Related:   Tucson Mountains Tour:  Golden Gate Mountain, Bobcat Ridge, and Little Cat Mountain
​                      Elephant Head Peak - Santa Rita Mountains, Southern Arizona
                      All Arizona Hikes
                      Desert Plants

We started on the Yetman Trailhead, not far from Golden Gate Mountain, instead of the Sarasota Trailhead which is closer to Cat Mountain so we could spend as much time as possible walking through this beautiful Tucson Mountain Park encompassing much of an ancient caldera, and weave around thorny saguaros and jumping chollas.  We had also started at the Yetman trail a few days before, when we hiked three high points in this park:  Golden Gate Mountain, Little Cat Mountain and Bobcat Ridge.  All four peaks could be summited in one long day.

Reach the saddle between Golden Gate Mountain and Bren Peak at 0.4  miles from Yetman trailhead, an excellent place to get a perspective on three high points:  Bobcat Ridge, Little Cat Mountain and Cat Mountain.  A textured green carpet sweeps down valley and up the slopes of these brooding, rugged mountains.  The only thing that distracts from this scene is the housing development in the valley to the west.  

​This pleasant view makes it difficult to imagine the sudden event of a magma chamber spewing the searing ash that formed this ancient caldera landscape.  Tucson Mountain Chaos is the term given by geologists to the valley rocks that underlie the Cat Mountain Tuff, the compacted ash that forms these peaks.  There is no definite answer to the thousands-feet thickness of this Cretaceous-age tuff.  Were these rocks below the Cat Mountain Tuff rafted from deeper levels by the rising magma?  Or, was this rock caused by a landslide in a caldera that had accumulated the tuff?  To make the geologic puzzle even more complicated, spreading of the Earth during Basin and Range faulting makes the geologist's task of identifying the age relationship of the rocks more difficult.

Cat Mountain from Explorer Trail on its north side.  We went up low saddle to the left of the summit block to gain lower ridge.

From our vantage point on the Explorer trail, we could see the gentler rise of Cat Mountain's east ridge. The three-trail intersection (Starr Pass, Explorer and Sarasota) is well-marked as are other intersections in this well-cared-for park.  We continued on the Explorer trail for 0.6 miles until we saw a manageable route to the ridge, leaving it earlier than the standard cairned route (1.0 miles past 3-way junction), making our own path.  A sea of detached teddy bear cholla branches, those little mobile yellow ovals armored with extremely sharp spines made us pick our footsteps carefully.  However, I wasn't careful enough; one jumped up and stuck my pant leg to my calf.  I remembered a hike many years ago when we used a metal comb to remove a cholla piece from a dog's leg.  Scott and Fred somehow got the prickly thing off me and we resumed our cross-country hike with no serious injury except for a few red spots on my skin.

​The day grew colder and cloudier.  The broken dark red and tan rocks deposited on the slopes from the tuff cliffs above crunched under our boots.  The occasional cactus spine scraped against our packs and in some cases grabbed on.  

After getting off Explorer, we looked for the best way up.  Rocks formed a natural staircase.  Four or five Coues Whitetail deer perched far above on steep cliffs stopped to watch us, curious at three humans stumbling through the cacti.   The ridge walk was straightforward and it felt good to follow its natural route and rhythm, using hands when needed.  We came upon cairns marking the final ascent to the summit and a complete change of view of the open sky and the sprawl of Tucson far below us.  There's just one Class 3 crack with mild exposure to navigate, with just enough ledges to place feet and hands.  Frequent rock cairns mark an obvious path.

Every ridge scramble, every summit has its own unique personality.  The scramble up Cat Mountain's east ridge is challenging yet not scary, exposed but safe, with the right amount of rocks and cactus gardens making it aesthetically friendly.  You're never bored with looking at saguaros and chollas because with each one, there is a different size or form.  This summit has one very unusual feature - a plastic white boulder that houses a radio repeater.  Looking at Cat Mountain from Tucson area, you would not suspect the spacious flat areas on its summit.  A steady cold  wind cut short our time lounging on the top, but we got a good look at Golden Gate Mountain to the northwest and the steep drop-off to the south.

As we walked down, the clouds closed again, the temperature dropped, and the wind chilled.  We hiked back via Sarasota Trail at the three-way intersection.  We added another summit to our "three friends who like to hike" resume', and more stories for reminiscing.  This will go down in the books as one of our more mellow hikes together.  Never stop climbing mountains!

With a second try, we made it to the lonesome summit of Elephant Head in the sparsely traveled Santa Rita Mountains, south of Tucson.

Related:  Tucson Mountains Tour:  Golden Gate Mountain, Bobcat Ridge, and Little Cat Mountain
                      All Arizona Hikes 

This elevation is too high and cool for saguaros to grow.  This hike travels through the transition between desert grassland and oak grassland biomes of Arizona's Sky Island region.  The ocotillo "forests" are remarkable and so are the mature Santa Rita Prickly Pears; they tolerate the cooler winters. Their pads can turn purple during the winter.

