March 1, 2017 Wednesday – Catalina State Park, Tucson, AZ, USA
2017 Southern Arizona & Astronomy
Catalina State Park is on North Oracle Road – another park just a few miles from where I’m staying. The entrance fee is $7 for a day pass. I park the car in the lot at the trail head and then start walking. There is a small stream flowing through a wash which has to be crossed, but I manage to step and balance on rocks, not getting wet in the process. The first trail I try is the Canyon Loop Trail, but it proves to be too much for me given that the sun is shining and I have no sunscreen on.
So after 20 minutes, I turn back and choose the Birding Trail. It is flat, has some shade, and is a whole lot more interesting. There are indeed lots of birds on this trail, including a nesting pair of Great Horned Owls. I also come across a huge number of bees swarming on a blooming tree. They are all up at the top of the tree, but I can hear them buzzing. Even this trail is a mile loop, which is somewhat strenuous on such a warm day, so I return to the car, leaving the park by 10AM. There are lots of local people at this park, and there is a campground.
