 I brought in my Halloween display and temporarily placed it on the bed in the 2nd bedroom. A friend looked at it and found the presentation to be kinda disgusting....I don't enjoy people who don't have a sense of humor, lol.  Whoa. Descending Christie Rd toward Ina Rd, either an emerging volcano or a fire in downtown Tucson.  Nearby to me is the Hacienda del Sol Guest Ranch. I've been largely oblivious to its existence but while riding by it thought, hey, later I should check it out. So I did. Check the awesome view of the mountains as the sun sets.  My friend Amy had a tree shift and did a pretty good job preventing it from tilting more so.....  ....I hammered these stakes into the ground and brought the tree back to vertical. Not bad if I do say so myself.  I love where I live in Ventana Canyon and there is always decent climbing as soon as I get on the bike. Beautiful too!  I prefer sunsets but the sunrises are also fabulous. The sun lights up Prominent Point and to its right, Finger Rock Guard. Finger Rock still in the shadows. I'm going to hike there in the next couple of weeks. Sitting on top of the Guard and looking directly at the Finger and all the surroundings, is amazing.  An unhealthy looking saguaro frames the moon.
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 I got in with the Cactus Club group ride in Oro Valley on a beautiful, fall morning. Here, we enter Catalina State Park with the western edge of the Catalinas looming over us.  The route included the climb up Magee Road. These pics were taken by ride organizer Mark M. I'm always panting too hard to organize my phone and take a pic.  I'm standing in my kitchen and a bobcat strolls by. I grab my phone, go outside and begin trotting toward it. Just before it turns into some bushes, I snag this pic. I thought better of rooting around in there for a better picture.  I was on Redington Road where there is a well known camel but rarely can you get a good pic of it because of the vegetation blocking the view or the time it spends in its covering. Today I was in luck!  A front came in but stayed well north, depositing a few clouds on this morning.  One of my ping pong buddies, Bill, wanted to check out the same canyon I visited a few days ago.  Wow! My first snake sighting in this canyon. Bill grabbed it, a harmless snake.  And then this happened. While bending over, my lone water bottle slipped from my pack and plunged into the water. I climbed down, coaxed it to the shore and retrieved it.  Bill acquitted himself well throughout. A couple of times he pioneered his own route rather than follow mine. Sometimes it worked, sometimes not.  The water level was so low beneath the 80' falls that I was able to climb and explore what turned out to be a very shallow cave. Fun times continue in southern AZ!
 How about that.....4" of snow on Mount Lemmon! Will be gone in a few days as temps push into the 80's down here, upper 50's up there.  One of my favorite "hikes" is Lower Tanque Verde canyon. Just a great, bouldering experience with no trails, simply an enjoyable route finding experience over, around and under giant boulders. It's not without some risk though.  I begin the descent and soon.....  ....see the canyon. Very disappointed to discover.....  ....an idiot or two painted a saguaro. Not sure if that can be undone. Descending to the canyon....  ....why the fu*k would anyone do this???? A group was preparing to power wash the paint off the boulders. They told me an investigation was underway but with scant evidence, I'm not optimistic the idiots will be found.  Recent rain had created many pools of water but not enough rain fell to produce a flow. Too bad as when the water flows, it is even a more spectacular environment.  Blocked by a wall over which water often flows, I find a way around it by climbing the right side of the canyon before....  ....reaching my destination, an 80' dry drop that blocks farther advance. It's a beautiful location even with no water pouring off the cliff. Only a 2 mile, round trip adventure but it's not the distance that makes it so much fun.  Here is a different perspective from above. A new trail has been added that brings one to this vantage point, which I visited a week ago.
 A good group of 15ish cyclists work our way to Redington Rd and climb to the end of the pavement to regroup. That I was not last was a shocking development!  Not too distant is Paul McCartney's ranch. Wonder how frequently he visits or if he even remembers he owns it?  I was wearing a new pair of Ohio State cycling socks! No one noticed:(  I love getting out in the morning and enjoying the sun rises. So beautiful with the mountains!  I headed to Catalina State Park, in Oro Valley, to scout a route. A friend wanted to check it out and I didn't want to embarrass myself by getting lost prior to leading the hike.  The western side of the Catalinas on this cloudy day.  Awesome looking at Leviathan Dome.  Returning from this 3 mile loop hike, I see a patch of saguaros on a nearby hill. Couple of those would be 200+ years old, judging my the size and quantity of arms.
 Rain was forecast but I thought I may get in a good hike prior to the rain's arrival. Within a few steps of my car, it began a steady rain so I put on this plastic cover. Never wore one before but it works well.  I began my hike from the Sendero Esperanza trailhead because it makes the hike a little shorter compared to the other options. I climb until I reach the Hugh Norris trail and my first look to the east....maybe I should have chosen a hike from there, instead.  The trail work is amazing as there are hundreds of granite steps to climb.  I crest a ridge and get a view to the southeast. Beautiful.  For the most part, the trails are not steep but this section, is an exception as I approach a final ridge from where I'll be able to see the peak.  I pause to look to the west and I may have a rain free hike for awhile as the rain has stopped..  And there it is with the trail visible taking me to the top.  I lingered at the peak for about 30 seconds. It was windy and cold and I was not dressed for this weather other than my thin, plastic, non breathing rain piece did act as a decent wind breaker.  I headed back and had a great view of Panther and Sombrero Peaks. Interesting how the white clouds behind almost mirror the ridge line.  Continuing the descent, clouds roll in below me. How cool to be above the clouds....but wait....  ...as I approach, they become thicker and soon....  ....I am socked in. I can see about 20' in front of me which isn't an issue since I was walking. Then, with a mile to go, it began raining, hard! Upon reaching my SUV, I was soaked. I had a dry shirt but the ride home with soaked clothing elsewhere was a tad cold. Finished with 8 miles and 1700' of climbing. My legs felt good throughout which surprised me, given the lack of hiking, previously.
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