Water Above Sabino Dam
Snowmelt on Mt. Lemmon has water in Sabino Creek for the first time in months.
Water running in Sabino Creek — Images by kenne
Water In The Canyon 3 comments
Becoming is Superior to Being I come closest to succeeding by sharing.
A Few of Kenne’s Photos (Click on any image to see in slideshow)
Queen Butterfly
Kate and Jaxon
Southern California September 2012
Cactus Wren
All Souls Procession
Mountain Spiny Lizard
SCVN Weds Walk 08-01-12
Ed On Marshell Gulch Trail
Carpenter bee on sneezeweed
Friday with Friends & Molino Basin to Prison Camp
Queen Butterfly
Domingo DeGrazia’s Spanish-guitar band
Chase & Grandma Joy
Virginia & Jim At The Hunter Trail Saddle
Audrey, Joy, Hannah and Kenne
Sycamore Reservoir
Turkey Vulture at Tanque Verde Wash
Queen Butterfly
La Milagrosa Loop Hikers
Doves, Lightening, Hiking
Flickr Photos
Based on my childhood growing up in Tucson in the late 1950s and ‘60s, I have many fond memories of Sabino Canyon. In a rather strange and peculiar way, Sabino was the closest thing Tucson had to a “beach”.
Remember, back in those days few Tucsonans had air conditioning and relied instead on evaporative coolers sometimes derided as “swamp boxes”. They did a decent job keeping your house cool but when the weather got exceptionally hot or humid, they didn’t work as well.
So, on a hot weekend we’d head for Sabino Canyon. Sometimes the next door neighbors would follow in their car. Their dad and our dad would get a grill going to grill hot dogs and hamburgers while we kids cooled off by playing in the water. Make no mistake about it. Even on a really hot day that water was COLD!
Back in those days, people could just drive in there as long as the water wasn’t too high. You could drive over the single-lane bridges and pull off and park at any one of the picnic areas.
Sadly, Sabino became a victim of its own success. It finally became so crowded on the weekends that they had to do something else. So, I guess they had to close the road to general automobile traffic and offer rubber tired “tram” service. Although for those who are still in decent shape, I think they will let you walk in.
That is something that I’ve never had to do because, frankly, I have not been to Sabino since the early 1970s. Someday, though, it’s still on my “to do” list before I pass on.
Not allowing cars has allowed more people to visit the canyon over the years. Suttles take people up into Sabino and Bear Canyons. Because of COVID-19, fewer people are visiting. Fewer snowbirds are traveling this winter.
Awesome captures, kenne