November 26, 2021 hike: Sabino loop - Bear Canyon to East Fork to Sabino Canyon Trail to Phoneline.
Another beautiful day, with temps in the low to mid-70s, sunshine and little wind.
This trail is not too difficult, but it is extremely long at 17.6 miles. There is some climbing but nothing like most of the Catalina trails. But there are beautiful back-country areas and spectacular views, especially at Seven Falls and the upper Sabino Canyon gorge. The length of the trail with many ups and downs makes for a tiring day.
Photo 1 shows the mouth and lower part of Bear Canyon, from the lower desert trail leading to Bear Canyon. The mountain in the background marks the end of the lower part of Bear Canyon (and the end of the crowds, which are common up to Seven Falls).
Photo 2 shows Seven Falls and the mountain ridge above the falls. The falls were pretty diminished this time, as there has not been much rain for quite a while.
Photo 3 shows lower Bear Canyon, with Tucson in the distance. This photo was taken from the mountain at the end of lower Bear Canyon in photo 1.
Photo 4 looks at the panorama of the East and West Forks from near the end of Bear Canyon (about 7 miles from the start of Bear Canyon). The picture looks north. I believe the low point of the horizon at the end of the Forks is Romero Pass.
Photo 5 is a telephoto shot taken from the same point as photo 4, showing the upper part of the West Fork. You can see how rugged the upper canyons are in the Romero Pass region. The Forks are very remote and there are very few hikers and no phone signal in this area.
Photo 6 looks at the dramatic gorge beside the Sabino Canyon trail. This is a hidden gem, not too far from the top tram stop.
Photo 7 shows the beautiful canyon just a bit beyond photo 6, as I headed toward the main part of Sabino Canyon.
Photo 8 looks down lower Sabino Canyon in the late afternoon. I love the immense breadth and size of the canyon from this vantage point.
Photo 9 looks up Sabino Canyon toward the high country beyond the canyon.
Photo 10 is the lone nice wildflower I saw - there were other flowers but nothing notable.
Yet again, a great day out in the mountains!
Hike stats: 17.6 miles with 2,835 feet of vertical to a peak of about 4,800 feet in 6 hours 40 minutes. I took 152 photos and videos, which added significant time to the hike.
