Mt. Lemmon

 Mount Lemmon, with a summit elevation of 9,159 feet, is the highest point in the Santa Catalina Mountains. Two day earlier a storm blew through and dropped some snow up there. We had a beautiful day to drive up and check it out. 

At the 4000 foot level, mostly cactus and some palo verde tree

Taking a short side hike

The flora is transitioning to oak trees

Getting higher and looking down at Tucson

More interesting rock formations

This guy was letting people view the sun. 

I saw sun spots and solar flairs that were larger than the Earth

There were many bicyclists climbing the mountain

The flora is now transitioning to pine trees

Someone is about to hit with a snowball 

The ski lift 8000 feet was offering ride 

up and down the mountain 

We had lunch at the Iron Door 

They served a sandwich named for me.

I did not have it. I sounded too spicy

It was a great day checking out Mt. Lemmon

Sabino Canyon

 Sabino Canyon- one of the premier natural areas in Southern Arizona, is located at the base of the Santa Catalina Mountains.  During the Great Depression, the  WPA built Sabino Dam and nine bridges over Sabino Creek in an attempt to build a road to the top of Mount Lemmon. The road travels about 4.5 mi into the canyon, but was not completed due to the steep terrain at the end of the canyon. Many locals call Sabino Canyon their second home. Visitors walk, jog, hike, wildlife viewing, photography and so much more.  It has year-round water sources that swell during the rainy seasons and again with winter snow runoff from Mount lemmon. This water source supports a long list of wildlife,  gray fox, white-tailed deer, black-tailed jackrabbit, coyote, bobcats, and even mountain lions. Many hikes lead to swimming holes in the canyon. 

Bob, Don, Tresa, and Andy

Aboard the Sabrino Crawler for our ride to the top of the canyon

Head back down

It was rather chilly for a dip today.

Saguaro Cactus

Keep on trucking

A very nice 4.5 mile walk down down the canyon. 

Another great day on the road.

Biking Tucson

 Tucson has a wonderful paved, car free, bike path that rings the city. This loop is 131 miles long with numerous side branches. We had sunny cool weather for a very nice 20 mile ride along a dry river bed.  

Someone did a nice job of decorating these abandoned pipes

After the bike ride I did a little geocaching near camp

I logged three easy caches.

Wickenburg AZ

 Wickenburg was founded in 1863 on the banks of the Hassayampa River.  It went through many trials and tribulations in its first decades, surviving the Indian Wars including repeating Indian raids, outlaws, mine closures, drought, and a disastrous flood in 1890 when the Walnut Creek Dam burst, killing nearly 70 residents. In the 1950s and 1960s it capitalized on its western heritage becoming the “Dude Capital of the World. To this day the strong western vibe can be seen through out the town. 

We had an excellent guide 

Tim Cox is a self taught artist. His mother recalls that even before he started kindergarten, he was already sketching cowboys, cows, wild animals, and horses. He painted the environment that he grew up in. 

Tim Cox  The Heritage Herd

Tim Cox Another Day Gone Forever

Photographer Werner Segarra work, Cowboys from the Cross of the Devil transports us into the hidden world of the vaquero from the Sonoran region of northern Mexico. Through Portraits of place, work, and community, Segarra brings to vivid life this emblematic figure of the desert frontier. I was impressed sharp detail in the photos that are 3 to 4 feet across. Our guide told us that Wener uses a Danish Phase One medium format camera. 

John Nieto Yaqui Deer Dance 

Kim Douglas Wiggins

Cardenas at the Grand Canyon 1540 AD

Wickenburg of yesteryear

 

The old general store with a very informative hologram presentation.

Pick your wire

What a great museum

A walk around town

Everett Bowman All around champion cowboy 

of the world 1935-1937