​So many things make this a repeat-hike in the future:  solitude, desert wilderness, route-finding, fun Class 2-3 climbing, and views.  Plans:  Elephant Head Peak plus Little Elephant Head (Peak 5,149').

References
An Archipelago in a Cordilleran Gap - The Sky Islands of Arizona and Sonora.  Brusca, R., Moore, W.                                     
https://www.rickbrusca.com/http___www.rickbrusca.com_index.html/The_Sky_Islands.html

Ganesha:  Hindu Diety.  Doniger, W.  Encyclopaedia Britannica.  https://www.britannica.com/topic/Ganesha

Geologic Map of the Mt. Wrightson Quadrangle.  https://ngmdb.usgs.gov/Prodesc/proddesc_9405.htm

Mesozoic Stratigraphy of the Santa Rita Mountains, Southeast of Tucson, Arizona.  Drewes, H. 1971.  https://pubs.usgs.gov/pp/0658c/report.pdf

​​Plutonic Rocks of the Santa Rita Mountains, Southeast of Tucson, Arizona.  Drewes, H.  1976.  Geological Survey Professional Paper 915.  https://pubs.usgs.gov/pp/0915/report.pdf

Quantrell Mine Trail.  Coronado National Forest.  U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Forest Service.  
https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/coronado/recreation/recarea/?recid=25770&actid=50

Golden Gate Mountain
At the Yetman trailhead, we set out to discover a new area with hike directions from Earthline.  At the saddle between Golden Gate Mountain and Bren's Benchmark, 0.4 miles from the trailhead, we oriented ourselves and looked southeast to mountain summits, not yet knowing which ones we would be climbing.  We took a right 0.1 miles past the saddle at the cairned trail that gains the Golden Gate through a break between cliffs, and began our climb to Golden Gate Mountain, our highest summit at 4,288 feet (see photo below).

The golden color of the rocks perhaps gave this peak its name.  Cat Mountain Tuff, a thick layer of consolidated ash, makes up the bulk of these peaks.
​
Tucson Mountain Chaos is the term given by geologists to the rocks that underlie the Cat Mountain Tuff, seen in the valleys.  There is no definite answer to the thousands-feet thickness of this Cretaceous-age tuff.  Were these rocks below the Cat Mountain Tuff rafted from deeper levels by the rising magma?  Or, was this rock caused by a landslide in a caldera that had accumulated the tuff?  Of course, when you throw in the geometry of faulting that occurred later when Basin and Range was spreading, it makes the geologist's task of identifying the age relationship of the rocks more difficult.

Dodging teddy bear chollas and barrel cactus spines, we marveled at a rare cristate saguaro thrusting up from a steep, south-facing slope under orange cliffs.  Theories for the abnormal crest growth range from genetic mutations to lightning strikes.  The trail threads between welded tuff towers and tops out, weaves to the left following cairns to the summit.  Tucson spreads below, mountain ranges surround on the horizon.  Below us, a white cloud moved across the valley and swept over us, briefly covering the peak with fog that created a rare, softly illuminated desert scene.  Light rain produced vivid oranges, yellows and greens.  Return to Yetman Trail via the same path.

References:
Lipman, P.W.  1994.  Tucson Mountains Caldera:  A Cretaceous Ash Flow Caldera in Southern Arizona.  USGS Research on Mineral Resources 1994:  Part B, Guidebook for Field Trips.  U.S. Geological Survey.

​Tucson Mountains Geology:  Complex and Controversial.

Lipman, P.W.  Geologic Map of the Tucson Mountains Caldera, Southern Arizona.

Tucson Mountain Chaos.  Arizona State Geology: Blog of the State Geologist of Arizona.  Retrieved from internet. ​http://arizonageology.blogspot.com/2009/04/tucson-mountain-chaos.html

One of Idaho's greatest assets is the ability to find forest solitude in a short amount of time.  After an hour's drive north from Boise, we started our walk on the Station Creek Trail in the Boise National Forest's 2.5 million acres, weaving through a Ponderosa pine forest to a ridge with a view of Bald Mountain.  The summit feels grander than its relatively low elevation would suggest.   It stands high above Little Anderson Creek to the north, and Poorman Creek to the south, with views of snow-dusted Salmon River Mountains to the northeast.  Everything is good on this adventure - beautiful drive, challenging grade on a relatively short distance with great views.

"Poorman" is engraved on Bald Mountain's summit benchmark, a triangulation station established by the U.S. Geological Survey in 1933.   The History of the Boise National Forest - 1905-1976, an informative document, covers many subjects from the area's Native Americans, to the creation and administration of the Boise National Forest, its resources and its settlement.  The Sawtooth Forest Reserve was created in 1905 by President Theodore Roosevelt.  A combination of the west portion of this reserve and the 1.5-million acre Payette Forest Reserve created the Boise National Forest July 1, 1908.  Idaho is one of the top states that has a large percentage of publicly-owned lands - 62% of it under federal jurisdiction of BLM and Forest Service.  This does not include state-owned land.

