Brown Mountain

I decided to scotch my planned hike of the Agua Caliente Loop this AM due, once again, to high water. I have been meaning to do this loop after hiking up Agua Caliente Hill a couple times in the past, and never venturing into the beautiful canyon it skirts; this loop would have remedied that. I replaced Agua Caliente with a hike up and around Brown Mountain in the Tucson Range on the west edge of town (near the magnificent Arizona Sonora Desert Museum). I have driven past Brown Mountain on numerous occasions hiking in the Tucsons, most recently on Tuesday hiking nearby Wasson Peak, and have mentally banked it in my tertiary hike vault.

This is a short hike—a little over four miles (hardly worth the 30-minute drive)—but quite scenic situated as it is in the Saguaro National Park West. So, lots of everyone's favorite cacti. And speaking of cacti, everything was quite verdant with the last few rains (see collage pic below). Quite rocky on the uphill start (I hiked the recommended counterclockwise direction) but not nearly so rough as the 13-mile Weaver's Needle Hike in the rocky Superstitions up north. 

I think in the future, I will supplement this hike with a quick jaunt up the short, steep Tumamoc Hill I now regularly use as a training hike. I pass near by it on the way back to town. That would at least be a respectable 7 mile combo, and all doable in a couple of hours (sans drive time).

Beautiful clear skies today, weather at the trailhead over 50º to start, over 60º at hike's end on its way to a high of 73º.

Brown Mountain is actually two small peaks mushed together, a bactrian summit, if you will.

Cacti showing the effects of sufficient water. Clockwise from the left, ocotillo, barrel cactus, blue palo verde, and the cute, cuddly teddy bear cholla (dare you).

More of the Tucson Mountains.

The initial uphill was steep and rocky.

The saddle between the two humps.