Written by Iman Chatila, Wild Stew Field Crew Member.
This hitch Iman, Chloe, Clay, Eric, Jonathan, and Charlotte took a short but arduous hike up the Finger Rock Trail in the Santa Catalina Mountains north of Tuscon. Lynne Westerfield, our Stewardship Program Director, also joined on the first day, carrying in 5 gallons of water for us! The task: working with Eric Ruljancich of Outslope Trail Solutions on a two mile connector trail between Finger Rock and Pontatoc. The trailhead is right on the edge of town, making it one of the most popular hiking destinations in Tucson, and this connector provides an opportunity to hike an approximately 8 mile loop. Although it is so close to the city, there is no mistake that this is a wilderness area. The mountain is as beautiful as it is rugged.
After setting up camp on Linda Vista Saddle we had the important task of securing our water. In an area with no natural water source this time of year, we had to rely on other methods. Luckily for us, Eric had come up earlier in the year after the rain, and was able to cache many gallons of water for us to use. In addition, we had water delivered to us by others, including former crew leader Nico! With our basic needs met, we were able to focus on the hard part: rock removal, digging tread, and perfecting our backslope and outslope.
We made quick work of some of the sections with softer soil, however most of the terrain is full of large rocks which must be dug and then pried out with a rock bar, before the trail can be cut in. Overall, our headway paid off and next hitch we will be returning to focus more on the details of a quality trail.
