Whetstone Mountains | Becoming is Superior to Being

Hiking The Foothill Loop Trail At Kartchner Caverns In The Whetstone Mountains 1 comment

Trail Head Parking Lot

This weeks Monday Morning Milers hike was in the Kartchner Caverns State Part south of Benson, Arizona.
We met in the Wal-Mart parking lot to carpool to Benson. Because of the threatening weather, only eight of us met at 7:30 a.m.
When we arrived at the trailhead parking lot we were met by a windy misty-rain and a temperature of about 45 degrees.

View Toward The Whetstone Mountains

We could see a lot of rain toward the south and in the Whetstone Mountains to the west.
After some discussion, we decided to head back to Benson and have breakfast at the Horseshoe Cafe.

The Horseshoe Cafe In Benson, AZ

While at the Horseshoe Cafe I received a call from Connie asking where we were. They (Penny and Ron were with her.) had just arrived at the Park trailhead.
They had assumed the usual 8:00 a.m. meeting in the Wal-Mart parking lot rather than the earlier time for the drive to Benson.
The three decided to come to the Horseshoe Cafe for coffee.

View of The Whetstone Mountains In Kartchner Caverns State Park

After breakfast everyone but Connie, Penny, Ron and I decided to drive back to Tucson rather than chance the unstable weather.

Penny, Ron and Connie

Somewhat covered from the occasional rain shower, we began hiking the Foothill Loop trail.

Rainbow Looking North Toward Benson

As time went by the sky began to break up providing some warmth from the sun and occasional rainbow.

Rainbow Looking North Toward Benson

Connie, Penny and Ron with View of The San Pedro Valley

The park trail is located off Highway 90 south of Benson in the Whetstone Mountain foothills overlooking the San Pedro Valley.
If you know where to look, Thomstone is in the distance.

View South Toward Sierra Vista, AZ (HWY 90)

Whetstone Mountains

Connie, Ron and Penny

At time the wind-gusts were challenging.

Whetstone Mountains Near The Foothill Loop Trailhead

Arriving back at the trailhead, more rain was building up in the Whetstone Mountains.

Slideshow — Images by kenne

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Arizona HWY 83 — A Scenic Drive In Southern Arizona 3 comments

Images by kenne

The above images capture the rolling hills of grasslands, through which trees provide a deeper contour for the splendid mountain backdrop of the Whetstone and Huachuca Mountains to the east and the Santa Rita peaks to the west, which depict the area along Arizona HWY 83, sometimes called the “Mountain Empire.” This scenic drive is one of the National Geographic’s, Drives of a Lifetime: 500 of The World’s Most Spectacular Trips — “Road Trip: The New Old West, Arizona.”

The area is also home of the Rosemont Copper Project, where Augusta Resource Corp., a Canadian investment company plans to dig a giant copper pit. Although the basic character of the land would be changed forever, leaving a huge open-pit that would remain after the mine’s closure, the major issue of this Arizona Ecocide proposal is water. While the natural flow of water is downhill, it will always flow uphill towards money!

kenne