The Payette River was named after Francois Payette, a French-Canadian Hudson Bay Company fur trapper who explored southwestern Idaho.  Bald Mountain is tucked in between the main waterways of North Fork and South Fork of Payette River.

Access the Station Creek trailhead just off the Banks-Lowman Highway, right across from Garden City Ranger Station and heliport, past Mile 12 and Boise National Forest sign.  The trail treks north as it follows Station Creek, crosses it at 0.8 miles, then climbs the ridge that separates Station Creek and Poorman Creek.  At mile 2.6, this ridge tops out at Point 4,772 with bare-topped Bald Mountain in full view.

From point 4,772, hike 1.2 miles east/southeast to Bald Mountain's summit past some exposed granite outcrops.  The trail becomes less defined as it traverses across the top of the watershed for Little Anderson Creek, then through a tall shady stand of Ponderosa pines.  The trail then climbs the steep, open and grassy western slope to Bald Mountain's granite summit surrounded by the fall hues of red, yellow and orange senescent buckwheat and lomatium flowers.  

Bald Mountain stands above Garden Valley to the west and deep South Fork of the Payette River to the south and the snow-dusted  Salmon River Mountains to the north.  For a peak close to home, it feels and looks like wilderness - a quick nature fix.

An iron stand bolted into cement on the summit looks like it might have supported something, or is merely a marker.  I was unable to find information on this and the origin of the word "Poorman", although it could be in reference to previous mining activity.

Many Ponderosa pine trunks are blackened from the 18,000-acre West Anderson fire that occurred due to a lightning strike in August of 1986.  Four firefighters from New Mexico died when their truck tumbled down a dry creek bed near Crouch as they were driving from their fire camp.  Map of Boise National Forest fire history.

In the spring, this trail is bright with wildflowers, but autumn produces muted colors and textures, just as beautiful.  There are two loops that can be hiked instead of summiting Bald Mountain (Stueby's Outdoor Journal).  

Related:  Miner Lake - Smoky Mountains, Idaho

Our Hike:
Norton Peak became somewhat of a "grudge peak" after a failed attempt to summit it two years ago when a September storm left heavy snow and we got only as far as Miner Lake.  Even without snow, the trail was reportedly faint, so we decided not to continue on to the summit not knowing where it was in 1-2 feet of snow.   The contrast of fresh snow surrounding a green lake and thickly layering late summer's green vegetation was memorable (Miner Lake post).  

Norton Peak, the third highest point in Idaho's Smoky Mountains is a great hike for so many reasons:  there's a potential of seeing mountain goats, there are few people on the trails, its meadows and streams are beautiful, its summits are challenging Class 2 scrambles, and you have the opportunity to celebrate in Ketchum afterward with great food, drink, and fun.  The best of both worlds - that's why we love Ketchum.  Across the valley to the northeast you get a great perspective of the entire Boulder Mountain range and emerald lakes.  Both sides of the ridge as you approach the summit drop down steeply, so there is a feeling of walking on top of the range. 

Perhaps the Smokys are over-shadowed by the more famous and extolled Sawtooth Mountains just to their north, and as a result, there are less visitors.  I was pleasantly surprised at their beauty and solitude.  We have seen mountain bikers and horse-riders on this trail, as well as motorbike riders on Trail #134 to Prairie Lakes, so it is an area that is enjoyed by various modes of transportation.  Trail #135 to Miner Lake prohibits motor vehicles.

The Sawtooth National Recreation Area was created in 1972 by Congress as a result of national protests over the development of a proposed molybdenum mine with roads and an open pit at the base of Castle Peak, the highest in the White Cloud Mountains.  The law established the SNRA, covering 756,000 acres and banned mining.  Norton Peak and Prairie Creek trailhead are near the southern border of the SNRA.

Trailhead (7,500') to Miner Lake (8,776')
After spending the night in Wood River Campground, north of Ketchum, we drove to the Prairie Creek trailhead, happy that we had a clear day ahead of us. The morning was crisp as we made our way through a frosted and shaded forest - temperature 37 degrees.  The first 2.3 miles on Trail #134 is a level hike along Prairie Creek through shade, except for a large meadow where steep eastern talus slopes caused by faulting are revealed.  Prairie creek riffles over rocks making small waterfalls, even in September.  Take the less-traveled Trail #135 to Miner Lake at the intersection.  It will soon come to Prairie Creek with a wide crossing under large firs and pines.

After crossing Prairie creek at 7,640' elevation, climb 1.8 miles to Miner Lake at 8,780', making a 1,140' gain.  The trail crosses over the creek running through Miner Canyon, then climbs up to overlook the deep canyon far below to the east with at least one waterfall.  A few steep pitches up this part, then the trail crosses the point where an open meadow meets with the mouth of the canyon, and it emerges from the trees for the first view of Norton Peak to the southeast.

