Sky Island Traverse

sirena · Post by **sirena** » Jan 05 2010 2:21 pm

The Grand Enchantment Trail website has something very interesting on the homepage- Coming Spring 2010- Introducing a new hiking route from the pioneers of the Grand Enchantment Trail- the Sky Island Traverse- 500 miles across 10 of Arizona's most iconic sky islands. :GB: http://simblissity.net/get/

azbackpackr · Post by **azbackpackr** » Jan 06 2010 5:10 am

Everything that map looks interesting except the dips right next to the Mexican border. I'd want a lot of companions and an AR-15 for that part...

Thoreau · Post by **Thoreau** » Jan 06 2010 8:16 am

sirena wrote:The Grand Enchantment Trail website has something very interesting on the homepage- Coming Spring 2010- Introducing a new hiking route from the pioneers of the Grand Enchantment Trail- the Sky Island Traverse- 500 miles across 10 of Arizona's most iconic sky islands. :GB: http://simblissity.net/get/

Talk about one HELL of a hike! I couldn't imagine actually making something like that happen. Heck, who gets that much annual vacation at work these days anyway?

azbackpackr wrote:Everything that map looks interesting except the dips right next to the Mexican border. I'd want a lot of companions and an AR-15 for that part...

And people look at me funny when I talk about my AR while plotting out trips near the border! I could imagine the weight getting annoying, but the weight of water sucks too, and we carry it to stay alive anyway

Jeffshadows · Post by **Jeffshadows** » Jan 06 2010 8:47 am

Sounds awesome...

writelots · Post by **writelots** » Jan 06 2010 10:00 am

Wow - does sound incredible! I've been putting together a plan for a "trip" circumnavigating Tucson on the basin's ranges...I'll have to dig that map out sometime... But this would be an amazing feat for the feet! Up and down, and up, and down and up, and down... A few valley crossings that might be painful and long and tedious, too. I get the shivers just thinking about it. Man, one of these days I've got to figure out how to do a long through-hike!

Jeffshadows · Post by **Jeffshadows** » Jan 06 2010 1:15 pm

writelots wrote:Wow - does sound incredible! I've been putting together a plan for a "trip" circumnavigating Tucson on the basin's ranges...I'll have to dig that map out sometime... But this would be an amazing feat for the feet! Up and down, and up, and down and up, and down... A few valley crossings that might be painful and long and tedious, too. I get the shivers just thinking about it. Man, one of these days I've got to figure out how to do a long through-hike!

That would be cool sans-interstate, which is impossible, unfortunately... ;)

writelots · Post by **writelots** » Jan 06 2010 5:05 pm

Ah - but impossible is right up my alley... It's easy enough to get around 10 east of town - the AZ Trail currently takes care of that. My friends at the county nrpr have been trying to sell the idea of a land bridge over I-10 and the UPRR tracks for years now, and they've made some headway. Landbridges are super cool, and it would provide a great opportunity not only for connecting important ecosystems and wildlife migration routes, but it's also an opportunity for recreational connections as well. It's a long shot, a Hail Mary and about 2 decades too late. But it's also the kind of large scale, high profile project that sometimes gets pulled out of someone's political hat...

Oh they say I'm a dreamer...but I'm not the only one!

JimmyLyding · Post by **JimmyLyding** » Jan 06 2010 7:48 pm

The landbridge idea is very cool. However, first thing's first: we need to stop the Rosemont Mine

azbackpackr · Post by **azbackpackr** » Jan 06 2010 7:58 pm

JamesLyding wrote:The landbridge idea is very cool. However, first things first: we need to stop the Rosemont Mine

Amen.

azbackpackr · Post by **azbackpackr** » Jan 07 2010 5:26 am

More thoughts on this. I have always thought that a long hike from, let's say, Flagstaff to the Gila Wilderness would be a perfect thru-hike for summer in Arizona/New Mexico. Unlike the Arizona Trail or the Grand Enchantment Trail, you would pretty much stay in the cooler high country the entire distance. I have looked at maps with an idea of doing this sometime, trying to figure out how to link existing trails. You could follow the AZT a good part of the way from Flag, but then continue along the Rim.

I also feel that long trails should be constructed with thru-hikers in mind, with their logistic problems less an issue if the trails occasionally go near enough to towns for easy resupply and the occasional laundromat, motel and giant buffet restaurant. Just like the AT...

Jeffshadows · Post by **Jeffshadows** » Jan 07 2010 8:15 am

writelots wrote:Ah - but impossible is right up my alley... It's easy enough to get around 10 east of town - the AZ Trail currently takes care of that. My friends at the county nrpr have been trying to sell the idea of a land bridge over I-10 and the UPRR tracks for years now, and they've made some headway. Landbridges are super cool, and it would provide a great opportunity not only for connecting important ecosystems and wildlife migration routes, but it's also an opportunity for recreational connections as well. It's a long shot, a Hail Mary and about 2 decades too late. But it's also the kind of large scale, high profile project that sometimes gets pulled out of someone's political hat...

