Our Hike of the Month: Sweetwater Canyon

HIKE OF THE MONTH SWEETWATER CANYON IN THE TUCSON MOUNTAINS

All trails lead to Wasson Peak in the Tucson Mountains, west of the city. But Sweetwater Canyon is the prettiest. And no time is prettier than early spring for hiking in this low mountain range.

So Ginger Harmon, photographer Jack Dykinga, and I celebrated spring's advent by hitting the trail an hour before dawn on the morning of the vernal equinox. A thin slice of waning moon lighted our path. Nothing stirred. Only the crunch of gravel underfoot broke the predawn silence. But soon the breeze freshened, and, when we stopped, we heard the wind soughing across the stiff spines of saguaro cacti.

The canyon was lost in shadow, gray near the rim, black at the base of its walls. Familiar shapes of ocotillo, jojoba, and barrel cactus surrounded us. Taller saguaros swayed in the wind.

Occasionally, we stopped to look back across the city toward Redington Pass in the Santa Catalinas where a thin ribbon of light signalled the coming sunrise. A curve-billed thrasher, the earliest morning caller, whistled as the sky brightened. When the first rosy hues painted the nearby ridges, a chorus of bird song greeted the dawn: the descending trill of a canyon wren, a Gila woodpecker, a cardinal, the chugging of a cactus wren, and the toy-policewhistle call of an ash-throated flycatcher.

For the first couple of miles, the trail follows Sweetwater, a lovely steep-walled canyon, winding in and out of small side drainages, then moving steadily upward. We noted grassy benches along the rim; some with shade. Good picnic spots. After about two miles, the trail comes to a low saddle where it abuts King Canyon, falling away to the south.

My brag to visitors: “There is no time of year when you can't find something in bloom in the Tucson Mountains.” So far I haven't been let down. As the sun moved into the canyon, we had seen desert hyacinth, chia, fairy duster, and filaree. Now, as we turned to climb toward Wasson Peak, we began to see bright patches of Mexican poppies. Desert marigold, globe mallow, Mojave aster, and penstemon also lined the trail. From the saddle, the trail rises steeply, switching back toward the central ridge of the range. A number of spots afford views to the south of the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, beyond it the broad sweep of the Avra and Altar valleys, and in the distance the white-domed telescopes atop Kitt Peak. At the main eastwest ridge of the Tucson Mountains, the trail intersects the Hugh Norris Trail. From that point, Wasson Peak is only a few tenths of a mile. It's three miles of uphill hiking from the trailhead to the summit, a pretty good morning workout, especially if you're following on the heels of Ginger Harmon, whose only pace is full speed ahead.

At 4,687 feet, Wasson is the highest point in the Tucson Mountains. There's no better A place in these parts for taking in the basin-and-range province of southern Arizona. On a clear day, more than 15 mountain ranges are visible, from the Superstition Mountains east of Phoenix to Boboquivari Peak near the Mexican border.

It was too windy for photos, and blowing dust blotted out distant peaks. So we hunkered down out of the wind to share the coffee Ginger had brought.

I couldn't think of a better place to be at 7:00 A.M. on the first day of spring.

When you go: To reach Sweetwater Canyon, exit Interstate Route 10 at RuthrauffCamino del Cerro. Then travel west on El Camino del Cerro until the pavement ends. Count exactly 0.6 miles from the end of the pavement and turn left. If you are driving a four-wheel-drive vehicle, go to the end of the road (about 1 mile) and park at the trailhead; otherwise park where you can and walk in.

Be sure to wear sun-block and a wide-brimmed hat. Carry water at least one quart per person, minimum.

Hiking Guide: For a detailed guide to hiking in Arizona we recommend Outdoors in Arizona: A Guide to Hiking and Backpacking, a collection of 48 great hikes through desert, mountain, and canyon environments, including easyto-get-to trails in the urban areas. To order call toll-free 1 (800) 543-5432. In the Phoenix area, call 258-1000.