La Milagrosa Canyon Trail

This season's been marked by a dearth of longer hikes, but I have managed to fit in a few 10-milers, and we have a 20-miler planned on Saturday. 

Today, we settled for yet another 10 mile hike, but one that did give the lungs a bit of a workout on the ascent. 

The Milagrosa Canyon is really quite stunning. It's tucked into the convergence of two mountain ranges, making it difficult to determine exactly to which range it belongs: the Santa Catalinas on the north, or the Rincons, which abut from the southeast. Two years ago, Misty and I joined a hike led by Stan from the Baja Arizona Hikers. That was a point-to-point hike that started on Milagrosa and ended up at the George Hirabayashi campground on Mount Lemmon—decidedly in the Catalinas. 

Today's was a simple out-and-back, and a gorgeous day it was. Chilly 36º at the trailhead shortly after 8:00am. The sun was out, however, and after a mile or so of climbing, jackets and gloves were doffed and the temps climbed as we did. Mid sixties by the time we got back to the car a little before noon.

A peek into a Milagrosa ravine, with the sun in an unfortunate blinding sun spot, which I was attempting to use the saguaro to block.

Photo by Misty

Photo by Misty

Lots of water this year, and the pools did not disappoint.

Misty checking out the precipitous cliff walls of this little gorge.

This landscape is not dissimilar to the adjacent Saguaro National Park, decidedly in the Rincons, where we will be hiking up to Cow Head Saddle on Saturday.

 

Gorge-ous shot by Misty.