Friday, April 15, 2011

Scenery in the Catalina Mountains

This is what I see when I look out our front window. Do I have to say anything more? This is why we move around this beautiful country.



This is another view of the Catalina Mountains, taken as the sun set behind our trailer. Could anyone ask for more?



We are spending this week in Catalina State Park north of Tucson. Here is our truck and RV, with a small grove of mesquite trees and the Catalina Mountains in the background. We love it here.



Today we hiked the 2.8 mile trail to the Romero Pools here in the state park. It was a great hike. Listed as moderate to difficult, it has some steep rocky segments, but we enjoyed it. This is why we like to stay in shape.

Just before we reached the trailhead parking area, we came on this hillside covered with wonderful multi-armed saguaro cacti.



In places the trail was very steep and rocky. This may have been the worst spot on the trail.



Here is another view of the rocky trail.



The desert in the park is rich and full of a great diversity of plants. Here is John enjoying the hillside.



The Ocotillo was blooming and this flower was almost perfect.



Other cactus plants were also starting to bloom, including this Prickly Pear. It is good to finally seem some flowers in the desert.



Our destination was the Romero Pools. Running water is a unusual sight in this part of Arizona, unless you are looking at an irrigation canal. So these pools and small waterfalls are special.









It was a hazy day, which made the canyons look mysterious and beautiful.



We ate our lunch at the pool, where we encountered another couple. We hiked back to the trailhead with Milt and Jeri, from the Seattle area. Milt retired from Boeing. Jeri was the 26th person hired for the startup firm of Microsoft. When she retired, she was only number 8 on the seniority list. What a great time she had!



What a joy it is to meet people like this and to see the wonders of this world we live in. What will our next experience be?

2 comments:

  1. That is really some camping spot! And a nice hike. While you're in the area, you might want to do Seven Falls. You can read about it on my blog - http://roamingbarbara.blogspot.com/2008/03/seven-falls.html

    (I don't know how to make that a link - you'll just have to cut and paste :-))

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  2. I very much enjoy your wanderings. I can do so vicariously. Travel safely and well.

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