A Day Off at Madera Canyon
One of the most stunning things about southern Arizona is that nature is so diverse. If you tire of it, just drive ten minutes for an entirely new landscape. (The area is also GREAT for birding.)
Sunday, with great nervousness, I actually took a whole day off! It was wonderful, and it was so nice to get away from my computer for a day. I’m thinking of making this a weekly habit. We drove to Madera Canyon, in the Coronado National Forest.
I wish I’d taken pictures a couple weeks ago, but you can still see the snow in the mountains, even though it’s regularly in the mid 80s. Temperatures drop to the low 40s at night, so I generally start out my writing day while shivering next to the heater, and then, as the day wears on, I’ll suddenly realize I’m way overheated, and have to throw open the windows and turn on all the fans.
The names of mountains fascinate me. The peak on the right is Mt. Wrighton, aka Old Baldy, and the dip in the middle of the two peaks is called “Baldy Saddle.” The left peak is Mt. Ian.
At the desert museum, I learned that taking a walk up some of these mountains is like walking from Mexico to Canada, nature-wise. It was mostly pine forest with a creek where we hiked, which blew my mind, LOL.
When we left, ten minutes later we drove through an area filled with Jumping Cholla Cacti. Little pods with two inch needles “jump” and stick in you. (Ouch!) They say they don’t actually jump, and that you really brush up against them, but I don’t believe it. I was five feet away, and my foot got stuck with two. (Painful, as I had sandals on.)
One came out easily with a stick, the other felt like barbed fish hooks. I wish I had taken a picture of the first time I was stuck with a cactus, but I was preoccupied. They are pretty cacti, though, aren’t they? They look like fuzzy little trees.
I’ll leave you with a few more pictures of the cacti blooming and some wildflowers. It’s Spring, here! I don’t know what they’re called, but aren’t they pretty?
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Natasha Fondren is a writer traveling the U.S. in a camper with her four cats. She is currently enjoying the lizards and desert heat in Arizona.
I want the jumping cholla! That’s about the best plant I’ve ever seen. You think it’ll grow in mid-atlantic climes?
They are SO cool, Avery! Sure it will, at least inside! If you can keep the pets away…
It’s beautiful, Natasha. It’s starting to be beautiful here, too. The grass is green, the trees budding, the bunches of daffodils so pretty. No tulips yet, but any day. It was in the 70s today.
Wow, Edie! I miss greenery. I miss trees and daffodils! I’m glad you’re getting such nice Spring weather!
That’s a hike I’d love to take, except for the jumping needles. It really must be weird to find oneself in a pine forest after the scenes shown here. Pretty exciting though. Never seen mountains like that. The ones here are old and rounded and wooded.
The hike would be okay for you; there’s no cholla in the canyon. They’re only on the drive out.
These are wooded too, just not all the way too the top. That green layer is a certain type of pine, but I believe, I’m not sure, that it’s all rock at the top. I don’t know, though.
So pretty! Could that be a Yucca? We lived in New Mexico when I was little, and my parents used to have tapes of my poor mom trying to entertain us. Every time we drove by a yucca, she’d turn on the tape recorder and say, “There’s a yucca, kids! Yucca! Yucca! Yucca!” She sounded completely psychotic.
A Yucca? That’s so fun to say! No wonder she kept saying it over and over, LOL! I love it!
What a great way to spend a day off. Lana and I do this all the time.
Nice, Charles! I need to do more of it.
You’re reminding me that I need to get to hiking again. My kids are big enough now and the mountains are so fabulous in CO. I love getting outside for exercise, which is how I plan to take mine today.
Betsy, that sounds great! I’m already feeling like I need to go hiking again. I think this is going to be a twice-a-week requirement, or something.
So you had some madera, m’dear?
Lovely colour in that last pic, particularly.
LOL, Bernita!
The color is especially pretty when everything else is dusty!
Natasha!! I love these pictures – and today your website and blog both popped right up perfectly! Yay! I’m not sure why, but I’m thrilled – I love it! It looks like you’re having an amazing time out there, and that’s fantastic – I’m SO glad you took that day off!!
They did, Darcy? Oh wonderful! I’m so glad I took that day off, too. I need to do that more often!
How beautiful! Thanks for sharing. I remember a road trip to Arizona taken years ago very fondly. Trying to get Charles to go now (I’d love to get back again!)
If you come to the Tucson area, I’d love to hook up, Lana! It’s such a fun place to visit!
great pics!
for the past week night temps were below freezing, and will continue for another week… so much for spring
Yikes, Laughingwolf! *shudder*
Strange and beautiful at the same time. Love the pic’s Spy!
It blows my mind, Aimless! I can’t get over how different it is!
I’m so glad you were able to take a day off and enjoy finishing your novel. You really should do it more often.
As for your pictures, they remind me too much of Mexico.
I should, Melanie! I really should!
Do they? Awww! *hugs*