March 19, 2021 hike: Ventana Canyon nearly to Window Peak.
You could feel summer in the air. It was very warm at the bottom, the sun was intense and there was very little breeze to provide respite. Temps got into the low 80s and there wasn't a cloud all day. Thankfully, I was at higher elevations and in the forest for much of the day. Water is critical for hiking in these conditions.
There were also quite a few tourists on the trail from the resort. You could spot them from their lack of equipment and their one hand-held bottle of Ventana Canyon Resort water. I'd say I passed about 4 dozen hikers, almost entirely tourists. Clearly masks are out, as only 4 had them.
This trail is less difficult and not scary, although it is fairly long and has a lot of vertical. It is a pretty good workout, especially in the heat.
Photo 1 shows typical lower-canyon cactus and rocks. The lower part of Ventana Canyon has quite dramatic rock formations.
Photo 2 looks down the lower part of the canyon from the top of the front-side slope. You can see the Ventana Canyon resort area at the foot of the canyon and the Santa Rita mountains in the background. The front-side slope is a really intense zip-zag hike up a very steep slope - an awesome cardio and legs workout.
Photo 3 is almost 2 hours and about 4 miles later, looking at the top of the canyon. There are beautiful pine and oak forests here, typically with a resident Mexican Jay population squawking. The trail reaches the canyon top just to the right of the large rock formation and then it is fairly flat along the ridge line for more than a mile.
In photo 4, I've trotted along the ridge line to a viewing point for Window Peak (on the left) and a slightly lower companion peak. I stopped at the companion peak for lunch and to turn around as I was out of outward bound time.
In photo 5, I've turned around and I'm looking northwest at the backside of the Catalina mountains and beyond them, the Saddlebrook community in Oro Valley. You can see a white building complex just to the right of the center of the photo. That is Biosphere 2. I'm up at 6,900 feet in photos 4 and 5 and the view is pretty spectacular up there.
Photo 6 is my "Easter Island" figure, found near the top of Ventana Canyon. I see his chin sticking out, a flat smirking mouth above, his chin, high cheekbones and eyes above that. You can also see that it is quite steep in this part of the canyon.
Photo 7 shows my other rock figure on the ridge line. I think he looks like a Tudor noble with a beard, prominent nose and a Tudor-style hat.
Photo 8 shows a very prominent rock formation in the late afternoon sun near the canyon bottom. I think it looks a lot like a ship's prow.
Photo 9 shows another rock formation near the formation in figure 8. I think it looks like the Matterhorn Tucson-style.
All-in-all another fabulous hiking Friday! Hot a bit crowded at the bottom, but otherwise divine!
Hike stats: a bit more than 13 miles with about 3,860 feet of vertical to 6,900 feet in 6.75 hours.
