Monday – hot and sunny.
Wendy and I are up early to do the Pima Canyon trail. On the trail head for 08:20. Kevin and Anne are doing the Tucson Mall.
Pima Canyon is gorgeous. Up hill all the way and one of the most difficult / technical walks we’ve ever done. Certainly think that coming down is going to be more technically difficult and much slower but it turns out to take the same time as the ascent. Get up as far as some of the pools and after an hour decide we’d better head back down as we think it will take us 2 hours to get back down. Turns out to be much quicker than we envisaged despite the difficult sections.
Rewarded for all our efforts with the sighting of the poisonous Gila Monster. Sadly I didn’t have my camera with me. By the time I’d got my iPhone out he’d gone. See picture from the Internet.
Well worth the early rise and the effort. A gorgeous canyon and being rocky and difficult meant you hardly had chance to notice the climb.
Wendy wanted to go to Tohon Chul gift shop – it’s a women’s thing. Glad we did as we get out the car there’s a Mojave Rattle snake (apparently one of the most aggressive and poisonous rattlers) sauntering across the car park – see pictures. Another real treat. All we need now to make the days the sighting of a Roadrunner – so far we’ve only seen the one doing what Roadrunners are good at – crossing the road. By way of compensation there’s a great video of a Roadrunner doing battle with his favourite lunch the Rattle snake – click here.
A Gila Monster and Mojave Rattle snake all in one day. How lucky can you get? Well a Roadrunner would have been a nice addition but don’t get greedy.
Tuesday – hot and sunny.
Ladies are doing the tidy up, ready for departure tomorrow, while the men explore the Romero Canyon. A lovely walk down a riparian in canyon but alas few birds and no Roadrunner. Take the car to be cleaned. That’s an experience $5 and all finished off by hand. They’re queuing up and it’s a proper assembly line.
Nip down to the airport to pick up my hire car. Order the cheapest and smallest car with4 wheels from Mr Hertz and get an upgrade to the top of the range Chevy Cruze. Satellite radio and bristling with blue tooth, USB ports, electronics and gadgets.
