Esperero Trail In Sabino Canyon — Image by kenne
— T.S. Eliot
Sabino Canyon Esperero Trail — Panorama by kenne
SCVN Friday Hike on Esperero Trail (February 17, 2017) — Image by kenne
— kenne
Cairn (on the right) On Trail To Cardiac Gap — Image by kenne
— kenne
Members of American Senior Housing Association with SCVN Guides Dan (Dusty) Granger and Ed Rawl (November 7, 2014) — Image by kenne
Images by kenne (Click on any of the tiled images for larger view in a slideshow format.)
This past week executives belonging to the American Senior Housing Association (ASHA) attended a conference at Loews Ventana Canyon Resort in Tucson. Arrangement was made months ago for members interested in hiking in Sabino Canyon to be shuttled the short distance from the resort to the canyon. Thirty members spent approximately 2 1/2 hours hiking led by Dan Granger, Ed Rawl and myself. We divided into three hiking groups, one a less demanding hike led by Dan and two more difficult hikes led by Ed and me. The demanding hikes were four miles, combining a number of trails (Esperero , Rattlesnake, Phoneline Link, Phoneline and Bear Canyon trails) looping into the canyon with an elevation change of 600 feet. Ed’s group went counterclockwise and my group went clockwise around the designed loop. Meanwhile, Dan took those interested in a less demanding hike on trails the lower Sabino Canyon.
ASHA is provides leadership for the seniors housing industry on legislative and regulatory matters, advances research, education and the exchange of strategic business information, and promotes the merits of seniors housing. Located in Washington, DC, the membership represents businesses in north America and for most, this was a perfect time to be in sunny Tucson. We did our best to add to their brief time in the Sonoran Desert.
kenne
View from Above Esperero Canyon In The Santa Catalina Mountains — Image by kenne
Fellow Hikers At Cardiac Gap in Esperero Canyon (January 23, 2014) — iPhone image
Yesterday, Bill Kaufman and I shared the lead hiking the Esperero Trail to “Cardiac Gap” with 22 hikers, which is a seven mile difficult hike with an elevation gain of 1200+ feet.
A couple of weeks back, Bill was dealing with some medical issues, so he asked me to take his place as the lead. By the time of the hike, Bill was better, so we agreed he would lead about 2/3’s of the way, leaving the last third of switchbacks up to Cardiac Gap. Although the temperature was in the 50’s the humidity was higher than normal for the desert. After you climb to the gap, I was sweating — note the drop of sweat on the end of my nose in the above picture.
The view from Cardiac Gap, even on a cloudy day, always makes the climb worth it, where you look down through the deep Esperero Canyon, with Tucson in the distance. The view is framed by a grassy area around the upper edge of the canyon, called Geronimo Meadows.
Each time I have hiked the Esperero Trail to the gap, I have talked about going on for an additional 2.5+ miles and up another 1,500 feet to Bridal Veil Falls, but so far it has only been talk.
Even more challenging would be to take on another three miles, the most difficult part of the Esperero trail, up to the summit, Cathedral Rock. I’m told that this part of the trail is in very poor conditions and would involve some bush wacking. The out and back hike would be over 16 miles with an elevation change of 6,000 — now I have to find someone willing to hike it with me.
kenne
Cardiac Canyon (January 13, 2012) Image by kenne
