Mount Kimball via Finger Rock • Hike • Arizona • All Triplogs • HikeArizona.COM

Tucson, AZ

Hiking		Nov 28 2025
		BubbaJuice • Triplogs 31

Hiking	10.23 Miles	4,715 AEG

Hiking	10.23 Miles	6 Hrs 43 Mns		1.67 mph
	4,715 ft AEG	36 Mns Break	5 LBS Pack

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[ checklist ] Alligator Juniper Unidentified Flora Wright's silktassel

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In my last triplog I thought the Finger Rock Trail was a pretty easy stroll up the mountain. Granted, my legs were getting tired by the time we made it to the saddle last time but I thought another day I'll be even more prepared. I wanted to do this hike last Saturday but it was raining so now seemed like a good time.

I started at 7 ambitiously hoping to be done by 1. By the time we had made it up to Linda Vista Saddle my legs were definitely tired but it seemed like we were pretty close so it wouldn't be too bad. The views from the saddle were just as good as last time. The next portion of the trail was really cool because of the forest and how there was green grass in the moist soil that lead into a stream with water. This whole area was probably a lot cooler before the Bighorn Fire. There are still giant pine trees (probably) turned yellow and brown standing tall. It took a while to get up to the trail junction and finally the peak, all the while being consistently steep.

The peak is really cool because of how it is just a cliff. I've purposely avoided photos of this view for a while so I could experience it in person. You can see a lot but I wish there was a better view of Pusch Ridge. Regardless, it is a really good view We ate some snacks, took some photos, and headed back down. It was pretty sunny on the way down, I wish I had put on some sunblock but it wasn't too bad. Even though it was tiring, this trail was a lot better to go down than the Pontatoc Trail. The grade and mileage is balanced so my legs didn't shake that much even though they were tired. This took a bit but was well worth it.

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Trail Signs and Markings

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Cathedral Rock Finger Rock Spring Window Peak, Tucson

Autumn Foliage Observation Isolated
Tree in Finger Rock Canyon had yellow leaves, many of which may have already fallen.

Wildflowers Observation Isolated
Not as many a few weeks ago. Some reds and purples, mainly. Mostly along the higher elevations (5500-6200).

	Finger Rock Canyon	Light flow	Light flow
	Some water up at the 6300 ft trail crossing. Also heard and saw water from up high on the trail.

	Finger Rock Spring	Dripping	Dripping
	Some water around the spring area.

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Check out my benchmarks website

: https://bubbajuice.github.io/benchmarks WIP!

Oct 28 2025

John10s

Guides 28
Routes 415
Photos 6,575
Triplogs 382

41 male

Joined Mar 01 2018
Chandler, AZ

Kimball - Window Peak Catalina Double, AZ

Hiking		Oct 28 2025
		John10s • Triplogs 382

Hiking	23.43 Miles	9,288 AEG

Hiking	23.43 Miles	9 Hrs 36 Mns	2.69 mph
	9,288 ft AEG	54 Mns Break

Linked

8 linked trail guides

Pima Canyon Trail #62

Window Peak via Finger Rock

Esperero Trail #25

Window Peak

Cathedral Rock Trail #26 - Tucson

[ checklist ] Finger Rock Finger Rock Canyon Mount Kimball Pusch Ridge Wilderness Window Peak, Tucson Window Rock

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Route Recorded on Route Scout | Pop | Map | Popup | MapDEX

I've wanted to do more hiking in the Catalinas, and I recently came across some Joe/JJ triplogs from 10+ years ago where they hiked the Catalina Trifecta (Kimball, Window Peak, Cathedral), and this route combined some old and new parts of the range for me. It was going to be another warm day at ~90° at the lower elevations, so I knew hitting all three might be a long shot but wanted to give it a try.

I started from an empty parking lot at Finger Rock Trailhead a little before sunrise at ~6:20AM and had the trail to myself to start the steep climb...those first few miles don't offer much chance to warm up before getting serious. Very quiet in the canyon, and I had shade for the first few miles as the sun lit up the finger and the west side, but the steep climb made it feel warm even in the shade.

