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A hike or bike ride up Sabino Canyon will almost always get a person's endorphins bouncing off the charts. Sabino, after all, is a feel-good place. With its steep walls, leafy sycamore trees and a creek that actually contains water, the shady canyon is a remarkable oasis at the edge of suburban Tucson.

For hikers and backpackers, it's also a scenic gateway into the wilder areas of the Santa Catalina Mountains district of the Coronado National Forest.

But not all of the 1.5 million annual visitors to the canyon are capable of walking or bike-riding the steep trails in the area. For many, the motorized tram was indispensable. But last summer's flooding washed huge boulders down the canyon and destroyed the route used by the tram.

Last week, the best news for many Tucsonans was the announcement by Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., that $1.2 million has been approved for reconstruction of the road.

Officials of the Coronado National Forest haven't committed to a timetable but said they hope to have the repairs done by next winter, when the canyon gets its largest influx of visitors.

Among the improvements now under discussion is the possibility of replacing the diesel-powered trams with vehicles that run on electricity or natural gas.

One of the amenities that will not be replaced is the restroom in the cul-de-sac where the tram route ended at the top of the canyon. The boulders that rolled down the canyon last July 31 created a natural dike that may reduce damage in future floods but left a limited amount of space where the tram used to turn around for the trip back down to the visitor center.

Several other restrooms remain along the tram route, however.

The natural disaster that closed the upper part of the road struck a nerve with many Tucsonans. In a Star story by reporter Tom Beal, Pima County Supervisor Ray Carroll said last Thursday that a group of local residents, including Canyon Ranch founder Mel Zuckerman and car dealer Jim Click, have agreed to launch "a major capital campaign" for improvements to the canyon.

Carroll said fund-raising is necessary to help build more ramadas and interpretative signs in the Sabino Canyon Recreation Area. "We want to be able to supplement what the federal government is doing there," he said.

Those who would like to contribute to the improvements at Sabino Canyon can go to www.sabinocanyon.org and click on "Donate now."