Last Hike for 2016

Tucson/Lazydays KOA
Tucson, AZ
December, 30, 2016

Our last hike for the year was a nice easy 3.5 mile hike in Saguaro National Park.  The loop was a combination of four trails...the Cam-Boh/Ironwood Forest/Picture Rocks Wash/and Ringtail Loop.

The Cam-Boh trail was lined with healthy and tall saguaros, 

the "real" Christmas Cactus (so named because of it's red winter fruit and green stem),



 and lots of barrel cacti.


 In June of 2000, 129,000 acres were designated as the Ironwood National Monument to protect the Ironwood trees and other desert vegetation.  These beautiful trees with their dark, smooth wood are more like a large bush than a tree.  In the spring they are covered in purplish blossoms that become bean pods which many desert animals eat.  





























The views at the "high point" on Ironwood weren't spectacular, but still pretty.  We caught glimpses of Tucson, and mountain peaks in all directions.

We both commented on the large number of small saguaros scattered among the many huge saguaros with lots of arms.  Since these beauties grow very slowly, a 10 year old plant might only be 1.5 inches tall.  We didn't notice any that tiny.  The small ones we saw were probably around 40-50 years old.

As we made the left turn onto Picture Rocks Wash...

 ...our information said to look for petroglyphs (a hand and a bird) believed to have been drawn by the Hohokam Indians who occupied these valleys from 300-1400 A.D.




I did a little research on Hohokam petroglyphs.  I saw examples of hands, birds, human figures, animals, etc.

  


I'm not convinced these are "real" examples of their drawings, but then I am not an archeologist. We were in the National Park and you would like to believe they were, right?

 The last section of the loop, Ringtail Trail, is so named because of frequent ringtail sightings.  Ringtails are about the size of a large cat and are in the raccoon family.  They are also the state mammal of Arizona.  As you probably guessed, we didn't see a single one !

We did, however, have some excitement though.  I handed Joe the phone and he got the usual picture of me walking ahead.


All of a suden I heard a THUD !











Yep, Joe stumbled and fell.  He said, "I'm OK.  I should have been watching the trail not your tail !".  We used the first aide kit in the jeep for the first time !  

The rest of the week-end we were busy packing, I did some cooking and the pups got a bath.

Jack, 


and Dover didn't mind too much, 

 but, Sally was traumatized !  So much so that when we walked the pups last night, Sally stopped in her tracks and would not budge when we turned the corner that headed toward the doggie wash station. 




 Until next time, 

HAPPY TRAILS !

Up next, fun in San Diego !