Breeze in the Pines

How lucky we are in Tucson to be able to drive 30 miles up into the Sky Islands, leaving the 100°+ temps behind and spend the day in the cool mountain breezes.  In the Sonoran Desert region, forest-clad mountain ranges with cool, moist habitats are separated and isolated from one another by 'seas' of arid, hot desert, and can be compared with islands in the ocean, thus the term Sky Islands.  An incredible diversity of plant and animal life exists  on these mountain slopes.  According to A Natural History of the Sonoran Desert, (Steven J. Phillips & Patricia Wentworth Comus, eds., Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum Press, 2000),

In fact, the "sky islands" of southeastern Arizona and adjacent Sonora are now recognized by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature as one of the great centers of plant diversity north of the tropics.



Looking from Mt. Lemmon to Tucson in the valley below, with the Santa Rita Mountains in the distance.

The first thing you notice upon arriving at the trailhead of the Aspen and Marshall Gulch trails is the sound of the breeze blowing through the pines.  And, of course, the almost-chilly mountain air.  My friend Marilyn and I set out on the Aspen Trail with no agenda except to have no agenda.  Yes, we look and listen for birds, but also examine plants, exclaim over fascinating insects, take in the forest scents, thrill to the clouds of butterflies, take too many photos (me), discuss flower identification and marvel at the sheer beauty of our surroundings. 

Especially plentiful were Nais Metalmark butterflies on Fendler's ceanothus.  The tiny white flowers were also attractive to a collection of other insects including flies, bees, wasps and other butterflies. 

 

 

 

Tiny blue butterflies of several species delighted us at every turn.  The shocking blue upper wings of the echo azure made their identification easy.  Yellow-eyed juncos were the most common bird species, often hopping along on the ground, a mom feeding a juvenile.  We were excited to get excellent views of the red-faced warbler who sat still just long enough for me to think about getting a photo.  A beautiful red dragonfly (flame skimmer?) sat patiently for his portrait.

 

 

And just when I was losing hope of seeing one, a small horned lizard scrambled across the path and then froze, waiting for the giant mammals to pass. His camouflage was so perfect that if he hadn't moved, he never would have been spotted. We weren't about to pass, however, without some photos.  This is the greater short-horned lizard, a higher elevation horned lizard who primarily feeds on ants, but will also take beetles, grasshoppers and other insects. 

 

As we sat on a log having a snack, a fresh and beautiful Arizona sister butterfly fluttered by, sitting only briefly.  Stands of bright red bearded penstemon bloomed alongside the path, bird songs competed with one another high up in the trees, and strange little bugs went about their business.  How would you like to be known as the fungus-pleasing beetle?  Well, this guy is, and the fungus seemed mighty pleased!

 

 

Taking the return trail through Marshall Gulch we descended into a cool, moist, leafy microhabitat where deciduous trees such as big-tooth maple dominate, and the creek remnant pools are lined with red and yellow monkeyflower and golden columbine. 

 

 

A beautiful two-tailed swallowtail butterfly patrolled along the creek, and congregating on rocks in the pools were groups of blue butterflies.

 



Too soon we had reached the parking lot, which was now full, and it was time to sit at the picnic tables having a little lunch while going over our lists and through our field guides. 

 

 

Here is our bird list for the day:

Yellow-eyed Junco

Turkey Vulture

Broad-tailed Hummingbird

Acorn Woodpecker

Cordilleran Flycatcher

Common Raven

Mountain Chickadee

White-breasted nuthatch

red-breasted nuthatch

Pygmy Nuthatch

House Wren

Hermit Thrush

American Robin

Black-headed Grosbeak

Spotted Towhee

Black-tailed Gnatcatcher

Stellar's Jay

Red-faced Warbler

 





May your summer bring you cool mountain breezes through the pines.  Happy Summer Solstice!





 

 

Along the Colorado with Friends

Annually we join friends at the wonderful Buckskin Mountain State Park along the lower Colorado River north of Parker, Arizona for 10 days or so of camaraderie, good food, golf, relaxing by the river, birding, hiking, laughs and great times.  Eight couples converge from Tucson, Yuma and Reno.  Pairs of couples are assigned to cook one night for the entire group and the dinners are nothing short of amazing.  The other nights are potluck, leftovers (and there are LOTS of those) or eating out.

Buckskin Mountain State Park, Parker Strip, Arizona (near side of the river)

We always celebrate my husband's birthday, and he loves to cook for the group on his day.  Our scheduled cooking night didn't fall on his birthday, so he orchestrated Build-Your-Own-Baggie-Omelet night.  He puts your eggs in a freezer baggie, you add all the ingredients you want from a vast array, then into a big pot of boiling water they go.  Shortly, out it comes from the pot, and onto your plate goes a fabulous omelet.

Jay and his birthday gift - "Albert"

Four days are scheduled for golf, three at the beautiful Emerald Canyon course, and one day for a par-3 tournament at Havasu Springs.

Some of the gang, at Emerald Canyon

The remaining days are open for sightseeing, hiking, birding, kayaking, reading, and whatever else anyone has a mind to do.  Many stories are told around the campfire each evening.