It was here that our walk in the snow two years ago became unforgettably beautiful.  Steep, gray talus slopes tumble down a U-shaped valley.  Firs and pines tower as you head south toward Miner Lake.  A few small crossings over the creek draining Miner Lake, a silent and pine-needle padded walk on level ground past some well-kept campsites, and you are at the edge of a steep-walled green lake.   What a difference 1,140 feet of elevation can make!

A photo below of our Miner Lake trip in the snow two years ago....

Walking through the shaded forest, a small bright light ahead slowly becomes more prominent, and as you emerge from the shade to the open shore, one by one the features of this beautiful lake come into focus.  Dense stands of fir from the ridge overlooking the lake curve down to water's edge, interspersed with the raw, bare rock and talus slopes of the Idaho batholith.  Bleached tree trunks lie horizontally, surrounded by reflections.  But it's the jade green color that is so striking.  On this morning, the lake is perfectly still, with nothing to disturb its glassy surface.

Miner Lake to Norton Peak 
Return to Trail #135 on the east side of the lake to follow tree blazes marking the trail and traverse steeply through switchbacks of alternating tree stands and rocks.  We reached the saddle, coming out of the shade of Miner Lake's cirque wall to full sunlight and a view of Norton Lakes on the other side to the southeast.  From the saddle, take a left off Trail #135 (north/northwest),  and head up a narrow, but well-defined trail to Norton Peak's south ridge.  Trail #135 continues over the saddle and descends to Norton Lakes and ultimately to the Baker Creek trailhead.  Although I had read that this was one of the best places in Idaho to see mountain goats, we saw none.  We saw three other people on the summit that had hiked up from Norton Lakes.

A defined trail leads to the "sawtooth" rocks where there is mild-moderate exposure on the ridge.  A three-foot tall wooden structure with "10,336" carved on it lies on its side at the summit, along with the peak register.  The most striking view is that of the Boulder Mountains to the northeast, where a long hike will take you to the interesting remnants of the Golden Glow mine and the Boulder Historic Site, where galena ore (AKA lead sulfide) was mined.

Supposedly the Smokys got their name from frequent forest fire smoke in the region.  

On the summit, we had time to sign the register, identify the surrounding mountain ranges, and celebrate;  Norton was no longer a grudge peak!  I spotted an interesting rock between the saddle and the ridge that looked like limestone.  After research of the rock layers in the Smokys, I thought the rock was a sandy limestone of the Wood River Formation of Paleozoic sedimentary rocks.  This was confirmed by a geologist at the Idaho Museum of Mining and Geology.  This rock exhibits calcite crystals (Geology and Mining History of Idaho's Smoky Mountains).

On the way down, we got a good look at Norton Lakes on the other side of the saddle.  The next hike to Norton Peak will be via these lakes and Baker Creek trailhead.  So much to explore, so little time!

We celebrated in Ketchum with a juicy rib-eye, a whiskey sour (for me) and a Manhattan (for Fred).  Life is good here in Idaho.  I think I will stay awhile.

References:

Wutz, Katherine. 2010. In Late 1800's, Mining was King:  Remnants of Silver Boom dot the Wood River Valley. Idaho Mountain Express.  (Internet).

​USDA Forest Service - Sawtooth National Recreation Area

Structural and Stratigraphic Transect of South-Central Idaho: A Field Guide to the Lost River, White Knob, Pioneer, Boulder, and Smoky Mountains.  citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.731.8163&rep=rep1&type=pdf

​Additional references on Geology and Mining History of Idaho's Smoky Mountains page.

Once you complete the steep and tedious climb out of the gulley from Alpine Lake, and descend into the basin that contains Upper Redfish Lakes, it feels like true wilderness with negligible signs of human impact.  The first two lakes are visible below.  A narrow trail follows the wide granite outcropping situated between two lakes.  The morning colors of blues, yellows and greens were vivid on the lake as we filtered water.  The land is pristine, the large smooth white rocks still cool from the night before.  Due south of the second Upper Redfish Lake is Lake Kathryn, considered the third Upper Redfish Lake, situated on the other side of the cirque's ridge.  Lake Kathryn is a beautiful lake, deep blue with a small island in the middle.

​Lake Kathryn is named after Kathryn Mills, according to Iowa State University's archives of the Vandervelde Family Papers. This fact leads me to consider whether Kathryn Mills was associated with the Iowa Mountaineers, a group important to the Sawtooth Mountains' climbing history.  This group led mountain ascents all over the world from 1940 until 1996.  The Iowa Mountaineers claimed first-time ascents of 18 peaks in the Sawtooth Mountains in 1940's, including Warbonnet Peak in 1947, a challenging sheer-wall spire where all routes to the top are Class 5 climbing.  Lake Kathryn is located ~ 5 miles southeast of Warbonnet Peak, and at the base of Reward Peak.

