A HIKE FOR THE HOLIDAYS

CHRISTMAS A NEW WAY TO CELEBRATE THE MAGIC OF THE SEASON

For me, the most magical time of year in the desert is the hour before dawn on Christmas Day.

I'm not sure how to explain exactly what creates the magic of this specific 60 minutes out of the half-million-or-so other minutes of the rest of the year. Neither the day before nor the day after Christmas seems as moving to me. Suffice it to say, at Christmas Dawn, the darkness appears more velvety, the stars more crystalline, the sounds clearer, the air indescribably gravid.

I suspect that Christmas Dawn magic may not be exclusive to the desert, that woodlands and forests and seashores possess their own delights. But I have little personal experience in such places on December 25, having grown up in the heart of the Sonoran Desert on the outskirts of Tucson. My husband, Jonathan, grew up a stone's throw from Sabino Canyon in the Santa Catalina Mountains north of the city, so the Phoneline Trail, one of the range's lower range's elevation paths, has long been a favorite Christmas Dawn destination for us.

Despite our walking briskly for 20 minutes, my nose my only extremity not well-covered for our predawn beginning is already numb and no doubt bright red. Perhaps Santa will mistake me for Rudolph and whisk me off to the North Pole, I muse, my mind free-floating just an hour out of deep slumber.

DAY HIKES

Our footsteps sound as loud as gunshots in the deep silence. Crunch, crunch, crunch. Then another sound breaks the cadence: a coyote yip-yip-howls seemingly feet away but probably more like a few hundred yards. I wonder if he is the same one we saw crossing the empty parking lot near the Sabino Canyon Visitor Center, momentarily spotlighted by the sweep of our headlights. From the parking lot, we had walked nearly due east along the fence for almost a mile to Sabino Creek, burbling coldly in the dark. Jonathan rock-hopped across, but I had pulled on my waterproofed leather boots and gaiters so I could splash through the ankle-deep flow, glistening in the flashlight beam, smelling tangy, the signature scent of desert riparian areas: fermenting sycamore and cottonwood leaves.

We crossed the paved Lower Sabino Canyon Road to the southern end of the Phoneline Trail. Before a road was built up Sabino Canyon, this was the main walking and pack trail, and the path of the phone lines up to the Palisade Ranger Station on top of the Catalinas. The trail stretches along the north side of Blackett Ridge, which divides Sabino and Bear canyons. Phoneline is about 400 feet above the canyon bottom.

Climbing the nose of Blackett Ridge, we pass the trail that heads sharply off to the right, up to the ridgetop, another favorite Christmas Day hike. Dawn is about 15 minutes away and, although certainly gradual, it always seems like one minute the sky is pitch-black, and in the next blink it is suffused with a pale wash of light.

WHEN YOU GO

We sit on a couple of comfortable rocks at trailside near a spur that drops from the Phoneline to Sabino Creek. Another coyote howls up the canyon, the mournful echo blending with the sweet sound of the flowing water far below. We unpack coffee, sweet rolls, and our presents to each other, and settle in to be a part of Christmas Dawn.

Fixing our eyes on the still-dark shapes of the north ridges of Sabino Canyon, part of the Catalinas' craggy front range, we try to pick out the familiar forms of our childhoods: Mount Kimball, Window Peak, Cathedral Rock. Soon first light begins to burnish the rocks of the Cathedral, pale orange, then salmon, and finally a radiant fire-red as the quail and thrashers and cardinals begin to sing a delicate chorale our own private Christmas Mass.

After a leisurely breakfast, we continue up Phoneline another four miles to Sabino Basin, where we turn back down the canyon, following the road to our car.

Daylight shines full upon us now, and our Christmas Dawn hike ebbs into memory.

The Sabino Canyon National Recreation Area is in north Tucson, tucked into the front range of the Santa Catalina Mountains. To get there, take Sabino Canyon Road north from Tanque Verde to the canyon (or take Sunrise Drive east to Sabino Canyon Road, then north to the canyon).

The Phoneline Trail is 4.7 miles long, beginning in Lower Sabino Canyon just after the first bridge (2,700 feet elevation) and ending at Upper Sabino Canyon at the terminus of the paved tram road (3,300 feet). Only the first 300 feet climb steeply. The walk back down the paved road to the parking lot is about three miles. The distance from the parking lot east to the beginning of the Phoneline Trail is .8 of a mile. On Christmas Day, this is the best option, since the trams that make regular trips throughout the canyon do not run on major holidays. There is no fee for hiking in the canyon, but that may change, so call ahead to find out. The visitor center is closed on Christmas Day.

If you go before dawn, take a powerful flashlight. You will need good lighting to cross the creek and to negotiate the Phoneline Trail, which has a steep drop-off along several miles. Dress warmly, since temperatures can dip close to freezing. On rare occasions, it has snowed on Christmas Day in Tucson.

