Hugh Norris to Wasson Peak

After Saturday's epic twenty mile hiking event, I needed something a little shorter to end my season. Having already established a tradition of hiking Wasson as a first and last hike to bookend my annual hiking season, I chose the Hugh Norris Trail to Wasson Peak. This beautiful little hike, which I had never done, accomplishes a similar elevation gain as Saturday's hikes at nearly 2,500 feet, yet it manages to do so in half the distance. My Michigan pal Jack joined me on this last outing.

The trail itself was a real surprise. This out-and-back gets way less use than the King's Canyon Loop or the Sweetwater approach, and the trail was in great shape. What we found really striking is the high level of craftsmanship in the construction of the granite stairs, of which there were many—a whole mile of them to start. 

The weather was overcast and 60º-70º, and the light eerily beautiful. Very little wind until the return, when it picked up a notch. Saw a few other fellow hikers, almost all of whom were from the Upper Midwest, which has freakily been having similar daytime temps.

Curt (Michigan), Jack (Michigan), and Jeff (Wisconsin), photo taken by two young hikers from New Hampshire.

A rare glimpse of sun toward hike's end.

One last task is to clean the boots from any invasive hitchhikers.

 

Tortolitas and Catalinas—M.O.V.E. 2024

Today, Misty and I participated in the 12th annual M.O.V.E. in Two Ranges hiking event, where participants hiked in the Tortolitas near the town of Marana, then hopped in a car and drove 25 minutes to Catalina State Park in Oro Valley to hike another stretch. As best I can determine, MOVE stands for Marana Oro Valley Event. There were four challenges in the event, with their alliterative names as such: Mighty (8 miles); Major (10 miles); Mega (16 miles); and Massive (20 miles). Of course, we did the massive event, consisting of 13 miles in the Tortolitas and 7 miles in the Catalinas. Quite a challenging event, mostly because of the heat after 11:00 am or so, with temps reaching 81º.

Misty kept her hiking app on a single recording just to
see how AllTrails would deal with it. This is how it
split the maps up.

My recording inadvertently stopped about ¾ of a mile from the finish in the Tortolitas, so I ended up a little shy of 13 miles.

Hit the trail a little after six. We both left our headlamps at home (duh), but managed to follow a couple of hiker who had theirs. Luckily, the Tortolitas hike starts out in a sandy wash. We were able to finally see without lights about 6:30.

A rare crested Saguaro.

The Catalina State Park leg started out on a bridle path.

View from the Sutherland Trail.

After party with Dragoon beer and food. Quite a nice little fundraising event for the Oro Valley and Marana parks and rec.

M.O.V.E.

My hiking partner Misty convinced me to sign up for this annual hiking event in December, shortly after I arrived in Tucson. There will be four challenges: Mighty (8 miles); Major (10 miles); Mega (16 miles); and Massive (20 miles). Naturally, we tacitly agreed we would be signing up for the Massive hike as that is just the way we roll. 

This Saturday (February 24) is the 12th annual M.O.V.E. Across Two Ranges. Not exactly sure what the acronym M.O.V.E. stands for, but I can surmise it stands for Marana Oro Valley Event or some such as it is a joint venture of the suburban cities of Marana and Oro Valley.

Normally, I prefer hiking solo or with a partner or two, not with a hundred other folks, but what the hell. You only have this single life to live, might as well live it exhausted and irritated (I kid the other primates🙂).

It should be quite the event, with over three hundred total participants across four challenges. Plus, it is sponsored by the Dragoon Brewery, maker of my favorite local beer, Dragoon IPA (reminiscent of my favorite Iowa beer, Des Moines IPA, from Confluence Brewing in Des Moines).

I  have hiked more than once in the Tortolitas range, including all of this route as part of a longer 16-mile hike. And the Catalinas are quite simply my go-to range in Tucson, where all my favorite hikes reside. While I have rarely hiked a mere seven miles there, after thirteen miles already under my belt in the morning, a mere seven more will be just dandy.

The first thirteen miles will be in the Tortolitas, on a trail I have hiked at least twice, as part of a longer hike called the Superloop, most recently in December, 2022. It is one of the few long (over 10 miles) hikes I feel comfortable with hiking solo.

The only part of the Catalina hike I have previously tackled is the short section of the Sutherland Trail, that as part of the 18+ miles of that strenuous hike. That I did five years ago in epic, scary fashion.

Romero Canyon to Romero Pools

Finally made a trip out to Romero Pools, a popular destination hike in Catalina State Park, rated as hard but actually more moderate. I have hiked past the Pools many times, on actual hard hikes up Romero Canyon, most recently on January 3, a point-to-point hike, Romero Canyon to the Sabino Canyon Visitor Center (20 miles). I have also hiked up to Romero Pass and back at least thrice (14-15 miles). But most notoriously, five years ago my hiking pal Jacques from Quebec, and two others, made the ill-fated, 12-hour slog up the Sutherland Trail, across the Mt. Lemmon Trail, and back down Romero Canyon (24 miles), a hike that  quite literally scared the shit out of me. So it was a relief and a joy to dawdle on a beautiful trail, on a beautiful day, with a beautiful destination, on a beautiful six-miler.

Temp at the start at 9:30 was near 60º, edging toward 80º at the return 2 ½ hours later. Almost no wind today making for clear conditions. We did have to cross the shallow wash at the start, but kept mostly dry, and even the gushing water at the pools didn't prevent us from continuing the final 0.4 miles to the last pool. Great day all-round.

Hard to make out this waterfall in the distance, testament to the recent record rainfall. 

Closeup of the waterfall. We saw a few and I have never seen a single one previously.

First shot of the pools.

Jack in his distinctive Vans.

Romero Pools.

 

Mount Kimball via Finger Rock Trail

With all the water flowing off the Catalinas, especially in the canyons near Sabino, and this being a Sunday in any event, with hikers clogging all the popular easy to moderate trails, today called for a hike with neither water nor people. Enter Mount Kimball via the ass-kicking, cardiac arresting Finger Rock Trail.

Great weather, with little wind and 45º at 7:20, rising to 77º in the afternoon. Had to don micro spikes for one small section, although not on the return, and there was a modicum of snow on Kimball, but overall, a wonderful hike. Saw only one other hiker past the Linda Vista Saddle, where we had lunch on the way back. This hike also uses the Pima Canyon Trail for a short stretch at the end, and we saw one hiker who ascended Pima Canyon, so strictly speaking, we saw two hikers past the saddle.

Misty and I last hiked this route a couple years ago, on January 25, 2022, and I still remember that hike as a challenge. It is so steep, rocky, and treacherous, even on the downhill return there is no getting your pace up. Still and all, we hiked a bit faster than two years prior (not that it's a race, but who wants to spend 10 hours on a hike?).

We actually waited about 15 minutes for the sun to grace Finger Rock before we departed. A sign from the gods it was good to go.

Linda Vista Saddle (top left), where we will have lunch.

There is some water running down Finger Rock Canyon.

Looking south at the Tucson sprawl.

Hoo doo dat?

Mount Kimball.

Mount Lemmon (snow cap in the distance).

Short video of the amazing views from Kimball.

Remnants of the 2020 fire that burned 120, 000 acres of the Santa Catalinas

An example of the rockiness of this steep, ankle-twisting trail.

Lunch at Linda Vista Saddle. three miles yet to go.