A Nice day hike up a narrow canyon and through dense saguaro cactus forests, 6 miles round-trip. The elevation gain is moderate with two stretches of fairly steep terrain. After the first 3/4 mile the trail splits: the longer path continues up the canyon and the other goes up the canyon wall to follow Pontatoc ridge. The canyon trail ends a bit prematurely after about 3 miles. Continuing another mile to the northeast will bring you to the west rim of Ventana canyon. The desert scrub and grassland shouldn't be too difficult to navigate through to get there, but be sure to wear long pants!