Safford Peak is located in Saguaro National Park West, and is accessed from Sanctuary Cove. The summit is 3,563 feet, and the exhausting hike was 3.4 miles round trip, which took me 4 hours. The final ascent is a challenging class 2 climb.
The Tucson Mountains are composed of various volcanic rocks which geologists refer to as the Tucson Mountain Chaos.
I camped here for one night at the Ironwood Forest National Monument off Pump Station Road. This Monument has one of the richest stands of ironwood in the Sonoran Desert.
I hiked and climbed up Atascosa Peak on October 15th. It is located in the Coronado National Forest. No trail from the Lookout to Atascosa Peak, except for the occasional rock cairn. Summit is 6,440 feet. It was 7.4 miles round trip. The Lookout is halfway. It took me 7 hours. In 1968 Edward Abbey staffed the fire lookout. Unfortunately, it was destroyed by the 2011 Murphy Complex Fire.
The Atascosa Mountains are part of the central ranges of the Tumacacori Highlands on the Arizona-Mexico border. The vegetation is scattered evergreen oak woodlands on north facing slopes with scrub-grasslands on south facing slopes. Mesquite and acacia shrubs are common, as are agaves and sotols.
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| Ruby Road |
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| Atascosa Lookout |
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| Atascosa Peak |
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| On the summit. |
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| On the summit. |
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| On the summit. |
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| The ridgeline I traversed. |
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| Atascosa Peak |
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| My car at the trailhead parking. |
Camped along Mount Hopkins Road at the base of the Santa Rita Mountains. I'm on the phone with a friend of mine from Illinois. I had 25 years of sobriety in October, and I am speaking with Greg D. from my Wanderer's Group from Alcoholics Anonymous. The Wanderer's are in Illinois, and I miss everyone from our small group. Talking to them keeps me sober. I have known them for more than 20 years.
Stopped at the Neon Sign Park in Casa Grande this morning. I need to come back here at night when the signs are lit up. It is located in the Downtown Arts and Culture District. I enjoy visiting historic roadside treasures.
