Power poles along the Soldier Trail – at one time these provided power to the Prison Camp. February 2016.
We started at the Lower Green Mountain Trailhead in Bear Canyon – dirty snow was piled near the start of the Bug Spring Trail and there was occasional snow on/near the trail for the first few miles – but it disappeared too quickly, as we ran thru the Gordon Hirabayashi Recreation Site and on to the Soldier Trail the temperature seemed oppressively hot for February – we were grateful for the wind and occasional shade as we made our way down to the Soldier Trail Trailhead.
Grassy hillsides above Soldier Canyon on the Soldier Trail. February 2016.
Balloon – trash on a hillside above La Milagrosa Canyon – there was a 2nd balloon below… February 2016.
Balloons floating up into the sky can seem beautiful and symbolic – but after picking up balloons from an astounding number of places in the mountains – including many off-trail destinations with no sign of people/trash for miles – I cringe when I see a piece of floating trash ascending into the sky… For more sad pictures of balloons and a bit more information see Balloons in the Backcountry.
The comment period for the Catalina-Rincon FireScape Project is open and the Forest Service is holding several open houses about this project:
Saturday, February 20, 2016 – 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Chuck Bowden Mt. Lemmon Community Center, 12949 N. Sabino Canyon Parkway., Mt. Lemmon, AZ
Tuesday, February 23, 2016 – 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Oracle Fire Department, 1475 W. American Ave., Oracle, AZ
Thursday, February 25 – 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Morris K. Udall Regional Center, 7200 E. Tanque Verde Rd., Tucson, AZ
The press release from the Forest Service provides this quick summary of the project – “The CRFS is a landscape-scale restoration project that focuses on promoting resilient ecosystems; protecting life, property, and natural resources; and encouraging natural wildland fire to function as a healthy process in the ecosystem” – and the Scoping Notice provides background including:
The fire history recorded by tree rings indicates that, since the beginning of the early 20th century, the frequency of natural fire has decreased dramatically. Tree-ring research has shown that for many centuries, the Santa Catalina and Rincon mountains shared broadly similar fire regimes and ecosystem properties. However, since the early 20th century, natural fire regimes have been significantly altered because of grazing (which removes the fine fuels that carry surface fire) and continued fire suppression.
Ewe #39540 died in the first part of February – “she had suffered a severe injury to her left front leg in addition to a superficial wound on her chest, both injuries likely sustained in a fall” – samples have been sent for disease testing.
Test results from Ewe #39554 who died in December indicate that she did not have pneumonia and that injuries sustained in a fall were the likely cause of death.
Coronado National Forest waives fees in honor of Presidents Day – Coronado National Forest: Coronado National Forest will waive fees at most of its day-use recreation sites Monday, February 15, in honor of Presidents Day – Fees are waived generally for day-use areas, such as picnic grounds, developed trailheads and destination visitor centers!
Recreation projects completed on Mt. Lemmon – Coronado National Forest: A recent press release from the Coronado National forest notes several recently complete projects include 22 new interpretive signs along/near the highway and new restrooms at the Cypress Picnic Area and Showers Point Campground.
Rescues/Accidents/Incidents including information from the SARCI Newsletter:
Finger Rock Trail 1/16/2016 – Hikers descending from Mount Kimball ran out of daylight on the way down the Finger Rock Trail, ended up at Linda Vista Saddle and couldn’t find the way down.
Alamo Canyon 1/18/2016 – Hikers returning from Romero Pools ended up in on the slopes of Alamo Canyon.
Blackett’s Ridge 1/20/2016 – A fall results in ankle, knee and face injuries – injured hiker was flown out by helicopter.
Blackett’s Ridge under the stars. February 2016.A tree above the Sabino Canyon ‘lake’. February 2016.Clouds and Stars above the Santa Catalina Mountains. February 2016.
We hiked, slowly and with pauses for pictures, out passed the dam and to the lake, under the stars and clouds – it was a beautiful night and as our friend Mindi wrote “I can’t even describe how much fun it is to go sit in the dark with your camera!”
The Sutherland Wash Rock Art District was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1993. Located in and around Sutherland Wash the area holds an incredible number of Hohokam petroglyphs. Ceramics and artifacts found in the area indicate that it was inhabited by the Hohokam between 1000 A.D and 1300 A.D. The water in the area would certainly have been an attraction and researchers have identified probable prehistoric trails both to the top of the Santa Catalina Mountains and to nearby locations such as Romo Peak pass thru this area. (The Romo Cache was found on Romo Peak and contains 100,000 beads and a number of copper bells) .
There are more than 600 petroglyph panels in the district, including many representations of flowers, butterflies and birds. Such imagery is characteristic of a spiritual landscape known as the Flower World. In this Uto-Aztecan belief system of ancient Mesoamerican origin, believers evoked a flowery, colorful, glittering paradise through prayers, songs, and other actions. The likelihood of this connection is strengthened by the discovery of Mesoamerican copper bells at Honey Bee Village (a nearby Hohokam settlement) and in a cache of Hohokam artifacts found near the rock art district.
A panel of petroglyphs in the Sutherland Rock Art District. January 2016.Female anthropomorph and flowers. January 2016.
Even more common than the anthropomorphic petroglyphs at the site are representations of animals – it is difficult to tell what animal is represented above, but interesting to dream about what people were seeing in this area 1,000 years ago…
Cliffs and shadows from the Babad Do’ag Trail. January 2016.
Close to the highway, not notably long or strenuous and without a dramatic ending the Babad Do'ag Trail is sometimes overlooked – but the short ridge before the end of the trail is a fun section of trail, the sunsets are great and with a bit of extra work and skill there are several off-trail destinations in easy reach – the highpoint just above the end of the trail, Point 4780 east of the trail and the cross-country journey over to Soldier Trail to name a few – certainly all worthy small adventures!
Sunset from highpoint above the end of the Babad Do’ag Trail. January 2016.Just below the highpoint above the end of the Babad Do’ag Trail – front to back: Babad Do’ag Trail, Weather Top, Agua Caliente Hill, Mica Mountain. January 2016.
