Ann, Ed, Kathy, Janet, Dan & Tim — Images by kenne
(Click on any of the thumbnail images to view the Gallery.)
The Friday, June 22, 2012 hike was scheduled to be Green Mountain #21. This trail is located between 6,000 – 7,300 feet in the Santa Catalina Mountains near the General Hitchcock campground. Since the weather forecast was 105 degrees in Tucson, the decision was made to hike at the higher elevation of Marshall Gulch on Mt. Lemmon and do the Aspen Loop. Although only seven “hard-core” hikers showed up to hike Green Mountain, doing the Aspen Loop was an acceptable alternative.
The photos in this posting are images of Friday’s hike. As usual, hiking the Aspen Loop included taking the side trail to Lunch Ledge for a bite to eat and to take in the view. While there, we found a radio left behind by one of the Canyon Ranch employees. The following video, Lunch Ledge On Mt. Lemmon, covers the find.
It’s the time of year when the Monday hiking group take to the higher elevations — this Monday (Memorial Day) was the Aspen Loop out of Marshall Gulch picnic area on Mount Lemmon. There were eleven of us, Jim leading five in the loop’s clockwise direction and Edi leading the other six in counter-clockwise direction .
The normal snow and rain fall this past winter was below normal, so the trail was very dusty, even in this young aspen grove.
There were very few wildflowers to photograph — this American vetch was an exception.
Jim discussed with us our interest in leaving the trail to bushwack up to Marshall Peak — “Why not?” was our reply.
Parts of the area were destroyed by the Aspen Fire, which burned for about one month in June and July of 2003. Now some nine years later, many of the large trees have begun to fall with fast growing ground cover, such as New Mexico Locust and Aspen taking over much of the once shady area.
In some places the thorny New Mexico Locust had to be cut so we could reach the top of Marshall Peak.
Once reaching the top, Jim found the registry and recorded our names. It was also a time for some equipment repair.
Leaving the top, we bushwacked a more direct route back to the Aspen Loop.
Although shorter, the route was steeper with a lot of fallen dead logs and plenty of thorn-covered brushes. When I took this photo, I didn’t realize I was photographing where I would fall after stepping into a hole between two logs.
At this point, we are not far from the Aspen Loop trail, which can be seen to the left in this photo. With the other half of our Monday hiking group having just passed along the trail, we decided to follow them back to Marshall Gulch.
Finally, we are back on the loop trail.
Marshall Gulch is a popular place this time of year, even more so on this Memorial Day weekend.
The New Mexico Locust are coming into bloom on the mountain.
Jim stops to rest in a chair cut from one of the large logs along the trail.
Back at Marshall Gulch, my bandaged right wist and bloody legs are evidence of my fall (while protecting my Nikon) going down from Marshall Peak.
Recent storms on the mountain downed this old ponderosa or Arizona pine (not sure which, if either). Image by kenne
Last Friday, we were hiking with the Sabino Canyon Volunteer Naturalists (SCVN) from Marshall Gulch up to Marshall Saddle on to Wilderness Rocks. This particular hike took place after an early morning shower, with temps in the upper 50’s. The high humidity made it feel like we were hiking in the great northwest, not in southeast Arizona just 45 minutes north of Tucson. Recent rains have given life to the mountain streams and brought on many beautiful wildflowers — a great place for naturalists. This time of year, the mountain provides a great hiking escape from the summer desert.
