There is one place and one place only where you can find forests of Suguaro cactus, and that is in and around the National Parks of Suguaro. I use the plural tense here because the park is divided into two sections...one east and one west of the city of Tucson. Our stay here was at the threshold of the western park at a campground named Gilbert Ray. Gilbert Ray is actually a Pima county park. It is beautifully maintained, features many camp sites that are enclosed within native flora so you get a good sense of privacy, and is in an inspiring section of the Sonoran desert right on the edge of the National park. Here, we found warm weather! Using this park as a base of operations, we had access to not only the park, but were close to Tucson itself. You can reach points south to the border with Mexico as well within 30 to 60 minutes driving.
Specifically, we drove one day to the Santa Rita mountains 45 minutes to the south. These mountains are one of the “islands”,as they are called, in the desert. There altitude and fresh springs provide islands of life for a variety of mammals, birds, and reptiles that otherwise could not survive in the desert. Migrating birds use these islands as stopover rests on their routes to Mexico and points south. The Madera canyon within Santa Rita is a world-class birding site. Sure enough, even though it was not the migrating season, we encountered a couple dozen dedicated birders perched along the spring-fed, bubbling stream that runs through the canyon. We counted an Acorn Woodpecker, a brilliantly colored, red-headed bird there. The hiking in this canyon and the surrounding mountains is tremendous and so contrasting to the desert below. A few of the mountain peaks at 8000’ were snow covered. For us, this was a very spiritual 5 mile hike. The crystalline blue sky combined with the scent of piñon pine mixed with the pure water gently cascading down the slopes was truly inspiring and confirmed over and over why we undertook this vision quest to begin with.
Hiking within Suguaro is different, though equally inspiring. I used to think that hiking in the desert would be abundantly boring...nothing but dry, crusted rocks with a few spiny cactus thrown in. Hardly the case I find. This is January. The desert is not yet in spring flower mode, but it is very much alive. Though the desert floor here appears to me as I would expert Mars to look like “Green” is everywhere. Brittle Bush are exploding in their yellow bush flowers and Mexican poppies are starting to bloom into their orange flowers. Creosote bushes are featuring their puffy, cottony seeds. The barrel cactus are starting to push flower pods to their surface. The sunsets here are the most gorgeous I’ve ever seen. Every night they blow us away with a new, unique and jaw-dropping show, changing by the moment before our eyes.
One particular day we went hiking with two new friends that we met nearly a year ago in Big Bend National Park. As luck, or maybe fate would have it, they are camping nearby. Renewing our friendship with them has been great. We took a good 4 mile hike with them up an arroyo into the mountains. The views, the scents, the exhilaration, increased with every few hundred yards we climbed. Deciding to go back via a different path, we headed back to the car down a dry creek bed. Every few hundred yards or so we would have to scramble down a dry waterfall. Perhaps a quarter mile or so down the creek bed we came to an area of 30-40’ high granite bluffs on either side of the creek bed. There, on the eastern side of the creek bed high up on the flat granite wall were some fading petroglyphs. You would have to strain your eyes in some cases to find them, but once you spotted them they became easier to make out amidst the juts and crags of the rock face. Later, I found out that these particular drawings were created between 400 AD and 1450 AD, some older, some newer. To think of the individuals who created these, what their lives were like, and what they were thinking about when they created them never fails to amaze and mystify me. Were they attempting to leave their mark for future generations? Were they culminating a religious experience? Were they teaching? Perhaps all of these.
Within Suguaro National Park, west, there lies the Desert Museum. Diane and I spent an afternoon here. We easily could have spent another couple of hours here, but we had no idea how much there was to see. Everything “desert” is displayed and explained here. Beginning with a cave that features the underground story and geologic processes and timetables that formed this region, you are guided by trails through exhibits on the reptiles, birds, and mammals of the area, as well as the flora of the desert floor. At 2:00 PM they feature a Harris hawk/raptor show with the focus on their flight abilities, heavy on education. There is a hummingbird exhibit that is delightful. These little creatures flit and fly, buzzing by you at intervals and perch themselves close enough for you to get a really good idea of their plumage. Docents and guides are seemingly ever-present to give you perspectives and information on what you are seeing and experiencing. We loved our time here and would come again in the future.