Mount Lemmon and the Catalina Highway

I drove Eric to the airport in the morning. He was flying back to Indiana to be with friends who had collected the money to fly him back to Chicagoland. This was such a thoughtful gift as the out-of-state tuition I'm paying for him will take a bite out of my play money for another year.

Sadie and Minnie drove with us because I planned on taking them on a hike on one of the trails off the Catalina Highway after dropping Eric off. This is a 27-mile mountain road built in the 1930s by prison laborers, taking drivers to near the peak of Mount Lemon and thus creating a summer retreat for local desert dwellers. It's home to a ski resort and the alpine town of Summerhaven, which was 2/3 destroyed in the 2003 Aspen Fire. More than 84,000 acres were scorched and property loss was estimated at $80 million. Not all the homes have been rebuilt; there are abandoned lots now in some places where tourists can linger. Many varied trails of all lengths can be found nearby in Marshall Gulch. Minnie likes driving now but Sadie whined the entire time.

The Mount Lemon recreation area is a popular spot for the locals in all seasons. It begins in the desert and ends in an alpine habitat. The Forest Service describes this scenic byway that "starts in the Lower Sonoran vegetative life zone and climbs to the high forests of the Canadian zone, offering the biological equivalent of driving from the deserts of Mexico to the forests of Canada in a short stretch of 27 miles." This means one can go from sweating in the lower elevations to freezing in the higher ones, all within an easy 27-mile drive.

From the Coronado National Forest website: Though virtually everyone calls this road the Catalina Highway (aka the "Mount Lemon Highway"), it is officially designated the General Hitchcock Highway in honor of Postmaster General Frank Harris Hitchcock. He was responsible for bringing together all the elements necessary to construct this popular access route into the Santa Catalina Mountains. Work was begun on the road in 1933 and completed 17 years later in 1950. Much of the labor was supplied by workers from a federal prison camp located for that purpose at the base of the mountain.

There are so many lovely trails I still haven't explored in this region. All are dog friendly, too, as long as they don't enter the Pusch Wilderness on the west side of the Catalinas.

The entrance toll booths were closed. Drivers were staying on the main road and not even pulling into them. I found out why. "Pay at self-service station ahead" said one sign, but the self-service stations I saw were paper money only. I needed a machine so I could buy the $20 annual pass, a pass that is good for the Sabino Canyon area as well. I drove all the way to the Palisades Visitor's center only to learn that the fee has been temporarily waived until further notice.

I had planned on hiking the Bugs Spring Trail near the 7-mile marker on my drive back down the mountain, a mostly ridgeline path in a transitional zone between desert and pine forest. This was a hike that I was supposed to go on last Sunday with a dog-friendly group in Tucson, but cancelled when I woke up too late. I quickly got carried away with the scenery along the way, all the while realizing that the longer I took exploring the many sites, the less time I'd have hiking the trail. It was a nice compromise.

It took me almost an hour to get from the airport to the top of the highway. I took my time on this adventure even though I knew I had limited daylight with such a late start. I stopped first at the Molino Basin overlook just above the saguaro growth line. There was water in the creek and what a great way to let the dogs out to drink and run a bit, although I had to take them away from the main trail to avoid others nearby. The dogs were grateful for the exercise and Minnie, as usual, ran up front while Sadie stayed by my side. They had been cooped up in the van for over two hours and they deserved this respite.

We could hear a target shooter fire his weapon across the road in Molino Canyon. This is the first time I've heard target shooters in these mountains. Are they even allowed to shoot in a narrow canyon that could ricochet bullets around so close to the road? The high cliffs made the blasts echo against the canyon walls. I had always enjoyed the Catalinas BECAUSE there were no target shooters (or armed illegal border crossers). Have the laws changed in favor of the shooters?

We walked near the creek bottom, explored a bit along the creek, and turned around when the walking got too tough. Minnie ran all over the place, wanting to sniff every nook and cranny. I was afraid she'd slide off a rock and fall to her death at times, but she did fine in the end. I decided the next stop would not involve steep cliffs.

If there was a vista, I pulled over to take photographs. After Molino Basin my next major stop was at Windy Point Vista, where the dogs stayed in the van and I explored the many crevices. This vista overlook is quite popular, but I also saw much graffiti and trash. One young couple was having its engagement photos taken. There were many majestic dead trees on this overlook.

