Elevation: 1600 ft. (7350-8450’).
Remarks: From the San Pedro Vista parking area, hike northwest on the Incinerator Ridge and Kellogg Trails to the junction with the Bigelow Trail. At the Bigelow Trail, hike down to the Palisades Visitors Center for restrooms/refreshments. From the Visitors Center, hike southeast a half mile along the Catalina Highway to the gravel road going up to the camping area near the south Kellogg Trailhead. Hike up that road to the north Incinerator Ridge Trailhead. Hike the Incinerator Ridge Trail back to the San Pedro Vista parking area at the south end of the trail.
This was a hiking club event I was looking forward to. I love hiking around Tucson and its trails, but preferably under cooler skies. We are now in our hiking season and I want to explore more of the trails here. The hardest part about today's hike was getting up early for the drive to the trailhead. The drive there was two hours. That's four hours of driving for a 3:30-hour hike. At that rate, I want to spend some time in Tucson!
All the mountain peaks were shrouded in thick fog: The Huachucas, the Whetstones, the Rincons and the Catalinas.
We were seven people: JimA the leader, Rod, SteveS, Doug, Carol, Chuck and me with Zeke. Carol and Chuck met us at the San Pedro Vista trail head and we got started right away, in the dense fog and breeze. We all bundled up for the weather. I wore three layers and a fleece cap that I didn't take off until the final mile. Carol wore her Volunteer CNF ranger uniform but she assured me she would not get upset if Zeke were offleash. Once we left the parking area, he was offleash and kept wanting to run on ahead and herd everyone...or at least the ones toward the rear. It took him two miles to calm down.
To make matters worse for the weak, the trail starts with a climb to the ridgeline on the Arizona Trail. I stayed in back to take pictures through the fog. All I saw for most of the first mile was other peoples' butts. I had never been on this trail and was like a kid in awe of the beauty.
The first mile was mostly in the fog, but it began to clear as we got higher. Views toward Tucson opened up as quickly as they closed back up again with the fast-moving clouds.
Two fires devastated the old growth here. The first one was the 2002 Bullock fire and the second one, the more lethal 2003 Aspen fire. New pines are now growing in the open areas where once mature trees stood, growing next to stately mature ones.
Most of the trees here are conifers and oaks. There were a few Arizona ash, but overall very little autumn colors along the ridgeline. Several campers with dogs were camped out here. One group left a pile of beer bottles and cans behind, just the kind of trash that irritates me.
We went downhill at the two-mile mark, below Mount Bigelow and the radar towers that were mostly shrouded in the fog. We were now headed toward the Palisades Visitor's center, where we stopped and had lunch. This area was protected by recent fires, as is evident by the tall, mature pines. The ground was covered in ferns slowly browning from the end of their life cycle.
The cool weather did not keep Tucsonans from enjoying the trails. Several volunteers were out cutting down felled trees and improvising the trail.
We then walked a short distance on the road until we hit the Incinerator Road, a dirt road back to the campground and views of the valley, climbing back uphill to the Arizona trail. We had now formed a lollipop route.
The fog was now clearing. Jim offered to lead new hikers to the vista point near Incinerator Ridge. I went with him and Chuck. The sky had opened up to offer views east. The vista here was the highlight of the hike and I'm glad I witnessed this. Chuck and I took a lot of photos.
The guys were restless to get back to Sierra Vista, but I wanted to take advantage of my day in Tucson. Why rush back home? I had half of the back of the Honda filled with recyclable material (a lot of it was paper stuff that Sierra Vista no longer recycles). Chuck and I had two beers each at the Black Rock Brewery afterward. He admitted that he liked both the Session IPA and Porter. We didn't stay there long and then went our separate ways.
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