Prickly Pear Still Life (August 3, 2015) — Computer Art by kenne
Yesterday, the blossoms of the barrel cactus, today the fruit of the prickly pear cactus.
Archive for the ‘Blackett’s Ridge’ Tag
Prickly Pear Fruit Still Life 1 comment
Beetle Homecoming 3 comments
A Sneezeweed blossom hosts a beetle homecoming. (July 31, 2015, Mt. Lemmon, Arizona)– Image by kenne
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Capturing The Moment — Star Fern 2 comments
Star Fern (Notholaena standleyi) Nestled Near A Cliff Edge On The Northwest Side of Blackett’s Ridge Trail
Getting A Little Setting Sun (February 2, 2015) — Image by kenne
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Sunset Colors Across The Canyon 2 comments
On Brackett’s Ridge Above Sabino Canyon (February 2, 2015) — Panorama image by kenne
Deep winter shadows
Settle across the canyons,
Earth colors abound.
— kenne
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Capturing The Moment — Full Moon Over Blackett’s Ridge 2 comments
Full Moon Along the Blackett’s Ridge Trail in Sabino Canyon — Image by kenne
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Hiking Blackett’s Ridge Panorama, November 4, 2011 Leave a comment
Hiking Blackett’s Ridge Panorama, November 4, 2011 — Image by kenne
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Blackett’s Ridge — “Top Of The World,” Panorama Week, Day 6 1 comment
Blackett’s Ridge, Santa Catalina Mountains — Image by kenne
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Old Pueblo On A Cloudy Day 2 comments
View from Guthrie Peak Trail, Catalina Highway to the Right, Down Through Sycamore Canyon, Thumble Peak, Blackett’s Ridge, Tucson,
The Tucson Mountains with The Quinlan Mountains on the Tohono O’odham Nation In The Distance.
— Image by kenne
Tall trees stand behind
Scrubs cover the mountainside
Through which a road runs.
Rocky peaks reach up
Form a desert silhouette
Above the basin.
Clouds move slowly by
Cover parallel ranges
Hugging Old Pueblo.
— kenne
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Appalachian Mountain Club Hikes Blackett’s Ridge – II Leave a comment
AMC Hiking Blackett’s Ridge
AMC Hiking Blackett’s Ridge
AMC Hiking Blackett’s Ridge
AMC Hiking Blackett’s Ridge
AMC Hiking Blackett’s Ridge
At The Top
At The Top
At The Top
At The Top
AMC Hiking Blackett’s Ridge
At The Top
Eastern Collard Lizard
Hedgehog Blossom
Hedgehog Blossom
AMC Coming Down Blackett’s Ridge
Prickly Pear Blossom
AMC Hiking Blackett’s Ridge, April 7, 2014. — Images and video by kenne
(Click on any of the tiled images to see a larger view in a slideshow.)
This is the second of two postings on AMC hike on Blackett’s Ridge. The 1st posting was on April 8th.
Enjoy. The next AMC posting will be on hiking to Hutch’s Pool
kenne
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Eastern Collard Lizard On Blackett’s Ridge Leave a comment
Eastern Collard Lizard On Blackett’s Ridge
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Hiking Blackett’s Ridge Where We Kiss The Sky 3 comments
Blackett’s Ridge, End of the Trail Overlooking Sabino Canyon: ‘Scuse me while I kiss the sky!
— Image by kenne
The Blackett’s Ridge trail is a very popular hiking trail in Sabino Canyon. The trail is located on the ridge between Sabino and Bear canyons and ends a little over three miles from the Sabino Canyon Visitor Center, where the hiker has beautiful views, including the nearby Thimble Peak. With an elevation gain of 1,800 feet, most of which takes place about halfway into the hike, 34 switchbacks make the steep climb a little easier for the hiker. You can get a better idea for hiking this trail by watching the video below.
kenne
Hiking Blackett’s Ridge — Images by kenne (Click on any of the images to see slide show.)
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First Poppies In The Desert Leave a comment
Poppies In The Desert — Images by kenne
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Capturing The Moment — Panorama View From Blackett’s Ridge Trail 2 comments
Panorama View From Blackett’s Ridge Trail — Image by kenne
When I capture a moment
I see something,
first, with my eyes,
second, with a question —
allowing the moment
to become something else,
driven by my mind receptors.
— kenne
Changing the Order of Things — Image by kenne
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Capturing Moments To Remember — Five Naturalists Hike To Thimble Peak 10 comments
Panoramic Image from the Mountain Meadow Below Thimble Peak — Images by kenne
As Sabino Canyon Volunteer Naturalists (SCVN) we spend a lot of time in the Canyon and the Santa Catalina Mountains leading children and adults on outdoor activities. One of the iconic images of the Canyon is Thimble Peak. It can be seen from the Sabino Canyon Recreational Area Center, the tram ride up through the Canyon, Bear Canyon and many of the area’s hiking trails.
