shooting

Bighorn, Crossing, Decapitation, Comet, Snow, App, Rescues – 11/15/2015

Posted - Charles Miles

There are plans to release 30 bighorn sheep from near Yuma into the Santa Catalina Mountains during the third week of November. Pneumonia – identified as the cause in a number of recent deaths – is still a concern but the bighorn planned for the release “have been previously exposed to the illness and are therefore resistant to it.” More Bighorn Sheep Coming to Santa Catalinas Near Tucson – Arizona Public Media, More bighorns coming to Catalina Mountains next month – Arizona Daily Star.

Wildlife crossings pave the way for biodiversity in Sonoran Desert – Arizona Sonora News: There is an exciting project that is part of the widening of Oracle Road – two wildlife crossings that will help link the Tortolita and Santa Catalina Mountains! The Arizona Department of Transportation has a single sheet overview of the project that is quite informative. While the project is not finished it appears that a tortoise is the first documented user of the new crossing!

Decapitated deer found tied to tree on Mount Lemmon – KVOA.com: Near Molino Basin a deer that had been shot and decapitated was found tied to a tree on Nov. 6 – there is a $2,000 reward for information (contact Operation Game Thief – 1-800-352-0700). A quote from the article: “This case is very troubling, given the nature of the crime scene. We are outraged by this, and expect that the general public will be as well” – Regional Supervisor Raul Vega of Game and Fish in Tucson.

Mt. Lemmon biz looking forward to El Nino winter – KVOA.com: “General Manager [of the Sawmill Run Restaurant] Steven Sanders said the more snow, the more people come up and the more jobs there will be to go around.”

First snowfall of season on Mt. Lemmon brings out plenty of sightseers – Tucson News Now: First snow of the Season!

Catalina State Park: Blue skies, flowing water – Arizona Daily Star, Sabino Canyon gearing up for busy season – Tucson News Now: Two articles that are a great reminder that we are starting to have days with amazing weather for getting outside to the desert/lower elevation areas of the mountain!

Long Term Permit for Sabino Canyon Shuttle Services – USFS: This page contains information about the proposed 20-year special use permit for the shuttle system in Sabino Canyon. The SCRA Shuttle Scoping Letter has some interesting notes about the project including a list of design features that mentions minimizing conflicts between the shuttle/hikers/bikers and reducing ‘auditory impacts’ from the shuttle that seem to depend on ‘modernizing [the] existing 1970s era shuttle fleet’.

Space junk crashing toward Earth found by Mount Lemmon lab – Arizona Daily Star: Space debris – possibly an old rocket booster – that entered Earth’s atmosphere and splashed down in the Indian Ocean was first spotted by the Catalina Sky Survey!

Comet named after Catalina Mountains may soon be seen with naked eye – Tucson News Now: Comet Catalina will soon be at its closest to the sun and may be visible with the naked eye. The comet was discovered in 2013 by the Catalina Sky Survey. This post from EarthSky.org has information on locating the comet in the sky.

Closure of shooting sites on Redington Pass extended – Arizona Daily Star: Three unofficial shooting areas off Redington Road that were closed for clean up will remain closed until next year while the Forest Service works on a management plan for the Redington Pass area.

Motorcyclist airlifted after Mt. Lemmon crash – Tucson News Now: non life-threatening injuries sustained in a crash near milepost 17.

UA College of Science Produces Mount Lemmon Audio Tour – UANews: The University of Arizona College of Science has produced a mobile app for Android and iPhone called ‘The Mount Lemmon Science Tour’. The app is largely a guided audio tour with great accessible science content (how the mountain formed, life zones, water, …) that is timed for a drive up the mountain.

Rescues/Accidents/Incidents including information from the SARCI Newsletter:

  • Crystal Spring Trail – 10/25: Exhaustion results in a hiker carried out to the Control Road
  • Blackett’s Ridge – 10/7: Ankle injury, hiker carried out.
  • Seven Cataracts – 10/2: Hiker injured in a fall on the unofficial trail/route from the Seven Cataracts Overlook to the pools in Seven Cataracts – hoisted out and transferred to a medical helicopter.
  • Sutherland Trail – 9/23: Lost hiker calls for help after being unable to follow the trail – the current trail conditions plus attractiveness of this route continue to cause incidents.

