The Canyon PDF

# The Canyon ## The Canyon As the morning sun clears the mountain ridges to the east, it dapples the foliage of juniper, oak, and pine below with warm golden light. Looking up through the trees toward the peaks that have delayed the sunrise, it is easy to imagine being nestled deep within a wooded...

# The Canyon ## The Canyon As the morning sun clears the mountain ridges to the east, it dapples the foliage of juniper, oak, and pine below with warm golden light. Looking up through the trees toward the peaks that have delayed the sunrise, it is easy to imagine being nestled deep within a wooded canyon of the Sierra Nevada or the Rocky Mountains. But gazing lower to the forest floor, you are amazed to notice Palmer’s agaves, Schott’s yuccas or Engelmann’s prickly pears growing amidst the trees. The realization slowly seeps in that this is not the Rockies or the Sierras, but actually the heart of “desert” Arizona. You are immersed in the lush vegetation of Madera Canyon, an emerald oasis in one of Arizona’s Sky Island mountain ranges high above the surrounding desert. In the arid valley below the canyon, the rocky ground is studded with spiny cactus, brittle shrubs and scrubby trees baking dry under a glaring sun. Pecan groves and communities exist here only with intensive irrigation, the greenery artificially induced. But upon driving the road that stretches up from the Santa Cruz Valley over the foothills to Madera Canyon, the temperature imperceptibly begins to moderate with the climb into the mountains. As the temperature cools and the humidity rises with altitude, the desert scrub gives way to grassland that, in turn, transitions to scattered woods at the canyon mouth. The density of trees becomes greatest along Madera Creek, and under their cooling shade it is possible to find respite from the desert below, to take refuge from the sun as people both prehistoric and modern have done for centuries. Madera Canyon is located on the west slope of the Santa Rita Mountains in southeastern Arizona, 11 miles from the town of Green Valley, approximately 45 miles south of Tucson and nearly 55 miles north of Nogales at the Mexican border. An extensive mountain range in the borderlands between two countries, the Santa Ritas are nearly 30 miles long, running predominantly north to south, and 20 miles wide at their greatest width, east to west. The origin of Madera Canyon, high among the peaks, is almost at the geographic center of the mountain range, roughly 31°43′ latitude by 110°52′ longitude. The canyon is at the approximate latitude of Ensenada, Mexico; El Paso, Texas; and Savannah, Georgia. ## The Nature of Madera Canyon Part of the Coronado National Forest’s Nogales Ranger District and comprising approximately 4,600 acres, the canyon descends from between the tallest peaks in the Santa Rita range. Looking up and to the north from the canyon floor and following the Santa Rita crest clockwise along the entire rim of the canyon, the highest summits of the range are visible. These peaks include Mt. McCleary (8,357 feet), Mt. Ian (9,146 feet-name unofficial), Mt. Wrightson (9,453 feet), Josephine Peak (8,478 feet) and Pete Mountain (7,661 feet). The huge granite monolith that terminates the southwest ridge of the canyon, Elephant Head (5,461 feet), is a prominent local landmark observable for miles from the Santa Cruz Valley below. Access to the canyon is provided by White House Canyon Road, which originates in the pecan groves of the small community of Continental on the old Tucson-Nogales Highway, just east of the I-19 freeway in Green Valley. Madera Canyon is approximately 4 miles in length and forms a large bowl-shaped basin descending northwest from the peaks and connecting ridges above. Narrow, rocky side-canyons plunge steeply from the Santa Rita crest and connect into the broader main canyon below. Water from snow, rain and natural springs drain down these side-canyons in small, intermittent tributary creeks, forming a seasonal stream which flows out of the mountains west to the Santa Cruz River in the valley below. The water in the Santa Cruz historically flows north towards the Gila River. The Gila in turn runs west across the heart of Arizona’s Sonoran Desert and empties into the once mighty Colorado River, which terminates finally in the Gulf of California. During most years these rivers no longer flow continuously in their lower reaches, having been drained by urban and agricultural demands. Madera Creek, with its springs and tributaries, nonetheless, provides sufficient water to support the lush plant growth found in Madera Canyon, forming an oasis in the parched Sonoran Desert. Looking westward from Madera Canyon, many southeastern Arizona mountain ranges can be seen: the Rincon, Santa Catalina, Tortolita and Tucson Mountains to the north; the Sierrita, Cerro Colorado and Baboquivari Mountains to the west; and the Tumacacori and Atascosa/Pajarito Mountains to the southwest. Looking eastward on a clear day from the summit of Mt. Wrightson or Mt. Hopkins, a hiker may glimpse the Empire, Galiuro, Winchester and Pinaleño Mountains to the northeast; the Whetstone, Dragoon, Dos Cabezas and Chiricahua Mountains to the east; the Canelo Hills snug against the Huachuca Mountains to the southeast; and the Patagonia and San Cayetano Mountains to the south. Further to the southeast the Sierra San Jose and Sierra Ajo rise across the border in Mexico. Five seasons are often described for southeast Arizona-spring, dry summer, summer monsoon, fall and winter. Temperatures range widely at Madera Canyon depending upon the season, as well as the altitude. Typical spring daytime temperatures average 70 to 80°F in the valley to 50 to 60°F up in the mountains. Dry summer and summer monsoon temperatures average 20° warmer, but the humidity is much higher during the monsoon, and afternoon thunder showers may cool temperatures down significantly. The average date of the first 100°F day of the year is May 27th, and the hottest day on record for the area was 117°F in Tucson on June 26, 1990. Average fall daytime temperatures