HIKE OF THE MONTH

hike of the month The Agua Caliente Trail Could Be One of the Longest Short Hikes You've Ever Taken

The morning after our hike to Agua Caliente Saddle in the Santa Rita Mountains below Tucson, I flipped open a guidebook that described the trail as "one of the longest short hikes we've ever done." My hiking friend Dave Pearson and I are prepared to say "amen" to that. If you make this hike, take along a pair of good legs and both your lungs.

When we arrived at the trailhead, located between Elephant Head and Mount Hopkins in the Coronado National Forest, about 45 miles southeast of Tucson, we found a sign that said Agua Caliente Saddle is a 1.7-mile hike. One guidebook repeated that contention. Another said it was 2.2 miles, which seemed more accurate to us.

In either case, it didn't seem like a marathon walkuntil we arrived at the saddle and realized that in that short distance we had climbed a little more than 2,600 feet.

The sign at the trailhead, at an elevation of 4,580 feet, warned this was a "very steep trail," but the first half mile, parallel to Agua Caliente Wash, had proved deceptively easy: a little up, a little down but generally a pleasant walk winding through clearings in the boulders and oak trees.

After a half mile up the narrow canyon, we entered the Coronado National Forest's Mount Wrightson Wilderness, a 25,260-acre preserve that surrounds and includes Mount Wrightson, at 9,453 feet the highest point in Pima and Santa Cruz counties. From some of the clearings along the trail, we could see the Smithsonian's Whipple Observatory, a white box revolving slowly at the top of Mount Hopkins.

Agua Caliente Wash, which we crisscrossed several times, carries water most of the year, but when we were there it was nearly dry except for a couple of small pools.

As we moved higher in the canyon, the trail became a series of short, steep switchbacks that cut through a forest of Emory oaks and eventually brought us into Apache and ponderosa pine trees.

Shortly before we got to the steepest ascent-just below the saddle we came upon three open mine shafts, remnants of the Treasure Vault Mine, one of several claims which were worked in the late 1800s by the Santa Rita Mining Co. These mine entrances are deep, dangerous, and flooded. Warnings are posted at each opening.

Beyond the mine, the trail becomes nearly vertical in places, and Dave and I found ourselves stopping to catch To reach the Agua Caliente Trail from Tucson, take Interstate 19 south to Canoa Road (Exit 56). Go left under the highway and turn right onto the frontage road to Elephant Head Road (signs direct you). After three miles, turn left onto Elephant Head Road. Cross the Santa Cruz River and watch for Mount Hopkins Road about a half mile up on your right. Turn right and drive 5.5 paved miles (Forest Service Road 184) to FR 183. You'll see a sign that says "Agua Caliente Canyon" and another that says "Primitive Road." Turn left. The primitive dirt road requires a high-clearance

WHEN YOU GO

(LEFT) Richard Embery and his dog, Sammy, plan their hike at the Agua Caliente Trail sign. (RIGHT) The Smithsonian's Whipple Observatory overlooks the trail from its perch atop Mount Hopkins.

Our breath every 75 feet or so. Agua Caliente turned out to be a small saddle at 7,260 feet, offering a commanding view of Mount Wrightson to the east.

One thing we did not encounter on the hike was agua caliente ("hot water" in Spanish). The trail's name came from a hot spring that is now on private property at the mouth of the canyon.

For vehicle, but four-wheel drive is not needed. Drive 2.5 miles to a dirt road that makes a sharp left. The sign will say "Dead End 2 miles." Turn left onto that road for .7 of a mile. Park in the clearing on the left and look for the stenciled steel trail sign on the right.

For more information on the Mount Wrightson Wilderness and the Santa Rita Mountains in the Coronado National Forest, contact the Nogales Ranger District, 303 Old Tucson Road, Nogales, AZ 85621; (520) 281-2296.