On the afternoon of Wednesday, November 16, 2022, my Bold Bison co-owner, Patrick, and I continued our day of desert adventure in the Rincon Mountain District on the east side of Saguaro National Park. We had already spent the morning in the Tucson Mountain District to the west and had had lunch in Tucson as we headed east to the Rincons. It was the final day of my week-and-a-day-long birthday trip to Tucson before heading home to Chicago the next day.
It was already after 1:30pm when we started onto the Loop Road in the Rincon Mountain District.
The road was all but abandoned that Wednesday afternoon. It was quite a different experience from what Sean and I had had the previous Friday afternoon.
Patrick and I took the road slower, stopping often so he could capture photos.
Despite its being so empty of people, at one pullout we did encounter a plein air painting party, which was delightful.
We had Javelina Rocks all to ourselves, so we lingered there for a while, climbing around, exploring, and snapping photos.
(We did have a bit of intrusion from an unnecessarily anxious client. I took a quick call while Patrick wandered around.)
He is fairly certain he heard some Javelinas in the grass, but he didn’t see them.
The Loop Road completed, we stopped one-last-for-real-and-for-true time at the Visitor Center before heading over to Douglas Spring Trailhead.
This afternoon truly was mirroring the afternoon Sean and I spent in the foothills of the Rincons, except Patrick and I skipped the splendid hike up Tanque Verde Ridge. We also arrived at this trailhead an hour earlier than Sean and I had, giving us two hours of wandering the maze of intersecting trails before sunset.
Ah, the Sonoran Desert! What a magical place. I hope to return again and again and again.
We encountered some extremely fresh Coyote scat on the trail, and we were thrilled to hear some Coyote yips very close by.
We also scanned and smelled for Javelinas. But no. No Javelinas.
We did spot a Mule Deer up on a slope though.
The sun plunged toward the Tucson Mountains and that glorious desert light returned.
Patrick declared the hike “a great conclusion.”
On the way back to The Graduate, we stopped briefly at Broadway Trailhead to try a last-ditch scan for Javelinas. Nothing.
“They don’t exist,” said Patrick.
That night we made Bold Bison plans over smash burgers and drinks at The Moonstone on the top floor of our hotel.
We decided not to go back into the Park for sunrise, but instead to sleep in before we had to head to the airport.
Or at least Patrick decided. I couldn’t resist one last attempt to see a Javelina. So I prepped my pack for the morning and went to bed.
Next morning, Thursday, November 17, 2022, I was up and out the door by 6:20am and at Broadway Trailhead in the Rincon Mountain District by ten to seven, mirroring Sean’s and my arrival for the guided Ranger hike the previous Friday.
I set out as morning light broke across the Santa Catalinas. I was confident. Determined. A man on a mission.
I found a trail that dropped into a wash and then I slowed down, scanning for tracks, listening, smelling for Javelinas.
Sure enough, I spotted some Javelina tracks.
As it had the previous Friday, an explosion of birdsong greeted the sun when it crested the Rincons.
I saw no Javelinas that day.
But Sean had left me a Javelina sticker when he departed at the beginning of that week.
Back at the hotel, I showered, packed my things, finished the yogurts in the mini-fridge. Then met Patrick in the lobby to head to the airport.
We returned the rental car and said goodbye as he headed off to his United gate and I to my American gate. Each loyal to a different airline, we virtually never fly on the same flight.
In the gate area, I was called up to the gate by the agent. She asked if I would mind switching my seat so that a mother and her kids could sit together. The mother was standing there next to me, and I got the vibe that she was being demand-y with the agent. I was loathe to give up my window seat and its views for an aisle seat, but the gate agent was really nice, so I did it for the agent.
The mother didn’t say a word. She didn’t even acknowledge me. So after the agent thanked me and I said, “You’re welcome,” I turned to the mother I had just given up my seat for and said, “You’re welcome too.” She still didn’t say thank you. Entitled nonsense person. The agent very subtly rolled her eyes at her.
Later as I was boarding, the agent mouthed “Thank you” at me. Again, I did it for her, not the ungrateful mother.
On the flight, I caught up on notes.
It was flurrying when we landed in Chicago.
When I got to the apartment, Sean was out seeing Elf the Musical. He had made curry and left it on the stove. His curry recipe is one of my favorites.
And Elsa was very happy to see me.