rincon mountains

Piety Hill – 7/11/2017

Updated - Posted - Charles Miles
Looking South from Piety Hill. July 2017.
Looking South from Piety Hill. July 2017.

Redington Road had been closed since the start of July due to the Burro Fire – on the first day that it re-opened I drove out along the fire perimeter and hiked to the top of Piety Hill. The Burro Fire was stopped west of Piety Hill and in the sunset light it was hard tell where the Burro Fire burned – I am sure that there are areas that were heavily impacted by the fire but from Piety Hill I can still see green trees and grass below.

Piety Hill's shadow towards the San Pedro Valley. July 2017.
Piety Hill’s shadow towards the San Pedro Valley. July 2017.

Piety Hill is located on Pima County’s A7 Ranch – at 4,714′ it is not stunning high (‘Hill’ is the right name) – but it is high enough to overlook the San Pedro Valley and offer great views of the surrounding terrain! There is no official trail to the top, but the terrain, while steep, is reasonably open and it is not hard to find a way to the top.

Looking up into the Santa Catalina Mountains from Piety Hill - Mount Bigelow on the left, Westfall Knob in the center. July 2017.
Looking up into the Santa Catalina Mountains from Piety Hill – Mount Bigelow on the left, Westfall Knob in the center. July 2017.
Balloon Trash on the slopes of Piety Hill. July 2017.
Balloon Trash on the slopes of Piety Hill. July 2017.

Sunset and Night from Windy Point – 12/22/2016

Updated - Posted - Charles Miles
December 2016.
Sunset light on Tucson and the Tucson Mountains – from Windy Point. December 2016.

I often avoid Windy Point – sometimes because it is too crowded, and sometimes because the changes to the area over the last decade not my favorite – but I have to admit that when I have stopped here to photograph the sunset it has been absolutely spectacular!

December 2016.
Looking over the Santa Catalina Mountains to the Rincon Mountains. December 2016.
December 2016.
The General Hitchcock Highway winding down towards a cloud covered Tucson. December 2016.

After the Storm, Snow on Mount Lemmon – 12/13/2015

Updated - Posted - Charles Miles
Snow on the Santa Catalina Mountains. December 2015.
Snow on the Santa Catalina Mountains. December 2015.

During the storm the snow barely touched the lower elevations of the Santa Catalina Mountains – so the morning after the storm, under a clear blue sky, instead of heading into the Catalinas I hiked out the Garwood Dam Trail, in the shadow of the Rincons, for a view of the snow on the top of the mountain…

Subtle sunrise color on the Mount Lemmon Snow. December 2015.
Subtle sunrise color on the Mount Lemmon Snow. December 2015.
Snow! December 2015.
Snow! December 2015.