Panorama View of Sycamore Canyon from Catalina Highway In the Santa Catalina Mountains (August 1, 2015)
— Image by kenne
Archive for the ‘Catalina Highway’ Tag
Sycamore Canyon Panorama 1 comment
First Summer Hike In The Santa Catalina Mountains, June, 2015 Leave a comment
The remnants of Hurricane Andres moved into southern Arizona yesterday bringing clouds, scattered showers and cooler weather to the area. Hikers gathered at the Lower Butterfly parking at the Bigelow trailhead in a light rain to begin the Sabino Canyon Volunteer Naturalists (SCVN) first hike of the summer in the Santa Catalina mountains. By the time we began our scheduled 9:00 am hike to Leopold Point, the rain had stopped and we were able to complete the four mile hike without rain. Temperatures in the fifties and occasional strong wind gusts made wind-breaker jackets standard apparel, it was a perfect day for hiking in the Santa Catalina’s.
kenne
Hike to Leopold Point Images by kenne (Click on any image to see larger view in a slideshow format.)
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Just A Short Drive Into The Mountains — Snow Leave a comment
Snow On The Catalinas — Computer Painting by kenne
mountains and valleys
diversity all around
what is not to love
— kenne
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Tucson Panorama View — Panorama Week, Day 1 Leave a comment
Tucson Panorama View From Catalina Highway — Image by kenne
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Another Sign Of An Early Spring In The Sonoran Desert Leave a comment
Silverleaf Nightshade Wildflower — Image by kenne
After the warmest winter on record, signs of an early spring abound. I spotted this silverleaf nightshade last week, and according to noted naturalist, Frank S. Rose, author of “Mountain Wildflowers of Southern Arizona,” this wildflower blooms from May through October. Looks like this wildflower didn’t get the word!
Silverleaf nightshade
Shouldn’t be told when to bloom
Its feelings explode.
— 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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Ski Valley Fall Colors 3 comments
Ski Valley Area On Mt. Lemmon, the southern-most skiing in North America (45 min from where we live in Tucson — Images by kenne
Skiing Poem
Wind rushing past my face,
Hair tossing behind my head.
The feeling, the chill, the utter thrill
The feeling I get when I’m flying down the hill,
Gliding across the soft blanket of white,
Weightless as if I were a feather.
Turn by turn, slope by slope, I take on the hill,
The monster of a mountain.
Moguls, jumps I challenge them all,
Wind rushing past my face,
Chilling me to my bones.
I feel the thrill swell, swell
Swell within me until I can’t hold it back.
Swoosh, swish, the snow billows up beside me
Into great clouds of white.
I can’t see a thing.
O the feeling, the thrill the utter chill,
The feeling I get when I’m skiing.
– Anne Cox – Age 11 When Written
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Mt. Lemmon Fall Colors And The Story Of The First Ski Slope 1 comment
Images by kenne (Click on any of the images for larger view and slideshow.)
For you non-locals, Mt. Lemmon (9,157 ft.) is in the Santa Catalina Mountains, part of the Coronado National Forest in southern Arizona.
At this time all National Forest Services continue to be closed because of the government shut-down. However, access to Mt. Lemmon via the Catalina Highway is available since the highway is a county highway.
The Sabino Canyon Volunteer Naturalists (SCVN) are part of the Forest Service and regularly provide educational programs, nature walks and hikes — the schedule is published on the SCVN website. Some of the SCVN members continue the hiking schedule (unofficially), recently hiking the Bear Wallow trail to take in the fall colors.
Parts of the trail goes through the area where the original Mt. Lemmon ski slope was located back in the 40’s and 50’s. Since part of SCVN mission to the public is to educate, Ricki Mensching shares the story of early skiing on Mt. Lemmon during the Bear Wallow hike this past Friday. Current skiing takes place each at winter at Ski Valley, the southernmost ski destination in the continental United States, and receives approximately 180 inches (4.6 m) of snow annually (Wikipedia).
kenne
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Capturing The Moment — Fall Is Here In The Santa Catalinas 10 comments
Fall On Mt. Lemmon — Image by kenne
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May The Spirit Of The Hiking Stick Be With You Always. 7 comments
Monday Morning Milers Celebrate Don Fletcher’s (center) 89th Birthday — Images by kenne
In the spring of 2011, I began hiking with a group called the Monday Morning Milers (MMM). I first learned about the MMM from my neighbor, Louise Glaysher, who invited me to hike with the group. After my first hike with MMM, I wrote in a blog posting on April 13, 2011: “One of the things we love about living in Tucson is if you tire of the desert, within less than an hour, you can be in the tree-line mountains. Madera Canyon, located about 65 km (40 mi) southeast of Tucson, Arizona, makes a large dent in the northwest face of the Santa Rita Mountains.”
Images by kenne
The mountains surrounding Tucson provide many hiking trails for people who love the outdoors. Most in the MMM have been hiking together for many years and know well most trails in southern Arizona — they love hiking so much that some of the guys, now in their eighties, also hike on Fridays. The elder of the MMM is Don Fletcher, who had his 89th birthday this past Sunday, so after this Monday’s hike on the Palisades Trail in the Santa Catalina mountains, we had a surprise potluck luncheon at Middle Bear picnic area. Keeping this a surprise was not easy since Don and some other guys often have lunch at Viv’s Cafe at the base of Catalina highway after hiking in the Catalinas.
