On Friday, February 12, I climbed Safford Peak in the Tucson Mountains west of Marana. Safford Peak has 1063 feet of topographic prominence; many times I have noted its distinctive profile as I bicycled the bike paths in Marana and Oro Valley.

Friday morning I parked at the Sanctuary Cove located below the northeast face of Safford Peak. Sanctuary Cove is a private property open to the public and intended as “a place of quiet prayer, meditation and self reflection in the undisturbed environment”. Several trails wind through the property.

I followed a hiking trail from Sanctuary Cove upslope towards Safford Peak. This trail led along a ridge above the cove and turned up towards the steep east-facing cliffs of the peak. I paused many times to enjoy the views.

Eventually a climbers’ trail climbed up to the east base of the cliffs, then traversed just below the south-facing cliffs to reach an open talus slope.

This cairned trail climbed up the steep and loose talus to a ridge, traversed east to reach to the summit ridge. There were a few spots of easy scrambling to make the outing seem like a climb. I was passed twice by solo hikers on the way up but they did not linger.

I soon reached the summit and had it to myself. I enjoyed the views and recognized most of the local peaks. It is always fun to view familiar peaks from a new perspective. The summit register had many entries – this is a popular destination.

After enjoying the summit views for half an hour I was ready to descend. Two other climbers joined me at the summit and I soon left them so they could enjoy the views on their own. I passed two other pairs of hikers on my hike down the mountain; I expect this is a busy trail on weekends.

A Black-throated Sparrow (Amphispiza bilineata) landed on a cholla nearby as I descended the trail. I was glad to have my camera in hand and was finally able to get a good photo of one.

I will remember this scenic climb whenever I see Safford Peak again from the bike trails.