The day started with a early morning departure to Colossal Cave Mountain Park for the 8 mile 2012 Fleet Feet Arizona Trail Race - it was cold as we got in the car and hoped that it would be just a little warmer by the time the race started. The start and finish is the La Posta Quemada Ranch, as we turned into the Ranch we immediately saw the start/finish line and runners warming up, seeing so many runners ready to hit the trail was exciting!

It is still chilly as we line up for the start - but in no time we are running and beginning to warm up. The start of the race winds around the road/parking area to spread everyone out before running past the Arizona Trail sign, thru the gate and onto the trail. After about a mile the temperature starts to feel perfect - this trail is a blast to run as it winds across and along Posta Quemada Canyon.  The scenery is gorgeous and the lines of runners on the single track create bright ribbons of color.

The layout for this course is great - a loop at the end of the course ensures that there is a minimum amount of time spent contending with runners trying to go both directions on the narrow trail (although you will have to step aside for the leaders if you run at my pace). To create the loop you turn off the Arizona Trail (a big thanks to the race staff for such great directions at all the intersections!) and turn onto the dirt road that that takes you back to the final section of the trail. The final climbs are a nice challenge before the fast downhill finish.

Part of the fun of this race was having so many friends and colleagues at the event - from the Summit Hut we had Jeremy Davis - Owner, Dave Baker - Founder, Richard Allen - Buyer, Charles Miles - Buyer, Dana Davis - Owner, Frank Camp - Marketing Director and Alison Taylor - Buyer (race results) - a great group to enjoy the fabulous breakfast with after the race.

If you missed this race this year think about signing up next year - but sign up early, this race is fantastic and will certainly sell out quickly! You can find quite a few pictures of this race on Flickr from Everyone Runs.

A few notes about gear we used on this run:

Photo Credit: Fleet Feet Tucson and Dave Barger.

Hot Peak 60, Inov-8: I like the fit on this cap and the sweat band does a good job keeping sweat out of my eyes and off my glasses - plus in the Black/Lime color it looks fast! - Charles 


Photo Credit: Fleet Feet Tucson and Dave Barger.

UV Arm Sleeves - Print, Moeben: Moeben arm sleeves were perfect for this race! The start was quite chilly so having some extra warmth was great while the last mile of the race, when I spent a great deal of energy trying to catch Frank, I got hot and was able to push the sleeves down for a cooling effect. The UPF 50 would have been great as well if it had been sunnier! -Dana

Performance Mini Crew and Ironman Thunder Pro Low-Cut, Injinji and Wigwam: By combining my original weight Injini socks with the Wigwam Thunder Pros I get maximum cushioning while keeping the toes separated so they do not rub against one another- they are the perfect match! -Dana


Photo Credit: Fleet Feet Tucson and Dave Barger.

F-Lite 230, Inov-8: I put quite a bit of thought into which shoes to wear for this run. In the end, the 230's won out - solid protection, great fit, minimal enough that I had to put some focus on good form. -Frank

Summit Hut Go Hat, Headsweats: This hat is incredibly lightweight, offered some sun protection and kept sweat out of my face! What more can you ask for? -Frank

 
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!

Rosewood Point is a highpoint above the eastern cliffs of Pima canyon. Rosewood Point, and nearby North Rosewood Point, offer great views of Pima Canyon and surrounding locations including Pusch Peak, Table Mountain and The Cleaver.

Parking for this hike is the Iris O. Dewhirst Pima Canyon Trailhead located at the end of Magee Road.

This hike is in the Pusch Ridge Wilderness area – two restrictions to be aware of: travel more than 400 feet off trail is forbidden January thru April (this hike is partially off-trail - Rosewood Point is 'closed' during that time period) and dogs are not permitted on the trail (except seeing-eye dogs or handi-dogs).

From the parking area take the Pima Canyon Trail. At 1 mile the trail enters Pima Canyon and at 1.8 miles the trail turns southeast and begins to parallel a small canyon (you will hike up this canyon to get close to the saddle below Rosewood Point). Stay on the Pima Canyon Trail and cross the canyon - after a few minutes look for a faint off-trail route on the right (approximately mile 2) - there are a number of faint trails in this area but you should be able to use any of them. Hike (roughly) south towards the bottom of the small canyon via the path of least resistance.


