Almost to Romero Pools

Starting in Catalina State Park and ending above Romero Pools in the Coronado National Forest, the Romero Pools hike is a bit challenging and very beautiful. Michael and I set out the morning of March 6, 2006. The hike is a little under 6 miles round trip with about a thousand foot change in elevation! Canyons, rocks, Saguaro Cacti, and lizards accompany you as you hike and climb. It’s really quite beautiful in a desert sort of way! Click on each picture for a 800×600 version.

Just starting out. The path is broad and sandy. Kinda hard to trudge through. Almost like walking on the beach! Sand in your shoes is not a good thing latter in the hike.

We’re heading up there! Just to the left of center.

Just a pretty shot of a ravine on our right on the way up.

Lots of places to perch and ponder.

This hike really is a better work out than the stairmaster! At least here there is scenery, and you use more muscles keeping your balance, etc.

Almost to the top! That’s Oro Valley behind Michael and a thousand feet lower. All the big flat rocks up here. It would be a great spot to bring a sleeping bag and crash under the stars!

I actually combined two photos for this pic. It’s hundreds of feet almost straight down from where these pictures were taken (the camera tends to flatten things out). There was very little water in the pools below. You can’t see them here, but that dark spot just right of center is one of them. It’s been EXTREMLY dry this Winter. The actual pools are another half mile up the trail, but I didn’t find that out until I went hiking about a month after this hike with Michael!

Heading back down with gravity on your side! Still, stepping down some of the steep grades can be tricky, especially in rocky areas.

I’m not sure if you can make out the parking lot on the other side of the wash.

I saw a roadrunner run across the wash here just after I took this picture.

and a good time was had by all!