Sycamore Reservoir Trail

Have you hiked on the Arizona Trail? If not you might be surprised to learn that there are great opportunities to experience a day hike on the AZT that are only a short drive from Tucson! One of my favorite sections of the AZT is the Sycamore Reservoir Trail. Looking down into the Sycamore Reservoir…

Pusch Peak

The trail to Pusch Peak from the west (the Northwest Side Route) is nicely documented in this blog post by Dave Baker – but, like most destinations, there is more than one route to the top! One other option is the ‘Southeast Ridge Route’ described in “The Santa Catalina Mountains: A Guide to the Trails…

Milagrosa Canyon

Milagrosa Canyon was the first place I ever experienced the magic of monsoons: my brother and I hiked out there under a sky going indigo and saguaros shining electric on the ridge. The first wash crossing drenched us to our knees with warm summer rainwater. Looking at the first sunbathed red cliffs is a view…

Bear Canyon Trail to Seven Falls

Sabino Canyon is a spectacularly beautiful place to hike. Halfway up the side of the canyon, the Phone Line trail contours along length, offering great vistas. Other trails include Blacket’s Ridge. A paved road runs along the bottom, along which runs a tram. Bear Canyon, the next canyon over from Sabino Canyon, while not as…

Snowshoe Shenanigans

After getting a taste of winter about a month ago, I’ve been eagerly anticipating more snowfall on Mt. Lemmon. Unfortunately, the weather through the rest of November was fairly warm and no snow fell up on the mountain. All that changed in the second week of December when a storm system rolled in and dumped…

Rosewood Point and North Rosewood Point

Driving to the trailhead. Rain and clouds… The perfect day for a hike! To enjoy the somewhat rare grey skies I decided to hike up to Rosewood Point. My reward for braving the weather was getting to watch clouds swirling around Table Mountain and The Cleaver – different from the usual views in Pima Canyon!…

Airmen Peak

Molino Basin is a gateway to a number of truly fantastic areas in the Santa Catalina Mountains. One great off-trail destination is Airmen Peak. Although no official trails exist to the peak there are several ways to the top – this blog post describes hiking to Airmen Peak by of way Molino Canyon to the…

Buster Mountain, Buster Spring, Montrose Canyon

I don’t think I would have picked Buster Mountain out of the Santa Catalina skyline as a hiking destination without the help of “The Santa Catalina Mountains: A Guide to the Trails and Routes” by Pete Cowgill and Eber Glendening (this guide has been out of print for years, but it is a great resource…

Palisade Trailhead to the Sabino Canyon Tram

There are quite a few reasons to like the Palisade Trail – easy access to a great section of Pine Canyon, great views of an outstanding Santa Catalina waterfall, great views of Thimble peak and Tucson… But the best thing about the Palisade Trail is that you can use it to take a journey from…

Samaniego Peak

Residents of Oro Valley and the town of Catalina, north of Tucson, are very familiar with stately Samaniego Ridge, which drops off the top of Mt Lemmon and stretches north in a seemingly straight line for over 8 miles before dying out beyond Charouleau Gap. The highpoint on the ridge is a prominent craggy rock…