It feels like the top of the Sawtooth Mountains here, with distant serrated dark peaks lining a 360- degree horizon; however Thompson Peak, the highest Sawtooth peak to the north is almost 700 feet higher.  Packrat Lake sits in a deep basin to the north.  The view is so spectacular I think of Lucy Jane Bledsoe's quote from her book, The Ice Cave:

The descent is not too difficult - just a lot of picking through boulders until you reach the forest and meadows surrounding Upper Redfish Lakes.  Not in a rush to get back to camp, we took a long break sitting in the soft meadow grass as we listened to the melodic stream.  Mellowed and relaxed, we took another break on the large polished granite outcrops that separate the Upper Redfish Lakes.

When climbing steeply out of Upper Redfish Lakes basin, the saddle and gulley overlooking Alpine Lake is toward the right (northeast), just left of the furthest point to the right on the ridge as you climb - Point 9337.  From below, it is difficult to get bearings because you can't see the top.  Once on the saddle, the lowest point on the ridge above, the gulley down to Alpine Lake is steep and tedious, rocks slide as you step down, and the large boulders at the bottom take some navigation unless you can circumvent these and stay higher on the gulley slope.  We heard a pika chirping its alarm as we clumsily made our way down.

The gulley ends in a beautiful meadow, where we hiked steeply down, back to camp.  The two ducks on the lake quacked and paddled toward each other as dusk settled in.  We were in our sleeping bags before twilight.  The glow in the tent awoke me again, I checked the mountains above the lake.  They weren't as spectacularly lit as the previous night; the moon not as high yet, but still a memorable sight.  Commit the scene to memory.  Never stop climbing mountains.

References:
Lopez, Tom.  Idaho:  A Climbing Guide - Climbs, Scrambles and Hikes.  2000.  The Mountaineers Books.

Vandervelde Family Papers.  Iowa State University.

Related:  Sawtooth Wilderness:  Upper Redfish Lake Cross Country Hike
​                     Goat Mountain:  11,913':  Pioneer Mountains, Idaho

"You Should Never Stop Climbing Mountains", Andy Rooney proclaimed in one of his commentaries from the television show 60 minutes.  Many years ago, my sister sent me a written copy of this excerpt along with photos of my hiking adventures neatly arranged in two connected frames.  I still have it displayed along with other old hiking photos.  In this segment, Rooney describes how he climbed Pilot Knob Mountain behind his cottage on Lake George in New York 4 or 5 times each summer during his childhood, and later climbed it with his kids.  One day, he came across old photos of he and his kids on top of Pilot Knob,  and it occurred to him that he had stopped climbing mountains, just like he had stopped doing "...a half a dozen things."  He tells a few stories of some of his memories on this mountain and then sums up his commentary with "I may never climb Pilot Knob again.  I never should have stopped."

Our Hike
The first part of the trail is a pleasant and easy climb along Iron Creek with its gentle melodic waterfalls through pines, firs and green understory.  The tread is soft and dusty and the forest fragrant.  Near the intersection with the trail to Alpine Lake,  Alpine Peak rises 2,000 feet over the lake's cirque to the south.  As the trail switch-backs out of the forest, views open, becoming more stunning with each step.  To the northeast, a perfectly U-shaped thickly forested valley carved by glaciers from the Little Ice Age extends below.  After reaching Sawtooth Lake, the real feel for this terrain and its breathtaking views become apparent with the steep and rocky Class 2-3 climb to the summit.

​Mile 0  to  Mile 3.5 at intersection of trail to Alpine Lake 
8:15 a.m:  We obtained our Sawtooth Wilderness permit at the trailhead kiosk.  It was a bit early for John, but Val, Fred and I were excited about the hike and ready to go.  This section gains 1,200 feet, crossing over Iron Creek as it approaches Alpine Lake, a perfect mirror of the clouds above.  On the way to Alpine Lake turnoff, pass two trail intersections.  An old, classic wooden trail sign, splitting through the middle, indicates the way to Stanley Lake.  An intersection before that indicates Trail #528 to Marshall Lakes (this trail goes to Goat Lake, an excellent hike).  Crossing over the creek before the switchbacks up to Alpine Lake must be interesting in the late spring with the increased run-off of that cold, crystal clear water.

Geology

• Hike begins in Middle Proterozoic (1.6 to 1 billion years ago) gray siltite, a low grade metamorphic rock and black argillite (lithified muds and oozes).
• The "false summit", about 2/3-way into hike is composed of greenish gray to white siltite and dark gray argillite.
• Scotchman Peak summit rock is green siltite and argillite and gray to white quartzite - some of the quartzite beds have rippled tops.
• Missoula Floods:  The Purcell Lobe of the Cordilleran Ice Sheet during Pleistocene Ice Age dammed the Clark Fork River, forming glacial Lake Missoula in what is now western Montana.  This ice sheet advanced into the area what is now Lake Pend Oreille.  A critical point of water height and pressure burst open the ice dam and a depth of 2,000 feet of water at a rate of 10 times the combined flow of all the rivers of the world, carrying ice and glacial debris that scoured Idaho's panhandle, eastern and central Washington, and then into Oregon's Willamette Valley.

