Finger Rock is a mountain hiking destination near Tucson, Arizona, approached by a trailhead about a mile from a house in the Catalina foothills. In Erik LaGrange’s solitary ascent, the route becomes a setting for a practical decision to walk rather than drive and for his thoughts about whether he can remain in the place he considers home.

Setting and Access

The trailhead to Finger Rock lies within walking distance of the Catalina foothills house where Erik is house-sitting for Professor Raymond Rice and Frieda Rice, who are spending a year in France. Although he has the keys to his Tacoma, Erik decides not to leave the company vehicle at a trailhead, where he believes it could be broken into or stolen. Since the trailhead is only about a mile away, he sets out on foot instead.

The account places Finger Rock within reach of the city while distinguishing the hike from its urban surroundings. Erik begins in early-morning sunshine and later watches A-10s circle above the valley before landing at Davis Monthan Air Force Base. From a rock ledge he looks down over the city-filled desert, a view that keeps Tucson, Arizona, present even as he moves into the mountain landscape.

Erik LaGrange’s Hike

Erik climbs toward Finger Rock alone, avoiding other hikers by leaving the main trail for one of the steeper, less-traveled canyons. The route brings him into contact with local wildlife: he recognizes the musky odor of nearby javelina without seeing the animals, sees two coyotes disappear into underbrush, and narrowly avoids stepping on a rattlesnake resting between rocks. As the temperature rises, he pauses on a ledge to drink water and wipe sweat from his brow.

His preparations are practical and specific. Before leaving, he packs sunscreen, several bottles of water, sandwiches, cheese, and dried apricots, then puts on thick socks and hiking boots. The details frame the ascent as a deliberate walk, not a drive to a scenic stop: Erik reasons that if the point is walking, he can begin from the house.

Narrative Significance

The hike follows a moment when city traffic and aircraft noise interrupt Erik’s thoughts. Remembering his grandmother’s contrasting feelings about leaving Isle Royale and wishing she could return, he recognizes a need to get away from the noise and think. The mountain provides that interval, but it does not resolve what he is considering.

From the ledge, the city below prompts Erik to reckon with his uncertain future. Tucson has been home since his grandmother raised him there; his grandparents and mother are gone, and he does not know where his father is or whether he is alive. He still has friends in town, but no remaining family ties and no job to anchor him. He loves Tucson and does not want to leave, yet wonders whether, like his grandmother after leaving Isle Royale, he might go and never return. Finger Rock therefore serves not as an escape from home so much as a vantage point from which Erik confronts the possibility of losing it.