Tucson Mountain Park - Brown Mountain Trail

Author's Comments

The first time I walked Brown Mountain I went the wrong direction at the trailhead and ended up climbing the ridge with the sun already low, which turned out to be the best mistake I have made in the Tucson Mountains. The trail rides a low spine between two valleys, and the saguaros up there grow in a density that does something strange to scale. From the ridgeline you can see the Tucson basin on one side and Avra Valley on the other, and in the last forty minutes of light the whole landscape simplifies into silhouette and warm sky. This is a winter trail. November through February the air clarifies and the low sun stays useful for hours rather than minutes. Summer here is not a question worth asking. What I love about Brown Mountain is that the saguaros stand on the ridge itself rather than below it, which means you can position yourself so they break the horizon. A long lens compresses the line of them into something almost processional. A wide lens lets the sky do the work. Both are worth carrying. The hike out in darkness is part of the bargain. Bring a headlamp and do not pretend you will be quick about packing up after the sun drops, because you will not be. The afterglow over Avra Valley lasts longer than you expect, and the saguaros hold their shape against it until the very last of the light is gone.

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