This is the trail head sign. This sort of sign is used for all trail heads around here. Love these signs!I have highlighted the trail I hiked this morning on Mt. Lemmon in yellow. The red is the direction I came up the highway. This is called the Sunset Trail. Really a nice one, fairly well maintained. Not that long either. Had a surprise at the end of it.

Ok, well so here goes. This was the real beginning of the trail. To get here, I saw a TRAIL sign on a tree, but nothing more. Luckily there was a lady walking by who was able to direct me to the trail itself. Not sure why it wasn't better marked. Lots of cabins in here. No sign saying I could not walk there.

Well this trail went down , down down....but it was pretty gradual, so figured I could handle it coming back. The total trip was listed as

over 2 miles. However, it was a little less than that.

Ok, I didn't do too well taking me against this rock. But WOW it was one BIG ROCK!
The hills around here are full of huge rocks. I mean the trees are growing out of them. Something to see.

Well, the surprise on this trail was that I actually came out at Marshall Glutch. I mean there were picnic tables all over full of folks like me escaping the heat! This creek was a big attraction for them too. I was so surprised to see this running water up there. Where it comes from WHO KNOWS!

At Marshall Glutch I took my "token" animal picture...This is Abby. Cute little dog. Don't ask me to say the breed. Going back to my car, I ran into two more dogs....funny is that I had had both dogs just like them at one point in my past....their dogs were Chuck, a Springer, and Alabama a German Shepard. Very nice dogs. Mine were Skipper, and Carlie respectively. Will have to find pictures of them to share one day!

The trail back....this doesn't show as much, but there is so much burned out areas, old ...probably from the 2003 fire.

From here I drove on up to Sky Valley, and on up to the Summit Trail heads. Good luck actually finding trail heads there. BUT there were a LOT of people up there. Some actually camping.

I would have more pictures, except I forgo my CARD, and had to use my internal memory. Did NOT leave enough room to do much . DANG. That was dumb.

Well until next time!

Sweetwater trail, 8.80 miles round trip

Sweetwater trail through the first wash

Some of the stone steps seen on this trail. Amazing as big as they are, quarried and brought here, who knows how long ago...VV

This is the sign at the top. LIES. If that trail was only 3.4 miles from here, how come it took me so long???? My pedometer measured 8.80 miles round trip!!!! Took 5 hours.

View from the ridge into the valley to the West of the Tucson Mts. Sorry I don't know the name of the Valley.

Wasson peak....NO I did not hike up there....too tired...maybe another time.

More of the other side

View of a HUGE cholla cactus on my way down the trail

some of the trail down.

View across to Pusch Ridge.

Sitting on top of the world!!!

Poles at rest.

Muggy oh so MUGGY!!!

Normally
Well today, that is not the case. We had a storm come up SO fast, the sky turned BLACK. I barely made it to Curves for my workout at 3pm, when the wind hit , then the rain!!!
WOW, DOWNPOUR. ALOT in a few minutes! To the point the WASH was closed off to traffic!

The WET sidewalk after the event. This picture is blurry when clicked on...Hey took ALL these with my CELL PHONE!!! Can't believe I left home without my camera!

This is one of the trees along my road that was really blown apart. We lost ALOT of trees in Tucson yesterday, the wind gusts I heard were upwards of 60 MPH! That is not nice for us.

Well Hope this gives you an idea of the fun we have in the desert!!!

Trekking around Tucson today.....

This road is called Picture Rocks road, named for the Indian drawings on the rocks in this area. Can't believe this road never changes. Have driven this road for 27 years, it still has this wild winding curve!

Road goes over the pass here, and down into the Saguaro National Park.

Pulled off the road at this point just over the hill, saw the little marker, thought OH, a trail! But not sure what is really here, as the marker only warned about behaving yourself on state land!

Looks intriguing to say the least. This "trail" goes down into a wash. Don't know where after that. Nothing on my map.
Found the Hugh Norris Trail head here. Had to take a DIRT road to this spot. Looks interesting. This is a rugged and strenuous hike I read. Really climbs the mountains.

Weird rock seen from the trail head. There are many balancing type of rocks in the Sonoran Desert.

One view from Red Rock Visitor Center.

And this one. This is afternoon, and it really was not THAT hot.

I bought a map here that has pretty much all the trails in the vincinity. WOW. Had no idea. This map DID show the Thundbird trail which I had hiked. Good thing I had turned around, as it went on and on!

This is one little trail I spotted off Picture Rocks on my way home. The trail leads into a wash. Called the Cam boh trail. There is a picknicking area here too. Wonder if anyone ever actually has a meal there!!!

All for now...

4th. addition to my Hike on August 19,2009

Well, this is a DUH. I missed this obvious arrow, and went straight on the trail I thought I was to walk. I did make it to the right trail, but when I got back to this point and saw this, I put a dead saguaro pole across the wrong trail. Hope it helps someone in the future. Can you see in the distance , the trail I just came up on! I am , of course on a ridge at this point.

This is another DUH. The trail I actually walked was the Thunderbird Trail. All the time I thought I was on the Sweetwater Trail. THAT will have to be another day I guess. I just didn't read my map right, but when I got back to this sign, I read it and realized what I had done. The map I was using, however, did NOT show the Thunderbird trail. Not sure why.

View from the ridge, I believe those are the mountains by Picture Rocks Rd.

That is all for now.

Hope you have enjoyed this Hike with me!

3rd. post on my Hike, of August 19,2009

Saguaro that has "bit the dust". Probably a natural death. Wonderful how this happens in the desert. I remember years ago, how they tell you what happens with this plant when it dies. Really something.

Trail continuing. Really beautiful. Quite and serene.

Goes up a bit here. Not hard when you use Nordic walking poles!

Ok, only stopped for a short while here....didn't bother to take more than this one!

Some of the view on my way back to the trail head....

To be continued.....

Continuing my hike on August 19, 2009

Well, I found this trail to be really nice. However, I THOUGHT I was on the Sweetwater trail....I did not really look well at that map. I ended walking the Thunderbird trail. Oh well, there are so many out there, more for later. I had NO idea all this was in these mountains. They really look so boring, but they are NOT!!

ANYWAY,
Along this trail was a Crested Saguaro. There are alot of them around Tucson. It is a mutation during growth. I don't think they really know what causes it.



One area of the trail here going through one of MANY washes. Looks pretty smooth here.

I got on a piece of trail that had me on a ridge. Looking for anything to

photograph, I spotted this "rack" walking!!!! BEAUTIFUL!!!

Continuing on....Alot of the trail was similiar to this. Really beautiful

out there.

Posted my Walking pole against this Barrel Cactus to show the size of it.

I HAVE seen bigger years ago. When I spot another one day, I shall enjoy photographing that one....

Ok , if I could figure how to post all my pictures at once I would, but seem to have to do this in segments.

ENJOY!