A view of the clouds moving over and around The Cleaver - taken from near where I left the Pima Canyon Trail.

Once in the canyon bottom cairns begin to appear that may help you find the easiest path up the canyon. As you get higher in the canyon the cairns become less frequent and the drainage will begin to turn to the east. Make your best guess about the location of the trail and work south up the hillside to the saddle.


Table Mountain thru the rusted barbed wire fence at the saddle.

The saddle is a great spot to take a break and enjoy the views. Several faint trails leave the saddle and take you up thru the cliffs. Above the cliffs it is an easy hike to Rosewood Point. Enjoy the views from Rosewood Point - but leave time to hike to North Rosewood Point.


Looking up Pima Canyon - a few minutes before reaching Rosewood Point.


Rosewood Point with Table Mountain in the background.

North Rosewood Point is another high point to the northwest that is just a few minutes of hiking from Rosewood Point. The views from North Rosewood Point include an interesting look at the cliffs on the east side of the Pima Canyon.


Looking down Pima Canyon from North Rosewood Point.

There are a number of possible ways back to the parking area from Rosewood Point. Following the ridgeline to the west is suggested as an interesting route in "The Santa Catalina Mountains: A Guide to the Trails and Routes" by Pete Cowgill and Eber Glendening (see the Rosewood Point description for details). But watching the rain roll across Tucson convinced me to take the easiest route down - back the same way I came up! This hike totals  just over 7 miles.

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 many ways to the top - this blog post describes hiking to Airmen Peak by of way Molino Canyon to the east and the West Fork of Molino Canyon to the West. While certainly not the fastest or easiest route - it is interesting because it takes you thru two wonderful canyons on the way to and from Airmen Peak.

As always, be very cautious about off-trail travel in the Santa Catalina mountains - the route below is only on official trails for about the first five minutes. If you are not comfortable scrambling off trail, on steep terrain and near sheer cliffs this hike should be avoided.

Mile 0 - The starting spot for this hike is the Molino Basin parking area. This area is on the left side of the Catalina Highway between mile markers 5 and 6 as you head up the mountain (well signed). There is a campground at Molino Basin that is open during the winter. After starting just off the parking area the trail crosses the road. You will pass a large Arizona Trail sign and just a few minutes after that leave the trail to begin travelling up Molino canyon. To work up canyon to the top of the first falls you have two choices - an obvious, but unofficial, trail that starts just before the Arizona Trail crosses the canyon (pictured below) - or simply walk up the canyon bottom. While the trail may be faster the canyon bottom is more beautiful and often has small pools of water and plenty to see - Canyon Treefrogs, Ferocious Water Bugs and Black-necked Garter Snakes were some of the animals I saw this trip.

As you approach the small falls the trail will take you up the left side (looking up canyon) of the canyon and eventually deposit you in the canyon bottom. If you followed the canyon simply work up the hillside to your left and catch the trail to get to the top. Once you are above the falls the rest of the hike will be off-trail.

About 10 minutes past the falls a drainage comes in from the west - this is the drainage mentioned in the Mountain Project description of the approach to the Stonewall climbing area.

Mile 1 - The canyon continues to steepen - occasional sections of slippery water polished rock and large boulders present some challenges to scramble up and/or work around.

Eventually the scrambling ends and the canyon levels out into a sand and rock walkway. This section of the canyon is a great destination - perhaps camp for the night and explore the surrounding area! Just a few minutes after the canyon levels out look for a smaller drainage coming in from the left (easy to spot and often marked with a small cairn). This drainage will take you to west towards Airmen Peak.

Mile 2 - As the small drainage bends to the north you get a good view of the rocky cliffs of Airmen Peak and a view of the small saddle you will be hiking to.

