Hike of the Month

Like of the Month Admire a Colorful Gallery of Scenery Trekking the Tanque Verde Ridge Trail

The sound came suddenly: whoosh! whoosh!

A sharp jet of wind ruffled my hair.

I was within a millisecond of crying out in fright when my eyes sized up the scene and sent this message to my startled brain: "You have just been buzzed by two beautiful cavorting red-tailed hawks that came whipping over that ridge like a pair of F-16s and veered off in synchronized, aerobatic perfection when they spotted you stepping smack into their flight path."

Such was my exhilarating introduction to a solitary hike on the Tanque Verde Ridge Trail east of Tucson on a sun-washed 60-degree day in late January. The trail, which departs from a well-marked trailhead at the Javelina Picnic Area in Saguaro National Monument, climbs gently along its namesake ridge (ABOVE) Along the Tanque Verde Ridge Trail, red-tailed hawks can often be seen looking for rodents, their favorite prey.

(OPPOSITE PAGE) Cholla and brittlebush dot the hillside beside the trail.

For 6.9 miles and about 3,000 vertical feet to Juniper Basin. My raptorial close encounter came about a mile into the hike as the trail led me toward the ridge through lush stands of saguaro cacti and paloverde trees. Once my pulse rate returned to normal, I decided that the birdof-prey flyby must be a sign of an exceptional hike to come.

And so it was. The weather was at its Arizona winter best; the broad, open ridge afforded expansive views in all directions; and the trail's gradual changes in elevation meant that vegetation would range from classic saguaro desert to uplands of yucca and manzanita to the piñon juniper "pygmy forests" of Juniper Basin.

The first miles of trail were colored to my surprise at this time of year with occasional bouquets of orange globemallow, a wildflower that apparently sees no need to put off showtime until spring.

With every few hundred feet of elevation gained, the views across the Tucson valley and into the deep defile of Box Canyon to the southeast more than paid back the price of walking uphill.

About four miles into the hike, at elevations between 5,000 and 6,000 feet, the sense of desert gave way to a feeling of forest as the dark greens of piñon and juniper trees replaced the sage hues of cactus country.

Juniper Basin, a secluded backcountry site where limited camping is allowed with a free permit from the National Park Service, was unpopulated on this warm January afternoon. Like many other hikers, I used the Basin as a lunch spot and turnaround point. Those with more time and energy sometimes proceed 2.1 additional miles to 7,049-foot Tanque Verde Peak.

Although my midwinter hike to Juniper Basin was all sunshine and premature flowers, anyone visiting Arizona mountain areas in the winter should keep in mind that cold weather and even snow are possibilities at elevations above 3,000 feet. Checking the forecast before starting out is always a good idea.

Descending trails is often a matter of tramping homeward through scenery that's already made its impression on your retina. The trip back down the Tanque Verde Ridge Trail, owing perhaps to the abundance of points offering distant 360-degree views, seemed full of sights I hadn't noticed on the way up. From several of the perfect rock-slab rest stops on the return walk, I could admire a gallery of surrounding summits: Rincon Peak, Mount Wrightson, Baboquivari Peak, Kitt Peak, Wasson Peak, the Silverbell Mountains, and parts of the Santa Catalina range. Not even the red-tailed hawks had a finer view. The Tanque Verde Ridge Trail departs from the Javelina Picnic Area at Saguaro National Monument east of Tucson. The Monument entrance is at 3693 S. Old Spanish Trail, and there is a $4 per vehicle entrance fee. Further information is available by calling the Monument at (602) 296-8576.

WHEN YOU GO