I saw a few deer once I was up above the finger and continued up to Mt. Kimball and took my first break at the peak, a little over two hours in. Then back down to Finger Rock Trail to continue on a segment I hadn't hiked before, heading east toward Window Rock. I lost ~1,200' of the elevation I'd gained on the way to the Finger Rock/Ventana/Esperero intersection. I took a short break there before the next climb to Window Rock. I'd hiked that section 6+ years ago after coming up Ventana Canyon, and it was even steeper than I remembered. [ youtube video ]

After a quick stop at the window, I headed into new territory again, following Esperero southeast of Window Peak to the short off-trail approach. The scramble up to the summit wasn't bad at all...well-placed trees helped a lot, and there wasn't any serious exposure. Didn't find a register up there, but great views from the top, and I started down after another short break [ youtube video ] . Back on Esperero, I continued east again, losing another ~1,300' on the way over to Cathedral Rock. I could tell at that point the trifecta probably wasn't going to happen today, but I figured I'd go as far as I could before I hit my planned turnaround time.

I reached the Cathedral Rock intersection and started up a short distance before turning around, short of the trifecta by a couple miles. Then back the way I came, riding the roller coaster in reverse--a long climb back up toward Window Peak, followed by a long descent and then a long climb up toward Kimball. As a consolation, and in a nod to Joe/JJ's Cathedral Trifecta II route, I made it a Window Peak sandwich and summited Kimball a second time before starting down. I decided to take Pontatoc, the longer, gentler route back to the trailhead to see something different.

I was back at the trailhead ~4PM and hadn't seen anyone all day until I was within a quarter mile of the parking lot. I carried ~7 liters (235oz) of water and ended up drinking most of it by the time I finished. I also packed a purifier but didn't find any water sources other than some small pools in Finger Rock Canyon within a mile of the trailhead. Despite coming up short and completing a mere Catalina Double, it was a fun challenge attempting the trifecta and something I'll try again on a cooler day. Insane amounts of sweating and persistent gnats in the face were annoying, but the route was a good mix of old and new for me, scenery was fantastic, and I had more solitude than expected. As an old boss used to say, "It was a swing and a miss, but it was a beautiful swing!"

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

	Finger Rock Canyon	Dry	Dry
	Dry in the lower part of the canyon near the trailhead, but a few small pools about a mile up the trail, downstream from Finger Rock Spring

	Finger Rock Spring	Dripping	Dripping
	Trickle of water downstream from the spring

Sep 06 2025

ddgrunning

Guides 3
Routes 646
Photos 8,650
Triplogs 620

55 male

Joined Apr 13 2011
Gilbert, AZ

Tucson, AZ

Hiking		Sep 06 2025
		ddgrunning • Triplogs 620

Hiking	12.18 Miles	4,579 AEG

Hiking	12.18 Miles	7 Hrs 6 Mns	2.07 mph
	4,579 ft AEG	1 Hour 13 Mns Break

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Route Recorded on Route Scout | Pop | Map | Popup | MapDEX

We have an upcoming backgpacking trip, and the first day of the trip has a distance/elevation profile that looks a lot like Mt. Kimball from Finger Rock (~6 mi. / 4100 AEG). And with temps slated to stay below 100, we decided that, with an early start, we could handle a trip to the Tucson sky islands.

It's been 14 years since we last tackled this one. It had rained the night before, and rain was in the forecast for the day, but never materialized. That said, there was plenty of moisture in the air, making for a very muggy climb. We were glad to be hiking in the shadow of the drainage for most of the climb, supplemented by cloud cover. Clouds wafted around the summit all morning, and once we got above Linda Vista saddle, we hiked for a brief period in the clouds themselves.

Didn't see a soul on the ascent, and we spent 20-30 minutes at the summit overlook, as the clouds dissipated and reformed, creating a constantly changing view.

We were eventually joined by a would-be trail runner, who had quickly abandoned any hopes of running upon hitting that first "right" out of the drainage floor (and came face to face with the steep, bouldery climb).

We saw one other person near the summit on our descent, but that was it.

On the way down, we opted to try out the alternate Pontatoc trail from the saddle. As others have noted, its generally smooth, gentle switchbacks are a marked (and welcome) contrast to the bouldery steepness of the Finger Rock side. We cruised down and thought our trail running friend would enjoy much more trail running on this alternate route.

Below the saddle, there is no shade on the Pontatoc trail, and as we descended, we lost any temperature benefit of the sky island. By the time we arrived back at the TH, it was hot--90-ish, and we were glad to be done. Stopped for some gelato at the relatively nearby Frost.

