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
Southeast View from Oracle Ridge Trail Toward Mt. Bigelow and Mt. Lemmon in the Santa Catalina Mountains (June 27, 2014)
— Image by kenne
Images by kenne
Much of the Crystal Springs Trail area in the Santa Catalina Mountains was destroyed by the Aspen Fire ten years ago. Since then, much of the area has recovered with new vegetation. However, many of the large trees, although dead for ten years, still stand. Time is wearing on the dead forest and many large trees are falling each year, some falling across the mountain trails. Photos taken on a recent hike show the increased frequency of trees falling.
kenne
Mexican Garter Snake & Arizona Striped Whiptail Lizard — Images by kenne
This morning while hiking the Crystal Springs trail on Mount Lemmon we saw this Mexican Garter snake having just caught an Arizona Striped Whiptail lizard. The snake was in a hurry to het away from us so he could have breakfast.
Regular hikers on Mount Lemmon should take note, even after all the rain on the mountains, the springs are no more. Maybe it’s time to rename the trail.
Also, the Control Road to the trailhead is in real bad shape from all the mountain rains — lot’s of deep ruts, making for a long 2 1/2 mile drive to the trailhead.
kenne
