Archive for the ‘Monday Morning Milers’ Tag
Standing At Nature’s Alter — Image by kenne (Monday Morning Milers — August 29, 2011)
Standing at Nature’s Alter
When we stand at the
altar of nature,
we stand with the greats;
Ralph Waldo Emerson,
Henry David Thoreau,
and John Muir,
each having helped define
our relationship
with nature and language —
“Every natural fact is a symbol
of some spiritual fact,
. . . words are signs of natural facts.”
Nature’s beauty becomes
a source of spiritual energy
connecting all things
into a universal whole
with the power of our
thoughts and will.
We stand at nature’s altar
not separate from her,
seeing us in the flowers,
insects, animals, mountains,
creating a unified landscape
of our inward and outward senses.
Like all relationships,
the experience depends
on the degree of harmony
between us and nature,
therefore becoming a gift
granted while walking with nature
as she is embraced in our minds –
Enlighten, she shares her secrets,
making the universe more “transparent.”
Yet, the gift may only offer a glimpse,
to be shared in images and words,
charming all living things.
— kenne
Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. — John Muir
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The SCVN Friday Nature Hike was Aspen Trail, Marshall Gulch Trail loop,
which would provide an opportunity to see the beautiful fall colors on Mt. Lemmon.
The Aspen Trail has a grove of aspens, which I blogged in a previous posting.
After hiking through the aspen grove, I began to get out in front of the nature hikers.
With less fall color on the remaining part of the Aspen Trail I decided to pick-up my pace.
I knew from past experience there would be plenty of fall color on the Marshall Gulch Trail.
I was aware that my buddies, Jim Thompson and Tom Markey, were hiking the trail;
hence, I might be able to catch up with them.
I first began hiking with Jim and Tom nine years ago. They were part of the Monday Morning Milers (MMM),
the first hiking group with which I started hiking.
Most of the MMM were lifetime hikers in southeast Arizona, many of whom were in their 80’s.
Jim recently celebrated his 90th birthday.
While Tom is a youngster like me, he’s 79.
Images by kenne
It seems, as one becomes older,
That the past has another pattern,
And ceases to be a mere sequence —
Or even development: the latter a partial fallacy
Encouraged by superficial notions of evolution,
Which becomes, in the popular mind,
A means of disowning the past.
The moments of happiness — not the sense of well-being,
Fruition, fulfillment, security or affection,
Or even a very good dinner, but the sudden illumination —
We had the experience but missed the meaning,
And approach to the meaning restores the experience
In a different form, beyond any meaning
We can assign to happiness.
— from “Four Quartets” by T. S. Eliot
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Looking Down Through Pima Canyon, Sonoran Desert (February 9, 2015) — Image by kenne
The warm
morning sun
leaves us
as we hike into
the canyon shadows.
— kenne
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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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HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Fellow Monday Morning Miler, #90 — Image by Joy
After the hike on Mt. Lemmon this past Monday, some of us gathered for a picnic celebration for a very special person on th occasion of his 90th birthday. Don Fletcher is our hiking “poster child”, since we all would like to still be hiking on our 90th.
Hiking, staying active in general, is a good way to maintain dignity as mature humans, even though store clerks may have replaced “sir” with “sweetie” some time ago.
DON’T CALL ME SWEETIE!
Just because I may
Look old and weak
Don’t call me sweetie —
No “elderspeak” for me.
You may think
You’re being kind,
But it’s not
A good moment
When dignity
Is left behind.
— kenne
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Leopold Point Boulder With Yellow Lichen In The Santa Catalina Mountains (July 14, 2014) — Image by kenne
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“If A Tree Falls In The Forest . . .” Hiking The Mt. Bigelow Trail in the Santa Catalina Mountains. — Images by kenne
(Click on any of the tiled images to see larger view in a slideshow.)
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Mexican Poppies Along The Phoneline Trail In Sabino Canyon — Image by kenne
Mexican Poppy and Desert Lupine Wildflowers Along The Phoneline Trail — Image by kenne
Most Sonoran desert wildflowers are annuals, which are short-lived even when there’s timely rain. Sabino Canyon has had no rain since December 20th. Oddly enough, limited rain and a short lifespan helps ensure survival in the desert. With the lack of rain and warmer than normal temperatures the annuals have been quickly sprouting and blowing before the dryness and heat kills the plant.
kenne
“To see a world
in a grain of sand
and heaven in a wildflower.
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand,
and eternity in an hour.”
— William Blake
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Hiking the de Anza Trail between Tubac and Tumacacori, Arizona, 20 miles north of Nogales, Sonora, Mexico — Images by kenne.
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Catalina Foothills From The Agua Caliente Trail — Image by kenne
This morning’s hike was the Agua Caliente trail in canyons between the Santa Catalina mountains and the Rincon mountains in 32 windy degrees — a life not to complain about.
May the spirits of nature be with you.
kenne
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“The Trail Spinner” — Images by kenne
Kristen is hiking the Aspen Draw on Mt. Lemmon while using a hand-spinner. Little hand devices, such as this one, have been used for thousands of years to spin fiber into yarn.
— kenne
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“Looking Through The Trees” — Image by kenne
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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
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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.”
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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.
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Rose Canyon Lake in the Santa Catalina Mountains is the only lake in the mountain, located about 25 miles from Tucson, Arizona. The lake is only seven acres, but is surrounded by cabins and campgrounds in the mountain forest. Images by kenne
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Becoming is Superior to Being 