Three Marine Blue Butterfies On a Green-headed Coneflower (White Mountains) — Image by kenne
three is not a crowd
whole field of the present view
things which are before
— kenne
Archive for the ‘Hiking’ Category
Three Marine Blue Butterflies 1 comment
Saguaro Sunrise 1 comment
Saguaro Sunrise — Photo-Artistry by kenne
saguaro sunrise
just above the canyon ridge
shadows in the dark
— kenne
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The Lone Hiker Leave a comment
The Lone Hiker — Photo-Artistry by kenne
now in his eighties
living moment by moment
carries a message
time past time present
both in time future
— kenne
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Hiking Turkey Run On Mt. Lemmon 3 comments
Turkey Run Gallery by kenne
I was originally scheduled to lead the SCVN Turkey Run Trail hike tomorrow. However, because of some nagging leg problems,
I had to bow out. Instead, I did hike Turkey Run with two friends (Tom and John) last Friday. Usually, by this time of year,
there are plenty of wildflowers, but not this year. The gallery contains cow parsnip, New Mexico Locust, and silverpuff.
— kenne
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Old Line Camp Cabin Leave a comment
Old Line Camp Cabin — Image by kenne
Old Line Camp Cabin
A few building stones remain
Near the hiking trail.
— kenne
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Monkeyflowers On Mt. Lemmon Leave a comment
Monkeyflowers On Mt. Lemmon (June 11, 2021) — Image by kenne
Sometimes when writing
I take whatever words come,
like a drifting boat.
— kenne
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Mt. Lemmon Is Dry! 4 comments
Mt. Lemmon Is Dry — Image by kenne
The Summer monsoon officially starts today.
However, nature didn’t get the message.
Whether in the desert valley or the mountains
the drought continues to preach the southwest.
Will this monsoon season be another nonsoom?
— kenne
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Aspen Loop One Year Out After The Big Horn Fire 7 comments
SCVN Friday hikes on Mt. Lemmon have
Begun with more excitement than usual,
Last year’s hikes being a casualty of the
Big Horn Fire and the pandemic.
Marshall Gulch Parking Area
Leaving behind morning temperatures
In the mid-eights, we gathered at Marshall Gulch
To hike the Aspen Loop, combining the Aspen
And Marshall Gulch trails for a 4.3-mile hike.
Marshall Gulch survived the fire, as did
Most of the trail. But the Aspen Trail
Wasn’t so lucky with parts that burned
From the 1993 Aspen Fire burning again.
Aspen Trail (June 15, 2015)
Over the years, I watch aspens and pines
And many other native plants return
Among the charred remains of the Aspen Fire
Only now to experience that same fate.
Last year’s fires were followed by the driest year
On record, delaying the reclamation process
And trail clearing to provide for safe hiking
On the grayest powder covering the trails.
The mountain ferns were among the plants
To return only weeks after containing the fire,
Providing hope to those grieving over the lose
Of so much beauty found on these mountain trails.
Now so exposed, the trail seems longer
Each step requiring a watchful eye
For this out of shape hiker, navigating
The loose gravel and ankle turning rocks.
Just beyond the ridge, a line of trees
Was missed by the very erratic wildfire
As if it turned on a dime, redirecting
The firefighting crew from Montana.
Soon the trail turns away from the freshly
Scared land rambling among tall ponderosas
Shadows formed by the whole clear
Cloudless sky moving across the trail.
Images by kenne
I’ve hiked the trails on Mt. Lemmon
Now ten summers, where troubles cease,
untangled silent knowledge contemplating
A void in a world that exceeds stillness.
— kenne
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Granite Ridge Leave a comment
Wilderness of Rocks Trail In The Santa Catalina Mountains — Image by kenne
Piute Creek
BYÂ GARY SNYDER
Â
One granite ridge
A tree, would be enough
Or even a rock, a small creek,
A bark shred in a pool.
Hill beyond hill, folded and twisted  Â
Tough trees crammed
In thin stone fractures
A huge moon on it all, is too much.  Â
The mind wanders. A million
Summers, night air still and the rocks  Â
Warm.   Sky over endless mountains.  Â
All the junk that goes with being human  Â
Drops away, hard rock wavers
Even the heavy present seems to fail  Â
This bubble of a heart.
Words and books
Like a small creek off a high ledge  Â
Gone in the dry air.
Â
. . . continue reading
Â
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Happiness 4 comments
Happiness — Image by kenne
I remember sitting there looking out over the valley,
there was such a sense of circumstance.
You know, that feeling that this is happiness.
It was the moment, right then.
— kenne
Â
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Yellow-eyed Junco On Old Mining Wheel 2 comments
Yellow-eyed Junco On Old Mining Wheel — Image by kenne
Old friends? They mostly vanish, they are ghosts out on the road
Some turned around, threw up their hands, and disappeared
Like old folk songs, their stories change, fairytales of love and pain
Another verse, another chorus, one more year.
— from The Light Beyond the Coyote Fence by Tom Russell
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Early Blooming Wildflowers on Mt. Lemmon Leave a comment
Early Blooming Wildflowers on Mt. Lemmon in the Santa Catalina Mountains (May 17, 2021) — Images by kenne
Click on any image to see the flowers with descriptions in a slideshow formate.
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Ciénega Creek — Photo Essay Leave a comment
Hiking the Ciénega Creek Trail with Friend,Tom Markey — Images by kenne
(Click on Any Image for Larger View with Descriptions In a Slideshow Formate.)
Ciénega Creek Trail (English: “Hundred Springs Creek” or “Marsh Creek”) is an intermittent stream located within the Cienega Creek Natural Preserve, and is one of the most intact riparian corridors left in the state, represents one of the last perennial streams in southeastern Arizona. It originates in the Canelo Hills and continues northwest about 50 miles (80 km) to an area just outside Tucson, where it becomes known as Pantano Wash. Pantano Wash continues through Tucson and eventually connects with the Rillito River.
Gila Topminnow, once the most widespread fish in the Gila River basin (including Santa Cruz River), the Gila topminnow now claims Cienega Creek as its last stronghold in the United States. This guppy-like fish is good at thriving in less than ideal water conditions and loves to feast on mosquito larva. — Source: Pima County
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Naturalists To Resume Mountain Hikes Leave a comment
SCVN Friday Hikes In The Santa Catalina Mountains To Resume This Summer — Image from 2017
The last Sabino Canyon Volunteer Naturalist (SCVN) hike was March 2020. The National Forest Service has authorized the SCVN to begin Friday Hikes this June on Mt. Lemmon. The Forest Service will require all volunteers to wear masks at all times while volunteering. The groups will be smaller and maintain social distancing.
— kenne
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Hutton’s Vireo 1 comment
Hutton’s Vireo — Image by kenne
Hutton’s Vireo is a small songbird that bears an uncanny resemblance to a Ruby-crowned Kinglet. They can be
found in the Pacific coastal regions, where they tend to be richer green and yellow. However, in southeastern
Arizona, they are grayer like this one I photographed recently in the Cienega Creek Preserve.
— kenne
