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| Trails in the park range from easy to difficult. |
On the second and third days we went hiking on two of the the well maintained trails through the desert environment. The park map is a great resource for trail locations and difficulty. There's also excellent signage.
Here are some of the pictures I took along the way on the Ironwood and Ford Canyon Trails.
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| Saguaro, Ford Canyon Wash and White Tank Mountains. |
Does this cactus make me look tiny? Of course it does. The Saguaro is a giant among cacti. I'm 5' tall so this guy is 25' or more. They don't start branching before 50 years of age and can live to be 200.
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| Hedgehog Cactus. |
The Hedgehog Cactus gets it's name because it resembles the spiny animal. They grow in short clusters with arms only a few inches in length.
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| Barrel Cactus. |
The Barrel Cactus are short and round. Despite their diminutive size they are long lived, up to 130 years. Beautiful yellow flowers will ring the top in spring.
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| Jumping Cholla Cactus. |
The Jumping Cholla Cactus and I go way back. The branchlettes with numerous sharp spines detach easily from the plant. You see them littering the ground underneath just waiting for someone or something to come along. And that's just what I did many years ago in Baja California. I left the campfire to take care of business in the dark. I felt something touch my foot and gave it a kick. I managed to get a piece of Cholla embedded in my skin over the straps of my sandal. What a painful process to get it removed far, far from civilization.
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| Another type of Cholla. |
This is another type of Cholla Cactus, possibly the Buckhorn.
Spring can't be far away when cactus are starting to get buds for flowers and poppies are starting to bloom.
Looks great Margy. When we went to Phoenix several years ago we went hiking in a place I forgot the name of but stay on the trails or the Cacti will getcha, Not to mention rattle snakes. LOL
ReplyDeleteMB
Fortunately haven't seen any snakes, and no lizards yet, only birds, bunnies and chipmunks. - Margy
DeleteWe have relatives that live in Arizona so whenever we visit we try to go to Saguaro National Park to see the cacti and now I'd like to visit this White Tank Mountain Park, Margery. It looks very scenic and I'm always amazed to see the size and different shapes of cactus in the desert.
ReplyDeleteIt was a great park with reasonable camping fees, but reservations well in advance were a must. - Margy
DeleteI heard it was going to be an early Spring. Years ago I was told the best time to see spring in the desert was April and May. Never saw it green like you're experiencing now. Safe traveling, Margy. :-)
ReplyDeleteWe are at a new park now near Tucson and there are carpets of poppies out. So beautiful. - Margy
Delete...now is a part of the world that I've never seen, having always lived where rain was plentiful it looks a bit foreign.
ReplyDeleteI love going to new places, especially when they are a different environment. - Margy
DeleteI always love seeing your photos and the cactus are just amazing. Nice to learn some of the names and things about each one! And yes,.....you ARE tiny!
ReplyDeleteThank you. I learned most of those things about the cactus varieties while writing my post, except for the Cholla of course. - Margy
DeleteMargy - we lived in Arizona for a few years and I fell in love then with the beauty of the desert. Aren't saguaros just AMAZING!?!?! Thanks for sharing all of these cacti with the folks at Mosaic Monday!
ReplyDeleteWe've never lived here, but visited a lot when we lived in Southern California. With our small plane we could get here easily, but only in the fall, winter and early spring. - Margy
DeleteAmazing landscapes!
ReplyDeleteThanks. - Margy
DeleteHello, I enjoy seeing these new to me parks. The desert landscapes and sky are pretty. I love all the different cactus. The Saguaro is beautiful, love that shot of you for size comparison. Great walk and photos. Thanks for visiting my blog. Have a great day and a happy new week!
ReplyDeleteOur new campground near Tucson is full of them too. Unfortunately I haven't found any critters that will stay still long enough for a photo. - Margy
DeleteLovely! Thank you for sharing sights from your trip.
ReplyDeleteI've been having Saguaro dreams for a while, now. :)
Saguaro are an amazing plant. Their flower is the Arizona state flower. - Margy
DeleteLooks so warm! Lovely shots.
ReplyDeleteWhen it is cloudy and at night it still can be cool. - Margy
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