Pontatoc Canyon Hike

On Sunday, 4 February 07, Phil stayed in Tucson for his final performance of Madame Butterfly, and Kim, Marion and I hiked most of the way up the Pontatoc Canyon Trail just north of Tucson, rising about 1900′ above the trail head and about 2500′ above Tucson for this beautiful panorama.

Kim and I had been in the area before, hiking up towards Armond’s Finger Rock the previous two years, but this time veered east northeast near the trail’s start, climbing slightly up the Pontatoc Ridge Trail until the canyon trail branched off to the left. The conditions were ideal for a desert hike: low 60s and very little wind.

Near trail start, Kim and Marion head into the desert

The early going was easy enough, with steady but not too steep of climbing. Early on, we encountered a family with a German dad, and he and Marion conversed a bit in German. They were of course both familiar with each other’s region in Germany. We left him and his wife and three little kids in the dust and continued on our way.

The trail rises more steeply in the canyon.

Further along, we entered the wide lower section of the Pontatoc Canyon and enjoyed views of the canyon wall to our right and the gradually improving view of Tucson behind us.

< -- One of several brief stops for trail mix or water

< -- Armond's Finger Rock, a well known rock formation visible from much of Tucson

< -- We lunched where the trail criss-crossed the canyon floor and intersected a cool spring. The spring only existed for about 100 yards until in vanished beneath the sand again.

< -- We found the odd, rock hard bean here and then and then found this old bush with some beans still intact. A bit of research revealed that these are Southwestern Coral Beans, toxic to eat and once used as rat poison. A few shaken in the hand sound like small pebbles.

The going got steeper after lunch with Marion leading Kim past a huge cluster of prickly pear.

< -- Ben gasping for breath at 4500' elevation

< -- Kim enjoying a break on the steeper section

< -- The view at our turn around point at 4881 feet elevation.

After a short breather to drink water and eat some trail mix, we began our decent from this spot. Our return segment was about one our less than the climb.

< -- Marion and Ben near trail's end.

This entry was posted on 4 March 2007 at 6:59 pm and is filed under photography, Family, Adventures. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site.

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