Wildflower Series #4 - King's Cyn Trail

Here is a selection of photos taken during the hike up Wasson Peak:

Parry's Penstemon

This showy plant produces clusters of stems with multiple pink flowers.  "Penstemon" means "five stamens".  Multiple specimens were found in the sandy wash bed during the hike.

Caliche Globemallow

A very common spring flower seen along the roadsides and trails in the area.  "Caliche" is a hard layer of  calcium carbonate rock that is found under the topsoil.  This is identified from other Globemallow species by dark purple stamens (not quite visible in this photo) and wider spacing between flower branches.

Desert Onion

Examples of this plant were found in a very limited area along the trail.  I've not seen them in any other locations before or since.

Barestem Larkspur

Larkspurs are beautiful, distinctive flowers found in various biotic zones.  This was another flower found in a very discreet location along the trail.  One of the guidebooks specifically mentioned its location along this trail, so I feel lucky to have seen it.

Barestem Larkspur - close-up view

Rock Art Series - Kings Canyon Wash, SNP

About two weeks ago, I went on a hike up Wasson Peak, located in Saguaro National Park west.  The trailhead, located right across the road from the AZ Sonoran Desert Museum, is 3.5 miles one way.  The trail crosses over a large wash on the southern slope of the mountains.  On the way back, I was struck by some large clumps of grasses forming a bright silhouette in the afternoon sun, so I jumped down to take some photos.  As I looked to the rocks on the side of the wash, my eye quickly caught some petroglyphs.  Additional inspection revealed multiple panels on both sides of the wash.

I found out later this is one of the 8 major sites located in SNP west whose location is not made public.  Reason:  vandalism and theft of the panels.  It is disheartening, and quite frankly, infuriating,  to find damage to these cultural resources.  Evidence of recent graffiti on adjacent rocks, using crayons or chalk, was also present.

Here is a selection of art from this site:

Snake form and mixed design

Hidden Sun

Easily overlooked, this design is simple but elegant

Snakes in Rock and Shadow

At least three petroglyphs have been pecked into the rock; was it just coincidence that the shadow cast by adjacent foliage produces a snake-like form that almost parallels the rock art?  Probably, but regardless, it makes an interesting mix.

Mixed figures

Curved and linear abstract shapes are seen on the front face of the rock, while additional work can be seen on the left face as well.

Sky Friday: A Desert Sunset

The skies of southern AZ are nothing if variable and unpredictable.  During my stay in Bisbee, I never ceased to be amazed by the variation in the clouds, both from day to day, and even changes throughout the day.  The same appears to be the case with the Tucson area, although even in the short time I've been here, distinct differences between the Bisbee area and Tucson.  That isn't a surprise, given the conditions under which various types of clouds form and how geographically localized weather can be.

Tucson is situated in a large basin surrounded by mountain ranges in all four directions:  the Santa Catalinas to the north; the Rincons to the east, the Santa Ritas to the south and the much lower Tucson mountains to the west.  Even on the best days, it is covered in human-generated haze and particulates of the  desert kicked up during winds and thermals.  These all have interesting influences on the clouds and sky colors.  Haze, smog and pollution actually result in a more brilliant sunset due to the particles reflecting light in a wider spectrum than with a clear sky.

On Monday, March 22, my second day in Tucson, I was able to head out and get some sunset shots from Saguaro National Park west, a few miles from where my mother lives.  As with sunsets I've shot in the Bisbee area, the clouds show variability when viewed from 360 degrees.

Saguaro National Park makes a beautiful base for the sunsets, both with its mountains and the silhouetted forms of the Sonoran desert flora.

I hope you enjoy this spring sunset from the Sonoran desert:

Late afternoon

These sweeping altostratus, altocumulus and cirrus clouds cover the western sky.

Remodeling

A short period later, and slightly to the south, the colors now show the variation of the different cloud types - smooth and flowing to cobbled and erratic.  The saguaros, however, hold their ground.

Looking East

A double layer of lenticular clouds form over the Catalinas.  Snow is visible on the upper peaks, giving an indication as to their elevation.  Lenticular clouds form when air currents flow over mountains, producing a shear that forms the characteristic shapes.  The lower hills of the Tucson Mtns. are seen in the foreground.  

Sunset 

The peak of this particular sunset.  No bright reds or brilliant pinks or purples as often seen with the Bisbee sunets; these are a range of yellows and oranges.

Twilight in the Desert

This view, slightly northwest, is what the sky looked like after the sun had set.  No fiery colors in the sky tonight.  

Celebrating the Saguaro: a photo essay

Having spent 14 years in Tucson from childhood through college, returning is like seeing a familiar old friend.  One of my favorite members of the desert is the saguaro cactus.  It probably symbolizes the AZ, the southwest and the desert moreso than any other single image, particularly for those who have never traveled to this part of the country.

While many people may believe the saguaro is an omnipresent desert inhabitant, its actual distribution is quite limited.  It is found only within the Sonoran desert climate zone - a region confined to the southern part of AZ, southeastern CA and northern Mexico including the states of Baja and Sonora.  It is bordered by the Mojave and Chihuahuan deserts to the west, north and east, respectively.  Even within the Sonoran desert, its preferred locations are the slopes of rocky hillsides or at the bases of desert mountains. 

One such location is Saguaro National Park.  When I was living in Tucson 20+ years ago, it was a national monument, and it is pleasing to see that it was upgraded to national park status in 1994.  There are two park districts - west (Tucson Mtn. district) and east (Rincon Mtn. district).  My mother recently moved back to AZ, and the road to her house goes through Saguaro National Park West.  It was on my return drive home almost 2 weeks ago, shortly after I left her house, that I took these photos. 

The absence of a tripod, and the usual issue of lighting limited the number of "photo-worthy" images I took, but this handful captures some of the personality of this distinctive and charming member of the cactus (cactaceae) family:

Hillside Celebration

The uplifted arms give these saguaros a whimsical and joyful appearance.  Saguaros don't begin to grow arms until they are almost 100 years old.

Cast Shadows

The curved shadows from this small desert plant across the ribs of this saguaro cactus skeleton produce an interesting contrast.

Abstracted Saguaro

This photo focuses on the strong lines and lines, and simple shapes of this saguaro trunk and its two curved arms.

Young 'Un

This juvenile saguaro, probably 25-30 years old, has been sheltered by an adjacent mesquite tree.

The Cycle of Life

A baby saguaro, probably about 5-8 years in age, grows next to the weathered remains of an old saguaro and its root base in this still life image.  The average life span for a saguaro is 150 years.

For more information about Saguaro National Park, click here.