Saguaro National Park East

Mary Reimersma, Ken Reimersma, Elissa Cochran, Gayle Hosek-Spies, Jeanine Storrs, Marcia Munich, Mark Schwartz, Maria Szentirmal, Alison Lang, and Don Taylor. Photo by Ruth Caldwell.

Mary Reimersma, Ken Reimersma, Elissa Cochran, Gayle Hosek-Spies, Jeanine Storrs, Marcia Munich, Mark Schwartz, Maria Szentirmal, Alison Lang, and Don Taylor. Photo by Ruth Caldwell.

Ruth Caldwell

On Oct. 10, ten SaddleBrooke hiking club members, with guide Ruth Caldwell, hiked the Wildhorse Loop Trail up to Garwood Dam. The day was beautiful—sunny with temperatures in the 70s. The group headed south from the Speedway entrance toward the site of the old Bar G Ranch where a dam was built by Nelson Garwood in the 1940s. The subsequent pool served as a source of domestic water for his livestock. Today, nothing remains of the ranch buildings, but the dam still spans Wildhorse Canyon.

Along the trail, hikers were graced with the presence of not one, but two desert tortoises! The eastside adventure ended with a visit to the famous Tanque Verde Guest Ranch and a short tour.