One very popular trail is Blackett’s Ridge trail located between Sabino Canyon and Bear Canyon. This difficult hiking trail ends about a mile from Thimble Peak, separated by a deep ravine — “So close, yet so far,” is the thought most people have when reaching the end of the Blackett’s Ridge trail. Serious rock climbers might venture on, but most adventurous hikers look for other options for hiking to this majestic pinnacle.
One option is to hike, or take the tram, up through Sabino Canyon, then taking the Sabino Canyon trail to the East Fork trail, looping around to the Bear Canyon trail.
Another option is to take the Bear Canyon trail out of the Sabino Canyon Recreational Area up through Bear Canyon passed Seven Falls.
A third option is the one that five SCVN members (Phil Bentley, Alexa Bieberstein, Tim Ralph, Ed Rawl and Kenne Turner) decided to do when learning that the elementary school class coming to the Canyon on November 7th had been cancelled.
Wash Leading Out Of The Gordon Hirabayashi Recreation Site (Historical WWII Prison Camp)
This option involved driving the Catalina Highway to the Gordon Hirabayashi Campgrounds, where under a beautiful blue-sky morning, we began the twelve-mile hike in cool temperatures, with a forecast of sunny warm temperatures in the afternoon — windy with gusts of 40 mph.
Tim, Ed, Alexa and Phil At The Sycamore Reservoir Trail Saddle (Part of the Arizona Trail)
The Arizona Trail, which runs from Mexico to Utah goes through the area making use of many existing trails in the Santa Catalina Mountains. As predicted, the winds were gusty.
Phil, Alexa & Tim
This sign at the saddle on the Sycamore Reservoir trail is a common site for those hiking to the Sycamore dam. On our way to Thimble Peak, we stopped at the dam for a break before continuing on to the Bear Canyon trail.
The Peak Is In Sight! (Phil, Alexa, Ed and Tim)
Even with the very windy conditions, it didn’t take long before we began shading layers of clothing.
Photo Taking Time (Phil and Alexa)
This scene is located where the Bear Canyon trail goes left down into the canyon to Seven Falls. After a few photos, we headed off to the right through a beautiful mountain meadow toward the trail that would take us to Thimble Peak.
Thimble Peak
We were now only a few hundred yards from the pinnacle. You can click here to see 44 images on my Flickr account of our hike in a full-frame slideshow.
In addition to many photos, I managed to take several video clips, which I have edited into a video posted on YouTube and inserted below. The video contains a special treat with naturalist Phil Bentley singing America the Beautiful overlooking the Tucson valley from the base of Thimble Peak pinnacle.
At The Base of Thimble Peak Overlooking the Tucson Valley (Ed, Phil, Alexa and Tim)
Alexa Climbing The Pinnacle (Thimble Peak)
A Thimble Full Of Life
All one needs
in life is
a thimble full of
this and that
to experience life.
We determine
what makes up
THIS,
what makes up
THAT.
Do you have a thimble full?
— kenne
You can see all 44 images at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kennetu/sets/72157637734025706/
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In Hiking, The More The Struggle, The More The Reward 7 comments
Hiking Blackett’s Ridge — Images by kenne (Click on any of the images to view in a slide show format.)
One of the most popular and difficult trails in Sabino Canyon is the Blackett’s Ridge Trail. The is 6.2 miles with an elevation change of 1810 feet. Starting at the Sabino Canyon Visitor’s Center, the trail attracts runners and hikers alike, some making the trek several times a week. As part of a published hiking schedule, the Sabino Canyon Volunteer Naturalists (SCVN) lead, hikers up to the trail’s end, providing a close-up wow-view of Thimble Peak, the canyon riparian area and the Tucson valley. Once up on the ridge, first time Blackett’s hikers begin to feel as if the trail will never end with several up and down climbs before finally getting the trail’s end in site.
Often at the end of the trail, chipmunks will greet the hikers. This behavior occurs because some good intending hikers wrongly feed our little friends. On this particular hike, a Cooper’s Hawk soured above the canyon.
kenne
“There is an ecstasy that marks the summit of life,
and beyond which life cannot rise.
And such is the paradox of living,
this ecstasy comes when one is most alive,
and it comes as a complete forgetfulness that one is alive.”
― Jack London, The Call of the Wild
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- SCVN Hiking Guides Share Slices Of Mt. Lemmon Apples (kenneturner.com)
- Mt. Lemmon Fall Colors And The Story Of The First Ski Slope (kenneturner.com)
