The Bluff Trail In Sabino Canyon — Panorama by kenne
The bluff trail runs a short distance from Sabino Canyon Road to Sabino Creek.
Archive for the ‘Bluff Trail’ Tag
Winter In The Canyon 3 comments
Not Everything In The Sonoran Desert Has Thorns and Spins Leave a comment
Star Ferns and Ressurection Plants On the Bluff Trail Above Sabino Creek — Image by kenne
Most people think of the desert as being a hot, dry and barren place which is totally inhospitable to the likes of ferns, mosses, and leafy plants. Nonetheless, all the above-mentioned species thrive here in the Sonoran Desert. There are many varieties of ferns growing in the desert climate. The desert ferns are true xerophytes (a plant that has adaptations to survive in an environment with little liquid water, dry loving). These ferns have evolved several strategies to thrive in our warm, dry climate here in the southwest. They can shrivel and go dormant for many months, they begin life in rock fractures and other moist sheltered areas that provide a microclimate for early growth. Other characteristics of desert ferns are reduced surface area (small leaflets), leathery leaflets, thickened leaf margins, waxy, hairy or fuzzy coatings, and scales on stems. Does this sound like some of the water-saving adaptations of other desert plants? You bet! We’ve heard about these adaptations for many other desert plants such as creosote, mesquite, ocotillo, Brittle Bush, so why not the ferns too? (Debbie Bird, Sabino Canyon Volunteer Naturalist)
The plants at the top of the above image are Selaginella lepidophylla is a species of desert plant in the spikemoss family. Known as a “resurrection plant”, it is renowned for its ability to survive almost complete desiccation. During dry weather in its native habitat, its stems curl into a tight ball, uncurling only when exposed to moisture.
— kenne
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The Squeeze Is On 2 comments
“The Squeeze is On” (Saguaro Cactus in Sabino Canyon) — Image by kenne
This saguaro cactus is on the cliff-side of the Bluff Trail in Sabino Canyon.
It’s about two feet long and may have been around for a couple of decades now.
You may think the saguaro has a dilemma, being “stuck between and rock and a hard place.”
The crack in the cliff has provided protection for this young saguaro, so it should
keep on growing for years to come.
— kenne
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Bluff Trail In Sabino Canyon Leave a comment
Springtime On The Bluff Trail In Sabino Canyon — Panorama by kenne
The universe is changing, and
we are part of the transformation.
— kenne
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Sabino Canyon Panorama — Bluff Trail Leave a comment
Bluff Trail, Sabino Canyon Panorama (November 3, 2011) — Image by kenne
The Bluff trail is a short (.2 mile) easy hike from the Sabino Canyon creekside above the dam to the Canyon tram road. The trail winds down along the ridge west of lower canyon riparian area, a result of the stream running through the canyon.
“The stream is the mountain’s gift to the desert, but the mountain is a fickle gift-giver,” David Wentworth Lazaroff writes in his book, Sabino Canyon: The Life of a Southwestern Oasis. Calling the Sabino Creek a fickle gift-giver is a perfect metaphor for describing the flow variations from a daily surface flow to dry, created by an unpredictable desert climate. Still, the diversity of plant and animal live along the canyon stream is perfect for Sabino Canyon Volunteer Naturalists to provide educational experiences for children and adults.
More often than not, when I’m in the canyon area, I have a camera. Over the last five years, I have produced many canyon panoramas. The above image was one of my early ones, created in Photoshop by merging three images, which is sometimes tricky since I’m usually not carrying a tripod to make alinement much easier.
— kenne
“For many Tucsonans the canyon is an old friend. Weare on a first-name basis. On a sunny weekend morning we say, simply, ‘Let’s go to Sabino.'”
— David Wentworth Lazaroff
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Sabino Canyon Bluff Trail Panorama 2 comments
Sabino Canyon Bluff Trail Panorama — Image by kenne
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Sabino Creek Colors Captured in a Snapshot 1 comment
Sabino Creek Colors Captured in a Snapshot — Image by kenne
Green along the creek
Red in the mountain water
Blue celestial dome.
— kenne
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December In The Canyon — A Painting 1 comment
December In The Canyon Painting (View from the Bluff Trail) — Photo-Artistry by kenne
Early snow is melting
on the mountain top.
The creek is flowing
in the lower canyon.
The big trees are
showing solstice colors.
I walk the bluff trail
with no painter’s brush.
My camera is there
to take me beyond the brush.
I capture the image
recalling the story.
The whims of nature
stopped for the moment.
Later I use digital brushes
to add a painter’s touch.
— kenne
Related articles
- Sabino Canyon – Panorama View From Above Rattlesnake Creek (kenneturner.com)
- Altar Of The Mountain Gods (kenneturner.com)
- Hiking The Sabino Canyon To Bear Canyon Loop (kenneturner.com)
