Sabino Canyon – 5/22/2017
sabino canyon
Sabino Canyon Nights – 2/26/2017 and 3/25/2017
With (seasonal) water and fast/easy access to interesting destinations Sabino Canyon is an easy choice for night photography. You won’t escape the glow of the city here – if your only goal stunning images of the stars and Milky Way there are better destinations. But we have never failed to find something interesting to photograph and visiting Sabino Canyon at night is a chance to enjoy the canyon without the crowds – an increasingly rare treat!
Peppersauce, Shuttle, Weather, 60 – 2/11/2017
Photos: Exploring Peppersauce Cave in 1948 | News | tucson.com – Arizona Daily Star: The Arizona Daily Star pictures from Peppersauce Cave in 1948! In 1948 Desert Magazine published a rather amazing article about Peppersauce Cave which included the location of the cave and a detailed map. The cave had been used/explored before 1948, but the Desert Magazine article – and a brief mention in a 1951 National Geographic Magazine article – probably contributed to the cave being widely known, and with the cave both widely known and completely accessible trash/graffiti/vandalism have been issues. (BTW there are apparently several versions of how Peppersauce Canyon got its name, but the popular stories involve Alex McKay – a prospector in the 1880s – and, you guessed it, his peppersauce…)
Free shuttle to Sabino Canyon for the holiday season – KVOA.com, Electric bus to Sabino Canyon part of new pilot program – Tucson News Now: An electric bus ran from Udall Park to Sabino Canyon during the holidays – it will be interesting to see if this service is provided next year. When this project was announced I mainly thought about the congestion of the Sabino Canyon Parking lot and the possible convenience of avoiding that – but one of the articles above points out that with several Sun Tran routes serving Udall this service provided a very nice link to Sabino Canyon! (And a bus that provides access to the great outdoors certainly brings to mind to the old pictures of the “Mount Lemmon Bus Line“!)
M.O.V.E. ACROSS 2 RANGES – “Marana, Oro Valley, Experience”, “One Day. Two Ranges. Hike Challenge.” – This is an interesting event that has a variety of challenges to get you outside and into the Tortolita and Santa Catalina Mountains. Packet pickup and after party are being held at the Oro Valley Summit Hut and Patagonia & Summit Hut will donate $2 for every person who signs up for the event to the Friends of Catalina State Park!
This event is an awesome way to explore nature and get active. Hit the trails and experience the challenge and beauty of Southern Arizona’s Tortolita and Catalina Mountains in one day! Trail run, hike, or stroll through this fun event.
Arizona State Parks and Trails Celebrates 60 Years and Holds 60 First Day Hikes throughout Arizona on January 1: On Jan. 1 the Arizona State Parks held 60 First Day Hikes to celebrate their 60th anniversary. If you have not visited the Arizona State Parks website you might enjoy visiting the updated site including new Oracle State Park and Catalina State Park pages and a statewide calendar of events.
Coronado National Forest announces fee-free days for 2017 – Tucson News Now: The remaining fee-free days for this year are President’s Day – Feb. 20, National Get Outdoors Day – June 10, National Public Lands Day – Sept. 30 and Veterans Day – Nov. 11.
Arizona Trail Association – Oracle Rumble: The Arizona Trail Assocation added a race to their list of trail running events this year – the Oracle Rumble! With 50 mile, 50k, half-marathon and 10k distances this race could be a great excuse to see the landscape just north of the Santa Catalina Mountains – a great area that is much less visited than the areas immediately around Tucson.
Opinion: Catalinas bighorn sheep reintroduction a win for wildlife and people | Guest Opinions | tucson.com – Arizona Daily Star: An opinion piece about the Bighorn reintroduction – the piece makes some positive points about the reintroduction, but for me it seems like the missing piece of the puzzle in making judgments about the project is the knowing what happens long term…
Dog found after getting lost on Mount Lemmon three months ago – KVOA.com: A nice story about a dog lost on Mount Lemmon who was found months later at a San Manuel area ranch!
Buffelgrass pulled at Sabino Canyon – KVOA.com: Sabino Canyon is a popular area and it is great to see Buffelgrass removal taking place there – if you don’t know about Buffelgrass here is some reading from the Desert Museum.
Snow helps Mt. Lemmon firefighters contain blaze to 1 cabin, some trees – Tucson News Now: The plume of smoke from this fire wasn’t huge – but it was very visible – sad that the cabin burned but I am glad the blaze was contained.
Tucson Outdoors Jan. 26-Feb. 3 | Things to Do in Tucson | tucson.com – Arizona Daily Star, Tucson Outdoors Feb. 2-10. | Things to Do in Tucson | tucson.com – Arizona Daily Star: The Arizona Daily Star has started to do articles with lists of outdoor related events – quite a few different events are covered and you will probably find something going on that you didn’t know about!
