Catalina Hike

 I had a few days off for Easter Break, (Thursday - Friday), so after work on Wednesday I parked at Sabino canyon and took the tram as far as it would bring me.  Then I hiked about four miles before dusk to get in the mountains for my trip.

Just off the trail I discovered a perfect camping spot, right next to a healthy-flowing stream.  Couldn't ask for a better spot.  Really, I would have been thrilled to just stay here the whole time, but it worked as a jumping-off point to get up into the peaks for the next few days

The next day I headed up over the ridge, long day with significant elevation change.  Wasn't sure if I would find water on the other side, but some helpful backpackers confirmed my hopes that an intermitent spring I had targeted was indeed flowing, but very slowly.  The man told me it would require patience.  So with renewed enthusiasm I continued on my way knowing if there was water I could extend the trip.

This was the top of the ridge, people had built a structure to mark the spot.  There was a fire ring, but a bone-dry camp spot.

From there it was a steep 1-mile drop to the spring.  On the map they call it a waterfall, and maybe it is after a deep rain.  I found it better than the man had led me to believe.  It was dripping steady in 6 or 7 spots and I could stand underneath it and wet myself.
 

I set up my cooking pot to gather water, and filtered what I needed to drink.  It was fun, busy work to be constantly filling and pumping water all the time.  I camped here the next two days.
 

Since I had a water source I was able to do what I had hoped, leave all my gear and head back up that steep mile to the ridge and explore the "wilderness of rocks".  Very leisurely hike without my big pack and I did a five mile loop.
 

This is called the "Window" (Ventana) and it is a natural arch that you can see from a few spots in town.  I met a man and woman from California here, they had come as a long day-hike from another trail and we took each others pictures with our cameras
 

On Saturday morning as I was packing up to hike out I was curious about my little water source, so I climbed into the canyon rocks and explored to see the source.  I found a sweet little pool where the water collects.  Would be a great swimming spot, but the morning was chilly and the sun wasn't hitting it yet.

These last few pictures are of me coming the seven miles down Esperero Canyon, back to Sabino.  I had figured on taking the tram back down the road, but I found when I hit pavement my legs wouldn't stop moving and I didn't feel like sitting, so my last hour was hiking along the road with the usual Saturday-afternoon crowd. Overall, an inspiring hike and my first time backpacking in the Catalinas.