Table Mountain and Bighorn Peak via Pima Canyon in Coronado National Forest, AZ

Hike Table Mountain and Bighorn Peak via Pima Canyon Coronado National Forest, AZ

Class 2 9.8 miles 4100 gain 5-7 hrs Out + Back Oct 22, 2018
Effort
Beauty
Personality
Solitude

Table Mountain and Bighorn Peak via Pima Canyon GPX Track

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The Pusch Ridge is located on the edge of the Santa Catalina Mountains, just outside Tucson. After summitting Pusch Peak a few days ago as a scouting mission, I was hoping it would be possible to do the whole ridge. It looks like it would totally work, but the bushwhacking required is painful and annoying. We ended up only doing Table Mountain and Bighorn Peak, described here.

Starting from the Pima Canyon Trailhead, head up the Pima Canyon Trail until you get to a small waterfall and look northwest to locate the obvious gully that leads to higher ground out of Pima Canyon. bushwhack up this gully, staying as close to the center as possible to avoid the most cactus nonsense. From the top of this gully, we chose to head to the northern ridge of Table Mountain to avoid the wall of bushes that seemed to appear, and to get views along the way. From the summit of Table Mountain, you can see Mt. Lemmon and Mt. Kimball to the northeast, Oro Valley to the west, and the entirety of Pima Canyon to the south. Feeling good, we continued back along the ridgeline and up to Bighorn Peak, where I thought the views were superior to Table Mountain. This summit is filled with boulders and you get a much better sense of the Pusch Ridge and its proximity to the rest of the Santa Catalina Mountains.

From Bighorn Peak, we could go back the way we came into Pima Canyon, or continue along the ridge and route-find up Pusch Peak. It was far enough away and the ridgeline we'd have to take down to Pusch Peak's south face seemed long enough that we realized the route would be as annoying as the rest of the cactus-filled landscape we'd already done, and take forever. You'd think we'd choose to instead go down the gully we came up? Nope. We stupidly decided to bushwhack down Bighorn Peak's southwest face to rejoin the Pima Canyon Trail. We both highly recommend just going back the way you came. This was not a fun bushwhack back.

PEAKS ON HIKE
Elevation (ft) / Prominence (ft)
Peaks on hike
Elevation
Prominence
1
Table Mountain
6265 ft
585 rise
2
Bighorn Mountain
5640 ft
280 rise

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Starting up Pima Canyon.
Starting up Pima Canyon.
Image 1 from gallery
Within Pima Canyon - you can see Bighorn Peak in the center.
Within Pima Canyon - you can see Bighorn Peak in the center.
Image 3 from gallery
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Image 6 from gallery
The small waterfall marking where you should start looking north for the gully.
The small waterfall marking where you should start looking north for the gully.
Ascend this gully. We couldn't find a social trail to get to it, but I recommend staying in the stream bed as much as possible to avoid excess bushwhacking.
Ascend this gully. We couldn't find a social trail to get to it, but I recommend staying in the stream bed as much as possible to avoid excess bushwhacking.
Heading up the gully.
Heading up the gully.
Looking back down the gully.
Looking back down the gully.
Image 11 from gallery
Top of the gully on the grassy mesa, looking back the way we came.
Top of the gully on the grassy mesa, looking back the way we came.
Continuing up out of the gully, Table Mountain up there somewhere.
Continuing up out of the gully, Table Mountain up there somewhere.
Image 14 from gallery
Image 15 from gallery
Along the ridge looking back (west), Bighorn Peak visible on the right.
Along the ridge looking back (west), Bighorn Peak visible on the right.
Continuing along the ridge toward Table Mountain.
Continuing along the ridge toward Table Mountain.
Almost at the summit, Pima Canyon visible below.
Almost at the summit, Pima Canyon visible below.
Image 19 from gallery
Image 20 from gallery
Table Mountain view. You can see Mt. Lemmon and Cathedral Rock.
Table Mountain view. You can see Mt. Lemmon and Cathedral Rock.
Close-up of Mt. Lemmon and Cathedral Rock.
Close-up of Mt. Lemmon and Cathedral Rock.
Headed back along the ridge toward Bighorn Peak.
Headed back along the ridge toward Bighorn Peak.
Staying close to the ridge to avoid all the extra bushwhacking we encountered by being just below the ridge on the ascent.
Staying close to the ridge to avoid all the extra bushwhacking we encountered by being just below the ridge on the ascent.
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Image 26 from gallery
Bighorn Peak ahead!
Bighorn Peak ahead!
Looking back toward Table Mountain, Mt Kimball over there on the right somewhere.
Looking back toward Table Mountain, Mt Kimball over there on the right somewhere.
Image 29 from gallery
Bighorn Peak summit, looking west toward Pusch Peak.
Bighorn Peak summit, looking west toward Pusch Peak.
Image 31 from gallery
We decided to go down this awful route. We recommend you go back down the gully you came up. That's Pima Canyon down there, but it's very slow moving with all the cacti we encountered.
We decided to go down this awful route. We recommend you go back down the gully you came up. That's Pima Canyon down there, but it's very slow moving with all the cacti we encountered.
Image 33 from gallery
Image 34 from gallery
Image 35 from gallery
Almost down off our awful choice route.
Almost down off our awful choice route.
Back on the Pima Canyon Trail at sunset.
Back on the Pima Canyon Trail at sunset.

Hire me or show me some love!

Hire/refer me as a web developer or send me a few bucks if you find my site useful. I’m not sponsored, so all fees are out-of-pocket and my time preparing trip reports is unpaid. I really appreciate it!