Cool mountain sanctuaries in the middle of the sweltering desert, the Sky Islands are stepping stones to the tropics, allowing exotic creatures like elegant trogons and even jaguars to visit Arizona. One of these ranges, the Santa Rita Mountains lie just miles from the Mexican border and are one of the stomping grounds of El Jefe, the first jaguar to be seen in the United States in several years.

Depending on water and vehicle availability, we’ll improvise a loop through lovely Florida and Madera Canyons, enjoying ravishing views across the desert into Mexico. Waking up to the chorus of tropical songbirds, we’ll summit Mt. Wrightson on our layover day -- at 9,456’ the tallest point in the Santa Rita Mountains.

This will be a strenuous two-night backpack, covering over 20 miles at high elevation over three days at a purposeful pace over very rugged terrain, so this trip is suitable only for experienced backpackers in good condition. Because of the strenuous nature of this trip, the leader reserves the right to qualify participants. This is a consciously low-impact outing, so carpool participation is encouraged and participants are urged to contribute to their vehicle’s shared mileage, gas and parking costs.

This trip is strictly dependent upon a favorable weather forecast. A National Weather Service forecast of rain within 72 hours of our start will cancel or re-route this trip at the discretion of the leader, as will fewer than three confirmed signups as of 8:00pm, Wednesday, May 15. This trip will be by individual commissary, and we’re not planning any shared meals, so please plan to provide your own supply of food.

We’ll meet at the Shea/SR-51 (Dreamy Draw) Park-and-Ride at 10418 N 33rd St at 7:00am (SHARP!) on Friday morning. Tucson-based hikers, please contact leader for alternate meetup.