If dawn is not your favorite time of day, try a late-afternoon hike to enjoy the sunlight fading on Cathedral Rock and other front-range crags. Or, to burn off Christmas brunch, run the Phoneline. It's a real thrill zipping along 400 feet above the canyon floor.

For more information, contact the Sabino Canyon Visitor Center, Coronado National Forest, (520) 749-8700.

GO IN PEACE — MORE HOLIDAY HIKES

Following are some other hikes you can incorporate into your Christmas Day celebrations. Of varying degrees of difficulty and length, the hikes take you into desert canyons, through cactus forests, and to the top of a volcanic cinder cone. Pick your nearest location and set off on a brand-new holiday tradition.

BUFFALO PARK TRAIL

This two-mile loop trail offers outstanding views of Arizona's highest mountains - the San Francisco Peaks - and the chance to experience something a lot of Arizonans miss: a white Christmas. Fitness fans will

enjoy the 20 exercise stations (pull-ups, sit-

ups, etc.) along the way. Buffalo Park itself

Offers 215 acres of mostly open meadows

with some ponderosa pines and oaks.

If there's plenty of that white stuff on the ground, your best bet hiking the trail is to wear good snow boots or take along snow-shoes. The fairly level exercise track pro-

shoes. The fairly level exercise track pro-

Vides Vides a nice walk.

The trail, which begins between east and west Flagstaff at the parking lot at the end of Gemini Road near Cedar Avenue, connects to the Flagstaff Urban Trails System and the Forest Service Dry Lake Hills Trail System, which offer longer hikes for those who want more of a workout.

For more information, call (520) 7797690.-R.H.

DONEY TRAIL

This half-mile (one-way) trail is short on distance but long on view, which you get after climbing a volcanic cinder cone in the Coconino National Forest about a half hour north of Flagstaff. The payoff at the top is worth the effort: a panorama that encompasses the Painted Desert, the San Francisco Peaks, Wupatki National Monument, and Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument. Considered an easy hike, the Doney Trail has a gradual slope that should present no difficulty for most hikers. Interpretive signs along the route explain everything from local history to the geology that created this vast volcanic region. There also are two prehistoric ruins along the way, again with information provided on their importance to the ancient farmers who once lived in the area. You'll find a great picnic spot at the bench on the summit, where signs point out landmarks and their Hopi names. This trail goes up the side of a cinder cone with sharp rocks, so be sure to wear sturdy shoes and protective clothing. To reach the trail, take U.S. Route 89 north from Flagstaff 22 miles to Forest Service Road 545, which also is the road to Wupatki National Monument. Follow the paved road 9.5 miles to the trailhead at the Doney Picnic Area. For more information, call (520) 526-0866. - J.S.R.

KING CANYON TRAIL

Part old mining road, part rocky track, part desert wash, this 3.5-mile (one-way) hike in the Tucson Mountains in Saguaro National Park West runs through stands of the cactus giants to the summit of Wasson Peak. Take your time and enjoy a desert wash filled with paloverde trees, mesquite, wildflowers, brittlebush, and fairy duster. Keep an eye out for wildlife, and you might spot roadrunners, quail, cactus wrens, Gila woodpeckers, gilded flickers, cottontails, jackrabbits, javelinas, and a variety of desert lizards. Take food and water along for a break at the Mam-a-Gah Picnic Area about a mile from the trailhead, where you'll find a shaded ramada and pit-toilet.

The trail begins at a gravel parking lot one-quarter mile past the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, 2021 N. Kinney Road, approximately 20 minutes from downtown Tucson. There is no entrance fee for the West District of the Park. For more information, call (520) 7335158.-J.S.R.

CACTUS FOREST TRAIL

This accessible hike in Saguaro National Park East is a bit rocky and narrow in some places but moderately level, making it suitable for most ages. As its name implies, the trail offers great views of scenic desert terrain.

The entire five-mile (one-way) trail begins at the Broadway Boulevard entrance, for horseback riders and walkers only. A little more than a mile along, turn right for about one-third mile and take a breather at the Mica View Picnic Area, which offers tables, barbecue grills, and portable toilets.

Leaving the picnic area, hike 1.1 miles to the trail's first intersection with Cactus Forest Drive, a drivable scenic loop within the park. Beginning here, mountain bikers can use the 2.5-mile section of the trail inside Cactus Forest Drive. Most people end their hike at this second crossing of the roadway, but the trail does extend a mile farther through the desert.

There are parking areas at both ends of the interior section, making it easy to leave shuttles at the Broadway gate and the southern trailhead along Cactus Forest Drive. Although the park is open Christ-mas Day, the visitor center is closed. The entry fee is $4 per vehicle. For more information and free trail maps, call (520) 733-5153. - J.S.R.

