The park shuttle pulls out, and we begin our narrated ride through the canyon. About a half-mile down the road we are in complete shade, and it feels like the temperature has suddenly dropped about 20 degrees. Little wonder, since nighttime temperatures have been dropping into the low to mid-40s and it’s been nearly 17 hours since sunlight last penetrated this canyon. Those of us who left our long-sleeved shirts and light jackets in our vehicles are now beginning to regret that decision and hoping we will be back out in the sun very soon. But the longest stretch of this drive is in the deep cold shade of Sabino Canyon, a good thing on a warmer day, but not at this time of year. And the breeze in the open-air shuttle is certainly not helping either. B’rrr!

The entire Sabino Canyon Trail lies within the 57,000 acre Pusch Ridge Wilderness, created by Congress in 1978 to protect and preserve a pristine and unspoiled wilderness of saguaro-covered slopes, hidden side canyons, and mountaintop forests in the heart of the spectacular Santa Catalina Mountains.

About 2.5 miles from the trailhead the trail makes a sharp curve to the right as it veers to the east, and we begin descending west from the ridge into Sabino Basin. The basin is a large open area and a lush drainage where several canyons converge. Mexican blue oaks, cottonwood trees, and Arizona sycamores flourish in this desert oasis. It also serves as a major crossroads for hikers enroute to the wild and rugged backcountry of the Santa Catalinas, including an aggressive 12-mile trek to the top of 9,157-foot Mount Lemmon. We’ll save that one for a later date.

Just prior to reaching the basin we encounter a large group of about thirty hikers from a Tucson area school and stop to chat with them for a few minutes. At the next major trail junction we meet up with the rest of their group, as another twenty or so hikers file by us while we’re taking a break. This is the largest group of hikers we have ever encountered on any trail before and is yet another reminder of the popularity of this trail in the Santa Catalinas.

After we reach the bottom of Sabino Basin and make our first dry stream crossing, we hit the junction with the East and West Fork trails. To the right the East Fork Trail eventually drops into Bear Canyon. A left turn onto the West Fork Trail leads to Hutch’s Pool, another 1.6 miles ahead in the basin. We decide to take a rest break here at the junction and wait for the rest of our group to arrive before proceeding on to Hutch’s Pool.

Once we finally have everyone together and rested, we head out across Sabino Basin in search of Hutch’s Pool, which will be our lunch stop and turnaround point. The basin is primarily grasslands with a mix of manzanita, agave, sotol, and Mexican blue oak. It also marks the boundary between the Lower and the Upper Sonoran life zones. While hiking across the basin one of our hikers notes the scarcity of giant saguaros in the area, and there’s a very good explanation for that. This is the upper limit for saguaros within the Lower Sonoran life zone, approximately 3,500 feet in elevation. They are virtually non-existent in the Upper Sonoran life zone, dominated by the grasslands we’re hiking in now.

At 1.3 miles from the West Fork / East Fork Trailhead we come to our second stream crossing, this one with water in the form of small to medium-sized pools. We easily navigate the crossing on strategically placed steeping stones and boulders in the streambed. We continue hiking along the left bank of the stream as we make several more stream crossings and search for signs of Hutch’s Pool, making our way through tall stands of Arizona cypress, cottonwoods, and Arizona sycamores along the way. The trail to the pool is not too obvious, and after a couple of false starts Arturo goes down yet another path and finally locates the genuine article, 0.3 miles from the second crossing. Great navigation job, Arturo!

Hutch’s Pool is a very popular swimming hole in warmer weather, and at the peak of the summer season this area probably looks like a small version of New York’s Coney Island with hordes of swimmers and sunbathers.

Throughout the 1940s a Tucson area English teacher would periodically take his students on horseback rides through the Santa Catalinas. Whenever he came across a prominent landmark for the first time, it was customary for him to name it after one of his students. On one such ride from Sabino Canyon to the top of Mount Lemmon the teacher and his students came across what he later described as “the most beautiful pool in the Catalinas.” One of his students on that ride was Roger Hutchinson, and he named the pool Hutch’s Pool in his honor. Seventy years later, the name still sticks.

Just as the last leg of the trail getting to Hutch’s Pool is none too obvious, the same scenario applies in returning from the pool back to the main trail. We suddenly find ourselves scrambling over large boulders alongside the streambed as we search for the main trail. Kind of reminds me of our recent trek through LaBarge Canyon in the Superstitions while in search of the Narrows. But instead of finding the Narrows, most of us find ourselves mired down in a minefield of huge boulders choking the streambed, some the size of SUVs and city buses. That hike set a new standard for boulder scrambling.

After about ten minutes of some serious boulder hopping, Pathfinder Arturo comes to the rescue once again and locates an exit point that leads us back up to the main trail. We have a four-mile trek back to the trailhead, and we need to hustle to make it back before the last shuttle pick-up departs. We still have plenty of time though and don’t need to push it too hard. During one of our rest stops Rudy and Funyung perform a duet version of Amazing Grace, with Rudy on the harmonica and Funyung supplying the vocals. What an appropriate location to perform such a beautiful and touching song.

We make very good time on the hike back out, but shortly after coming into view of the trailhead we hear the shuttle slowly rumbling its way up the canyon road. So we put it into high gear over the last quarter-mile of trail, while carefully navigating across the rocky terrain, and just barely make it back in time to board the 3:30 shuttle back to the Visitor Center. Fortunately though there are two more pick-ups after this one. But for hikers who miss the last 4:50 shuttle from this point, the only remaining option is to hoof it down the road for another 3.8 miles back to the Visitor Center.

The shuttle ride back to the trailhead is certainly more comfortable than the teeth-chattering ride through the shady canyon earlier this morning. At ride’s end we clean up and stow away our gear before talking to one of the local park rangers outside the Sabino Canyon Visitor Center. Among other things, we ask him for his recommendations for local restaurants.

One of several on his short list is a nearby place called Risky Business, which is where we decide to cap off the day with good food and even better brew. A great finish to another successful day of hiking the amazing trails of Arizona. Great job, Arizona Trailblazers!