Texture in the Desert

 

Finger Rock Trail

When researching good hikes in the Tucson area, I read that the Finger Rock trail is one of the steepest, most strenuous hikes in the Santa Catalina range.  So I decided to conquer it.

The Finger Rock trail is named after Finger Rock: a rock which is shaped like an index finger, pointing skyward.

However, from a vantage point closer to sea level, the finger is barely visible!  The next shot was taken from the trail head.  (The summit, a.k.a. Mt. Kimball, is the wooded mountain in the distance.)

By the way, the review was spot-on.  The trail is, indeed, steep and strenuous...but the views are spectacular!

That morning was particularly foggy...so the distant Tucson Mountains seemed to float over the city.  Amazing!

But perhaps the best views are from atop Mt. Kimball, where one can see Mt. Lemmon, Oro Valley, and BioSphere 2.

Oh, and by the way...today is Misu's birthday!  Happy birthday, Su Bear!!

Bear Canyon

Since moving to Tucson, most of our hiking has been around Mt. Lemmon, at higher altitude.  We decided to save the "lower" trails for a time when the sun wasn't quite so harsh--and that time has officially arrived!

Yesterday morning was very chilly, so we decided to check out the Sabino Canyon Rec Area, which heads trails that lead into both the Sabino and Bear Canyons.  The scenery was breathtaking!