PHOENIX CHARLES M. CHRISTIANSEN TRAIL

This 10.7-mile (one-way) trail traverses the North Mountain, Stony/Echo Mountain, and Squaw Peak sections of the Phoenix Mountains Preserve, a gem of protected desert in the heart of Arizona's largest city. Winding through scenic Sonoran Desert landscape, the trail goes up and down easy grades on a well-marked, hard-packed earthen track.

The trail can be reached from its east or west end or at any one of several spurs, making it easily accessible from Peoria Avenue, Seventh Street, Cave Creek Road, Northern Avenue (Dreamy Draw Recreation Area), and 40th Street (the eastern terminus, along with Tatum Boulevard, which adds another .7 of a mile to the total length). The Tatum terminus has an extremely small parking area, so park officials suggest exiting at the 40th Street trailhead. Some hikers leave a shuttle vehicle at the destination trailhead to avoid an out-and-back hike.

The best out-of-the-way (no views of houses) trail sections to try are: from the west end, the first 2.1 miles from Mountain View Park east to the Seventh Street access point (nice views of Shaw Butte); from Cave Creek Road west for 1.5 miles (an out-and-back hike); and any of the sections from the Shea Boulevard access to half a mile from 40th Street. The latter section offers great views of Squaw Peak and encompasses the most open desert.

Fortunately, the maze of trails in the preserve can challenge even an expert orienteer. Fortunately, the city of Phoenix offers a free map of the preserve system.

There are no fees for using the Phoenix Mountains Preserve trails. At the Seventh Avenue trailhead in Mountain View Park, there are water, rest rooms, and picnic areas in the adjacent grassy park. The Seventh Street access has drinking water and a port-a-john. Dreamy Draw Park offers a great spot for lunch, with water, ramadas, rest rooms, and a wildlife-viewing area, where you may see native birds, rabbits, coyotes, and even javelinas. The 40th Street access has a shade ramada, drinking fountain, and picnic table, but no rest room.

For more information and to obtain the free map, call (602) 262-7901. - R.H.

WATERFALL TRAIL

If the unnamed wash is running, the highlight of this easy (and partially handicapped-accessible) mile-long trail in the White Tank Mountains just west of Phoenix is an 80-foot waterfall. If the wash is dry, there's still plenty to capture the at-tention: many varieties of cactuses; iron-wood and paloverde trees; native birds such as cactus wrens, quail, and roadrun-ners; and petroglyphs pecked into free-standing boulders at "Petroglyph Plaza." Those who hike to trail's end might spot more petroglyphs along the rock faces be-side the trail.

The Waterfall Trail follows a hard surface and is suitable for all ages. For the half-mile to the petroglyphs it is handicapped-accessible. Beyond the petroglyphs, the trail becomes a bit rockier and a little steeper.

To reach the White Tank Mountain Regional Park, take Interstate 10 West to Exit 124 to Cotton Lane (State Route 303). Take Cotton Lane approximately seven miles north to Olive Avenue West and follow the signs to the park. Inside the park, follow the signs to the trailhead. The park is open from 6 A.M. to 7 P.M.; the entrance fee is $3 per vehicle. Breaking for lunch is easy here. The park has 240 picnic sites - all with tables and grills - including four large day-use areas with four ramadas each. For more information, call (623) 935-2505. - J.S.R.

BLEVINS TRAIL A 2.9-mile (one-way) trail enjoyed by hikers and horseback riders, this up and down desert trek along a hard-packed track winds through the Usery Mountain Recreation Area. Located between Mesa and Saguaro Lake, the area offers splendid views of the Goldfield and Superstition mountains, looping through lush Sonoran Desert where you'll see saguaros, chollas, prickly pears, ocotillos, mesquite, paloverde trees, brittlebush, and wildflowers. The park also is known for its wildlife. Lucky hikers might spot cardinals, quail, Harris' hawks, coyotes, and mule deer. To reach the park, take U.S. Route 60 East to Exit 191 North, Ellsworth Road. Ellsworth eventually becomes Usery Pass Road, which leads to the entrance. Turn right into the park, and follow Usery Park Road to the horse-staging area, which also has picnic spots and hitching posts. There are numerous picnic areas with (TOP LEFT) Horse lovers can enjoy some of the Old West's wide-open spaces in the Phoenix Mountains Preserve without having to leave town.

water, tables, ramadas, and grills, plus a group picnic area (by reservation only) and 73 campsites. Park hours are daily from 6 A.M. to 7 P.M. The entrance fee is $3 per vehicle. For more information, call (480) 984-0032. - J.S.R.