Bridle, CDO Ridge, and 50 Year Trails Riata Loop

 

This is a new loop hike created by the good park service folks at Catalina State Park. It basically combines a section of the 50 Year Trail with a newer trail, the CD, which is short for Cañada del Oro  (CDO) Ridge. That short 1.5 mile trail overlooks the Cañada del Oro Wash on the west side of the park. The loop comes in at around 3.2 miles (total hike is closer to 6 miles in all). This hike is connected to a 10-miler I did two days ago, the Nature, Sutherland, TrailLink, 50 Year, and Bridle Trails. This is a much superior, albeit shorter hike.

I am calling this hike the Riata Loop, as I necessarily added the Bridle Trail spur to and from the parking lot (about 1.3 miles each way) and so the hike map looks a bit like a lasso or lariat. I chose riata (Spanish for lariat) since we are in the Southwest. And in case you are wondering, the loop part of a lariat is of course the noose (the 3.2 mile loop), but most people don't know the other parts. There is the honda, where the rope slips through to create a noose or loop, and then there is the stem or spoke, the part of the rope you swing. Thus, the CD-50 Year Loop is the noose, and, the Bridle Trail the spoke of this hike. 

This was an easy hike as reflected by the pace. Yet another gorgeous day. 72º and clear. The weather gods are winning over the climate gods right now, unfortunately. We need rain.

I accidentally paused my recording and the app filled in the missing

section (see the straight line on the bottom of the loop which missed all the 

twists and turns). Therefore, the actual mileage is 0.7 miles longer than 5.2.

The Bridle Trail is smooth and wide, like a bridle trail should be I guess.

It is about 1.3 miles from the parking lot to the beginning

of the loop, thus adding 2.7 miles to the 3.2 for a total

hike of about 5.9 miles.

This is about as steep and rough as this trail gets, so not at all.

One of the great things about the 50 Year Trail is the magnificent views of Pusch Ridge, the spine of the Catalinas. Hard to capture, but the next few shots, including a panorama and video, attempt to do so. Better to see it in person, and I will be your guide.

I took two videos, one right to left or roughly south to north (above), and one left to right (below).