Sunday Hike

We wandered through Tucson Mountain Park, a county park adjacent to the RV Park.  The trails are rock & gravel; all our multi-use but we only encountered a few others out enjoying the sunny weather.

The signs at the trailhead are fairly typical warnings:  water, sunscreen, water, sunscreen, etc.  But then at the bottom of the list:  watch out for cactus and venomous animals.  Watch out for CACTUS?  That is what is all over this park!!  But a few careless steps and those thorns could ruin your day!

Too bad for us the cactus will not generally bloom for another few months & by then, we will be north.

Saguaro acquire "a waist" following a freeze, esp if  the freeze was long or severe.
It is known as the 20-20 rule:  20 degrees or less for 20 or more hours will severely injure the plants.

View from the trail towards Golden Gate Mountain

Tips of Ocotillo cactus are flame red!

Curve billed thrasher perched on ocotillo

Note the bird holes -- these do not damage the cactus and are used & reused by birds for years.

Brown discoloration occurs when a cactus "freezes" (it is filled with water) and in the sun warms up too quickly.
Like frostbite!  Most frequently found on south facing sides of cactus.

Taken in the RV Park -- a kestrel enjoys a critter for dinner over the power line

Mountains south of Tucson in area known as Madera Canyon.  World class birding zone --
in the spring and summer.  Northern most reach of some tropical species.

Little arm buds appear at about 75 years of age.

Walking through the Park

spring wildflower

Purple prickly pear cactus pad

Fairy duster flower

Um, genetic malfunction!!

Forest of giants

Can you find the bird nest?

One of few dead cactus standing.  The plant has "ribs" not wood like trees.