HIKE OF THE MONTH

T E X T B YS A MN E G R I P H O T O G R A P H B Y R A N D YP R E N T I C E From the December 1997 Issue

	The Pontatoc Ridge Trail in the Catalinas Proves Short but Sweet
	When I arrived at the end of the short but relatively steep Pontatoc Ridge Trail, my first thought was that I should have stopped a half mile sooner. It's nice to have a payoff when you climb a rocky trail in the desert, and the payoff on this trail is at the saddle just below the end of it. There I found a nice view of Tucson and its surrounding mountains to the south and east and an excellent view of a saguaro forest and Finger Rock in the Santa Catalina Mountains to the north. The Pontatoc Ridge Trail is as close to Tucson as you can get without falling into a real estate office. It begins at the north end of Alvernon Way, at the base of the Catalinas and next door to a subdivision called Tucson Country Club Estates. Teenagers like to socialize at the beginning of the trail. As a result, I saw many little paths off the main trail going this way and that. I kept bearing left to stay on the main trail. In the first mile, it dips into three different drainages. The last one is narrow and the best defined, and if there has been any rain, there'll be some pools and wildflowers. The climb out of the last wash is a series of steep switchbacks that lead to a sign saying Pontatoc Ridge Trail No. 411 continues to the right. If you go left, you'll be headed down into Pontatoc Canyon. The trail levels off for a short distance after the sign and leads to a promontory where I caught the first of many fine views of the Tucson basin. As I climbed off the first flat ridge, I discovered it was easy to lose the trail for brief periods. I watched for cairns marking the trail and kept heading north and east. The Pontatoc Ridge Trail extends 2.6 miles one way from beginning to end. If you go the full distance, you will find the trail ends at an abandoned mine tunnel. The tunnel goes back into the rock about 200 feet, but rangers of the Coronado National Forest, in which the trail and mine are located, advise against going into it because it's dangerous. The next time I take this hike, I'll stop at the saddle and have lunch and then head back down. It's about a half- or quarter-mile climb to the mine tunnel, and the going is steep. I stayed at the top for about two minutes, turned around, and went back down to the saddle, enjoying the light drizzle of a late January morning.
	The preceding was published as the "Hike of the Month" in the December 1997 issue of Arizona Highways. For full details on the monthly hikes, subscribe to the magazine by calling toll-free (800) 543-5432.
	For directions to the Pontatoc Ridge Trail trailhead and a map of the area, click here. Now that you're in Arizona, come hike the ... Red Ridge Trail -- From the November 1997 Issue Kachina Trail -- From the October 1997 Issue Cactus Forest Trail -- From the September 1997 Issue Coal Mine Canyon Trail -- From the August 1997 Issue Hack Canyon Trail -- From the July 1997 Issue Cherum Peak Trail -- From the June 1997 Issue Lava River Cave -- From the May 1997 Issue Sendero Esperanza Trail -- From the April 1997 Issue Woodchute Mountain No. 102 Trail -- From the March 1997 Issue Pico del Aguila -- From the February 1997 Issue Bassett Peak Trail -- From the January 1997 Issue Goat Camp Trail -- From the December 1996 Issue Romero Canyon Trail -- From the November 1996 Issue Black Canyon Trail -- From the October 1996 Issue Gadsden Trail -- From the September 1996 Issue Weatherford Trail -- From the August 1996 Issue Col. Devin Trail -- From the July 1996 Issue Nelson Trail -- From the June 1996 Issue Turkey Creek Trail -- From the May 1996 Issue Frye Mesa -- From the April 1996 Issue Blackett's Ridge Trail -- From the March 1996 Issue Lutz Canyon Trail -- From the February 1996 Issue Charlie Bell Pass -- From the January 1996 Issue Brown Mountain -- From the December 1995 Issue Table Top Mountain -- From the November 1995 Issue Silver Peak Trail -- From the October 1995 Issue