A great training hike. If I lived in Tucson, this would be on the regular repeat list.

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1 archive

May 04 2025

LindaAnn

Guides 112
Routes 2,331
Photos 9,375
Triplogs 2,682

45 female

Joined Dec 24 2007
Ahwatukee, AZ

Tucson, AZ

Hiking		May 04 2025
		LindaAnn • Triplogs 2,682

Hiking	10.82 Miles	4,371 AEG

Hiking	10.82 Miles	7 Hrs 4 Mns	1.80 mph
	4,371 ft AEG	1 Hour 3 Mns Break

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	joebartels	John10s
	Mountain_Rat

Route Recorded on Route Scout | Pop | Map | Popup | MapDEX

The weather looked delightful for today, so I suggested a Tucson area hike to Matt. He was in, so I invited Joe and John as well. I hadn’t seen Joe or Matt since last year, time flies, so it was good to see them again.

Got started up Finger Rock trail at 0630. Nice temps and a light breeze. That trail is not my favorite, but going up is okay. Plenty of shade in the morning makes it tolerable. We took our time on the ascent, with plenty of chatter amongst the group. The breeze increased as we climbed, but was never too bad. Matt opted to hang out at Linda Vista Saddle while the rest of us continued to head uphill. He packed enough ribs for a large meal while he waited.

Higher up, the trail turns to some steep, loose, decomposed granite, which is terrible footing. We also got some light sprinkles. I commented that I hoped it was snowing at the summit. Joe contemplated deleting my haz profile. That part may or may not be true, but he certainly gave me a look.

Cloudy and breezy at the summit. And it even snowed for about 30 seconds. I was ecstatic. Others were not. We took a nice snack break, then headed back downhill. Saw two young kids, maybe 6-8 years old, just below the summit—impressive.

Once back at the saddle, we caught up with Matt and headed down Pontatoc Ridge trail. The new trail cut up high is impressively smooth and we cruised down at top speed. Lower down, the trail got rockier, but was still much smoother than Finger Rock. Heard some rumbles of thunder as we were finishing up.

Great hike, and great company for the day. Glad to get this one done again.

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Stop crying and just go do the hike.

May 04 2025

joebartels

Guides 264
Routes 2,826
Photos 14,705
Triplogs 5,925

male

Joined Nov 20 1996

Tucson, AZ

Hiking		May 04 2025
		joebartels • Triplogs 5,925

Hiking	11.64 Miles	4,419 AEG

Hiking	11.64 Miles	7 Hrs 3 Mns	1.94 mph
	4,419 ft AEG	1 Hour 3 Mns Break

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	John10s	LindaAnn
	Mountain_Rat

Route Recorded on Route Scout | Pop | Map | Popup | MapDEX

We headed up the stern mountain. Hadn't been on this hike since early 2017. Good memories on this one so I was elated for the opportunity.

Piestewa has rock-solid steps and low descending slip potential. Most steps are medium-reach, with a few extra-large steps. Echo has larger, odd-foot placement steps and cattywampus slip potential galore. #42 is burn baby burn rock-solid steps on a bevy of placement angles and medium descending slip potential.

Didn't take long for me to recall how much I enjoy ascending, albeit slower now. Yet I was increasingly antsy about holding up the group on the return.

Two hikers, 30 years younger, passed at a clip I'm not sure I've ever been passed. I used to have an "oh, we'll fix that" attitude. Borderline beat to a pulp, best to accept.

Linda mentioned that Matt's mind would drift to his, yes, plural, smokers at home in the final miles. That was the old Matt. Brisket entered the conversation within hours, and ribs were consumed soon after(Snack break).

Matt elected to feast at LV Saddle while the balance hit Kimball. Chilly pockets and waves of sprinkles onward to Kimball. 10s said he'd been up, but we introduced him to reality. A three-flake blizzard was surprising. Then, 3 minutes after it snowed, the sun broke out for the first time. Matt mentioned squirrels or chipmunks on the peak. We didn't see any, and I forgot if we were supposed to bring a few back for him to barbecue. Just some noisy birds. Linda named all the distant peaks. I got Lemmon correct.

I slowed down the group descending. We just caught Matt before he'd waited long enough. Which is cool because I barely conversed with the thirteen-year HAZ'r on the ascent.

