Two mountain bike riders top a steep hill, crank across a flat stretch and then rock and rattle down the opposite side just a bit shy of out of control.
"Woo-hoo!" one of them shouts on the descent, paying homage to the joys of a ride on the Molino Basin Trail.
The 2.3-mile trail, beginning at about 4,400 feet in the Catalina Mountains northeast of Tucson, is a popular passage with hikers as well as mountain bikers.
Winding through terrain that was burned in a forest fire a few years ago, the route offers open vistas of the Molino Basin Campground below and craggy mountain ridges above.
It leads to the site of a former prison camp, now known as the Gordon Hirabayashi Recreation Site. From there, it's possible to connect with other routes — the Soldier Trail and Sycamore Reservoir Trail. Take along
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• Sunscreen. Oak trees offer a bit of shade here and there along the trail, but it's mostly exposed to the sun.
• Plenty of water. Temperatures in late March and April are a bit cooler than those in Tucson because of the higher altitude. But it's still plenty warm, and the hilly terrain ranging up to about 4,900 feet is likely to make you break a sweat. Get to the trailhead
Take Tanque Verde Road to the Catalina Highway and follow the highway 4.5 miles to the base of the mountains. Mile markers begin there. Continue up the highway to the trailhead, which is at the entrance to the Molino Basin Campground between mileposts 5 and 6. The U.S. Forest Service charges a $5 fee on the highway.