Digital Geology of Idaho:  Lake Missoula Floods. Idaho State University.

Each summer reminds me that Idaho is an extraordinary place with so much beauty to witness, so many peaks to hike, so many clear streams to walk in.  And wildlife; on Scotchman Peak in North Idaho's Kaniksu National Forest. we saw a family of mountain goats including two kids in their rugged and steep habitat.  This steep hike ascending about 1,000 feet every mile begins in tall pines with an understory filled with lilies and bear grass, has beautiful views of Lake Pend Oreille, the largest Idaho lake and fifth deepest in the nation, and ends in the scattered shale and rugged views of the Cabinet Mountains and remote Yaak country in northwestern Montana. 

After hiking a little over a mile through towering trees, views open to look upon expansive Lake Pend Oreille as the trail passes through a huge meadow gaining the ridge.  Just when you thought you saw the best view of the lake, another turn of the switchback offers a better one.

As expected, because of the concern and history of human and mountain goat encounters, a large yellow sign at the entrance to the open talus slopes indicates you are entering mountain goat habitat, with a rock-strewn false summit in view.  As if to welcome, two goats skirted us on our entry into the open slopes.  Once over the false summit, Scotchman Peak comes into view as rugged canyons drop below, at the end of the steep and layered rock ridge.  More goats appeared, but kept their distance.  

A volunteer "greeter" from Friends of Scotchman Peak Wilderness, an organization with the goal of saving this wilderness for future generations, greeted us as we ascended the easily accessible peak.  This organization has been working on getting this area designated as wilderness;  voters from Bonner County in which this area resides voted against such a designation.  Although the volunteer was pleasant, her "educating" us on consideration of the mountain goats was unnecessary: the signs at trailhead and mid-mountain are adequate.  We go to summits to be awed, to revel in the peace and beauty that not many get to see, not to have someone tell us how to behave on a mountain top.  Trust the summit seeker, they will learn from the signs and behave accordingly.

Mountain goats are in the family Bovidae, which also includes antelope and cattle.  Across the summit, on a tall precipice were a nanny and her two kids.  She quickly gathered them and moved on as we approached the summit.  The view is memorable, with the huge, deep blue Lake Pend Oreille in its Missoula Flood-scoured valley to the west, and to glacial-cut and jagged peaks to the north.  The combination of the lake, goats and rows of mountain ranges make this an extraordinary hike.

We continued on the ridge past Scotchman, but hiking became precarious as the ridge narrowed and drop-offs became intimidating.  On our return to the trailhead, we saw a fair number of people coming up clearly working hard on the steep ascent, and clearly happy to be in that special place.  One more Idaho summit climbed and the feeling that we are some of the luckiest people on this Earth to be able to explore this beautiful state.

References
Geologic Map of the Scotchman Peak Quadrangle, Bonner County, Idaho

USDA - Idaho Panhandle National Forests - Sego Lily. ​https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/ipnf/learning/?cid=fsm9_019206

Related:  Thimble Peak - Pusch Ridge Wilderness, Tucson
                     Breakfast Ridge out of Sabino Canyon, Tucson

Definition
Biome - "A large community of plants and animals that occupies a distinct region.  A complex biotic community characterized by distinctive plant and animal species and  maintained under the climatic conditions of the region."
-  Dictionary.com

If I had to pick only one word that best describes the essence of the hike to Tanque Verde Peak in the Saguaro Wilderness, I would choose "diversity".  This nine-mile portion of the Tanque Verde Ridge Trail that begins at the Javelina trailhead in Saguaro National Park east of Tucson and ends 4,000 feet higher at Tanque Verde's summit treks through four biotic communities, each containing its characteristic plant and animal species.  These "life zones" -Sonoran desertscrub, semi-desert grassland, Madrean evergreen woodland, and temperate forest overlap, so that prickly pear cactus grows alongside bunch grasses in transition zones. 

An evening of April thunderstorms and light rain the previous night had created a chill and freshness to the morning air.  Fred and I had hiked this trail 6.9 miles to Juniper Basin the year before.  This year, we were determined to hike the full nine miles to the peak.

The trail, initially hard and rocky, winds through stately saguaros, barrel cactus and prickly pear cacti filled to the brim with new flower buds (in April), straightens and gains elevation through tall bunchgrasses, bear grass, and finally oak trees.  Leaving the desert scrub behind, the trail rises and falls through an ever-increasing amount of oaks.  It goes through lovely Juniper Flat,  through the cool shade of Ponderosa and Pinyon pines along with Alligator juniper toward the summit of Tanque Verde Peak where the tread is soft with accumulated pine needles.   Grasping the rough and weathered granite on the last few feet of the summit block, you hoist yourself up a huge boulder to see the dark, immense summit of Rincon Mountain on the south ridge and the breathtaking view of southern Arizona's mountain ranges.

The only bad part is the sore feet after this 18-mile hike; however, a small price to pay for this unique experience.

