Mt Lemmon 7/9/11

Finally the monsoon has shown itself and the hiking trails on the Catalina mountains have opened back up.  We took quick advantage to get out of the heat for a little while and headed up the mountain on 7/9.  We hit the always trusty Marshall Gulch area.  Surprisingly it wasn't that crowded!  We decided to head up the Aspen trail this time for a change of scenery from Marshall Gulch.

It was 72 degrees to start the hike.  What a great change from 102 that is was back at the house in Tucson.  The trail was nice and great, full of life.  The gigantic swarming flies were a little bothersome at times but as long as we kept moving they weren't too bad.  We found a little horny toad who let us get close and personal.

Horny Toad in Catalina Mountains

Max, the Chocolate Lab, was pretty wooped just after climbing up Aspen.  I guess it was still a bit hot for him.  We decided to head back down Marshall Gulch trail instead of heading to Lemmon Pools this time.  Either way it was a nice escape for a couple hours and some decent exercise.  Already looking forward to the fall!