Hike of the Month

Surrender to the Lure of Desert Trekking on the Trail of Hope

Trails in the desert are not known for the shade they offer. I mentioned this to a non-hiking friend the day before my walk on the Sendero Esperanza Trail in the Tucson Mountains and received a provocative response: “What is the attraction of a trail that has no shelter from the sun?” she asked. The question caught me off-balance. I happen to enjoy hiking in the desert, but I had never stopped to figure out why. Sendero Esperanza is Spanish for “trail of hope,” and as I set out on my hike, my hope was that I could somehow convey the lure of the desert to someone 3,000 miles away. Just what is the attraction of a desert hike? As I walked, I made a list: There was the enormous blue sky; the mountainside covered with oddly shaped boulders and cactuses; the washes lined with small paloverde, mesquite, and ironwood trees; a lot of birds, therefore music; and in spring, the fragrance of things growing under a warm sun. On this particular hike in the west unit of Saguaro National Park, there also were hundreds of saguaro cactuses, The dignified giants of the Sonoran Desert. The Tohono O'odham Indians, indigenous citizens in this arid region, regard these saguaros as people to be treated with respect. This also is the land of the coyote, the javelina, the mule deer, the rattlesnake, the turtle, the frog, and legions of lizards. Once upon a time, say the Indians, these animals not only spoke but sang. This is why I like a desert hike: It is a feast for the eyes, the ears, and the imagination. The Sendero Esperanza Trail begins as an old road that narrows into a smooth path for the first mile. The next .8 of a mile consists of a series of short, sometimes steep switchbacks that zigzag uphill to a junction with the Hugh Norris Trail and a commanding view of King Canyon to the south. At the junction, which is 1.8 miles from the trailhead, you can turn around or continue down the south side 1.4 miles to the Mam-A-Gah Picnic Area and another .9 of a mile to the King Canyon trailhead. But if you do that, you'll be a long way from your car.

The Sendero Esperanza Trail is in Saguaro National Park, which is separated into two sections, one on the east side of Tucson and one on the west. Sendero Esperanza is a north-south trail in the park's west unit, about 20 minutes from downtown Tucson. To get to the trailhead, drive west on Speedway Boulevard through Gates Pass and follow the signs to the Park. The park's beautiful Red Hills Visitor Center is well worth a stop, but if you pass it, continue to Hohokam Road and turn right onto the unpaved road. When Hohokam Road ends, turn right again and watch for the trailhead marker opposite the Ez-Kim-In-Zin Picnic Area. For more information, call Saguaro National Park West, (520) 733-5158.