Linda Vista Trail

The Linda Vista Trail is really a network of three or four trails, all tucked under the north side of Pusch Peak in the Catalina Mountains north of Tucson. Very easy to access, trailhead parking is just a few hundred yards off Oracle Highway. This is a great place to enjoy a high quality yet…

Saguaro Census 2010

Its census time again. Saguaro National Park is looking for volunteer help to conduct the third Saguaro Census since 1990. The Park conducts a saguaro cactus census every ten years, which curiously coincides with the U.S. national population census. This past November, four Summit Hut staff volunteered for census work with the Park as part…

Phoneline Trail

There is little doubt that Sabino Canyon is the most visited recreation area in southern Arizona. Surrounded by the Pusch Ridge Wilderness, Sabino Canyon is wild and spectacular, yet very easy to access from the Tucson area. Most visitors ride a commercial tram or walk the road (closed to traffic) that runs four miles along…

Rutharitas

In October 2008, I had the good fortune to walk a cross country backpacking loop off the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. We were a party of six, and when it came time to figure out how we would divvy up group gear, trip member Bob Wade kindly volunteered to “bring evening cocktails”. We…

Dan Davis Joins Our Blog

A soft spoken man with a wonderfully understated sense of humor stopped by the Summit Hut in 1999, asking if there were any positions open. Dan Davis had just retired from a distinguished career with the National Park Service, where he had spent time in such magnificent locations as Rocky Mountain and Grand Canyon National…

Grand Canyon Reservation System Change?

Grand Canyon National Park is proposing a change to the procedure for reserving backcountry permits for overnight wilderness camping in the Canyon. Under the current system users who are able to show up in person at the Backcountry Information Center on the South Rim when permits first become available get first shot at reservations, ahead…

Support High Creek Access in the Galiuro Mountains

Since 2003, public access to High Creek, one of the nicest trail heads in the Galiuro Mountains northeast of Tucson, has been blocked by private land owners. The Forest Service is seeking public comment on a proposed plan to restore public access to the High Creek area. Public access to High Creek will provide a…

Ragged Top

Ragged Top is widely regarded as the finest peak in the Silver Bell Mountains, which rise out of the desert plain west of Marana, Arizona. The Silver Bells are home to an estimated 35 -50 desert bighorn sheep, likely the only remaining bighorns in the Tucson area. The area lies within Ironwood Forest National Monument,…

Sierra High Route

I love off-trail hiking. The mental and physical challenges of picking a way through unmarked wild country are very satisfying, in spite of the fact that off-trail travel is often slower and almost always leaves marks in the form of abraded skin and gear. And I love the Sierra Nevada of California, especially the high…

Community Maps for Garmin

Owners of Garmin GPS units will be interested to know about two web sites offering free map and trail software created by “community mappers”. GPS File Depot is a rich resource worth checking out. Dozens of free topo maps and some street maps are available for download; with maps for Arizona, California, New Mexico, to…