Leave the drainage and take the path of least resistance towards the saddle. As you near the saddle look to your left for the overgrown slope (to the south) that can be used to gain the peak - head up this slope anywhere that seems feasible. Progress is slow as you work up the steep slope and, finally, onto the rocky summit. The summit area offers views in every direction - plan on spending some time exploring - this is a great area!

Mile 3 - I wandered around the summit area and nearby ridge enjoying the views for quite a while. But eventually it was time to head down. There are a number of ways back to Molino Basin - but I love the West Fork of Molino Canyon so I decided to take a fairly direct northwest route down into the canyon. This route was less than thrilling - more than once taking me thru classic Santa Catalina hillsides filled with Manzanita... Next time I will retrace my route to the saddle and head down into the West Fork from there, but either way the reward for descending is the beautiful bottom of the West Fork of Molino!

Mile 4 - The rocky bottom of the West Fork eventually presents you with several cliffs/falls that you will need to work around. The hillsides are bushy but with some care it is possible to find a reasonable path around the obstacles (although there is no escaping the brush) - you may pick up some friends along the way... 

Mile 5 - More canyon... One more set of falls to work around, more rock hopping thru beautiful canyon and all too soon you are at the road - continue under the highway and down the canyon - you will pass behind several camp sites and then eventually hit the Molino Basin campground road a minute or two from your car, just as your mileage hits 6!

This trip may not be the fastest way to get up to Airmen Peak and back - but it is an amazing chance to travel some beautiful terrain if you are up for an off-trail adventure.

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 and we try to keep a copy on our map table!). The summit of Buster Mountain has great views of Alamo Canyon, Table Mountain and other formations including Leviathan Dome. There are no maintained trails to the Buster Mountain summit, but the Cowgill and Glendening guide (in the description for Buster Spring) gives a brief description of an old horse trail that can be used to get to the Buster Mountain/Buster Spring area. For this trip I used the Cowgill and Glendening description - but I decided to loop back to the parking area via Montrose Canyon (rather than the Alamo Canyon route described in the guide).

Getting Started

The parking area for this hike is the last parking area on the main road in Catalina State Park (this is the parking for several trails including the Romero Canyon Trail) - entry into Catalina State Park currently costs $7 per vehicle with 1-4 adults (check the website for the current cost). From the parking lot cross the road to a well signed trail head and take the trail across the Sutherland Wash. Just after crossing the wash there is a signed junction - take a right onto the Birding Trail. After a few minutes bear left at the Birding Trail loop and cross Montrose Canyon. Just after passing Montrose canyon a faint trail starts on the left - take this trail.

The Trail Up

The route to Buster Mountain with the summit in the background.

The trail just beyond Montrose Canyon is - I believe - the horse trail mentioned in the Cowgill and Glendening guide. From here I lost and found the trail MANY times. But losing the trail is not too much of a concern - Buster Mountain is easy to locate on the skyline, navigation is reasonably easy and the terrain is somewhat forgiving - getting off trail might slow you down, but it should not be a major obstacle to getting to the summit!

An old National Forest Boundary sign - I think it means I was on the trail at this point...

At just under 3 miles I reached the summit - from the summit there are great views of Leviathan Dome and the upper reaches of Alamo Canyon. This is a nice spot to relax - and perhaps to find a camp site for a night...

Leviathan Dome and Alamo Canyon from the summit of Buster Mountain

After leaving Buster Mountain I headed downhill and contoured over to Buster Spring. The tank was still holding water, but it was low and the canyon near the spring was quite dry.

Buster Spring Tank

The Canyon Down

After visiting the spring I headed down canyon towards Montrose Canyon. Travel in the canyon alternates between working thru thick brush, easy walking on exposed rock and scrambling down cliffs and falls. The canyon bottom was fairly dry on this trip and that made the scrambling easier - with some water flow I can imagine having to bypass the canyon bottom (or rappel) in a couple of spots. Just a bit before mile 5 I entered Montrose canyon. Montrose is a beautiful and rugged canyon - this section is sometimes accessed by hiking up the Romero Canyon Trail and then going off-trail and dropping into Montrose Canyon when the trail/terrain allow. It is possible to travel down this section of Montrose by scrambling and finding paths up, out and around the obstacles - but for this trip I brought 100' of rope so I could stay in the canyon bottom.