Snow started accumulating at the 5500 elevation. In the shadows the snow was treacherous, and even more treacherous were the many "snowplayers" who drove up this mountain from the valley to play in the snow, so close to the road and surrounded by tall pines. The snow also didn't discourage many diehard road bikers, who were another item to watch out for. The higher I drove the more cars I was behind, so that by the time I got to Summerhaven there was no spot to park. My only option was to drive back down to a lower elevation with less snow and visitors. I prefer more isolated trails so that I can feel better having my dogs off-leash. Hiking on steep ground with dogs on leashes only invites falls and tumbles, and I've taken a few while holding the dogs on leashes.

I stopped at the Green Mountain trailhead on my drive down to let the dogs out for a bit. By now they needed to get out again, having waited patiently in the van while I got out to take photos. No one else was parked at the trailhead and this allowed me to let the dogs offleash for a bit, being aware that the rangers enforce the leash laws here. The steep trail here was packed down with icy snow, and my three-year-old Lafuma boots (the same ones I wore backpacking the John Muir trail in 2010) didn't have the traction I need to hike up the grade.

Evidence of the 2003 Aspen fire is quite strong here. The fire didn't reach the highway at this ledge, but the steep valley to the northwest was destroyed. Tall pines now remain as skeletons of the beautiful trees they once were.

I love watching the dogs be dogs. The girls played nicely in the snow, digging their snouts into the cold stuff and romping around. Minnie ran and Sadie followed, and I allowed them this freedom for a bit before the cold overcame me and I opted to find a trail to hike before we lost all daylight. My van's thermostat registered 29F, colder than Chicago's temperature.

By 4pm we were at the lower Bugs Spring Trail. (The upper Bugs Spring Trail ends at the Green Mountain trail uphill.) No one was parked here so I let the dogs out without ever putting them on their leashes. We started the hike right away, climbing high fast and enjoying the view over the Catalina Highway and Thimble Peak as the trail meandered and switchbacked. There were more dead trees here hanging over ledges and cliffs. I could see the famous hoodoos along the horizon. My goal was to make it to the hoodoos before it got too dark.

Many write-ups about this trail are mostly from mountain bikers, who rave about the steepness--the descent must be thrilling--and the scenery going downhill. We only came across one biker early in the hike. I lured the dogs off-trail to let the speeding demon by. I don't think he even noticed us.

I enjoyed the Bug Springs trail and only regretted that I didn't start early to finish the entire 8-mile trail. There was lots to see and photograph. I turned around at a hoodoo that resembled the profile of a pouting Indian Chief. It was 5:24 and we had hiked almost 90 minutes. I didn't want to hike entirely in the dark. Even though I had packed a flashlight, the light was in my backpack and I didn't want to take time out to stop and get it out. I will have to schedule this hike in the near future. In the summer this trail would be hot due to the exposed rock nearby. The rocks would also be a haven for rattlesnakes, and the hoodoos I'm sure would be homes to mountain lions, a thought that did not escape me while high up this trail.

While I missed the full moon rise I did see a spectacular sunset over Thimble Peak. I was high up, and also knew the higher I was from the road, the longer I'd be hiking in the dark, flashlight or not. By 6:24pm we were at the van again, but we were also in complete darkness as the moon by then hadn't crested over the peaks. The views of the city were no less spectacular at night.

Driving this highway requires 100% focus. People have driven to their deaths, and one elderly gentleman died this way just this past June. I heard and saw one siren while stopped at Windy Vista at night. So all a driver can do is listen to the radio--especially when inclement weather is expected!--and I had NPR on. The talks all day were about the looming "fiscal cliff" which Congress must resolve by year's end or else all our taxes go up considerably.

There is so much to see along the Catalina Highway. I simply needed more daylight. The mountains have a distinct character unlike the Huachucas. If these peaks weren't two hours away, I'd be hiking here more often. These peaks are even more inviting now that the Coronado National Forests has temporarily frozen admission fees to the road. Until further notice the $5 fee will be waived. But with more snow due in next week, the road may be closed to all non-residents anyway.

I got back home by 10:30pm. The dogs were tired and I was tired, too. I didn't remember to give Sadie her phenobarbital until the next morning.

Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2008/06/17/20080617Summerhaven.html#ixzz2GvA2jkH0Not
http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/coronado/recreation/scenicdrivinginfo/recarea/?recid=25628&actid=105