Tucson/Lazydays KOA
Tucson, AZ
December 28, 2016
The Phoneline Trail is perfect for a birds-eye view of Sabino Canyon. It basically follows the commercial tram road, but its etched into the canyon wall high above the canyon. It was actually established in the early 1900s and I read that if you look hard enough you can see a few remaining rusty poles that once supported the phone line for which the trail was named.
There are several different ways to enjoy this trail. The VC offers maps and the Rangers are very helpful. Joe and I chose to walk a few miles going up the trail and return the same way. It's a good workout as the trail ascends.
Along with the wide open views, which I didn't get pictures of because the lighting on this very overcast day didn't cooperate, there were lots of little things that caught my eye.
An uprooted Century Plant (Agave). It takes up to 20 years to bloom and once it does, it dies.
A Fishhook Cactus that only grows to about 6 inches. They love desert slopes and often hide under bushes.
I think these are called glochids...they occur in tufts around a main spine. Their job is to keep the plant from loosing too much moisture in the form of evaporation. So amazing !
The canyon wall was covered in tiny plants, moss, and lichens. Beautiful rock gardens.
The tip of a saguaro arm. I think they are fascinating.
And bubbles in Sabino Creek.
On the trail back to the parking lot, I spotted a female roadrunner in a nearby grassy spot. She was very cooperative as I snapped quite a few photos following her on the trail.
Until next time,
HAPPY TRAILS !
Oh, if you like tamales, Joe and I discovered Tucson Tamale Company. There are three locations on their website...click here for information.
We had never had tamales before so we can't compare these to any others, but we cleaned our plates !
Tucson/Lazydays KOA
Tucson, AZ
December 23, 2016
There is alot of history in Sabino Canyon. Flat grindstones, stone points, and other tools found in the Sabino Canyon date back to the Cochise culture which hunted small game and food about 8000 years ago. But even before them, the Clovis culture visited the area some 13500 years ago to hunt large game.
Its no wonder visitors since, including the Hohokam people, made this oasis their home. The peak of their culture occurred around 1100 AD. The Hohokam were farmers and built villages along the rivers. There is evidence of early dams to store water and collect soil as well as farming tools left behind from them.
Jump forward to the 1930s when plans were made to build a dam to provide a lake for swimming and boating. The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) along with ERA crews built bridges, campgrounds, picnic tables, outhouses, and retaining walls which are still used. Today the dam is a popular attraction although the lake has long since been filled in with silt and plant life.
Our second hike in Sabino Canyon on 12/22 took us close enough to the dam to take a picture from an overlook. Not much water flowing over the dam that day.
Our third hike (12/23) was on the Sabino Lake Trail, Creek Trail, and Sabino Dam Trail. A nice easy loop ! What a difference a day of heavy rains made.
We had planned to connect to the Phoneline Trail, but Sabino Creek stopped us. We weren't prepared to get wet.
This is the section of creek after the dam. We have never seen it this high...it was even flowing over the bridge !
Looking left...
...straight ahead...
...and to the right.
It couldn't have been a prettier day. The birds were singing...umm...some were fussing !
We could hear the distinct loud sound of this Cactus Wren. It's the largest wren in North America.
Cloudy gray skies quickly gave way to clear blue skies.
The cacti were showy with fruit.
And the best part, I was with my honey !
We will be busy our last week here. I have a hair cut, Joe gets stitches out, Sally gets a hair cut and a bath, and we hope to get in another hike.
Until next time,
HAPPY TRAILS !
