Six of us took off for Sabino Canyon Recreation Area one Monday morning in early October, 2021 to experience the new Sabino Canyon Electric Shuttle. We had ridden the old, gas-powered shuttle some years earlier and wanted to witness this new innovation.
I had ordered 3 tickets plus one wheelchair ticket before we arrived. But at the last minute another couple joined us. We had thought we had amended that oversight but… So one couple had to walk up the canyon. I got my electric scooter onboard easily enough with the help of the lady driver. Once locked in, we were ready to roll.
This electric shuttle is equipped with headphones to give us a verbal narration on our journey. That was a nice change from the old shuttle that only had a PA system that could be heard by all the hikers along the road to the end (Stop #9).
Because of where they had to load my scooter, we sat just behind the driver and the electric engine was surprisingly noisy. I imagine that those sitting in the back of the tram didn’t notice.
The weather was pleasant in the late morning. Because of all the rain this monsoon season, the flora was very green throughout the canyon. Water ran in Sabino Creek over the bridge even though it hasn’t rained much in over a week.
When we arrived at Stop #9 (the end of the road), we all got off to walk down and enjoy the scenery. It was a pleasant hike. In some places we stopped to feel the water in the creek and along the way we saw some people playing in the stream.
At Stop #4, we re-boarded the shuttle. Getting my scooter back on was a bit of a problem. In driving it up the ramp, I almost flipped it backward, but Ms. Karen and the lady driver saved me. This was due to the extra pitch on the ramp without the aid of a curb.
When we met back up with our friends who stayed behind, they indicated that as soon as they found water hiking up the hill, that was that. They stayed put. We had seen a Sonoran Desert Gopher Snake. By staying put they saw deer, maybe a coyote or it could have been a bobcat (more interesting), and a “black snake”. The water was cool and deep.
All in all, it was a pleasant experience, a nice way to spend a warm October morning for sure. To ride the new shuttle service, visit Sabino Canyon Crawler or for more information on Sabino Canyon visit the Coronado National Forest Park site.
