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| Hiking | 13.65 Miles |
4,550 AEG |
| | Hiking | 13.65 Miles | | | |
| 4,550 ft AEG | | | | |
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| no partners | | | Did Finger Rock Canyon Trail from Alvernon trailhead to Mt. Kimball and out via Pima Canyon on 1/19. GPS had it at 10.9 miles, 4100 ft of gain, 6:30. Finger Rock Canyon trail has been my benchmark for a hard trail since I first did it 30 years ago. After the first mile, it is basically 1000 ft up per mile for four straight miles. Trail was in excellent shape: recently maintained, vegetation cut back, some short sections rebuilt. It is very rocky, however. You will be watching where you plant your foot on almost every step. The last 1/2 mile or so, in the burn zone, has some significant erosion. The upper two miles of Pima Canyon are very steep and narrow, with lots of loose rock and grit. They are just as hard coming down as Finger Rock is going up, and going up this way would be brutal. After those first couple of miles, though, the trail moderates and you can finish at a quicker pace. Both trails are always easy to follow. No water in Finger Rock Canyon despite the recent rain and snow. Top mile of Pima Canyon is mostly on north side of the ridge, had significant snowy/icy stretches remaining. Poles were essential, and these trails are not a good choice if you have a fear of heights. Water in Pima Canyon at the highest creek crossing and in small pools in the slickrock lower down. Pima Canyon spring was damp and mossy but no water flowing out--I didn't scramble up to the springhouse to see if there was a pool there. Plenty of hikers in the bottom three miles of Pima Canyon, otherwise pretty empty. The views in the upper portions of both canyons rival any national park, IMHO. The first 1.25 miles of Finger Rock Canyon, before the trail crosses the canyon bottom and starts to go steeply up the east side of the canyon, is one of my favorite short hikes to introduce folks to the desert and the Catalinas. The bottom three miles of Pima Canyon are also an easy introduction, but you have to traverse private land for close to a mile before you get into the canyon itself. |
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