- Inciweb Page on the Montrose Fire.
- Currently listed as human caused and under investigation.
- The fire is currently being mopped up and is listed as 13 acres/50% contained – on Friday in late afternoon we were unable to see any smoke from the fire on the Sunset Trail.
- The fire is in the Sabino Canyon drainage in the Box Spring area of the Pusch Ridge Wilderness (below the gauging station and above Brinkley Point). This area burned in the Aspen Fire (2003).
- 60 Personnel are listed as committed to the fire – there were Payson and Geronimo Hot Shot Crew Vehicles at the Box Camp Trailhead on Friday and helicopters dropped water from Rose Canyon Lake.
- News coverage: Fire on Mount Lemmon burns about 12 acres – Tucson.com, GVFD helps answer call to fire in Catalina Mountains – sahuaritasun.com, UPDATE: Crews still working to contain the wildfire on Mt. Lemmon – Tucson News Now.