The weather felt slightly late this year – but as always snow eventually covered the mountain and brought the standard road closures and overcrowding – slight frustrations compared to the joy of being in the snow an hour or less from Tucson!
- Snow on Christmas possible in mountains around Tucson – Arizona Daily Star
- PCSD: Road to Mount Lemmon open to all vehicles – Tucson News Now
- Check the roads before heading up to Mt. Lemmon – Tucson News Now
- Road to Mount Lemmon closed due to overcrowding – Tucson News Now
- Mt. Lemmon beginning to clear roads after storm – KVOA.com
- Mt Lemmon: It’s not JUST the snow – KVOA.com
- Mt. Lemmon Highway is open, but some other roads are closed – Arizona Daily Star
- Sheriff: White-out snow closes Mt. Lemmon – Tucson Sentinel
- Mt. Lemmon preps for winter storm – KVOA.com
Recent links about hikes and adventures:
- Worthy resolution: Take a hike on New Year’s Day – Arizona Daily Star
- Hike a scenic wonderland along the Pima Canyon Trail – Arizona Daily Star
- Spectacular saguaro specimens on Sabino Canyon trail – Arizona Daily Star
Rescues/Accidents/Incidents including information from the SARCI Newsletter:
- 11/13/2016 La Milagrosa Canyon: Ankle injury above Molino Basin at the head of Milagrosa Canyon – hiker carried and ridden out.
- 11/26/2016 Sutherland Trail: Backpackers loose their way and are found from their cellphone location after calling for help.
- 11/27/2016 Soldier Canyon below Prison Camp: A climbing fall results in an ankle injury at Jailhouse Rock – climber carried out.
- 12/7/2016 Pusch Peak Northwest Side Route: A hiker with a knee injury is able to hike out slowly with assistance.
- 12/11/2016 Wilderness of Rocks: Hikers have trouble finding the trail, call for help and are assisted out.
- 12/24/2016 Historic Trail in Sabino Canyon: A hiker with low blood sugar is assisted out.
- 12/27/2016 Rattlesnake Junction, Sabino Canyon: A fall results in a dislocated hip and pelvis fracture – hiker was carried to the tram road and taken to the hospital.
- 12/30/2016 Pima Canyon Trail: A hiker, possible with cardiac issues, becomes ill and is carried back to the trailhead.
- 1/6/2017 Blackett’s Ridge: Ankle injury leads to a carry out.
- 1/7/2017 Sycamore Reservoir Trail: Hikers at a trail sign but in the dark without lights call for help and are assisted out by family members.
- 1/15/2017 Thimble Peak: Hikers intending to do the Bear Canyon Loop back to Sabino start up Bear Canyon but accidentally leave the Bear Canyon Trail and turn onto the route to Thimble Peak and are unable to continue – assisted out.
- 1/24/2017 Seven Falls Trail: Hikers have problems with darkness and high water levels, assisted out.
Smoke, Leg Traps, Closures, Survival, Last Release – 12/19/2016
Smoke from Mount Bigelow north of Tucson is a good thing – Arizona Daily Star: An interesting article on the Bigelow Prescribed Burn including some good how and why information about the burn.
Sabino Canyon is a beautiful destination but it is often crowded on any weekend with (even vaguely) good weather. Holidays can be particularly busy – to help with the congestion from Dec. 26 to Jan. 2 there will be a shuttle from Udall Park to Sabino Canyon. The shuttle will start at Udall Park at 9:15 and run each hour – the last shuttle will leave Sabino Canyon at 4:45. The shuttle can carry 40 people and it could be a nice way to avoid a packed and frustrating experience in the Sabino Canyon Parking Lot!! I believe this is the first year this service has been offered – it might be best to keep a little flexibility in your plans just-in-case the shuttle is full or not quite on time… Free holiday shuttle could help ease Sabino Canyon’s parking hassles | Government and politics | tucson.com – Arizona Daily Star, Free Electric Shuttle To and From Sabino Canyon During Holiday Break – City of Tucson
Seasonal gate closures on Mt. Lemmon – Coronado National Forest, Some Mt. Lemon roads, sites to close for winter – KVOA.com, Some roads, day-use sites on Mt. Lemmon close for winter – Tucson News Now
Redington Pass Shooting Closure Extended, One Area Reopens – Coronado National Forest: The shooting closures that has been in place since 2013 has been extended and slightly modified. The area was originally closed while trash and debris related to shooting were removed and the extension is designed to help the area to recover. From the Forest Service:
According to the closure, shooting will be prohibited within 0.6 miles on either side of the road from the western boundary of the Forest to mile marker 6.3. The previous closure prohibited recreational shooting from mile marker 5 to mile marker 7.
This article is about the return of seasonal residents to the area but is included here largely for the interesting bits of information about the Southern Arizona Rescue Association. Snowbirds back in Southern Arizona, and the wild outdoors beckon
Raven euthanized after caught in leg trap in Redington Pass – KVOA.com: A rather sad story about a Raven found in a baited leg hold trap in the Redington Pass area who was eventually euthanized – these traps are illegal on public lands as is trapping Ravens.
