Hiking Below Bighorn, in the Burn Area

Amy and I park at a small park in Ram's Pass subdivision.  It provides better access to the wilderness below Bighorn and Table Mountains rather than Catalina State Park.  We hike up a graded road with our goal being the ridge between Bighorn and Table in the distance.

We reach state land and the signs that warned of jail and/or fines for trespassing, now gone.  After about 2 miles of hiking.....

....we reach the Bighorn Fire burn area.  A pipe that used to deliver water to a large tank was destroyed by the fire (that's residue from the prior pipe alongside the new, blue pipe) but someone has laid a new pipe.  Now it just needs rain.

The fire damage is extensive yet there are.....

....signs like this burned Barrel Cactus, that some of the plants will survive.  While the needles have mostly burned off this cactus. the flowers are promising.

We followed a trail for awhile but it was leading us too far to the north so we went off trail.  Normally, this would be heavy bushwhacking but the hiking is easy.  In places, the amount of ash....

....is kind of deep with so much brush burned.  Of course....

....there is no avoiding the branches that are still standing but burned, which leaves black marks on our clothes.

In the middle, a saguaro is definitely dead but the mesquite tree in the distance has leaves wilted from the heat but maybe it will survive.

We close on our destination.  While much of the ridge is blocked by vertical walls, there is a "Y" that appears hikable. I thought these choke points would have burned but at this closer look, still chocked with plants.  Likely impenetrable so while Amy was more then willing to continue, I thought it a waste of time so convinced her to turn around.

We walked in areas that previously would have been largely impossible to visit.  The amount of large boulders which are normally hidden by the brush, is impressive.

During our off trail hike down, we found where the pipe originates.  It is set in cement in a small recess where water collects during rain.  Curious if water was in the tank we reached it.....

....but it was dry.  Amy, aka Axl Rose, poses in front.  We finished with a little less then 7 miles and 1500' of climbing.