Catalina State Park, Sabino Canyon

Posted April 29, 2013

March 14-??

Got too hot in Joshua Tree, and we weren't really that impressed with it, so drove back to Tucson and stayed a few days in Catalina State Park, just on the outskirts of the city. Had a few days of thriftstoring, hiking and generally exploring. 

Hiked in Sabino Canyon--a park on the edge of the city. A winding paved trail for walking or biking--maybe 5 miles long, it climbed a fairly deep canyon, following a river up into an alpine area. We walked in the late afternoon. It seemed like wilderness: not too many people, no cars, no garbage, no houses...but every once in awhile, an electric shuttle would pass, carrying 10 or 15 people up the canyon. Some would get off at marked stops along the route, whereas others would ride the entire way up and back. Even with the shuttles, we were mostly alone. 

Toronto has High Park...Tucson has Sabino Canyon

Sabino Canyon

Sabino Canyon: Interesting patterns in rock

Sunset at Catalina State Park

 Sabino Canyon: Pleasing composition

At Sabino Canyon

At Catalina State Park

When Tucson got too hot , we thought we should head north for cooler temps; however, when I checked the weather around Arizona, I saw that Bisbee, at about 5000 feet, was cooler, even though it was farther south, and I'd read that it was worth a visit: old mining town, eclectic, with a hippee influenc...but that's another post.

Stay tuned...