Alamo Spring Trail

A shirt drive from home is the Tortolita Mountains with a nice variety of trails, none of which is a knee buckler, just modest climbing and plenty of it.  There is a staff of paid employees who keep the trails maintained.  Most trails start from the Wild Burrow parking lot and pass through this broad wash.

A short walk brings you to this station which has all the typical warnings about heat and deadly critters.  From this point I can continue on the Wild Burrow, opt for the Lower Javelina or for today, begin....

….climbing the Alamo Spring Trail.  Odd formation that gives the appearance each stone was placed by hand to form a wall. Once I ascend to the initial peak, what follows is a lot of up and down climbing through.....

….fairly thick vegetation typical of the Sonoran Desert.  

As this is just west of Oro Valley and on the eastern edge of Marana, there are good views of Kitt Peak and the Quinlan Mountains.

I reach a spur trail and decide to take it back down to the wash but before doing so, this gives a good view of looking to the northeast and what lays out there in the way of hiking.  The benefit of hiking here is the rigorous pace you can choose to set rather than monster climbing.  The most difficult climbs are in the 600-900' variety.

No matter the time of year, some plant always seems to be flowering and the recent rain has no doubt contributed.  Finished with 5.6 miles and 1200' of climbing.  Fun day on a beautiful day with highs in the low 80's.