In March I took a trip to Tucson, AZ. One of my goals was to hike to the top of Mt. Wrightson. It's the tallest peak in the Santa Rita Mountains. I included a few of my favorite photos. All photos were taken with my Motorola X cell phone. The mountain was gorgeous and I recommend visiting Madera Canyon to anyone who happens to be near Tucson.
View from the summit, looking south. You can see all the way to Mexico!
The hike to the top starts in Madera Canyon. It's amazing how green the canyon was compared to the desert below. I believe the tree in this shot is an Arizona Sycamore.
View from the summit. The large blue and white feature on the opposite side of the highway is an open-pit copper mine. The mine is open for guided tours and I'd recommend it if you're interested in massive machinery.
View of neighboring Mount Hopkins and the observatory. A road leads up to the observatory and it is also open for tours. The whole observatory building rotates with the telescope.
Memorial to the three boy scouts who died during a blizzard on the mountain. I took a moment to pause here on my way back down.
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The next day I triumphantly pointed out the peak. The hike was rough, but manageable. I'd recommend spending a day in Madera Canyon. I enjoyed seeing some green and getting out of the desert heat. The mine tour and observatory tour are also worthwhile activities. There's a lot to do in Tucson and the surrounding area.
amazing @vir, we must have just missed each other. I went with a friend to summit Wrightson in late February, but was rebuffed by some snow and wind. Thanks for sharing!
What a coincidence! There was still some snow in the shady areas when I made it up there. Cool!