Oh they say I'm a dreamer...but I'm not the only one!

I've heard that same thing for a few years now. You're not talking about Mike at P&R, are you?

writelots · Post by **writelots** » Jan 07 2010 9:53 am

Nope - not Mike, Steve. But I think there are quite a few people in that building with the same dream. They'd all love to stop the Rosemont Mine, too. However, the only thing worse than trying to deal with the State Land Department is trying to deal with the Feds...

Jeffshadows · Post by **Jeffshadows** » Jan 07 2010 10:02 am

writelots wrote:Nope - not Mike, Steve. But I think there are quite a few people in that building with the same dream. They'd all love to stop the Rosemont Mine, too. However, the only thing worse than trying to deal with the State Land Department is trying to deal with the Feds...

Depends. The DoD and DoE are both actually quite environmentally conscientious, given how destructive their respective facilities tend to be. I hate the Forest Service. I'm willing to admit it. I wish all of Coronado would fall under the jurisdiction of the Park Service. It would be the single greatest thing that ever happened to the forest. The Forest Service is still preoccupied with "Multiple use." They have forgotten what century it is and would sooner see some fee revenue by building the world's biggest escalator to the top of Lemmon than give one iota of thought to how their actions impact those who actually hold that land in reverence. End of rant...

JimmyLyding · Post by **JimmyLyding** » Jan 07 2010 11:54 am

At least they killed the idiotic idea of a tram to the top of Mount Lemmon. The way I remember it is that the business owners in Summerhaven wanted the public to finance construction of a tram. "It will pay for itself!" they exlaimed. Sober-minded individuals questioned that, and pointed out that us taxpayers would be on the hook if it didn't pay for itself. People who actually care about the mountain as something other than a money-making vehicle also pointed out the environmental problems.
Maybe I'm a zealot, but I'd like to see the ski area removed as well. I've skied there many times, but I'll be the first to admit that it stinks. The concessionaires are also quite arrogant, and act like they own the mountain.

Jeffshadows · Post by **Jeffshadows** » Jan 07 2010 2:47 pm

JamesLyding wrote:At least they killed the idiotic idea of a tram to the top of Mount Lemmon. The way I remember it is that the business owners in Summerhaven wanted the public to finance construction of a tram. "It will pay for itself!" they exlaimed. Sober-minded individuals questioned that, and pointed out that us taxpayers would be on the hook if it didn't pay for itself. People who actually care about the mountain as something other than a money-making vehicle also pointed out the environmental problems.
Maybe I'm a zealot, but I'd like to see the ski area removed as well. I've skied there many times, but I'll be the first to admit that it stinks. The concessionaires are also quite arrogant, and act like they own the mountain.

I wouldn't shed a single tear were that and Summerhaven to disappear into the ether...

Jeffshadows · Post by **Jeffshadows** » Jan 07 2010 2:48 pm

sirena wrote:The Grand Enchantment Trail website has something very interesting on the homepage- Coming Spring 2010- Introducing a new hiking route from the pioneers of the Grand Enchantment Trail- the Sky Island Traverse- 500 miles across 10 of Arizona's most iconic sky islands. :GB: http://simblissity.net/get/

BTW - Good luck with your talk at SH next Thursday!! Sounds like it will be pretty cool.

sirena · Post by **sirena** » Jan 07 2010 5:29 pm

Thanks Jeff- I am looking forward to it! I went into SH the other day and they have a nice-sized poster right up front advertising my talk. Pretty cool!

That Rosemont project makes me crazy. I was just in the area today and it is a shame that the mine will destroy such a beautiful place. The view from the ridgetop, one of my favorite places, will forever be changed.

JimmyLyding · Post by **JimmyLyding** » Jan 07 2010 8:34 pm

Don't forget, Sirena, that this one will be a "sustainable" mine

I'm a huge fan of U of A sports, and it drives me up the wall seeing the Rosemont folks advertising on Wildcats broadcasts.

sirena · Post by **sirena** » Jan 07 2010 8:53 pm

Here's a video I took today of the view from the ridgetop. What I said is a mine in the video is actually a U of A test project to see what kinds of plants can be used to revegetate after the mine destroys the area. For people who are not familiar with the area, it would affect the part in the video at 2:22. It is horrible to think of that beautiful canyon filled with tailings.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKPHsDTsq3s

big_load · Post by **big_load** » Jan 07 2010 8:58 pm

JamesLyding wrote:Don't forget, Sirena, that this one will be a "sustainable" mine

Will they be growing new ore at the same rate they extract the existing ore?

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