Blog

The Ventana Canyon trailhead leads one into a gorgeous route of stream crossings.  You might get your boots wet.

The pickers are all worn off the underside of this saguaro arm.  Can you imagine why?

There are easy stepping stones at most crossings.

The level part ends and we begin our ascent of 1300' straight up the sides of steep foothills.

Fantastic views open up as we chug higher and higher.  

The trail is comprised mostly of short unrelenting switchbacks.

There are a few good resting spots along the way, however.

The trail levels out as we reach the pools.

One of the fun things about hiking with our friends is their inquisitiveness.  We stop frequently to check out bird calls and mystery plants.  By the way, this little moist dip in the trail is a butterfly haven.  

Just above the pools, there is a natural bench where we decide to stop for lunch before hiking down to the pools.  

One more steep descent--

--and we're at the pools.  Here is a pano shot.  There isn't a torrent of water flowing, but the whole area is full of butterflies enjoying the slow-moving water.

A few more plants to identify, then we'll start the trek down.

On the way back down, we are amazed at the blooming plants we missed on the way up.  On the difficult ascent, eyes are kept on the ground watching for each obscure turn, and navigating over rocks.  On the way back we are treated to a variety of blooms.  This is Schott's Agave a bright yellow pennant waving in the breeze.  It come from a small, unassuming colony of agaves that produce this gaudy, 6 foot tall blossom stalk.  How did we miss this on the way up?!

A closer look.

We finally drop back into the much-more-level portion of the trail and enjoy the shady spots.

With a little over a mile to go, a rest and a snack is welcome. 

A hike such as this one offers massive views,, but it's also good to stop and observe the small things.  I hope you enjoyed this one!