Don and the other octogenarians in the MMM set an admirable example to anyone who loves the outdoors and hiking. To see Don and the other octogenarians hiking, albeit at their pace, most with walking sticks, not the more modern hiking poles, sets an example I hope to be doing in my 80s. I’m already looking forward to posting our celebrating his 90th after a Monday morning hike on this blog.
Although only 15 of the MMM could make Monday’s birthday celebration, birthday wishes were passed on from those unable to attend.
The mountains surrounding Tucson provide many hiking trails for people who love the outdoors. Most in the MMM have been hiking together for many years and know well most trails in southern Arizona — they love hiking so much that some of the guys, now in their eighties, also hike on Friday’s. The elder of the MMM is Don Fletcher, who had his 89th birthday this past Sunday, so after this Monday’s hike on the Palisades Trail in the Santa Catalina mountains we had a surprise potluck luncheon at Middle Bear picnic area. Keeping this a surprise was not easy, since Don and some of the other guys often have lunch at Viv’s Cafe at the base of Catalina highway after hiking in the Catalinas.
Don and the other octogenarians in the MMM set an admirable example to anyone who loves the outdoors and hiking. To see Don and the other octogenarians hiking, albeit at their pace, most with walking sticks not the more modern hiking poles, sets an example I hope to be doing in my 80’s. I’m already looking forward to posting on this blog our celebrating his 90th after a Monday morning hike.
Although only 15 of the MMM were able to make Monday’s birthday celebration, birthday wishes were passed on from those not able to attend.
kenne
May the spirit of the hiking stick be with you always, Don.
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Naturalists Gathering For Nature Walk On Mount Lemmon 2 comments
Sabino Canyon Volunteer Naturalists On Mount Lemmon — Image by kenne
Like music and art,
love of nature is a common language
that can transcend political or social boundaries.
— Jimmy Carter
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Capturing Many Moments On The Aspen Loop 6 comments
Having a snack at “lunch ledge” just off the Aspen Loop on Mount Lemmon as the clouds begin to build-up.
There wasn’t much time to relax before lightning and thunder began causing us to start moving quickly back to the train head. — Images by kenne
Be brave. Take risks. Nothing can substitute experience.
— Paulo Coelho
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Hiking To Higher Elevations Above Rose Canyon Lake 2 comments
The Monday Morning Milers (MMM) are a mix-age group with a variety of hiking skills, ages spanning over 50 years. On this morning, Jim, Kristin, Tom and myself took a more challenging route from the other MMM hikers. They stayed on the canyon path out to a lower vista, we set out to climb the high ridge above the canyon. Here Tom is trying to decide whether the way Kristin and Jim are going is the best way when there’s not good trail. Since there’s not much of a trail, we set out bushwhacking our way to the top of the ridge above Rose Canyon. Most of this area was in the Aspen Fire ten years ago and is now covered with bushes with lots of thorns.
Most of the MMM hikers took the trail that runs between Rose Canyon and the Catalina Highway up from Windy Point. Jim, Kristin, Tom and I bushwhacked up the higher ridge above the canyon, which is where most of the images in the above slideshow were taken. Our return to Rose Canyon Lake was more difficult than the climb up. The four of us spread out trying to find the best path back. In doing so, I headed more down into the canyon, separating me from the others. Rather than heading back toward them, I kept going down into the canyon with the objective up climbing up to the trail the others took to the vista. Once reaching the trail, I was on track back to the lake where Kristin, Tom and Jim were waiting. (You can click on any of the images to stop the slideshow, then click to advance.) — Images by kenne
kenne
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Capturing The Moment — A Little Cheesecake On The Rocks 4 comments
Windy Point On Catalina Highway — Images and video by kenne
August of 2010, only two months after arriving in Tucson, I was driving up Catalina Highway. Like many people new to the area, I stopped at Windy Point, which provides great views of the Tucson valley area.
After leaving my car, I noticed some young people rock climbing. They were actually climbing the Windy Point Rock Spire to do a photo shoot on the top. While they were climbing and later taking photos, I took photos of them.
After climbing down, I introduced myself and gave them my business card, telling them to contact me if they would like any of my images. I never heard from them.
Now, some three years later, I decided to do another posting on this photo-opt that became a project by accident.
In the summer time I’m up in the Catalina’s about three times a week and think of the rock climbers each time I drive by Windy Point.
kenne
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Capturing The Moment — Connecting All Things In A Meaningful Whole 3 comments
Hoodoos Alone Catalina Highway — Image by kenne
Today I thought of monsoon skies,
with big puffs of white cotton
gaining height in the midday blue.
Today I thought about the rain,
falling on the mountains
soaking nature’s soul.
Today I thought about raindrops
leaving prints on everything they touch,
congregating down the mountain streams.
Today I thought of my being
walking with nature
aligned with its very being,
my being communicating with its soul,
entering into a dynamic creative flow
experiencing nature’s bonding reality,
connecting all things in a meaningful whole
through which an allowance, a trust,
opens the vessels of my very being,
allowing my snapshots to profile nature’s
abundance of comfort and wealth,
in the horn of plenty on life’s table
where each moment captured becomes
a reminder that “life is just a leap of faith —
so spread your arms and hold your breath . . .”
Today I thought . . .
kenne
(A tip of the hat to Guy Clark.)
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