Sarasota-Explorer-Sunset Pass Trails

With a cold front moving in, and the wind picking up around noon and taking the sun with it, I needed a short hike to tide me over until Thursday, the next decent hiking day. I also need a little training for a long, challenging hike on Saturday. This little six-miler fits the bill nicely. The trail is rated as moderate, but I would downgrade that to the cusp of moderate & easy. As an added bonus: I've never hiked it before. On the trail by 9:00, and done by 11:00. Temps around 45º at the trailhead, around 55º two hours later, with a considerable uptick in wind speed. 

The trails on this hike are in Pima County's magnificent Tucson Mountain Park, itself in the Tucson Mountains, a minor range just west of Tucson. This park is an Arizona treasure and, along with the adjacent Saguaro National Park (West), has helped to preserve the land from the rapacious local developers. On a slightly optimistic note, Pima County has stopped issuing permits for single family residential buildings; too little too late, in my opinion, but with the water crisis and the climate catastrophe in full throes, better than doing nothing. 

From the Pima County website:

About the Park

Tucson Mountain Park was established April 1929. The Pima County Parks Commission, with C. B. Brown as its chairman, was established to oversee the park. At approximately 20,000 acres, the park is one of the largest natural resource areas owned and managed by a local government in the U.S. The park has approximately 62 miles of non-motorized shared-use trials. The park’s trails are open to hikers, equestrians, and mountain bikers, and provide a wide range of outstanding experiences, including technical challenges, and breathtaking views. Gates Pass overlook includes interpretive displays and historic structures. Picnicking and wildlife viewing opportunities are located throughout the park.

I have hiked one other trail in the park, The 13-mile David Yetman, a favorite morning hike I have done several times, most recently in December, 2022.

This hike is supposed to be 5.6 miles, but I added a mile when I 

stayed on the Explorer Trail not realizing AllTrails wanted me

to take the Sunset Pass to the end (bottom tine of the fork above).

I must say, the Explorer Trail was far more interesting than the

Sunset Pass trail, which passes close by a detritus-laden housing

development.

The Sarasota Trailhead.

This hike started on the Sarasota Trail (black) to the Explorer (pink) and finally, the Sunset (orange).

Ran into a gaggle of older folks, and passed another.

Encroaching suburbia, the bane of all that is sane.