It was undoubtedly mentioned days ago, but news to me that we would be descending Pontatoc. The upper leg has been reworked by the Hoka foundation. Lofty zigzagging tricycle grade trails usually blow but holy wow what a blessing with terrific Tucson views.

Sometimes you don't know people until you hike with them. Matt has the zest of his avatar, loaded with character, but he turns 85 next year. It was refreshing to hear terms like javelina house instead of cumulus and nimbus.

Good to get back to Tucson for a change, hear the chronicle lifestyle of Idaho or Bust, meet the rat, and hike with the relevant wordy flip side of LP. Worthy hike on two hours' sleep.

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- joe

May 04 2025

Mountain_Rat

Guides 11
Routes 123
Photos 826
Triplogs 258

male

Joined Jul 14 2011
Tucson, AZ

Tucson, AZ

Hiking		May 04 2025
		Mountain_Rat • Triplogs 258

Hiking	9.67 Miles	4,152 AEG

Hiking	9.67 Miles	7 Hrs 2 Mns	1.70 mph
	4,152 ft AEG	1 Hour 21 Mns Break

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	joebartels	John10s
	LindaAnn

Earlier in the week, Linda sent an invite to hike a new variation of Finger Rock to Kimball, and I can never remember that word that means the opposite of yes, so I just said yes.

Anyway, we met up at the TH at 0630 - Linda, Joe, John & myself, and we set out up the crispy canyon. It was nice to finally meet Joe after all these years, and a bonus to meet John - who puts out some mighty fine trip reports and photo sets. It was much like the first time I hiked with @JuanJaimeiii (same trail, in fact), We introduced ourselves at the parking lot, and the next time I saw him was 3 miles up the canyon. Linda took a milder pace for those first few miles, so we chatted pretty much to Linda Vista Saddle. From there, I started dragging, then getting dizzy, then I couldn't do basic mental math, then started getting clumsy, so I opted to turn back and kick it at Linda Vista while the others finished up. Linda had given me a handfull of electrolyte chews (SaltStick I think), which totally saved my bacon. Six of those, some wonderfully smoked ribs, and a long nap In the shade made me feel like eleven dollars.

It was 1201 when the crew finally showed up (a minute late, I might add), and we meandered down the new and improved Pontatoc Trail. Joe and I have a similar downhill speed, so we got to chat for awhile along this stretch, with Linda and John in the lead. If we'd have had another hour or so to talk, we would likely have had the world's problems all solved, yet the hike came to an end all to soon.

Thanks Linda for the invitation and the life giving electros. It was great seeing you again. Great meeting Joe and John. Let's do this again sometime.

	Finger Rock Canyon	Dry	Dry
	Drier than I've ever seen it.

Finger Rock Spring

Dry

Pontatoc Canyon

Dry

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3 archives

May 04 2025

John10s

Guides 28
Routes 415
Photos 6,575
Triplogs 382

41 male

Joined Mar 01 2018
Chandler, AZ

Tucson, AZ

Hiking		May 04 2025
		John10s • Triplogs 382

Hiking	11.12 Miles	4,462 AEG

Hiking	11.12 Miles	6 Hrs 59 Mns	1.96 mph
	4,462 ft AEG	1 Hour 18 Mns Break

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Pima Canyon Trail #62

[ checklist ] Finger Rock Canyon Mount Kimball Mount Lemmon Pontatoc Canyon

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	joebartels	LindaAnn
	Mountain_Rat

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Joe, Linda, and I met at 5AM and headed south to meet Matt at Finger Rock Trailhead at 6:30AM. Quite a few cars in the lot as we started up toward Kimball. It had been 6+ years since I'd hiked in this part of the Catalinas, and it was nice to be back--I'd forgotten a lot of the details but remembered that it was steep. Sure enough, it was still steep.

The trail was fairly busy on the way up, but the crowds thinned out after ~ two miles. We took a few breaks along the way, and Matt shared the finer points of smoked pork and put the rest of our meager snacks to shame with his enviable bag of ribs

. He hung back at the saddle near Linda Vista while the three of us continued on to Kimball. It started to sprinkle as we closed in on the peak, we thought for a few minutes that we might end up caught in a downpour, but Route Scout Radar indicated (correctly) that it might not be so bad after all.

