Sabino Canyon/Hutches Pool/Cathedral Peaks

On Tuesday last I went by myself to hike up Sabino Creek to Hutches Pool then a day hike from my camp at Hutches Pool to Cathedral Peaks saddle

The hike began with a walk up the Sabino Canyon Road, a paved route that goes 2.7 miles to the trailhead to Sabino Basin and Hutches Pool. Thimble Peak is above. The ridge separates Sabino fron Bear canyon where 7 Falls is on the other side

Further up the Sabino Canyon Road

Looking back down Sabino Canyon from the trail early in the morning at about 8 am, Sabino Creek below runs over white and black Granite

The Wilderness of Rocks is visable thru the Saguaro's ahead

White quartz viens in black Granite criss-cross's itself along the trail

A Century Plant Yucca makes new leaves till one day it sprouts its stalk and blooms. Once thought to take as long as 100 years is how it got its name. Actually it takes about 20 years, still a long time in flowering plants.

Walking by this cliff I saw two faces on ontop of the other looking out from eternity

A young Barrel Cacti with pineapple-like fruits. Distinquished from a yound Saguaro by the curved needles. This one was about as big as a basketball

Hutches Pool a long narrow deep pool in the middle of an otherwise dry canyon.

I left Hutche Pool to hike up to the Cathedral Peaks (Rocks) this is from above the pool

Agave Yucca on West Fork Trail and Cathedral Peaks above

The Rincon Mountains in distance to the SE from West Fork Trail

Upper Sabino Basin from West Fork Trail

Santa Rita Mounatins on horizon from saddle below Cathedral peaks looking south, Tucson is in haze below

The Cathedral Peaks (Rocks, as named on maps) I chose not to hike to top as it was merely a route. I was near the top in 1986 with a friend who knew the route well

Looking south down Esperrero Canyon towards east Tucson in haze

Self-portrait with Cathedral Rocks behind me, I knew that Alaska hat would come in handy someday. In the direct desert sun it has worked well

Sunset on the Marshall Peaks above Hutches Pools mark the end of another great hike

Nice report and great pictures!

The contrast on the rocks makes for an awesome picture!

Nice report Gary,  I liked the pics of flora.  We don't see many cacti in the Green Mountains.  Interesting fact on that Yucca plant.  Do you happen to know how quartz forms in a cross shape? I see it in layers often but am curious how that cross can occur.

That scenery is as potentially dangerous looking as it is beautiful to me.  I hiked in the southwest one time down to Hermit Rapids in the Grand Canyon but that was 15 years ago.  Living in Vermont, so green and moist, is such a contrast.  I have some pretty good experience living in the wilderness all 4 seasons, but I would be very cautious if I headed planned to explore that region as, just by looking at your pictures, I can see I'm completely attuned to a different kind of terrain these days.

Particularly liked the Alaska hat taking care of business in the desert.  

Mozee asked: Do you happen to know how quartz forms in a cross shape? I see it in layers often but am curious how that cross can occur.

Not sure, I think it happened when the two rocks were molten millions of years ago. The quartz oozed upp thru the granite as it was cracked in the X pattern. My geology is limited to what I see and imagine happened.

I have even seen it in rock where under pressure the quartz is folded up many times.

Found this example on yahoo images but I have seen rock and quartz like this in the field from Alaska to Arkansas.

I have a friend who lives in Stowe VT. At Christmas time he goes to Hawaii till mid-January then goes back to Vermont.

A friend in Wyoming doesn't want to come down cause she does'nt like the many forms of thorny and posionous animals in the desert. She like the snow of NW Wyoming better. I come south for the winters so I can stay hiking year round. NW Wyoming is generally my summer home, while the SW USA is my winter one.

I bought the Alaska hat during a summer in that state bicycling from the Arctic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean 1000 miles during the month of August 2006.

The criss-cross rock pic reminds me of one that I found on Work Island near Butedale BC.

I call it "X Marks the Spot"

BTW, Gary, SWEET pics of your hike, man. I especially love the pic of the pool!

Later!

Cory

Check out my recent trip report at trip planning.  Its at "Catalina's Tucson ASAP" at Trip Planning.

 I have to start remembering to post trip reports under the trip reports!

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