run from 70 to 85°F in the valley to 50 to 60°F in the mountains, decreasing as winter approaches. Typical winter daytime temperatures range from 60 to 70°F in the Santa Cruz Valley to 20 to 40°F in the mountains. A definite winter season occurs in the higher mountains of southeastern Arizona, with many nights falling below freezing temperatures. The first killing frost of winter normally occurs between September 30 and October 30; the last usually falls between March 20 and April 30. Several thousand feet lower in the Santa Cruz Valley, the winter season is more temperate. The first killing frost of the winter generally does not occur until sometime between October 30 and November 30; the last usually falls between February 28 and March 20. Winter minimum low temperatures rarely drop much below 10°F in the mountains, but subzero temperatures have been recorded on the highest peaks nearby (-4°F on Mt. Lemmon in the Santa Catalina Mountains just to the north in January, 1960). Freezing temperatures and snow were recorded from Tucson and the surrounding area on Easter Sunday, April 4, 1999, when the road to Madera Canyon was temporarily closed due to the snow. Precipitation also varies greatly with the seasons. Though annual rainfall averages 20 inches in Madera Canyon and 12 inches in the Santa Cruz Valley, most of the precipitation falls at particular times of the year. Winter rains, from storms originating in the Gulf of Alaska and sweeping down across the western United States, typically start in late November and continue until mid-February; the coldest of these weather fronts can produce considerable snowfall in the higher altitudes. Although rapidly melting and evaporating snow accumulations of 4 to 12 inches are common in the Santa Ritas, strong individual winter storms have dropped over 3 feet of snow in some years. Spring typically brings gentle rains along with gusty winds and gradually warming temperatures in late February through April. Spring rains, like the winter storms, often result from the trailing southern edge of cold fronts sweeping down across Arizona from the Pacific Northwest. Dry summer usually commences in May, when extremely low humidity, scarce to nonexistent rainfall and broiling temperatures can bake the region through June. Summer temperatures in the valley may exceed 110°F. The summer monsoon is caused by a seasonal shift in the prevailing northwesterly winds. This shift pulls tropical atmospheric moisture into the region, initially from the Gulf of Mexico, and later the Gulf of California, across northern Mexico into the southwest United States. Humidity increases well above the 10 to 20% of dry summer, and the dew point rises above 55°. Usually beginning in early July, but in some years delayed until August, the monsoon phenomena combines the great increase in atmospheric moisture with intense summer daytime heating and mountainous terrain to produce scattered thunderstorms. The moist air flows northward against the mountains, then rises and cools very quickly, condensing to create billowing thunderheads that rise for tens of thousands of feet. Rain from these generally small storms can be locally very heavy, causing afternoon and evening temperatures to drop dramatically. Fall begins with a change in the prevailing winds and the cessation of the northerly monsoonal moisture flow near mid-September, bringing a return to the dry and hot conditions reminiscent of dry summer. There is little to no rain, except when chubascos, Pacific hurricanes or tropical depressions, bring moisture north into Arizona across the Baja Peninsula and the Gulf of California. As the autumn sun slips further into the southern sky with each passing day, the decreasing angle of intense solar radiation falls on the tender sides of plants, even slipping under the protective foliage of trees and shrubs, killing the summer annuals and desiccating the rest. Gusty winds coupled with very low humidity additionally stress the plants and suck the last memories of monsoonal moisture from the earth. By early to mid-October the sun and heat begin to dissipate, and cooler temperatures prevail as winter inexorably approaches. Little rain is expected before mid-November, except for rare exceptions during El Niño years. The cyclical El Niño phenomena can bring substantial amounts of rain to southern Arizona and has caused extensive flooding on occasion. With high mountain peaks, forested slopes, intermittent streams and an amazing variety of plants and wildlife, Madera Canyon and the Santa Rita Mountains have become a popular recreation destination. Hiking trails traverse much of the mountain range from many approaches, but the only major paved trailhead access to the Santa Ritas is from Madera Canyon. Within the canyon itself are two paved loop trails, with wheelchair accessible toilet facilities, that provide superb access for the very young, disabled and elderly. Several guidebooks have been written about hiking in the Santa Ritas. These books provide excellent information and background on the trails, approaches and access to trailheads, hiking conditions, walking distances and necessary preparation; the titles are listed in the bibliography. There are several family picnic areas in the canyon, though these facilities can fill up early on summer weekends and holidays. The Santa Rita Lodge and Bog Springs Campground, both in the heart of the canyon, provide facilities for people desiring overnight accommodations. Madera Canyon has become world famous for its diverse flora and fauna. Many of the plants and animals found here cannot be seen in the United States outside the Sky Islands of southeastern Arizona. Wildlife viewing, particularly birding, but also mammal, reptile and insect watching, is a major draw for nature enthusiasts. The hiking trails in the canyon create access to a number of different habitats, providing excellent opportunities to see a wide variety of plants and animals. The Santa Rita Lodge and the local volunteer organization, the Friends of Madera Canyon, sponsor interpretive activities led by naturalists.