Pima Canyon, Super Bowl Sunday

Pima Canyon is part of the Pusch Ridge Wilderness. As you will see, it's very close to Tucson, but if you get there early and hike far enough in, you'll forget all about the city. Until the way back that is when all the yuppies are puffing up the trail.



This is at the start. The cross in the foreground is for a young soldier, presumably killed in Iraq. Sad.








This is the view over your shoulder about a half mile into the hike.









About a mile and a half in, you'll cross the streambed a bunch of times. It's easy to lose the trail in here. I did about fifty times. There was a lot of water in the canyon, we've had a lot of rain. Plenty of tracks around the pools; coues deer, coyotes, raccoons, etc.






I don't know what it is about nests that I like so much. Maybe just looking at a carefully built home. And the promise and excitement of new life, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant.






I know. I like dead trees too much. So sue me. Something so old and imposing has a majesty in death. And they look cool too!



I couldn't keep this shoe tied. It was driving me nuts. Then, I tied it so tight, I couldn't get it untied at home. Arrggghhh!!!!







This is one of a series of metates in the canyon, spots where women ground corn. Back in the day, this must have been a magical place to live. I like lingering at spots like this. I like to imagine a lingering good energy around the area.





Soon after this, the trail goes up an hugs the east wall of the canyon. If you go far enough, you go up to the top of Mount Kimball and then back down Finger Rock trail. About two and half miles from where I stopped is the habitat of a herd of bighorn sheep. I was running out of time though. Maybe next trip. This is what you see if you look back over your shoulder.



I ate lunch on the trail, about three hundred feet above the canyon floor. I think the carrot cake is a really good flavor of Clif bar. I really like Clif bars. I walked into the canyon with two bottles of water, two apples and a Clif bar. On the way back I ran into a ton of people who weren't going to walk nearly as far as I did who were just dripping with equipment. Walking poles, weird hats, specialized water delivery systems. Christ, you would have thought they were preparing to assault K2, not take a leisurely dayhike. And they all looked so deathly serious. Whatever.

I sometimes forget how beautiful the desert can be.

A good hike. And not a bad way to spend the first half of Super Sunday.