Authorities need help after deer poached in Catalina Mountains – Tucson News Now: “A $1,000 reward is being offered for tips leading to the arrest of the person who killed a Whitetail deer in the Santa Catalina Mountains last month. The Arizona Game and Fish Department said the animal, an untagged Whitetail buck, was found Oct. 9 off Forest Service Road 4496 in the Charoleau Gap area.”
BREAKING: Vehicle reportedly went off the road in Redington Pass – KVOA.com: According to the article one person was rescued and taken to the hospital after an vehicle accident in the Redington Pass area.
History of the San Manuel-Kalamazoo Mine, Pinal County, Arizona – AZGS Document Repository: Not a recent document but I had never seen this short history of the San Manuel-Kalamazoo Mine before and thought it was very interesting.
A Career of Her Own: Edith Shreve at the Desert Laboratory – University of Arizona Campus Repository: Janice Bowers wrote about Forrest Shreve, who worked at the Desert Labratory in Tucson, in the book A Sense of Place - The Life and Work of Forrest Shreve – she also authored this article about Edith Shreve. The article is from 1986 but I had not come across it until recently – it is an interesting read and includes a picture of Edith Shreve during an expedition into the Santa Catalina Mountains in the early 1900s! The name Shreve will be familiar to dedicated Santa Catalina Mountain hikers because of Shreve Saddle on the Sycamore Reservoir Trail.
Ron Hutter was lost on the mountain for several and nights after leaving from the Upper Green Mountain Trailhead for what he intended to be a short hike – thankfully he was eventaully able to walk back to the highway without any major injuries or mishaps. In this article from Tucson News Now – Hiker recounts fight survival after getting lost – he gives a detailed account of what happened and what he did, worth reading/watching and thinking about. Deputies continue search for missing hiker on Mt. Lemmon – Tucson News Now, Missing Mount Lemmon hiker found OK after being lost for 3 days | Crime | tucson.com – Arizona Daily Star, Missing hiker recuperating after spending 3 days on Mt Lemmon – KVOA.com
In November, after the release of 20 more Bighorn into the Santa Catalina Mountains, Arizona Game and Fish declared that the population has reached a sustainable level and that:
- No more releases are planned
- monthly updates about the project will no longer be released
- not all of the sheep released had GPS collars attached
- Mountain Lions that kill Bighorns will no longer be pursued
- AZGF Research Projects are scheduled to end in June 2017
I suppose at this point it will be many years until we know if this project was truly successful…
- Last Project Update
- AZ Game and Fish: 1 bighorn ram dead, next release in November – Tucson News Now
- 20 More Bighorns Released; Catalina Herd Called Viable – Arizona Public Media
- 20 more bighorns released in Santa Catalina Mountains – KVOA.com
- More bighorns bound into the Catalina Mountains near Tucson – Arizona Daily Star
- AZGFD: Bighorn sheep population has reached point of sustainability – KVOA.com
- With ‘sustainable’ bighorn herd in Catalinas, G&F says no more mtn lion killings – Tucson Sentinel
Recent links about hikes and adventures:
- 5 easy hikes you can do before eating today’s feast or afterward to work it off | | tucson.com – Arizona Daily Star
- Hittin’ the Trails 4 You: The Ventana Canyon Trail – KVOA.com
- Staff Pick Best Place to Hike In Your Wheelchair – Tucson Weekly
- Hittin’ the Trails 4 You: The Green Mountain Trail – KVOA.com
- Canyons of the Catalinas put on a sunset light show – Arizona Daily Star
Rescues/Accidents/Incidents including information from the SARCI Newsletter:
- Wilderness of Rocks 10/1/2016: Hiker stranded by darkness is found off trail near the Wilderness of Rocks/Lemmon Rock junction
- Windy Point 10/6/2016: An injury requiring a carry out of the patient
- Sutherland Trail 10/8/2016: A hiker on one of the many social trail off the Sutherland Trail in the Catalina State Park area became exhausted and was carried out
- Sabino Canyon 10/13/2016: Hikers requested help after hiking down canyon past the guaging station and were helped out
- Aspen Trail 10/15/2016: Hikers lost the trail but were able to find the trail and reach their vehicle before help arrived
- Butterfly Trail 10/17/2016: A biker on the Butterfly Trail lost the trail in the Novio Spring area and was extracted.
Stone Structure above Sabino Canyon – 9/10/2016
On a ridge above Sabino Canyon there is a small stone structure – the structure isn’t noted on the topo maps I have and you won’t find any informational signs as you circle the structure, but a 2012 article by Doug Kreutz for the Arizona Daily Star explains that “The structure is a water tower – or above-ground storage facility – probably associated with a well to the south and east” and likely built in the 1930s or 1940s.
