Madera Canyon Morning — Image by kenne
Archive for the ‘Madera Canyon’ Tag
Madera Canyon Morning 1 comment
New Mexico Groundsel Leave a comment
New Mexico Groundsel in Madera Canyon — Image by kenne
Madera Canyon
A popular place to hike
South of the valley.
— kenne
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Lasting Scars On The Sky Above And The Earth Below 4 comments
Mining Scars In The Valley Below Madera Canyon — image by kenne
We Scar The Things We Love
There is always something worth trekking
in the Sonoran Desert.
Sometimes, the treks start early in the morning,
driving across the Tucson basin over
occasional low water crossings and cattle guards
on narrow roads, stopping for big yellow buses.
A canyon road leads out of Green Valley,
a quiet, peaceful community
along the banks of the Santa Cruz River
covered with oaks and walnut trees
and a rich history with the Tumacacori Mission
to the south and San Xavier del Bac to the north.
Crossing one-lane bridges through a grassland bajada,
the road climbs toward Madera Canyon
nestled between Mt. Wrightson and Mt. Hopkins
on the eastern slope of the Santa Rita Mountains,
forming one of the Sonoran desert’s Sky Islands,
an oasis above this bowl-shaped canyon.
Although some are called “Friends of Madera Canyon”
all visitors, be they hikers, birders, walkers,
or just those relaxing at one of the beautiful vistas
share a love of nature and being outdoors,
forming a friendship that helps bond
memoirs of a shared love.
“All the while, jumbled memories flirt out on their own,”
intruding on nature’s beautiful vistas
where a river once ran through, now shadowed
by a high wall of tailings surrounding a pond,
altering nature’s beautiful vistas above the canyon,
producing lasting scars on the sky above and the earth below.
— kenne
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Mountain Spiny Lizard Leave a comment
Mountain Spiny Lizard (Sceloporus jarrovii) — HDR Image by kenne
The mountain spiny lizard is the cousin of the desert spiny, whose coloring blends more with the desert than the mountain forests.
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A Buck In Madera Canyon 1 comment
A Young Buck In Madera Canyon — HDR Image by kenne
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Deer In Madera Canyon 1 comment
Deer In Madera Canyon — Image by kenne
the young buck stares back
as I point my camera
in his direction
— kenne
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A Fall Hike In Madera Canyon 2 comments
Madera Canyon is always a beautiful canyon in which to hike especially in the fall when the
Arizona Sycamores are in color. This SCVN Friday hike, in the Santa Rita Mountains,
provided a nice contrast to our usual hikes in the Santa Catalina Mountains.
This image is looking down on Madera Canyon below some of the higher pikes in the Santa Ritas
(The highest is Mt. Wrightson on the right with an elevation of 9,453 feet.)
Our hike began down near a dried-up creek bed, then taking us up along the canyon’s edge.
What a beautiful day to be hiking with friends and nature lovers.
Images by kenne
“Don’t walk in front of me… I may not follow
Don’t walk behind me… I may not lead
Walk beside me… just be my friend”
―
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Weed Behind A Stone 1 comment
“Weed Behind A Stone” — Image by kenne
Weed behind a stone
Tween a rock and mountain view,
Some call it heaven.
— kenne
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Capturing The Moment — Mountain Marigold 1 comment
Mountain Marigold, Madera Canyon (October 27,2014) — Image by kenne
Mountain Marigold
Competing with fall colors,
All winners here.
— kenne
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Morning Clouds Moving On, Madera Canyon 4 comments
Morning Clouds Moving On, Madera Canyon in the Santa Rita Mountains — Images by kenne
An early morning walk is a blessing for the whole day.
— Henry David Thoreau
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The Desert Spiny Lizard’s Cousin 3 comments
Mountain Spiny Lizard
Mountain Spiny Lizard
Mountain Spiny Lizard
Mountain Spiny Lizard
Mountain Spiny Lizard
Mountain Spiny Lizard
Mountain Spiny Lizard
Mountain Spiny Lizard
Mountain Spiny Lizard
Mountain Spiny Lizard
Mountain Spiny Lizard
Mountain Spiny Lizard at Roger’s Rock In Madera Canyon, Santa Rita Mountains — Images by kenne
(Click on any of the images for larger view in a slideshow format.)