Around the Campfire

The Buckskin Trail leads from the campground up into the Buckskin Mountains where the sparse vegetation of the Lower Colorado Valley Subdivision of the Sonoran Desert is dominated by palo verde trees, brittlebush, creosote bush, cholla, beavertail prickly pear cactus and red-spined barrel cactus. A few lonely saguaros punctuate the skyline.   Birds up here away from the river include the lovely little black-throated sparrow, Costa's and Anna's hummingbirds, verdins, kestrels, turkey vultures and ravens.  Lots of little lizards scampered off the trail as I approached.  But if I stopped and stood still, so did they.  Some even let me take their portraits.

Black-throated sparrow on cholla

Red-spined barrel cacti

Beavertail Cactus in Bloom

Lizard all dressed up in breeding colors

Beside the conspicuous beavertail and the reliable creosote bush, the wildflowers were few and far between, a testament to the extreme lack of rainfall here this year.

Wildflowers along the Buckskin Trail

There was lots of talk in the camp about a rare bird sighting just up the road in the Bill Williams NWR.  Nutting's flycatcher, an unusual visitor from Mexico, had been seen every morning, right about mile-marker-2 on the Bill Williams road.  So, coffee in hand and dressed in layers in the chilly morning, Jay and I decided to take a look and see what all the fuss was about.  Jay was watching his odometer to make sure we got to the right spot, but there was no need.  The moment we came over a hill to the 2-mile marker, there were half a dozen cars and birders with their scopes and binoculars already in place.  Wouldn't you know that the bird had been there just minutes before, showing off and singing too.  So, I settled in for the wait, hoping he would return.  Meanwhile, a very vocal canyon wren entertained us with his singing and antics on the sheer rock cliff on the other side of the road.  Verdins, Gila woodpeckers, black-tailed gnatcatchers, a variety of sparrows, phainopeplas and warblers also kept the group busy.  Finally, the famous guy made a reappearance, but left me somewhat unimpressed.  He looked a lot like an ash-throated flycatcher, and had the 'experts' not been there, I would have perhaps made that ID mistake.  There was no mistaking the javelina that crossed the road right near us!  Wildflowers were much more in evidence here in certain areas.

Wildflowers in the Bill Williams NWR

Bill Williams River

Down along the Colorado and in camp, many more birds added to my list:  osprey, Cooper's hawk, robins, rufous hummingbirds, ruby-crowned kinglet, red-winged blackbirds, great blue herons, pied-billed grebes, coots, mourning doves, Eurasion collared doves, gilded flicker, hooded merganser, ring-necked ducks, white-crowned sparrows, vermillion flycatchers, Western grebes, cormorants, mallards, shovelers, buffleheads, red-tailed hawks, Gambel's quail, killdeer, ring-billed gulls, terns, roadrunner, Say's and black phoebes, Northern rough-winged swallows, Western bluebirds, starlings, Abert's towhees, grackles, yellow-rumped warblers, lesser goldfinches, cowbirds and house finches.   A big chuckwalla lizard hangs out on the rock ledges, and the wild burros and coyotes sing for us at night.  A beaver lives just down by the water, where you can see his trail and the arrowweed he has cut down, and if you go early in the morning, you might even see the big guy himself.  The campground is also a fabulous place to watch the night sky, and the alignment of Venus, Jupiter and the moon made it special.  Mars was also rising in the east.

The time ended much too soon and before we knew it, we had to head our separate ways.  Until we meet again right here next year.

Here's wishing you happy days spent with friends, and a little silliness too!

Barry, Carole, Pat and Shellie - Winners All!

Up to Wasson Peak

At just under 4700', Wasson Peak is the highest point in the Tucson Mountains, the lowest of the mountain ranges that surround the city of Tucson.  With its open desert habitat, it makes the perfect winter hike, and so, on a perfect winter day, my friend Marilyn and I set out on the loop trail that would take us to the peak and back in just over 8 miles  .Here is a link to the map  http://hikearizona.com/map.php?GPS=941&SD=2 The trailhead is at 2907', giving us an elevation gain of 1775'.

Although the air was chilly when I left home, by the time we reached the trailhead and got ready to go, we were already shedding layers.  We started out on the Gould Mine Trail which wound upwards and around the old mine until it intersected the Sendero-Esperanza Trail.

Carole on the Trail

It was at this early point that I discovered to my great dismay that my camera batteries were nearly depleted, and guess where my backups were?  Right.  Back home in the charger.  No worries, said Marilyn, I have extras.  My relief last only briefly until it became clear that the extra batteries were so weak that they would only last for about 10 shots.  Between my camera, Marilyn's camera and her GPS, we had a real battery drain going.

Gould Mine tailings.  This was most likely a copper mine.

The leafed-out ocotillos and the saguaro spines were luminous in the early morning sun, and occasional wildflower blooms brought us some color touches.