Tanque Verde, or "green tank" refers to the green algae present in a large tank of water used for stock in the 1800's.  It is now the name given to the valley east of Tucson that is bordered by the Santa Catalina Mountains to the north and the Rincon Mountains to the east.  The Pima Indians lived there in the 1600's, and Tanque Verde Ranch was established in the 1800's.

Semi-desert grassland
As the trail climbs just past 4,000 feet, a noticeable change in vegetation occurs:  saguaros become scarce as the ridge is dominated by ever-increasing fields of bunchgrasses, oak and juniper.  Calming, muted and soft neutral grey/greens replace bright primary colors of the lively, unrestrained desertscrub.  Sotol, creosote and agave mix with a diverse array of grasses.  As the trail gradually climbs, junipers become more prevalent.  Tanque Verde Peak is still six miles away and not visible.  The manzanita and oak species are prevalent in the oak savannah community as the trail ascends, transitioning into pine/oak woodland.

Temperate Forest
A unique characteristic of the Sonoran temperate forest biome, officially beginning at around 6,000 feet elevation, is the cohabitation of lower-elevation desert plants, such as the yucca with spruces, pines, firs and maples.  Species diversity reigns, although seemingly not to the degree of the desertscrub biome.  Temperate forests are very cold-hardy and confined to cooler sites above the Madrean evergreen woodland.

We catch glimpses of Tanque Verde Peak as we climb on a well-traveled path through the shade, scent and rough texture of this forest.   Emerging out of the dense forest into an open wide ridge, Tanque Verde's many columnar rocks and crevices comes into sharp view at about 6,500 feet.  The trail weaves around large boulders and manzanita:  the metal summit sign is seen to the east at about 8.7 miles.  Reach an old signed intersection that points the way to Cow Head Saddle which is  another 2.5 miles on the ridge; continue straight ahead to Tanque Verde.  Somehow I forget my tired legs when we reach the summit, where the spectacular scene doesn't reveal itself until you scale a looming boulder that stands in your way, a short climb that feels like the final test for this summit conquer. 

The view is spectacular.  It takes a few seconds to fully comprehend how high this peak rises above the surrounding desert floor and the layers of mountain ranges visible.  Mexico is to the south,  the Santa Rita and Galiuro Mountain ranges to the southeast.  The Santa Catalina Mountains thrust up rocky prominences to the northwest.  Rincon Peak is just across the valley to the east, its massive hulk in the shadow of clouds.

We relish the view and accomplishment and the wonder and beauty that the Sonoran desert brings.  The wind is brisk and cool, but by the time we get down to the desertscrub and walk through the saguaro stands, seven miles away, it will be warmer, even with the sun setting.  There are about four or five hills to climb on the long walk out, scaled with a bit more determination than on the way in.   Glad we are getting back at sunset, for above the golden Tanque Verde Ridge slowly becoming covered by shadows, a nearly full moon is rising.

References:
Buckley, Steve, ed.  2011.  Common Plants of Saguaro National Park

Levengood, Betty.  Tucson Hiking Guide.  2012.  West Wind Press, Portland, Oregon.

Natural Resources Monitoring at Saguaro National Park. https://www.nps.gov/im/sodn/sagu.htm

Sonoran Desert Network Ecosystems. https://www.nps.gov/im/sodn/ecosystems.htm#CP_JUMP_5423053

USGS - Southwest Biological Science Center. 2006.   Vascular Plant and Vertebrate Inventory of Saguaro National Park, Rincon Mountain District  rincon_vegetation.pdf.

​​Tanque Verde Ranch website, ​https://www.tanqueverderanch.com/

U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Saguaro.  Geology of the Rincon Mountains.  https://www.nps.gov/sagu/planyourvisit/upload/Geology%20of%20the%20Rincon%20Mountains.pdf.

​"Lush" and Tucson don't normally go together in the same sentence, but as I stood at four different high-points overlooking the Tucson basin a few weeks ago, a carpet of forest green spread below.  Tucson received above average rainfall this past winter and spring, and now the wildflowers were robust and plentiful, bursting with buds and flowers.  All of the space atop each prickly pear cactus leaf pad was filled to maximum capacity with new flower buds.  This ramble through juniper and oak was colored with the purples, pinks, reds, and oranges of penstemon, globe mallow, thistle, and pink fairy duster.

 
​From the Gordon Hirabayashi Trailhead we hiked west and quickly came to our first intersection with Soldier Canyon Trail #53 and the remains of the Tucson Federal Prison Camp that housed Japanese Americans during WWII that built the Catalina Highway (Sky Island Scenic Byway).  In the next few miles, we saw the remains of structures:  foundations and rock towers in Sycamore Canyon that may have been used to hoist pipes for the water supply to the camp from Sycamore Reservoir below.

From the intersection, the sandy and wide trail to Shreve Saddle is pleasant with a subtle beauty, with just the right mix of bunch grasses, oaks, yucca, manzanita and juniper - the Upper Sonoran Life Zone that includes oak woodland and chaparral.