For those of us who live near the Santa Catalina Mountains, Madera Canyon in the Santa Catalina Mountains is about an hour and twenty minutes drive. There are a lot of reasons to love the canyon, rated the third best birding destination in the United States. Yesterday, the Monday Morning Milers hiked one of the canyon’s many trails to Roger’s Rock where I have captured many vista photographs in the past and did the same yesterday. One of the things that made this hike different from past hikes was seeing the mountain spiny lizard captured in this posting. The colors of this guy were very prominent, sunning in the 6,500 feet elevation cool mountain air. I have learned that every hike, even on the same trail, has something new and impressive to see.
— kenne
You’ve got to get out
and pray to the sky
to appreciate the sunshine;
otherwise you’re
just a lizard
standing there
with the sun shining on you.
— Ken Kesey
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Appalachian Mountain Club Hike Mt Wrightson In Madera Canyon Leave a comment
Mt Wrightson Trailhead Parking Lot
Old Baldy Trail
Old Baldy Trail
Old Baldy Trail
Josephine Saddle
Vista
Vista
Vista
Old Baldy Trail
Old Baldy
Mt Hopkins Observatory
Old Baldy
Old Baldy Trail
Old Baldy Trail
Old Baldy
Old Baldy Trail
Vista
Appalachian Mountain Club Hike Mt Wrightson In Madera Canyon — Images by kenne
(Click on any of the images to see larger view in slideshow format.)
This hike by the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) was their last in the Tucson area. We are pleased to have been able to hike with them and share our (SCVN) knowledge and experience of hiking the trails of southern Arizona.
This is the last in a series of postings on the AMC visit to the Sonoran Desert, so let’s remember for a moment . . .
Let’s remember for a moment,
the trail head gatherings,
the greetings, the smiles,
the joy of another hike.
Let’s remember for a moment,
the steep climbs, the switchbacks,
the majestic views at the top,
the masterful returns.
Let’s remember for a moment,
the trail fellowship,
sharing who we are
and common interests.
Let’s remember for a moment,
the pools near mountain trails,
resting tired feet in the cold water,
watching others jump in.
Let’s remember the moment,
the hike alone ridges of granite
and the juxtapositions of water-loving
and drought-tolerating plants.
Let’s remember for a moment,
the rich biodiversity of the Sonoran Desert
which the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
illustrates through its ecological theater.
Let’s remember for a moment,
the images captured by
our mind’s eye,
lasting images to share.
Let’s remember for a moment,
that which we have added
to life’s experiences forming
a better understanding of self.
Let’s remember for a moment,
the desire, the drive to see
what lies just over the next ridge,
on the other side of the mountain.
Let’s remember for a moment,
lots of mountains, few streams —
all dry this time of year, and my
turning back at the base of Old Baldy.
Let’s remember for a moment,
my friends from New England,
“May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome,
dangerous, leading to the most amazing view.” *
— kenne
* Edward Abbey
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We Scar The Things We Love 2 comments
A Panorama View Down Through Madera Canyon In The Santa Rita Mountains South of Tucson, Arizona.
(Note the light color of mining tailings surrounding ponded water.)
— Image by kenne
We Scar The Things We Love
There is always something worth trekking
in the Sonoran Desert.
Sometimes, the treks start early in the morning,
driving across the Tucson basin over
occasional low water crossings and cattle guards
on narrow roads, stopping for big yellow buses.
A canyon road leads out of Green Valley,
a quiet, peaceful community
along the banks of the Santa Cruz River
covered with oaks and walnut trees
and a rich history with the Tumacacori Mission
to the south and San Xavier del Bac to the north.
Crossing one-lane bridges through a grassland bajada,
the road climbs toward Madera Canyon
nestled between Mt. Wrightson and Mt. Hopkins
on the eastern slope of the Santa Rita Mountains,
forming one of the Sonoran desert’s Sky Islands,
an oasis above this bowl-shaped canyon.
