Experienced backpackers attracted by the Catalina skyline will find both solitude and improved trails for a trek along the crest of the Santa Catalina mountains.
Cindy Coffer Chojnacky Special to the Arizona Daily Star Soaring behind Tucson to the north is the crest of the Santa Catalina mountains — a rugged set of stair steps climbing northeast from Pusch Peak to Mount Lemmon.
So how bad are the trails? In early May, a reconnaissance trip across the Catalinas yielded a pleasant surprise. Now a real trail had emerged — clambering up rocks in sections but a normal trail width one could hike with backpacks. Above Pima Spring the trail was steep but doable. Upper Pima to Kimball Peak was a nice contour trail with beautiful views. Other than a nasty slide down the far side of Kimball, the trail was good to the Finger Rock junction and another half mile beyond.
“My ulterior motive is that if I flag it, people will walk the grass in where it should be,” Ruljancich said. “That section to Ventana is the absolute worst.” The bad part was up from Romero: a mile section of the Mount Lemmon Trail that switchbacks steeply with washed out steep rock up to three feet high — which is no fun to crawl over with a backpack. The barren area was burned in both the Bighorn and Aspen fires.
Back on the trailsOnce the Arizona Trail nears the first ridge on Mount Lemmon in ponderosa pine, the trail is reasonable most of the way to Summerhaven with a few burned areas and washouts from the two fires. This particular route followed popular day hike areas: Wilderness of Rocks and Mint Springs trails.
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