Obstacle 1 - At just past mile 5 a large boulder blocks the canyon.

Obstacle 2: A rappel or scramble above several pools. The last pool is pictured above - even with the canyon fairly dry these pools were quite deep!

The last obstacle in this section of canyon is a small cliff band overlooking a pool. There are a number of ways to continue past the obstacle - on this trip I chose a short rappel. Below this point Montrose Canyon has many more visitors and you will begin to see fire rings and small side trails.

The pool below the last obstacle.

From here continue down canyon - my favorite exit is to hike up to a park bench on the right side of the canyon (the bench is both an easy marker of where to exit and a welcome excuse to sit for a minute). This bench is on the on the Montrose Pools trail and from here it is an easy walk back to the parking area. Your mileage at the end of this hike will be approximately 7.6 miles!

Shoes after a few miles of canyon hiking.

This hike is a great journey up to a great summit, over to an interesting spring and down a beautiful canyon! As always, be very careful when hiking off-trail in the Santa Catalina mountains.

This season we have the best selection of jackets with synthetic insulation that we have had in years! To help you understand why we are excited this blog post will give you some information about synthetic insulation and some insight into why we picked these jackets.

The most important advantage that synthetic insulation offers is better performance in wet conditions: synthetic insulation will provide some warmth even when wet! This is a great feature and a nice advantage over down insulation (which quickly loses its ability to insulate as it gets wet). Synthetic insulation also tends to dry faster (often much faster!) than down. Better insulation and drying more quickly can be important advantages in sustained wet weather and damp/humid conditions.

Some other minor advantages that synthetic insulation has when compared with down: holes/rips in the outer shell will generally not leak insulation, washing and drying synthetic insulation is often simple and synthetic insulation is usually hypoallergenic.

It is useful to also consider the advantages that down offers: higher warmth to weight ratio, better compressibility and - properly cared for - longer useful life. These differences are important to consider, but today's synthetic insulations are quite good and at this point these are minor details.

Our selection for Fall 2011:

Arc'teryx Atom LT - Men's Jacket, Men's Hoody, Women's Jacket, Women's Hoody Luminara™ nylon weave fabric with wind and water repellant coating and Coreloft™ insulation, Polartec® Power Stretch® with Hardface® Technology on the sides and, in the hoody version, a close fitting hood.

Why we picked it:

-Full zip: Easiest/best way to vent a jacket and control your temperature - practical for both outside adventures and everyday use.
-Outer shell: Enough weather protection to easily shed mild wind/rain/snow.
-'Sweater' weight: Practical as your only piece of insulation in mild weather - but also useful as a layer (perhaps under a shell) in colder conditions.
-Great Colors!

Montane Fireball Smock - Men's PERTEX® Quantum Core and Ripstop outer with PRIMALOFT® ECO insulation and a deep 2 way chest zipper.

Why we picked it:

-Lightweight! This jacket is worthy of an ultra-light backpacker's consideration.
-Great details: Reflective hits/trim, chin guard and double chest zipper (for venting and pocket access). To keep this piece as light as possible pockets and a full zip have been eliminated, but all the features you really need are included.

Marmot Variant Jacket - Men's, Women's Thermal R™ Eco insulation in the front, Polartec® Power Stretch® in the sides, back, and sleeves and thumbholes.

Why we picked it:

-Smart! The synthetic insulation is in the front of the jacket where you need the warmth the most and where it won't be compressed by your pack.
-Great for active use: The Polartec® Power Stretch® is stretchy and breathes quite well - a great choice when you are on the move.
-Unique Look!

The North Face Super Zephyrus Jacket - Men's, Women's Water resistant nylon ripstop shell, Polartec® Power Stretch® panels, PrimaLoft® One insulation, thumb holes and hood.

Why we picked it:

-Hood: Sometimes the warmth and protection that a hood offers is just what you need.
-Smart Combination: Like the Variant this jacket combines different materials to get a great combination of insulation, protection, movement and breathability.

