Five mountain hikes this week!

I got in FIVE hikes in Tucson this week with friends! We hiked Catalina State Park twice in the Santa Catalina Mountains, the Wild Burro Trail in the Tortolita Mountains, and the Monsoon Trail and King Canyon, which I think are both considered in the Tucson Mountains

 

The King Canyon Trail took us about a mile up a rocky trail where we enjoyed a rest stop at the top at a rustic picnic area, above, and a sweeping view.

We also found this old rock building. We couldn't tell if it had been a house, a lookout, or something else.

Then we descended into a wash where we found petroglyphs scattered on the rocks. Afterward, we had pizza at Bianchi's in town.

Barb exploring the King Canyon wash. 

The Tortolita hike ended with drinks and lunch at the Ritz Carlton at Dove Mountain. The resort is next to the Wild Burro Trail, and we were grateful for its cool drinks after a hot hike. We sat at a shady patio overlooking the pool, where Tere and I had buffalo tacos. Barb and Tere had beautifully colored mocktails while I stuck with iced tea.  

Pool and buffalo burgers at the Ritz!

Here's Tere by one of the giant saguaros before we retired to the Ritz, just to prove that we did more than eat that day.

Another day, Barb and I did the Monsoon Trail west of Tucson and accidentally detoured up Recoil Peak. By the time we realized it, we were halfway to the top so we just went the rest of the way and were rewarded with a panoramic view. Here we are, above, after making it about 300 feet to the top.

In Catalina State Park, we found water and horses. The very sweet horses were a mother and daughter, and their owners brought them down for the winter from Washington state, my old stomping grounds. We encountered them twice on the trail, and each time we all stopped for a nice long chat.

Here are Beth and Barb on today's hike in Catalina. It was another glorious Tucson winter day, with blue skies, balmy temperatures and a nice breeze. We're trying to get in as many hikes as we can before the sizzling summer temps arrive.

Have a colorful day