Redington Pass Closure, Shifting Ground, Guided Hikes, Fall Colors, Bighorn Sheep Update

Posted - Charles Miles

Redington Pass shooting area closure extended Cleanup work continues in the area – The Forest Service has extended the closure (details below) indefinitely to allow for clean up of several recreational shooting sites between Mileposts 5 and 7 on Redington Road .  The clean-up – which includes removal of soil with high lead concentrations – is currently expected to be completely mid-November. The press release also mentions that a Redington Pass Collaborative Management Plan is being developed that is “intended to increase visitor safety, enhance multiple uses and recreational experiences, and minimize user conflicts.” The Friends of Redington Pass is one group to explore if you are interested in this area.

Prohibited activities include parking a motorized vehicle between Mile Markers 5.0 and 7.0 along Pima County Road 371, and discharging a firearm, air rifle, paint ball gun, gas gun or archery equipment between Mile Markers 5.0 and 7.0, or within 0.6 miles of that segment of the road.

County testing for shifting ground under Catalina Highway; blame Aspen wildfire, KGUN9, Maggie Vespa – The article expands on the information available on the Pima County Website about construction on the Mount Lemmon Highway and talks specifically about the installation of monitors to detect ground movement. The county states that greater run-off after the fires is creating more stress on the highway infrastructure – but also says there is “no reason to worry”. (Expect construction above San Pedro Vista thru mid-November – delays are expected weekdays between the hours of 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. – possibly with a reduction to one lane and temporary closures to safely position heavy equipment.)

Guided Hikes in Catalina State Park in October – on the 12th, 19th and 26th there will be guided hikes in Catalina State Park – hopefully with nice cool temperatures as we move into Fall!

Autumn in Tucson: Lederhosen and leaves – Arizona Daily Star,  Ann Brown – A nice article mentioning a number of reasonably easy to access places on the mountains to see fall colors. The article also mentions the Oktoberfest at Mount Lemmon Ski Valley – Saturdays and Sundays 11:45 a.m.-5 p.m. thru October 12.

The Bighorn Sheep Restoration Project Status update for 9/15 to 9/28 is available (all updates are currently available here) – This updates includes information about Bighorn Sheep populations and translocation efforts that have taken place in other parts of Arizona to give some perspective/comparison to the project in the Santa Catalina Mountains – interesting reading! Also included in this update is another mention of the upcoming research/vegetation sampling and a call for volunteers:

If you’d like to get involved (and enjoy some pretty spectacular hiking along the way), please contact either Research Biologist Andrew Jones ([email protected]) or Larisa Harding ([email protected]) and let us know as we begin to organize this effort. Sampling will most likely occur from early January through the end of February 2015. Come join in the fun and contribute to the research efforts!

National Trail Days work at Upper Green Mountain, News

Posted - Charles Miles

On National Trails Day – Saturday, June 7, 2014 – from 8am to 12pm “The Coronado National Forest, Santa Catalina Ranger District along with REI and the Arizona Conservation Corps will be hosting a volunteer event Saturday, June, 7 in celebration of National Trails Day. Come join us as we work on brushing, trash clean up, trail restoration, and erosion control on our local hiking and mountain biking trails. Snacks, water and lunch will be provided!” – to get all the details see this page on the American Hiking Society Website. The Upper Green Mountain Trailhead is located just before San Pedro Vista 17.2 miles up the mountain on the up-mountain side of the highway providing easy access to both the Green Mountain Trail and the Incinerator Ridge Trail – both part of the Arizona Trail Wilderness Bypass!

2014/5/19 – Shooters litter national forest land by Catalina Highway – an article about a well known shooting destination just off the highway up the mountain – the site had been cleaned up and boulders/dirt added to discourage access but the site continues to be used and this article reports that trash is already a problem again. While Coronado National Forest officials have indicated shooting here is legal it seems like it might not be appropriate.

Mt Lemmon prepares for wildfire season, fire department worries about campers, Obey fire restrictions, avoid hefty fines – Several articles discussing and re-iterating the fire danger this season.