"Catalina State Park" Catalina by zrim

Tucson, Arizona is framed to the north by the Catalina Mountains. A very small range, yet Mt. Lemon reaches heights in excess of 10,000 feet. On the western slopes of this range lies an attractive state park. Trails take hikers into the heart of the mountains.

On the day we visited we happened upon rattlesnakes and a gila monster (in aquariums) in the parking lot. The gila monster's keeper explained how tenacious the little beasts can be. Apparently when they get ahold of a hand or a foot they will not let go. There have been reports of unlucky people showing up at emergency rooms with a gila monster protruding from a limb. Surgically detaching the gila monster is not a pleasant experience (for the person or the monster).