I was surprised again at how little I remembered about the upper portions of the trail, but I remembered turning around short of the actual peak with my friend in 2018. Looking back later at notes from that hike, she wasn't feeling well that day, so I'll chalk it up to courtesy, not ignorance, for not reaching the actual peak that day

. When we got up there today, the views were much better than the turnaround spot last time...Lemmon, Picacho, Cathedral Rock, Ventana, and more. Someone had left a register in a Ziploc bag in the summit cairn about a week before. The bag already had holes, so that'll last about 20 minutes up there.

Areas to the N/NE appeared to be getting hit hard with rain, but we ate lunch at the summit with a few more raindrops and even a couple of stray snowflakes. Before Joe froze, we headed back down through more sprinkles and regrouped with Matt near Linda's Vista to hike down the new Pontotoc Trail. There wasn't much vegetation along the upper portions of Pontotoc, and the constant switchbacks were a bit gratuitous at times (Matt said they add 1.2 miles to the old trail), but the gentler grade and less rocky tread made the descent very pleasant, and the views and clouds were nice. Farther down, we hiked past a lot of healthy ocotillo and prickly pear blooms, then closed out the loop as another round of dark clouds and some thunder rolled through.

I enjoyed being back here and hope to get down to Tucson more often. Fun conversations with the group, and it was great to meet @Mountain_Rat, hike with Joe and Linda again, see some new trails, and finally reach the real Kimball. We drove through a few brief downpours on the way home but never got more than those limited sprinkles on the hike, so it worked out nicely.

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

Meteorology

Meteorology [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Virga

Mar 29 2025

SpiderLegs

Guides 2
Routes 10
Photos 45
Triplogs 903

58 male

Joined Jul 12 2012
Oro Valley, AZ

Tucson, AZ

Hiking		Mar 29 2025
		SpiderLegs • Triplogs 903

Hiking	9.50 Miles	4,400 AEG

Hiking	9.50 Miles	4 Hrs 23 Mns		2.17 mph
	4,400 ft AEG		10 LBS Pack

no routes

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Pima Canyon Trail #62

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Trying to balance out time on the trails with time in the gym these days. End of a long week of tough gym workouts, but wanted to get up Finger Rock in prime time. Almost perfect out there today, 60's & 70's the entire morning.

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See my pics on Instagram @tucsonexplorer

Nov 16 2024

bjonson

Routes 276
Photos 8
Triplogs 282

54 male

Joined Feb 19 2015
Phoenix

Tucson, AZ

Hiking		Nov 16 2024
		bjonson • Triplogs 282

Hiking	10.15 Miles	4,243 AEG

Hiking	10.15 Miles	6 Hrs 9 Mns	1.74 mph
	4,243 ft AEG	18 Mns Break

no photosets

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Route Recorded on Route Scout | Pop | Map | Popup | MapDEX

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Mar 27 2024

Guides 76
Routes 198
Photos 10,258
Triplogs 2,343

46 male

Joined Sep 08 2006

Tucson, AZ

Hiking		Mar 27 2024
		Jim • Triplogs 2,343

Hiking	9.50 Miles	4,400 AEG

Hiking	9.50 Miles
	4,400 ft AEG		10 LBS Pack

no routes

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Thought I might do this once more in April, and hike Window Peak Friday. Plans changed due to a wind forecast Friday and I was able to hike this today. Window Peak is not a wind friendly summit. With a forecast for up to a foot of new snow above 7000' in the Catalinas this weekend, I probably wouldn't have been hiking either of them next week. So, it was good I got out!

No wind here to speak of, but it was rather cool and everything is wet after the snow or rain 2 days ago. I found a surprising amount of snow in large patches above the Pima Canyon Junction. Snow was also visible on Window Peak, Cathedral, and above 7500' on the higher terrain around Mount Lemmon.

Rag weed is dropping clouds of pollen. It wasn't terrible, but it was there.

Very nice in the desert with a lot of birds down near the trailhead. Reminds me of old times.

3 hours up, including around 10 to 15 minutes of breaks, and no idea about down as I forgot to pay attention. Maybe 3 to 3.25 hours down? This is my 57th Kimball Summit. 52 via Finger Rock exclusively, 3 via Pima Canyon exclusively, and 2 using the traverse. With my plans, time, and so forth, I expect it will be a very long time before #58, if ever.

