Water in the Santa Cruz River!
A lush little stream flows on the northern edge of the quarter-mile wide Santa Cruz River banks. Swallows dive up and down around the bridge, ducks paddle in the water, and a road runner zips along the sand. So what if the water is only because of the wastewater treatment plant upstream?
Silverbell Road is part of the De Anza Auto Route.
Today's De Anza epic piece includes the official auto route along Silverbell Road and a pleasant paved path through Marana's suburban landscape of Mexican tile roofed houses, a golf course, and a gravel pit. Such exciting resources that De Anza may not have imagined on his way to Alta California back in the 18th century.
Marana golf course with gravel pit machinery peeking from behind the berm.
The golf course and gravel pit are close to the location of De Anza's camp on October 17, 1776. De Anza described that day as "having traveled five leagues and as many hours over good terrain with reasonably good pasturage, halt was made for the night in the neighborhood of a small range which the Pimas call Tututac." Today, this mountain is called Picture Rock because of its petroglyphs.
Picture Rock, Marana suburbia, dry portion of the Santa Cruz River.
De Anza, however, could not enjoy the scenery or sing Kum-ba-yah around the campfire. He had to catch fugitives and be a tough Conquistador: "At the time when we set forth this afternoon two muleteers deserted us, and I entrusted their apprehension to the justices of Tuczon, who came to bid me goodbye. At eight o'clock at night six Pimas of the last pueblo came to camp and brought one of the fugitives. I immediately had him given a beating, and for this reason the soldiers called the place where we camped for the night the plain of El Azotado."
For more about De Anza, check out this trail map of Pima County.
Marana celebrates history with mosaic markers scattered along its roads and ball fields.
De Anza: Conquistador, yet Christian.
Marana even celebrates its fossil record from the Phanerozoic era.
The bike path along the Santa Cruz ends abruptly, because of road work for the new I-10 overpass and assorted road widening, traffic light installation, and general dust cloud creation.
Barricades block my path, for now.
So I do a U-turn, ride back to the bridge, and take one more glance at the water below. I scope out possible mountain bike rides in the river bed and along the upper river bank.
View straight down from the Cortaro Road bridge.
I return to Silverbell Road, turn south into the wind, and ride home to Tucson.
De Anza Trail miles: 10
Total De Anza Trail miles: 14
Total ride miles: 34
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