180 Miles on the Arizona Trail-- Mexican Border to Tucson

The Arizona Trail is an 800 mile hiking, equestrian, bicycle route that runs across Arizona from Mexico to Utah. Its southern most point is at Border Monument 182 south of Sierra Vista Arizona and the northern terminal is near the Paria River in Utah a long ways away.The trail is segmented into 43 passages and Passage 10 is near Tucson. It was my goal to hike those passages from the border to Tucson.

On March 27th 2004, Neil F. and I started northward on foot. Neil backpacked with me to Canelo Pass about 43 miles away. That got us through the first two passages which included crossing over the Huachuca Mountains and passing by Parker Canyon Lake. On this hike which took us four days, we had two illegal alien encounters, saw tons of their trash, made contact with my wife who brought me a fuel container that I had forgotten, and saw a lot of neat country. We also made contact with a southbound hiker who had started in Utah 39 days before and was going to make the border on the 40th day for his 40th birthday.

Ernie,Neil at the Border	Loaded up	Into the Huachucas
Campsite	Parker Creek	Canelo Hills East

At Canelo Pass Neil returned to Tucson. I spent the next 1 1/2 days crossing the Canelo Hills West Passage of about 17 1/2 miles to the small town of Patagonia. On this passage, I shared the trail with a group of about 30 aliens. There was no incident. I spent the night of the second day in a motel, and met up with my son who re-supplied me for the next segments. He also took a couple of hikers who had found the walking too difficult out to pick up their car.

On April 1st, six days from the border, I hiked about 15 miles of the Temporal Gulch Passage to Bear Spring. There was an excellent campsite there with running water. Sometime that night it began to snow. It was still snowing by morning. I thought that I would wait it out. That night the snow was still coming down. Since I didn't know what the forecast was and was now off schedule to meet my son at Highway 83, I climbed a hilltop and called to have him pick me up the next day, April 3rd, at Tunnel Springs on the Gardner Canyon Road. When he picked me up I had walked about 80 miles from the border.

Canelo Hlls West

Bear Spring Campsite

What is this stuff?

My son Jerry gives me a ride

On April 6, Neil and I were driven back out to Tunnel Spring where we started our walk on the Santa Ritas Passage which is about 17.2 miles long. From Tunnel Spring it wanders past Kentucky Camp and several other old mines and then out to Oak Canyon at Highway 83. We took about a day and a half to do that trip. Neil had left his truck on the side of the road and again left me to walk alone. I continued on eastward that day on the Cienegas Passage, which in 2004, continued east under the highway to Cienega Creek and then north and east to the J Six Ranch exit on i 10. On April 8th, I was to my truck at my sister's house at J-Six which was about 31 miles from where I had left Neil. Although, it had not been continuous, I was feeling pretty good about chalking up 127 miles of the trail over 10-11 days of actual hiking.

Kentucky Camp

Neil Oak Canyon

Cienega Creek

It wasn't until April 23rd, that I was able to pick up the hike at J-6 exit and walk the Happy Valley Road about 17 miles northward to the trail needed to cross over the Rincons. Neil joined me that evening. The next day we walked over the Rincons to the Redington Pass area, 15 very steep miles. This was my first time to Manning Camp. On April 25th we picked up and hiked approximately 11 miles to camp at Caliente Creek. And then on April 26th, we hiked 18 very long miles through the Molino Basin Campground, Prison Camp, Sycamore Reservoir ,Sabino Basin and out to our pickup ride at the entrance of Sabino Canyon. From Molino Basin westward, the vegetation had been destroyed by fire and subsequent flooding had altered the terrain. In those areas the trail was very difficult to pick up and caused us quite a delay.

Happy Valley Road

Manning Camp

Near Caliente Creek

Sabino Basin

Neil, Ernie at the Takeout

So the mileage total from the Mexican border to Tucson was about 180-190 miles. We had done it in three sessions with 15 days spent on the trail.

Home