BearBear (a corgi mix) and I went to Catalina State Park Sunday afternoon; the weather was stunning and hardly anyone was there. It’s exactly 30 minutes from my house to the trailhead during non-peak traffic. I remember going up to Catalina State Park when it first opened, when I was in high school; then it felt like it was in the middle of nowhere, and it was such an adventure to get to that part of town: there was nothing there! Now when you leave the state park, the first thing you see is a giant walmart.
Oh well.
These are some views from the nearly 3 mile Canyon Loop Trail:
Below is a lovely view of the Pusch Ridge Wilderness:
Then when the trail turns a bit east there’s this great view deep into the Catalina Mountains:
BearBear looks a bit pooped at this point:
It’s at this point I realize I’ve left my car keys 1/2 a mile back; but after a run back up the trail, they were exactly where I’d left them, on an observation bench. Shows you how many folks are out on a Sunday afternoon! I was very thankful to find them.
OK. So then we went back down the trail again, which takes a little dive into a small wash….great when there’s water after rain/snow in the mountains….
…where some of the last very hardy fall flowers are blooming….
Getting outdoors, even if for a small hike, is just so restorative!
