In February we headed south to take advantage of the warm temperatures and spent a few days camping in hiking around Tucson. We camped at Catalina State Park, which was a nice campground. We were too late to get a spot in the main campground, but they open up the group area as an overflow this time of year and that is where we got a reservation. That area is pretty basic, however we loved the views from our campsite and I was impressed at the facilities (very clean bathrooms/showers). It was a good spot for camping for the long weekend.

We decided to hike Blackett's Ridge in Sabino Canyon on our first day since it was a Thursday and we figured it was best to do this popular hike on a weekday. We didn't get going too early in the morning and when we arrived the parking lot was already pretty full and there were a lot of people on the trails. However, as we left the Phoneline Trail to start climbing on the Blackett's Ridge Trail, we didn't see too many people and actually had the summit to ourselves for quite awhile. The hike is six miles round trip with 2000 feet elevation. The elevation comes in the last two miles up to the ridge, so it is a climb. There are a few false summits to psych you out, but otherwise it's a nice hike up. The ocotillos were green and some were blooming and the desert looked on the verge of springtime and blooming. We enjoyed spotting interesting and large saguaros and also enjoyed the 360 views from the top. Great hike! After the hike we commenced our taco eating for the weekend. We had a late lunch at Salsa Verde and Norah got to visit a nearby thrift store. We spent the rest of the afternoon enjoying the sun at our campsite.

On Friday we hiked Pima Canyon in the Pusch Ridge Wilderness. This hike was much more easy going - it was around six miles to the small dam and less than half the elevation as Blackett's Ridge. Since we didn't climb all the way to the peak, the views were more mellow. We were impressed by the huge ocotillos near the dam. This hike didn't take too long and we had the rest of the day to tool around. We had lunch at El Charro, a Tucson institution, then took a drive over to the west section of Saguaro National Park. Unfortunately we arrived just after the visitor center closed, but were able to do the scenic Bajada Drive (eight mile one way loop). We stopped at Signal Hill to do the short walk up the hill to see the petroglyphs.

The next day Steve would spend time in the eastern section of Saguaro National Park. Norah and I dropped him off in the morning and picked him up later in the day. Steve ran about 20 miles on the Tanque Verde Ridge Trail and said it was a great day. Meanwhile, Norah and I had a delicious breakfast at Baja Cafe, stopped by another thrift store, and went to the Tucson Museum of Art. We really enjoyed the museum - it was the right size where you felt you could see everything and not feel overwhelmed or rushed. We had some time to check out the small visitor center and garden at Saguaro National Park when we picked up Steve - I liked the signs in the garden with information about the various cacti and desert flora and how to identify them. We stopped by Taqueria El Pueblito on our way back to the campground. Steve ordered first and he ordered so many tacos I think the guy thought it was for the family, lol. We certainly ate our fill of delicious Mexican food this weekend!

We had one more hike left on our way home on Sunday. We hiked Picketpost Mountain outside of Superior in the Tonto National Forest (which looks decidedly un-forest-y here). And while this is called a hike, calling it a scramble would be more accurate. It's only 2+ miles to the summit, but it's over 2000 feet elevation gain - and most of that comes in the last mile. Whether you think this is fun or annoying will depend on the hiker - opinions were split in this family (although the 13 year old isn't really fond of any hiking these days). Once up to the top the trail flattens out and it's a nice stroll to the summit where the mailbox is. The summit was great - wonderful views and desert landscape. And it should be for the work it took to get up there! For two family members this was the favorite hike of the weekend - a fun scramble with great scenery. And of course we had to finish it off with more tacos in Phoenix on our way home. Great hiking and taco weekend!