summerhaven

Lambs, Beetles, Wine

Posted - Charles Miles

After several recent Bighorn deaths it is encouraging that there are now reports of an additional lamb – More lambs spotted in the Catalinas – Ally Aldrete – KGUN9, Another lamb seen in Catalina Mountains – Arizona Daily Star.

In Bear Canyon the Forest Service is starting a project to try to reduce the Bark Beetle population – trees will be removed from areas including “Cypress, Middle bear and Chihuahua Pine Picnic Areas and General Hitchcock Campground. Generally canyon bottom and north-facing slopes” with the goal of stopping the spread of the beetles to adjacent trees and reducing the fire hazard that can be created by trees killed by the beetles. Expect closures to these areas when work is in progress. Forest Service Schedule of Proposed Actions for the Coronado National Forest, 400 beetle infested trees to be removed on Mt. Lemmon – Matt Fernandez – KVOA.com, Bark beetle removal project to begin on Mt. Lemmon – Elizabeth Walton – Tucson News Now.

Oracle State Park events for 2015 – Elizabeth Walton – Tucson News Now: Also see the Oracle State Park homepage.

Let it snow – Chastity Laskey – The Daily Wildcat: Some notes on the recent snow and things to do in Summerhaven and on the mountain.

Off the Vine wine festival – Elizabeth Walton – Tucson News Now: A wine festival is scheduled for the Steam Pump Ranch in February.

Buffelgrass, Lemmon, Lions, Events, Sledding

Posted - Charles Miles

Beat Back Buffelgrass Day 2015 – Beat Back Buffelgrass Day is January 24th – there are a number of different locations around Tucson including Catalina State Park with The Coalition for Sonoran Desert Protection!

Street Smarts: Highway, mountain named for botanist – Arizona Daily Star – David Leighton: Information on where the name ‘Mount Lemmon’ comes from.

Tucson Lion Killings Dropped Dramatically in 2014 – Kierán Suckling – Center for Biological Diversity – This press release from the Center for Biological Diversity points out that Mountain Lion kills by Hunters and Ranchers declined in the Catalina and Rincon Mountains in 2013 and 2014 (according to AZGF records). The release notes that in 2014 no Lions were killed in the ‘Bighorn Sheep Protected Area’ that was put in place in 2013 and bans hunting with hounds in an area similar to the Bighorn Sheep Closure Area that restricts recreational use in the Pusch Ridge Wilderness (see the current Arizona Hunting Regulations for the details of the ‘Bighorn Sheep Protected Area’).

Oracle State State Park Events – See the Oracle State Park Homepage for more details.

  • Saturday, January 24: Winter Evening Stargazing Event: Music, a “Ancient Native American Astronomical Practices” presentation and stargazing with telescopes – this is a great follow-up to the International Dark Sky Park status that park gained last year!
  • Saturday, January 31: Guided ‘Manzanita to Mariposa’ Loop Hike
  • Saturday, January 31: Arizona Trail Virtual Tour: Sirena Dufault will present on the Arizona Trail!

The snow at the start of the year resulted in great sales for businesses in Summerhaven – the General Store sold ‘around a thousand sleds!’. Restricted access to Mount Lemmon did not slow weekend business – Tucson News Now – Craig Reck, Mt. Lemmon businesses booming – KVOA.com – Domenica Fuller: 

Mt. Lemmon sledding accidents send eight to the hospital over the weekend – KVOA.com – Lauren Reimer: “The most common injuries the sledders received were head injuries and broken bones.” The article mentions two interesting details – the injuries happened to both children and adults, and that from New Year’s Eve to January 6th ‘about ten thousand people have visited Summerhaven’.

Wood pile burning to continue on Mt. Lemmon – KGUN9 – Ina Ronquillo

Aspen Draw, Aspen and Marshall Gulch Trail Loop – 12/19/2014

Updated - Posted - Charles Miles
1412 Enjoying untouched snow on Radio Ridge
Enjoying the snow on Radio Ridge near the Aspen Draw Trail. December 2014.

Winter Wonderland – after months and months (and months) of summer it feels like this has never happened before and might never happen again, hard to remember that every year, sooner or later, the mountain is covered in snow. Summerhaven was full of people – the trails were nearly empty, and the conditions perfect! Aspen Draw Trail, Aspen Trail, Marshall Gulch Trail Loop – 7.4 miles, 1600′ of elevation gain/loss.

1412 Snow and Snow on the Aspen Draw Trail
Sun and snow on the Aspen Draw Trail! December 2014.
1412 Snow on the Aspen Trail with the junction sign in the distance
Snow on the Aspen Trail near the junction with the Wilderness of Rock, Mint Spring and Marshall Gulch Trail. December 2014.

Bighorns, Dogs, Asteroid, High Water, Rescues, Evening Rides

Posted - Charles Miles

Bighorn Sheep Restoration Project Status updates for 8/4 to 8/17 and 8/18 to 8/31 are available (all updates are currently available here) – there is not much of note in either document except for a very interesting call for volunteers to help with vegetation sampling in the Santa Catalina Mountains:

we’re still looking for more [volunteers] who like to hike and want to be part of this effort, so 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!

Hikers stranded due to high water at Catalina State Park – Tucson News Now, Sonu Wasu – the incredible rains on Monday (which also temporarily closed the highway up the mountain and resulted in highwater in many areas) resulted in flooding across the road and Search and Rescue call-outs – including to Romero Pools.

Dogs pose a threat to bighorn sheep survival – Arizona Daily Star, Douglas Kreutz – Information about the year-round rules against dogs in the Bighorn Sheep Management Area.

Close-call asteroid passing Earth discovered from telescopes on Mt. Lemmon – Tucson News Now, Erin Jordan – House sized asteroid 2014 RC will pass close to earth – discovered “by the Catalina Sky Survey, working from a telescope on top of Mt. Lemmon”.

Labor Day weekend helping business in Summerhaven – Tucson News Now, Mauricio Marin – Ski Valley and Summerhaven have a busy Labor Day weekend.

Sabino Canyon evening rides – The Explorer – “During September-November and April-June, Sabino Canyon Tours offers evening rides three nights per month.”

62-year-old woman rescued at Romero Pools – KVOA.com, Alyssa Reilly – A Romero Pools rescue.

Aspen Draw and Lemmon Rock Trails – 2014/5/10

Updated - Posted - Charles Miles

Summerhaven – Turkey Run – Aspen Draw – Radio Ridge – I wonder if the Forest Service or Arizona Historical Society have the brochure that matches the old markers along the trail – it would be fun to hike the trail and read the descriptions…

1405 Old markers on the Aspen Draw Trail
Old markers on the Aspen Draw Trail.

Up to the Summit Trailhead and then down again – Lemmon – Lemmon Rock – Wilderness of Rock junction – back up the Lemmon Rock Trail.

The Lemmon Rock Lookout slowly gets closer, the wind makes the day feel cool, I hear Peregrine Falcons and my own heartbeat when I take a short break.

1405 Lemmon Rock Lookout from the Lemmon Rock Trail
Looking up at the Lemmon Rock Lookout from the Lemmon Rock Trail.

Radio Ridge – Aspen Draw – Turkey Run and back into Summerhaven…