Mt. Lemmon snow, February 2010

Decided to upload pictures I took yesterday, just because they are better viewed full size!  Some need to be full size for better viewing.  First 3 pictures are just up the Mt. Lemmon Highway.

This is high on a cliff as you go up.  Amazing in the sun, but freezes after dark, leaving this display.

This is where I parked my car when I hiked the Butterfly trail in the foreground

My car! July 18, 2009 ( the pic. above is the same location!)

The creek at Summerhaven

The road to one of my favorite hiking spots during the summer. Here the road was cleared.

This is a little spring along the Marshal Gultch road way.  Etched out in the snow! Pretty.

At this point the road was closed to Cars...but not to foot traffic.

Was wishing I had carried my boots from the car.  Wasn't able to go all the way to the end because of that.  BUT I did go within 500 feet of it!

Ice on the cliffs along this road.

View across the creek up the hill.

Homes up the hill.  Some good sleding areas, and apparently owners don't mind.

H

Here I am at Ski Valley.  This is partly piled from snow plows, but it is piled on top of existing snow.  Higher than me here...over 5 feet.  Couldn't look over it!

This view heads up to the very top of the Mt. another one of my hiking areas.

The bus with chains on was taking people up to the UofA's telescope to view the stars I guess!

The parking lot alot the Ski area, with the Aspens I took pics of this fall!

Ski Valley...Hey I would not even think of going up there .  I don't ski!

Can't get over the PILED snow here! Amazing.  Course the folks who run the place are VERY happy with all the skiiers who came to ride the lift and ski down!

View over that pile along the parking lot to the East. Took EFFORT to get this, I was NOT going to try to climb up the bank! Sorry!

Ok, almost back to the bottom, spotted MORE WATER ha! Stopped and took a picture.  Not really a place to stop, oh well!

This Water fall was across the gorge, where you can stop to look at the view.  Never have ever seen any water there!

This is a close up of it.  Think it will be blurry when enlarged.

Well that is all for now!  Hope you enjoy all of it!

Great Walk, NEW Walk, along the Rillito

After church today, I wanted to get in a walk....if I had known I would be on call tonight, I probably would have gone down to Madera Canyon to see if I could see some snow.  I do work tomorrow night, and still may head down there just for a look see.  Course Mt. Lemmon is an option too.  We shall see.

Anyway, I entered the Rillito River Park off of Swan just south of the river.

There is a very nice place to park.

This view is looking back towards Swan Bridge. The path goes on that way to Alvernon.  I have not walked this side of the river before.  Always planned to!

Ok, so here I go heading East. The path here is dirt.

Hard to believe there is WATER in the Wash at this point.  Drives up as you go futher west.  The one thing I did notice, NO funky odor like the Santa Cruz .

This is the bridge over the Alamo Wash.  LOTS of tile work. Really pretty, and has NOT been vadalized!

This pathway just over the bridge heads south.  One day I shall have to check that one out!

Thought this was an oddity.  A paved area in the wash.  No obvious connection to the path.

But then I pick up a paved path.  Weird.  AND this was just in the aread of the Wash.  Maybe so it would not be washed out.  Who knows!

Continuing on , this path does wind around a bit here.

Ok, for the proverbial doggie!!!! This is Pierre. BIG beautiful Poodle.

Very sweet dog! Posed like a trooper!

Hmmmm, another off shoot from the path to explore in the future!

Like WHERE does this go???

Ok, so here is a stream running so nicely.  Had to take a picture to post!

This was on another bridge crossing.  Not sure what it is supposde to be!

Ok, so across the Wash, that bridge is nice and odd, as it crosses one of the many washes from the mountains, but really goes NO where .  It dead ends under the Craycroft bridge.  I would guess, they plan to extend the pathway in the future.

The Craycroft bridge.

Here I was just showing how LOW the bridge is to the pathway.  If I can touch it, it is probably not even 6 feet!  Be sure to DUCK if you are tall!!!

Ok, this is the East side of the bridge.  There is a pathway here, but nothing official at this time.

Ok, on my way back from here.  The path East of here on the south side, takes you down into the River.  I chose to turn around!

I came back on a different pathway here, this is heading towards the Alamo bridge.

LOFTY Finger rock.... I LOVE these rugged mountains!

The Cotton wood takes a licken' and ....well you can see the debrie from the high waters.

Here, I needed something to show why I took this.  The edge of the path is maybe a foot from the river  bed.  In other words NO walking when the water is high!!!

Well that is all for this trip!

"SEMI HIKE"

Raining this am....I wanted to hike so bad, but it was also snowing in the mountains....couldn't even see the mountains...

Later the clouds parted . 

Then next is the deep shawdow of Pima Canyon

I had NO intention of going there and "hiking" a bit, time was after 5pm, and with clouds and all, it would get dark soon.  BUT, I wondered if I could hike up and see water in the Pima Wash....

Trail was unchanged from the past, expect it was very moist!

Course this is looking back the way I came, in the forground is the border between private property and State Land, the Wilderness.

I had not been on this trail is AGES.  Actually I think this trail was one of my very earlierst hikes.  I did not go well prepared with water. So did not get very far.  I really want to do this one again when flowers are blooming.

Well I had turned around to go back to my car, as it was getting dusky.  Took a picture of a puddle on the trail.  Lots of puddles out there.

Not sure how the lights of Tucson will show up.

Anyway, that is it!!!