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10K Charmer LbNA #45598

Owner:Lee & Nancy
Plant date:Feb 9, 2009
Location:
City:Tucson
County:Pima
State:Arizona
Boxes:11
Found by: Squatchis (11)
Last found:Feb 2, 2014
Status:FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF
Last edited:Aug 26, 2022
UPDATE 2022: These are probably mostly missing.

This box was planted for those who think a of 10 K walk as a mere stretch of the legs, or who like to get in a mile or two before breakfast. This hike takes you up Pima Canyon Trail to “the dam” and some old Indian grinding stones a little over 10K roundtrip. As I wrote my notes they seemed good at the time, but as I wrote the clues from them, they seemed to make less sense, hopefully when looking for them, the clues will guide you to the boxes. If my clues say 10 feet from the saguaro, and you find the whole desert is filled with saguaros, I welcome feedback to improve the clues (from the first few finders).

I tried to space the boxes evenly on the trail up, at about every 7 or 8 minutes (old, out-of-shape, while-writing-notes minutes). True hikers may find all this stopping to stamp in annoying, and may chose to hike to the Charm bracelet, then hike to the top and pick up the charms in reverse order. NOTE: The charm bracelet logbook shows charm placement so they will all fit, since the charms vary in size. The trailhead parking area is near the intersection of Christie and Magee roads. Sierra Club Trail Guide

Begin at the three sided map sign at the trailhead to the start of bridge (1min 15 sec), continue on the path between fences. It turns left and goes uphill, and after 7 or 8 min the trail dips down through a wash, but stop at the top before going down.
The Charm bracelet can be found at the back and base of the Palo Verde tree, 10 feet left of trail, under a Suspicious Pile Of Rocks (SPOR).

Start timing again, and continue across the wash, through the gate, and now the trail climbs. Trail turns right and levels off, climbs and levels again along a slope to the right. Before heading downhill (should have been another 7 minutes or so), stop where trail opens and look down south side of trail for a slanted boulder right of an ocotillo and left of a prickly pear. The boulder is exactly magnetic south of a one-armed saguaro on the north up-hill side of the trail.
Charm #1. SW-- is under the NW side of the slanted boulder covered by a couple rocks. Continue on trail downhill, pass a rock face on left, and a tall saguaro on right of trail. This time the dip in the trail comes to soon (less than 7 min) so proceed down and cross 1st wash, then 2nd, uphill and levels, a bit more up to another level area with a nice rock on left of trail to sit on.
Charm #2. T--- is covered by a SPOR about 10 feet left (uphill) of trail, behind rock with small quartz rock on it 4 feet left of saguaro (be mindful of plant life when retrieving and replacing). Continue along this nice easy section down, down, down into canyon and across the wash (4 min down, now 4 min up) up the other side past large saguaro on right and view of the wash to your left. Stop at the sitting rock on the right next to another large rock with a saguaro between.
Charm #3. S--- D----- is 2 feet beyond the other large rock under SPOR. Continue on trail across wash, path veers right at big rock, and you come to a small trail that goes right about 20 feet to pools of water and a very tiny dam. Wrong dam, so continue back on main trail across wash, up rocky path, then down a little, and back up across some big smooth rocks. Just before heading down stop at path rock. 160 degrees from magnetic north 21 steps up hill towards large rock face.
Charm # 4. T---- B--- is planted under SPOR on the north side of a smooth granite boulder to the right of a dead yucca. Continue down then level and cross stream or wash, past big fallen tree on your right, past 5 foot rock cliff on your left, across the wash, big rock on right followed by some trees on right, and large fallen tree on left. Go 40 more steps even with large tree on left. Go to the large rock in the back of the small meadow/clearing on the right side of trail.
Charm # 5. CH------ is in hollow of tree, 10 feet to your right (facing rock), about 20 inches up, covered with rocks and plant debris. Continue down path on left fork, under bird nest directly over trail (until someone messes with it) supported by tri-trunked tree on left next to a large rock, with a dual-trunked tree on right. Continue as path goes uphill and levels to intersect with a trail going off to the right up another canyon. There is a small agave where the trails meet. Go straight 33 more steps from intersect, to a clearing on your right.
Charm # 6. B-------- is under SPOR at back base of tree 25 feet right of trail in clearing. Continue as the trail drops after a minute and then goes back up, past trimmed Ocotillo on right of trail, and fallen saguaro on left to a clearing with a tree that looks like it was used for a geocache. Continue on trail down across wash to large rock face on left. From the east end of the rock face walk forty steps up trail to 5 foot tall red, black, and gray boulder on right side of trail. Stop here. 345 degrees from magnetic north of the boulder and 16 steps up the hill is a lone saguaro.
Charm # 7. SK--- & CR-------- is on the south side of the saguaro and under a SPOR. Continue past small clearing on left, left around big rock, across blackened wash, up and then level, stepping over rock in path next to a yucca on your left, across the blackened wash again, up more rocks, and level trail to large rock on right of trail and tree on left. Climb over large rock (1) to slightly smaller rock (2) behind it.
Charm # 8. GR----- is wedged between rocks (3) and (4) cover with rocks. WARNING: Bush on left has thorns and don’t let the pin fall out of this charm. Continue on trail past 5 foot dead tree on left, past right angle root in trail with agave on right, past clearing on right behind 2 ocotillos, and past 15 foot rock face on left. Continue across wash to big tree on right, cross wash again to balanced/leaning rock on right.
Charm # 9. E----- ISL--- T--- is in a rock crevice 6 steps left of trail about 4 feet up covered with rocks and plant debris (Please re-hide in like manner). So far the boxes have been spaced somewhat evenly (by time). The last charm is about twice the distance. Continue past the canyon to your left, up steep rocks and big flat rocks on right, up and around, and past large quartz on left of trail. Trail continues over smooth rocks, with a stain of tall waterfall on the canyon wall on the other side of the canyon. You will pass a large saguaro right of trail as you go down to the wash. Once down in the wash, follow the smooth stones left past the old Indian grinding stones/holes to the dam.
Charm # 10. H---------- is in a hollow 1 foot up of an old burned out tree stump 4-5 feet tall, covered with rocks and debris. Please be discreet. Even with the front of the dam, the large, flat rock has a 10 foot crack in it, leading away from the dam. Another 50 feet in that direction there is a small tree up on the rocks, head in that direction. Another 50 feet there is another small tree with a big rock behind it, and 20 more feet a larger tree. The old burned out tree stump is 20 feet down and left of that larger tree. There is an easy access trail to its left.
Now enjoy a predominatly down hill 5K hike back to your car.