Wildflowers Observation Moderate

	Finger Rock Canyon	Light flow	Light flow
	Recent snow melt

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1 archive

Mar 16 2024

Guides 76
Routes 198
Photos 10,258
Triplogs 2,343

46 male

Joined Sep 08 2006

Tucson, AZ

Hiking		Mar 16 2024
		Jim • Triplogs 2,343

Hiking	9.50 Miles	4,400 AEG

Hiking	9.50 Miles
	4,400 ft AEG		10 LBS Pack

no routes

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I had not planned on this 2 weeks in a row, but the weekend plans were postponed to mid-week and better weather, so I opted for another outing on this. Might end up being 3 weekends in a row, by next weekend. Starting to remind me of March of 2015.

Not a lot changed. No snow, and the water flow is off. A lot of people out, even up high, not sure what that was about. Wildflowers in the desert are just about to get impressive with mostly brittle bush.

Ran into Preston as he was heading out for his evening hike and I was almost back to the TH.

Wildflowers Observation Isolated

Finger Rock Canyon

Pools to trickle

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Mar 09 2024

Guides 76
Routes 198
Photos 10,258
Triplogs 2,343

46 male

Joined Sep 08 2006

Tucson, AZ

Hiking		Mar 09 2024
		Jim • Triplogs 2,343

Hiking	9.50 Miles	4,400 AEG

Hiking	9.50 Miles
	4,400 ft AEG		10 LBS Pack

no routes

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PrestonSands

Last weekend had the more pleasant weather, but I wasn't able to get out. Today seemed promising, and overall it was still pretty good. However, they were a bit off on the forecast as it was pretty cloudy, rather cool and moist and I had some graupel on the summit. Still, nice, and 80 degrees by early next week!

Preston joined me to the cave, and I hiked the rest. Felt strong, which was also nice. I should be good for my trip to China tomorrow. Views of the Chiricahua were really nice, and so hopefully they are tomorrow, too. A surprising amount of snow was visible.

Everything is wet and the soil seems saturated. I was pleased to see a few inches of sloppy melting snow around the summit, but I expect it to be gone in a day or two. Things are very green here below 4000', almost like late monsoon season. Birds are very active in the desert, not much up high aside from scrub jays, but they were vociferous.

Wildflowers Observation Isolated
Very light down in the desert. Penstemons are growing and will probably be flowering later in the month or early in April.

	Finger Rock Canyon	Light flow	Light flow
	Where it matters, there is water. Both up high, and down low. None visible in the deep canyon.

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1 archive

Feb 17 2024

Guides 76
Routes 198
Photos 10,258
Triplogs 2,343

46 male

Joined Sep 08 2006

Tucson, AZ

Hiking		Feb 17 2024
		Jim • Triplogs 2,343

Hiking	9.50 Miles	4,400 AEG

Hiking	9.50 Miles
	4,400 ft AEG		10 LBS Pack

no routes

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PrestonSands

When conditions are optimal, it is nice to be able to hike Kimball often. Thus, with a close drive and high return for the investment, I was back on Kimball. Good times.

Preston joined me for the finger rock section to the alcove or cave.

The snow is mostly gone and the water flow is diminished, but still pretty strong. Surprisingly quiet for the weather.

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Feb 13 2024

Guides 76
Routes 198
Photos 10,258
Triplogs 2,343

46 male

Joined Sep 08 2006

Mount Kimball via Pima Canyon Trail

Tucson, AZ

Hiking		Feb 13 2024
		Jim • Triplogs 2,343

Hiking	9.50 Miles	4,400 AEG

Hiking	9.50 Miles
	4,400 ft AEG

no routes

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About the wettest I have seen it here. A lot of flowing water and still a lot of snow up high, but that will melt fast. Good air quality, mild, and pretty nice. No wind, which was also great.

There is a lot of trickling and flowing water on rocks that freezes at night, so wait for it to melt if you're heading up high.

	Finger Rock Canyon	Medium flow	Medium flow
	Lots of snow melt water from the canyon bottom to the top.

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1 archive

Jan 23 2024

finkmartin

Triplogs 2

male

Joined Jan 17 2024
Eugene, OR

Mount Kimball via Pima Canyon Trail

Tucson, AZ

Hiking		Jan 23 2024
		finkmartin • Triplogs 2

Hiking	13.65 Miles	4,550 AEG

Hiking	13.65 Miles
	4,550 ft AEG

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Mount Kimball - Pima Canyon Traverse

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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.

