Tag saguaro

Tucson: Enchanting Trails, Without the Crowds

Reg Spittle Leave a comment

I once thought Sedona was home to the best hiking in Arizona. Not anymore. Tucson may not boast the red rock, but it lacks the crowds that require Sedona hikers and bikers to hit the trail early if they hope to secure parking. We pulled into this trail’s parking lot in late morning. Temperature? Low 70s. Parking? There were three cars in a large lot. The trail? Another gem. And, like so many trails here, just minutes from downtown.

In the Enchanted Hills, Sue and I walked the El Grupo and Tecolote loops, detouring up (with a rock scramble) Enchanted Peak for lunch and the view. Now, I have a confession. I love the saguaro cactus and the rest of its family, except for one irritating member: the jumping cholla. Watch out!

Clumps of the “jumping” cholla are known to fall off and easily leave their home if you brush against them, as Sue found out. I hope you never have to try to detach one from yourself.

Warm Up Your Bike on Tucson’s Loop

Reg Spittle Leave a comment

Want to escape the cold and discover one of the nation’s hot spots for biking? Sue and I like Tucson, Arizona for January temperatures in the 60s and 70s and for the area’s hiking and biking trails. We sampled The Loop, a 60-mile-plus paved bike path around the city that took us through desert cactus scenery. We bought inexpensive Trek hybrids at a great shop here; road bikes would work well on The Loop, but we plan to ride unpaved paths later this year. (We walk the mountain paths around Tucson.)

Spectacular Seguaro cactus forests climb nearby mountains that offer hundreds of miles of hiking trails, many open to bikers. I will share more of Sue’s photos on future posts.

It was tough to give up our Giant 90s-era hybrids that Sue’s parents rode around Europe and the USA. But their weight and the pull of new technology finally drew us to updated bikes. We donated the Giants to Bicas, a Tucson warehouse and workshop that connects bikes to people in need. Mom and Dad would approve, I am sure.