All Entries Tagged With: "Hiking"
Must Have Hiking Gear That Never Leaves the House
It sounds counterintuitive at first, but some of the best hiking gear I have never leaves the house. No, I’m not talking about tents, packs, or boots. I’m talking about those things that I use at home to make my field experience safer or more enjoyable. Here is my Top 5 list of Must Have [...]
Reddington Pass by the Numbers (Miles 0-5): Tanque Verde Falls
Reddington Pass is one of Tucson’s most accessible recreation areas and provides for a wide range of activities from hiking to shooting to four-wheeling. Most of the pass falls within Coronado National Forest’s jurisdiction but there is also a fair amount of private land. As always respect the rights of the private land owners, leave [...]
Hiking in the Oven
It was hot today; well over 100F with little cloud cover. I spend a lot of time outside under the Arizona sun, but today was a bit much even for me. The heat saps your energy. Your heart feels like it’s racing. Your throat is parched again two breaths after a drink. Every movement becomes [...]
A Night on Mt. Lemmon; or, Is Davis Spring Trail Just a Myth?
The worst thing about hiking in the desert is that water weighs 8.3 pound per gallon. Somehow I managed to take a 60 pound pack on a one night trip. To make matters worse, Saja and I ended up going cross country in some rugged terrain when the Davis Spring Trail vanished. It was time for the old map and compass…
Logan Bread Recipe; A Tasty Emergency Ration
Historically, I have been a freeze-dried food hiker with a generous supplement of noodles, cheese, and salami for my menu. Reading between the lines, I’ve been too lazy to prepare in advance. On the other hand, I love good food and very few packaged freeze-dried offerings qualify as good in my book. So recently I [...]
Gear Review: Ursack Bear Bag Initial Impressions
I recently purchased an Ursack “Bear Resistant Food Bag”. I haven’t had it out in the field yet, but wanted to give a quick review. First the specs: My intended purpose: General animal & varmint bag for local trips. Material: Ballistic Fabric & high tensile strength cord Volume: 650 cu in Weight: 8 oz (bag); 10 oz [...]
Taking Your Dog Hiking
OK, so you think it would be a good idea to take your dog hiking on Tucson’s trails, so you just take him with you next time. No big deal. Right? Maybe not a good idea. Here are three big things that you have to consider before you take your dog hiking: Conditioning Suitability (Breed, Temperament, [...]
Molino Canyon Day Hike
Molino Canyon is one of my favorite Tucson escapes when time is limited. The trailhead is just past the fee station on Catalina Highway, about 5 miles up the mountain. You can’t miss the parking lot. Once you arrive, you have three trails to choose from. The first is off to the west and [...]
Packing for a Desert Day Hike
So what do you carry for a day on the trail? I’m a bit of a boy scout so I tend to overpack and prepare for the worst. My basic philosophy is to assume that every day hike will turn into an overnight. Here is my basic kit (you can get most of this stuff [...]
Espiritu Canyon Trail
I’ve been looking for a dog friendly, backpacking trail into the Rincons, which is a bit of a challenge since dogs aren’t permitted in Saguaro National Monument. Tanque Verde Valley has some good camping areas but it gets too much traffic. After checking out the Rincon Mountains map I picked up from the Visitor Center [...]
Butterfly Trail
I must confess that I don’t hike Mt Lemmon very much, which is criminal when you get right down to it since I only live a couple miles away, but as the summer heat hits Tucson the cool forest heights are pretty darn appealing. So last Sunday, I threw Saja and the kids in the [...]