Jan 20 2024

Guides 76
Routes 198
Photos 10,258
Triplogs 2,343

46 male

Joined Sep 08 2006

Tucson, AZ

Hiking		Jan 20 2024
		Jim • Triplogs 2,343

Hiking	9.50 Miles	4,400 AEG

Hiking	9.50 Miles
	4,400 ft AEG		10 LBS Pack

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With overcast sky conditions I wasn't going to go do Window Peak today. Made the right choices as it was still rather cool on the summit and not that nice with the clouds. The snow is all gone. Perhaps there will be some more by Wednesday. No other real changes.

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Jan 13 2024

Guides 76
Routes 198
Photos 10,258
Triplogs 2,343

46 male

Joined Sep 08 2006

Tucson, AZ

Hiking		Jan 13 2024
		Jim • Triplogs 2,343

Hiking	9.50 Miles	4,400 AEG

Hiking	9.50 Miles
	4,400 ft AEG		10 LBS Pack

no routes

Linked

none

no linked trail guides

Partners

none

no partners

Gorgeous day! I didn't do this on New Year's Day due to the lousy weather, and I was rewarded with perfect conditions. Cold, clear, dry, sunny, with clean air and good visibility. Just a perfect winter hiking day, in Arizona. There was a fair amount of snow, too, but trail conditions were perfect and the snow was grippy where it mattered. This was an awesome first hike of substance, for 2024.

I learned that Window Peak is probably doable from Ventana Canyon as there has been trail work along the Esperero Trail including brush work. A crew was building some stairs on the lower finger rock trail before the cave, and there has been additional work lower down.

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Jan 10 2024

LindaAnn

Guides 112
Routes 2,331
Photos 9,375
Triplogs 2,682

45 female

Joined Dec 24 2007
Ahwatukee, AZ

Tucson, AZ

Hiking		Jan 10 2024
		LindaAnn • Triplogs 2,682

Hiking	10.50 Miles	4,306 AEG

Hiking	10.50 Miles	7 Hrs 15 Mns	1.64 mph
	4,306 ft AEG	51 Mns Break

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Mountain_Rat

Route Recorded on Route Scout | Pop | Map | Popup | MapDEX

Met Matt at the Finger Rock trailhead and got started by 0730. First mile was easy, then it got steep, as expected. Shed my top shirt and was fine with just a sun hoodie. Snow on the trail starting about 1/4 before the turn to Linda Vista Saddle, and then snow most of the way up to the summit of Kimball. Never more than about 2” deep. I had brought traction just in case, but didn’t need to use it, so just extra weight in my pack.

Lunch at the summit, then headed back down. A few slippery spots, but no incidents. Warming up after a while, made me wish I had worn shorts. Saw about 15 other hikers on the lower couple of miles. Fun day, good workout, and good to see Matt again!

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Stop crying and just go do the hike.

1 archive

Jan 10 2024

Mountain_Rat

Guides 11
Routes 123
Photos 826
Triplogs 258

male

Joined Jul 14 2011
Tucson, AZ

Tucson, AZ

Hiking		Jan 10 2024
		Mountain_Rat • Triplogs 258

Hiking	10.50 Miles	4,306 AEG

Hiking	10.50 Miles	7 Hrs 15 Mns		1.64 mph
	4,306 ft AEG	51 Mns Break	19 LBS Pack

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LindaAnn

Linda and I set this up about a week ago under the assumption that there would be more snow, and while the forecasts fell short we still spent half of the day in some degree of the wonderful whiteness. Fortunately the snow held it's form since it fell last Sunday keeping the ice and slush to a minimum. After a long ascent, we had a well deserved gourmet feast at the peak then retraced our tracks home. Couldn't beat the weather today - mildly chilly to start, a bit warmer leaving the lower canyon, hugging the low to mid 40s all the way to the peak, then warming mile by mile into the upper 50s for the return.

Great day, great trail and always great to see Linda again.

	Finger Rock Canyon	Dry	Dry
	Still the few pools on the hard rock bottom of the canyon, but even they are looking pretty low.

Finger Rock Spring

Dry

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Nov 17 2023

Guides 76
Routes 198
Photos 10,258
Triplogs 2,343

46 male

Joined Sep 08 2006