Bug Springs trail, Catalina Mtns north of Tucson

This was my big hike with the Huachuca Hiking Club.  A total of seven hikers showed up: SteveA, SteveS, Mel, Barry, Kent and Rod and I drove in two cars to the lower Bug Springs parking lot.  The lot was crowded with mountain bikers.  We had to make way for 13 more on our way up to the high point.  Some of those were coming down the trail like bats out of hell.  A few were pushing their bikes through the steep and rocky sections near the high point.

It was perfect weather for today's hike, even though Tucson's weather was forecasted to be "clear and 80F."  It was 56F according to my Honda when we started, and a constant cool breeze kept us cool.  High wind-swept cirrus clouds also diffused the sun.

The only disappointment was the lack of a wildflower boom.  There were plenty of brittlebush flowers as we drove up the Catalina Highway, but none on the trail.  We saw instead small clusters of purple flowers such as verbena.  I also spotted yellow monkeyflowers and a white cluster flower.

The Bug Springs trail is in a transitional zone.  You start at 4950" in a high desert with agaves and yuccas and finish at 6275' near Green mountain among the pine.  Along the  you have expansive views toward Tucson and the south and southeast, and as you get near the high point, even Mount Wrightson appears.  At the high point one can even see the Catalina Highway switchback up the mountain.

We started out strong.  Kent and SteveS quickly bypassed everyone and then had to wait 40 minutes for the rest of us. I came in fourth (but who's counting?).  I was just happy to have plenty of water for Zeke.  Cherry Creek was running nicely and the trail follows the creek for .8 miles before the trail juts back uphill for the finish.  The shaded creek, hoodoos, and vistas make this an allround challenging hike.  The decomposed granite surface in the higher elevation made for a few slick slides.  I was still wearing my New Balance sneakers from last week's California road trip.

The post hike meal today was at the Saguaro Corner restaurant, a spacious restaurant near the Saguaro National Park.  It offers 20 craft beers on tap, many which were IPAs.  I had two Glendale, CA Golden Road mango cart (4% ABV, 10 IBU) beers, which, according to the brewery's website, is a "light wheat ale bursting with lots of fresh mango flavor finishing crisp and refreshing" although neither Kent nor I thought the beer was very mango-y.  The low alcohol did make the beer refreshing and it went well with my chicken tacos.  While the conversation during the meal covered all the usual topics including Canada, Trump, and upcoming club hikes, we all wondered what "Bier de Garde" (strong French pale ale) or"Wee Heavy" (rich, malty Scottish ale) beer styles are.  So much for being beer snobs.