The top of Shreve Saddle seems to hang on the horizon; as the trail reaches it, an expansive view westward of beautiful Sycamore Canyon and ridges and peaks of the Sabino Canyon area opens up.  A sign for Sycamore Reservoir Trail #39 indicates the trail descends Sycamore Canyon on the left (south) side.  At this point the trail enters the Pusch Ridge Wilderness; it feels like wilderness except for a few prisoner-constructed cemented rock towers.  Further down the trail, a bedrock grinding mortar sits on a high, smooth boulder next to the trail, evidence of ancient peoples' production of mesquite and palo verde seed pods and other plants.  These represent an important food resource for prehistoric people, and also sites for social interaction.

​The descent from Shreve Saddle to Sycamore Reservoir is one mile through a perfect balance of views, beautiful chaparral vegetation, and occasional sparks of color from wildflowers as it gently lulls you to Sycamore Creek.  It's great to descend, but the knowledge that you will have to make up for this pleasure on the way back– in this case, a 600- foot climb out of the canyon after a summit hike is an added challenge.  Luckily, we had drifting clouds that created an ever-changing landscape of shadows and light on the mountains ahead. 

​​This was a great place for lunch, so the three of us sat in the shade of an oak and took a break.  Great time to compare what snacks we brought  - Scott usually has the more interesting ones, like salmon jerky or a Trader Joe's salad.

​From here, the trail climbs steadily, another 0.6 miles to meet up with the popular Bear Canyon Tail through pretty country of oak and Manzanita and tall stands of fuschia and purple penstemon (in April).   A huge green racer skimmed across the trail in front of me and slithered its way up a tree.  From the flanks of a an eroded hill,  Fred pointed across the arroyo to a huge stand of purple penstemon, looking more like a shrub than a perennial forb.  At the "t" intersection, turn left (south) onto Bear Canyon Trail.  

Did we make it to the top?
Once at the base, walk 70 or so feet to the right (west) to the easily-recognizable cleft with a large boulder imbedded close to the bottom on the north side of Thimble.  This is the route to the highest point that includes a Class 4 pitch, according to sources I read.  Scott climbed the lower spires of Thimble, its cleft route to the left (east) of the main Thimble approach.  He looked across to the highest point and saw the chain ladder that was placed there recently.   I found the main rock chute too intimidating from the start; was able to start climbing the second chute, but I didn’t top out.  What I would have seen had I made it to the top is, "the full-circle, ridgetop view from Thimble is spectacular...Pusch Ridge, the Santa Catalina Mountains, Tucson, endless sky islands. They are all about. It is heart-rattling to look west, right down the remarkable (and ultra familiar) ridgeline over which Thimble Peak presides: Saddleback, Blacketts, the desert floor,“ according to the blog post from Earthline:  The American West.  Still, this hike was worth seeing the dramatic perspective of canyons and peaks and the Tucson basin even if I didn't get to the very top.  Impressive Rattlesnake Peak which lies to the west is another goal that will have to wait until our next Tucson visit.  So, no one in our party made it to the highest part of the summit - but that's o.k.

We hadn't forgotten about the Jamestown Kind Rock painted with a white cat wearing a pink bow.  Scott placed it carefully on a rock shelf under a protective overhang, tilting it up so the next Thimble climber would see it.  Not only is it a gesture to remind us how important "kindness" is, it also represents the enduring friendship that we three hikers - Scott, Fred and I have.  We had found it together four months earlier on Pinto Mountain in Joshua Tree, now together we were placing it on another mountain in hopes that the next discoverer(s) would do the same.  I wonder where it is now!

References:
Bezy, John.  2004.  A Guide to the Geology of Sabino Canyon and the Catalina Highway.  Arizona Geological Survey.  http://repository.azgs.az.gov/sites/default/files/dlio/files/nid1526/dte-17_sabino_canyon-red.pdf

​Dickinson, William R.  1992.  Geologic Map of Catalina Core Complex and San Pedro Trough.  Arizona Geological Survey, Contributed Map CM-92-C.

Kreutz, Doug. 2011.  Ancient Grinding Holes Offer Hard Clues to Past.  Arizona Daily Star.  https://tucson.com/news/local/ancient-grinding-holes-offer-hard-clues-to-past/article_14cbc931-f23c-5aba-9101-779322043849.html

LocalWiki:  Tucson.  Catalina Federal Honor Camp.  Taken from internet 5/9/19.

Richard, S.M., Reynolds, S.J., Spencer, J.E., and Pearthree, P.A.  Geologic Map of Arizona.  2000.  Arizona Geologic Survey, Map 35.

Sabino Canyon:  Our Desert Oasis - Through Our Parents Eyes.  Taken from the internet 5/2019.

Takami, David.  2/17/99.  HistoryLink.org Essay 2070 - Hirabayashi, Gordon K. (1918-2012).  Taken from internet 5/9/19.