03/14/02 Hiking King Canyon Trail( 3.5 miles one way):
I got out of Casa Grande by 3pm with new sensors on the truck. When I came to the exit on I-10 near Tucson for the Tuscon Mountain District of the Saguaro National Park I took it. The drive to the park was through farmland and scattered residential areas so no camping opportunities. I finally found a spot 12 miles farther out on Avra Valley Road.
Ran for an hour this morning and then drove to the visitor center at the park for a map and hiking information and decided on King Canyon Trail. Lots of big saguaro cactus everywhere. They're supposed to grow to 50 feet. When it rains they can store 200 gallons of water that can then last them a year or until it rains again.
Lots of staghorn and hanging fruit cholla cactus and lots of prickly pear cactus, the ones like Mickey Mouse ears. Barrel cactus are beginning to sprout yellow bulbs and the ocotillo cactus red flowers on the end of their stalks. Tarantulas, scorpions, Gila monsters and diamond back rattle snakes live here but they're all still hibernating (I hope).
This is a nice trail, especially if you haven't been around saguaros much. The trail winds around the canyon (more like a valley) and the saguaros grow everywhere, including the hillsides. A moderate ascent the first 2.5 miles then switchbacks begin for the final ascent with a total rise in elevation of 1500 feet or so. I made it to within a half a mile of Wasson Peak and then turned back. A little dizziness plus some small chest pains plus slightly wobbly legs from this morning's run plus strong, cool winds and no jacket told me enough was enough. The cooling temperatures were welcome though. The past several days were mid-80's here in mid-March.
03/15/02 Hiking Hugh Norris Trail (9.8 miles round trip):
Cool, in the 60's with a 10-15mph wind blowing. Mountain lions inhabit the area and presumably feed on javalinas. I haven't seen either one here but I guess they're around. All I've seen so far is a coyote crossing the road.
The Hugh Norris Trail starts off with a mile long moderate climb but stone steps embedded in the trail make it harder. The trail moves onto a short ridge and then turns upward again at a lesser incline. Great views of an army of Saguaros standing guard on the hillsides. Quite a few agaves, the century plant, dot the area, some quite large. Similar to the yucca, their leaves are not as pointy nor as stiff and are saw toothed. They also have tall flowering stalks growing out of them at this time of year.
An hour or so brought me 2.6 miles and 1000 feet of elevation. Another 2.2 miles and 1200 feet to go from here. The damn stairs started again for a mile or so. The last section of 1/2 mile or so turned steeper again and I had to rest a few times on the way up. All in all, not a bad effort on the steepest and longest hike in the last couple of months.
I liked the lower views with the Saguaros on the hillsides. The upper view showed more of the nearby mountains but also showed the park is surrounded by Tucson and neighboring farming communities.
One the way back down I slipped and landed on my butt. I hit an ocotillo cactus with my head and jammed a few of thorns behind my ear. I got a couple of them out but may still have one embedded back there. Other than that I ripped the skin off the thumb on one hand and the little finger on the other.
Spooked a small black snake with yellow stripes down its back. Hmmm, if he's out wandering around I wonder if his cousin with the rattles is waking up... and the scorpions and the tarantulas and the gila monsters?
03/16/02 Hiking Encinas Trail(8 miles round trip):
50's, windy and cloudy at 9:30am at Signal Hill. This is a small rocky hill with a few petroglyphs chiseled into those rocks. The Cactus Wren Loop begins at the top of the hill and I followed it 1 mile to the Encinas Trail.
The Cactus Wren Loop and the Encinas Trail are both more or less flat with a slight incline on the way to a drive in picnic area 3 miles farther on. Both trails lead through Saguaros, ocotillos, prickly pear and stag horn cholla. It took 3 hours to do the round trip, mainly because the Encinas Trail is mostly coarse sand so it's one step forward and one inch sliding back.
Back at my camp site I got a surprise. I had just finished bathing and didn't even have my pants on when a Ranger pulled in wanting to know who I was, what I was doing, etc. After running my driver's license and plates through his computer he told me I was camped on a smuggler's route. Apparently they use these back roads to smuggle marijuana and illegal aliens into the country.
03/1/02:
Turned the lamp out last night getting ready for bed and saw the flashing lights from several park rangers go zooming by. Then heard cars and trucks passing by on the dirt road I'm camped on. This morning on the way out I saw tire rubber, skid marks and car parts all over the road a mile or from where I camped. Blown tire? Tire shot out? Someone tried to run a roadblock? They got rammed? I dunno. Strange doings.
Drove over to the Rincon District of the Saguaro National Park on the other side of Tucson. No camping within the park or anywhere near it. Nothing much except a 15-20 minute drive, mostly views of prickly pear. Halfway thru the drive before Saguaros appeared. Seems to be a fair number of trails but with no camping available I left.