Fall color report: Pinaleños/Mount Graham

The Pinaleños are especially colorful at this time of year. Starting at the altitude corresponding with the Wet Canyon Bridge (location of the cell-phone camera photo), the few walnut trees hiding in creeks are turning yellow, sycamores, a bright festive orange, and oaks, red. Up a bit higher the bright yellow aspens are almost glowing back at the sun

It was 68 degrees Fahrenheit last weekend, ideal conditions for a hike along Ash Creek. If I didn't spend so much time taking pictures I might have made it to the bottom of the falls. Lizards and snakes must like the weather, too, as they're still very active. Ferns are turning brown and dying back at high altitudes, but flowering plants are still hanging on, and some odd Sky Island refugees--including a geranium-like plant I don't recall ever seeing--are in full bloom. More photos to follow when my Kodachromes return from Dwayne's and I finish the roll of Ektar 120 in the Yashica-Mat.


Word to the wise: If you leave a nice lens on top of your car, be sure that it's inside your car before you drive off. And if a Canon f/1.4 50mm prime is spotted 3/4 of the way up the Swift Trail, it's probably mine.

Do not park on bridge.

On Aravaipa Road, about two miles west of the Nature Conservancy's Aravaipa Canyon trailhead, there is a one-lane, prefabricated bridge passing within 15 feet of an almost-sheer rock wall, with prominent signage: "Do not park on bridge".

On the way in yesterday, I remarked to Rae Ana "I was almost overwhelmed by the temptation, but that sign dissuaded me": surely the view was beautiful, looking down at the canyon-bottom ranches and farms, but so are the two miles on either side.

But on the way out, I thought I saw a deer to my right. But deer don't climb rock walls, and don't have horns. Then four more joined it, and I realized that they were bighorn sheep: one ewe, one ram almost helmeted by his horns, and three juveniles in all, walking four-legged along a canyon face that would challenge a rock climber.

We parked on the bridge, and watched them pass. Good thing, too: two basketball-sized rocks landed five feet in front of my car.

Flower report.

It's been a disappointing season for those of us who ordinarily like to hike amongst or shoot Sonoran Desert wildflowers. The season should be peaking right now, but instead it's done. Brittlebrush and creosote bush bloomed, albeit weakly, but poppies, lupines, and pentstemons are making an extremely poor showing. In a good year we'd right now see many of the latter in low areas along Kinney Road, but not this time around. Likewise, there's not much color at all at Picacho Peak.

Rains came heavy and late this year; maybe that means the flowers will come late, as well. And on the bright side, ocotillo are in full bloom in Saguaro National Park West, and paloverdes around Tucson and in the countryside are blooming more strongly than I've ever seen. We can probably expect an equally strong showing from the related ironwoods.