As we gained some elevation, the views of the valley to the west opened up.  The trail is in Saguaro National Park, Tucson Mountain District, and this photo is looking past the barely-visible Visitor Center to Avra Valley where the recharge ponds of Tucson Water can be seen.  The explosive population growth in the Tucson basin has necessitated taking water from the Colorado River to supplement our depleting aquifer.  Ironically, in the same valley are miles and miles of water-thirsty cotton fields.

Here and there were Mexican gold poppies and the daisy-like flower of bahia.  How odd to see ferns growing right at the base of an ocotillo on a southwest-facing slope.

The dense spines of the teddy bear cholla glowed in the sun's early light, looking so deceptively soft and cuddly.  The hiker is well-advised to steer clear as just barely brushing the cactus will result in one of the joints being attached painfully to the hiker.  With it's barbed spines firmly implanted in the clothes or skin, removing the cactus piece is tricky business.  The cholla is just practicing its successful strategy for dispersal and reproduction as the disjointed piece will take root and grow wherever it lands.

It was in this area that Marilyn commented on how happy she was that we hadn't seen any invasive grasses. Not 30 seconds later I looked to my left and there was a patch of the evil buffelgrass!  I didn't take its picture as it is not worthy of being here among the beautiful native plants.  Marilyn noted its location on her GPS so that it can be removed at a later date.  Below you can see the route we have traveled.

Native fairy duster blooms began appearing, and the flowers are favorites of hummingbirds.  Sure enough, we saw our first hummer before long.  A Costa's I decided.  Mexican gold poppies were becoming more abundant, and we also spotted the tiny purple flowers of filaree and trailing four o'clocks.  The views, mostly to the south and west at this point, were sweeping and spectacular.  We could see all the way to Mexico.





  We soon intersected the Hugh Norris Trail where the sign told us we were 2.2 miles from Wasson Peak, all uphill, of course.  I said, it's kind of like my hike out of the Grand Canyon.  The closer you get, the farther away it seems.  The trail brought us around to the north side of the mountain where we were interested to find changing vegetation as well as completely different rocks and soil.  The rocks took on a soft, rounded, weathered look and the sandy soil of the decomposed granite made the trail easier walking.




Here we began seeing sotol (Dasylirion wheeleri), also known as desert spoon, and yuccas, as well as many javelina tracks, crisscrossing the trail.  Javelinas are in the peccary family and, despite their appearance, are not related to pigs.  Peccaries are a new world species as opposed to pigs which came from the old world.

Sotol or Desert Spoon

A little side trail led to a viewpoint that Marilyn likened to a garden, so beautiful and lush was it.  And one of those big boulders was formed into a perfect chair with a little side table.  What a place to take in the views!

Bright green lichen decorated the north facing rocks.  Earlier in the day we had been so excited to see our first butterfly - a lovely little white and orange Sara orangetip - but as the day went on, they seemed to be everywhere and we wondered what their foodplant was.

In the sunshine, a tiny lizard scampered away at our approach, and then we spotted our first mammal - a Harris' antelope ground squirrel sitting atop his empire.  He waited there patiently until just the moment I zoomed in on him.  As a result, this is the best I could do.

All that zooming was the last straw for the dying camera batteries and from here on I relied on Marilyn to document our travels.  She, too, was trying to be conservative with the camera so that we were sure to have photos atop Wasson Peak.

As we settled in for some lunch and a rest, we spotted tiny rock wrens.  Normally quite shy, these guys have claimed the mountaintop as their territory and have become accustomed to hikers and their lunches.  Their antics entertained us all the while, and any tiny dropped morsel was investigated by them.  360° views made us feel as though we were on top of the world. We could even pick out our houses in the city sprawl below.

Back on the trail we marveled at a very elderly couple making their way to the top.  The woman had difficulty walking, almost as though she had once suffered with polio, but there she was, out there hiking up this mountain and inspiring us 'youngsters.

As the day wore on and the sun warmed the landscape, more and more wildflowers appeared, hopefully a harbinger of a spectacular display later in the spring.  The poppies were especially abundant, but we also saw lupine, fairy duster, desert rockpea, bahia, desert zinnia, fiddleneck, rock cress, cliffrose, rattlesnake weed, desert marigold, filaree, globe mallow, trailing four o'clocks, brittlebush and cream cups.

As opposed to the nice, sandy trail on the north side, the King Canyon trail is littered with sharp rocks and loose gravel, making it necessary on our descent to watch every step.  It made us happy to see so many young saguaros and ocotillos, indicating a very healthy population.  Birds for the day included black-throated sparrows (many), rock wrens, Gambel's quail, mourning doves, Costa's hummingbird, Gila woodpeckers, black-tailed gnatcatchers, canyon towhees, white-crowned sparrows, cactus wrens, verdins, common ravens and northern mockingbirds.

When we reached the King Canyon wash, we opted to walk the remaining mile in it rather than on the trail, offering us different plants, fascinating geology, petroglyphs and easy walking.

Thanks to Marilyn for the previous three photos.  This is a good reminder to put a good set of lithium batteries in my camera case.

Winter hikes in the desert are exhilarating and we vowed to do it again before the heat sets in.

May all your trails lead to inspiring places!