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 the pines to the cactus!

8:20 AM - Sabino Canyon parking lot - this is where we will end our hike so we leave one car here and take another car up the Catalina Highway. We head about 19 miles up the highway and make a left turn onto Organization Ridge Road – the turn is just after a set of restrooms (on the right) and before the Palisade ranger station (on the left). The Palisade trailhead is less than a half mile down Organization Ridge Road on the west side - just after the turn off for Shower's Point Campground. A dirt parking area and trail sign mark the start of the trail.

9:24 AM - After getting our gear together we head down the trail! The trail starts at about 7800 feet - we enjoy the cool air, tall pines and sounds of a small trickle of water in Palisade Canyon.

9:33 AM - After hiking for a few minutes there is a trail that comes in from the east - clearly signed 'no public access' – and a trail to the west. The trail to the west takes you to the bottom of Palisade Canyon (where there is usually some water to make this a nice diversion). Look west for good views of the Druid - a popular Tucson climbing area.

9:45 AM – The wilderness boundary sign - this marks the start of the descent into Pine canyon as trail moves to the east side of Organization Ridge. As you head down to Pine Canyon you start to move thru areas impacted by fire - dead tree trunks mix with new green growth.

10:15 AM - The trail levels out and passes within yards of Pine Canyon - a few different social trails will take you into a beautiful rocky area. A small set of falls is just a few minutes down canyon. This is a fantastic spot to spend a few minutes - or a few hours (or days!) - or use this as a turnaround point if you want a shorter hike.

10:35 AM - Mud Springs! The tank for Mud Springs is just off the trail to the west and there is an explosion of green as you approach. Watch your step - there is sometimes a slippery section of muddy trail (a rare treat in Tucson!) created by run off from the spring. A few minutes down trail you will cross a drainage that can be used as a rugged off-trail route down into Pine Canyon (it will arrive in Pine Canyon a few minutes below the falls marked on the USGS topo).

10:55 AM - The trail has been of the west slope of Pine Canyon for the past 40 minutes - very spectacular - and now it moves back to the other side of the ridge. For the first time in about an hour we can see Palisade Canyon, now much deeper and more rugged than the simple stream near the beginning of the trail. As you move across the ridge the trail become harder to follow - but if you are attentive there are more than enough cairns to keep you on the trail.

11:14 AM - Break time! We find a fantastic overlook and take a break. From here the trail takes a long and winding path down into Sabino Canyon.

12:38 PM - Just a moment after crossing Sabino Canyon we come to the signed junction with the East Fork Trail. Take a left here and you will head up switchbacks, eventually arriving at another trail junction - at this junction you can head down the Bear Canyon Trail or take the trail past Sycamore Reservoir to the Gordon Hirabayashi Recreation Area (both interesting alternatives to ending in Sabino Canyon). Take a right and you will be heading west towards the Sabino Canyon Trail and Tram stop #9!

1:06 PM - Just after the junction with the Box Camp Trail duck under a tree and you will be at the junction of the West Fork, East Fork and Sabino Canyon Trails! This is a great spot to take a break and catch your breath before heading uphill on the Sabino Canyon Trail. If you have time and are comfortable rock hopping off trail you might head down canyon - in less than 20 minutes you should find some great areas to get in the water and cool down!

1:48 PM - Finally the junction with the Phoneline Trail - I am tired and it seems like forever to get to this junction! For a longer hike you could continue south on the Phoneline Trail - but we are (very!) tired and (very!) happy to head down to Tram Stop #9.

1:59 PM - Tram Stop #9 and the end of our hike!!!! There is almost no shade at the Tram stop but it doesn’t matter - we all sprawl out and wait for the tram. The current fee to take the tram down is $8 - you can walk the road, but at this point I was happy to hand over the $8... If you plan on taking the tram be sure to check the last time it will pick up at stop #9 and double check that it is currently running to stop #9.

My GPS reports that this hike is 10.88 miles - starting at 7,800 feet - in the Pines - and ending at just under 3,400 feet - with the cactus!