Although some are called “Friends of Madera Canyon”
all visitors, be they hikers, birders, walkers,
or just those relaxing at one of the beautiful vistas
share a love of nature and being outdoors,
forming a friendship that helps bond
memoirs of a shared love.
“All the while, jumbled memories flirt out on their own,”
intruding on nature’s beautiful vistas
where a river once ran through, now shadowed
by a high wall of tailings surrounding a pond,
altering nature’s beautiful vistas above the canyon,
producing lasting scars on the sky above and the earth below.
— kenneShare this:
Capturing The Moment — Horned Lizard 4 comments
Horned Lizard (Horny Toad) In Madera Canyon (April 11, 2014) — Images by kenne
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May The Spirit Of The Hiking Stick Be With You Always. 7 comments
Monday Morning Milers Celebrate Don Fletcher’s (center) 89th Birthday — Images by kenne
In the spring of 2011, I began hiking with a group called the Monday Morning Milers (MMM). I first learned about the MMM from my neighbor, Louise Glaysher, who invited me to hike with the group. After my first hike with MMM, I wrote in a blog posting on April 13, 2011: “One of the things we love about living in Tucson is if you tire of the desert, within less than an hour, you can be in the tree-line mountains. Madera Canyon, located about 65 km (40 mi) southeast of Tucson, Arizona, makes a large dent in the northwest face of the Santa Rita Mountains.”
Images by kenne
The mountains surrounding Tucson provide many hiking trails for people who love the outdoors. Most in the MMM have been hiking together for many years and know well most trails in southern Arizona — they love hiking so much that some of the guys, now in their eighties, also hike on Fridays. The elder of the MMM is Don Fletcher, who had his 89th birthday this past Sunday, so after this Monday’s hike on the Palisades Trail in the Santa Catalina mountains, we had a surprise potluck luncheon at Middle Bear picnic area. Keeping this a surprise was not easy since Don and some other guys often have lunch at Viv’s Cafe at the base of Catalina highway after hiking in the Catalinas.
Don and the other octogenarians in the MMM set an admirable example to anyone who loves the outdoors and hiking. To see Don and the other octogenarians hiking, albeit at their pace, most with walking sticks, not the more modern hiking poles, sets an example I hope to be doing in my 80s. I’m already looking forward to posting our celebrating his 90th after a Monday morning hike on this blog.
Although only 15 of the MMM could make Monday’s birthday celebration, birthday wishes were passed on from those unable to attend.
The mountains surrounding Tucson provide many hiking trails for people who love the outdoors. Most in the MMM have been hiking together for many years and know well most trails in southern Arizona — they love hiking so much that some of the guys, now in their eighties, also hike on Friday’s. The elder of the MMM is Don Fletcher, who had his 89th birthday this past Sunday, so after this Monday’s hike on the Palisades Trail in the Santa Catalina mountains we had a surprise potluck luncheon at Middle Bear picnic area. Keeping this a surprise was not easy, since Don and some of the other guys often have lunch at Viv’s Cafe at the base of Catalina highway after hiking in the Catalinas.
Don and the other octogenarians in the MMM set an admirable example to anyone who loves the outdoors and hiking. To see Don and the other octogenarians hiking, albeit at their pace, most with walking sticks not the more modern hiking poles, sets an example I hope to be doing in my 80’s. I’m already looking forward to posting on this blog our celebrating his 90th after a Monday morning hike.
Although only 15 of the MMM were able to make Monday’s birthday celebration, birthday wishes were passed on from those not able to attend.
kenne
May the spirit of the hiking stick be with you always, Don.
Related articles
- Hiking The Aspen Draw, Mt. Lemmon Trail And The Meadow Trail (kenneturner.com)
- Hiking To Higher Elevations Above Rose Canyon Lake (kenneturner.com)
- The Sky Above, The Earth Below – An Abundance Of Beauty Between (kenneturner.com)
- Hiking To Rose Canyon Lake In The Santa Catalina Mountains (bell-book-candle.com)
