(CLICK ON ANY OF THE IMAGES TO SEE LARGER VIEW IN A SLIDESHOW FORMAT.)
Hiking the Douglas Spring, Carillo, Garwood Loop In The Saguaro National Park (December 19, 2014)
— Images by kenne
― John Muir, Our National Parks
Panther Peak and Sombrero Peak, Saguaro National Park – West in the Tucson Mountains northeast of Tucson, Arizona. —
View from the Sendero Esperanza Trail Hiking To Wasson Peak Images by kenne (March 14, 2014)
Kitt Peak National Observatory taken from Saguaro National Park (west), which is about 45 miles way. Image by kenne
Located in he Schuk Toak District on the Tohono O’odham Nation, Kitt Peak National Observatory supports the most diverse collection of astronomical observatories on Earth. Founded in 1958, the observatory operates three major nighttime telescopes and hosts the facilities of consortia which operate 22 optical telescopes and two radio telescopes.
kenne
Live view at the time of this posting. Source: KPNO
Cholla Forest at the Base of Panther Peak in the Tucson Mountains — Panorama Image by kenne
Sonoran Desert
by Tara Trewinnard-Boyle
How lucky am I? I have found my home!
In the place of dust and rock where the lizards run,
Where hot winds whip and the sun sears through a lapis colored sky.
Where Saguaros march uninhibited across the arid land.
Miles and miles of emptiness: freedom.
This is the place where Mother Nature still shows her true beauty.
Wild and uncompromising, she cuts me down to my rightful size.
Teaching me to live without; demand less; appreciate more.
Silently reminding me that the race is of my own making.
I can be free.
I have found my home. Not the home I was born to but where I belong.
The ache of leaving weighs heavy in my heart.
But today I can carry with me a gift, humbly offered to all who seek.
The desert is more than a place; it is a state of mind.
It is life and death, land and sky, struggle and freedom.
Slow! Your frantic pace does not matter here.
Breathe and be grounded in your humanness.
Be still and find your small place in this vast world.
You belong, just as you are. In the silence you can find peace.
This is the gift of the desert; for which I am eternally grateful.
White-Winged Dove Perched On Saguaro Cactus Fruit — Image by kenne
A Panoramic View of the San Pedro Valley from the Green Mountain Trail in the Santa Catalina Mountain (north).
View from the Green Mountain Trail south toward Tucson with Thimble Peak in the crosshairs. Thimble Peak is the Highest Point in Sabino Canyon. — Images by kenne
Click here to see a slideshow of photos taken on this SCVN lead hike last week.
Kings Canyon Trail — Images by kenne
Wildflower Slideshow by kenne
Panorama of Wasson Peak Near The Top
SCVN guided hike to Wasson Peak via Kings Canyon trail, which is about a seven mile (roundtrip) hike and elevation gain of 1,900 ft.
Some of our hikers made only the Kings Canyon trail to the first saddle since we were experiencing unusually warm record-setting temperatures (the mid-90’s).
Panorama made from three images, looking south along the eastern rim of The Rincon Mountains
Panorama of the Rincon Mountains made from three images. Each panorama was taken along the Turkey Creek Trail In Happy Valley, East of The Rincon’s. Turkey Creek Trail is a section of The Arizona Trail, east of Tucson. The trail leads into the Saguaro National Park, home of North America’s largest cacti, the giant saguaro. However, as these images show, the rolling hills and canyons of the east-side of the Rincon’s are in stark contrast to the saguaro forest location at the lower elevation of the west-side of the mountains.— Images by kenne
L-R: Panther Peak and Sombrero Peak as Viewed from the Cam-Boh Trail — Images by kenne
With the sun rising over the Rincon Mountains, east of Tucson in the Saguaro National Park,
The Monday Morning Milers begin hiking the Wildhorse Trail in a chilly 32 degree fall morning.
The Wildhorse Trail is very dusty from no rain in several months.
The desert grasses glow from the morning sun.
The trail leads toward one of the canyons along the Wildhorse Trail.
The park, named after the beautiful giant saguaro cactus, is occasionally graced by the rear crested saguaro cactus.
The saguaro cactus are rarely found in groups, such as this group of twelve 20 to 70-year-old saguaros.
Images by kenne
Long after death, the ribs of saguaro remain standing, a shadow of its live self.
kenne
View South From Atop Wasson Peak in Saguaro National Park – West, January 30, 2012 — Image by kenne
Paul and Jim On The Cam-Boa Trail Headed Toward Panther Peak — Image by kenne
We left the Cam-Boh Picnic Area , located off Picture Rocks Road, on the Cam-Boa trail at the western edge of the Tucson Mountain District of the Saguaro National Park – West. Part of this trail in the Panther Peak Wash, however we cut across the wash headed toward the draw or gully between Panther Peak and Sombrero Peak to the east. This time of year the floor of the desert is showing a lot of green from the early growth of desert wild-flowers.
My hiking partners, Jim and Paul, shared time leading as we tried to pick the best route up through the draw, trying to spot an occasional cairn. Stopping along the way, I took several photos, some meant to form panorama images of the surrounding mountains.
A casualty of extreme weather, July, 2011 — Image by kenne
inspiration for “Nude Runners” November, 2011 — Image by kenne
Nude Runners 1st Posted November 10, 2010 — Image by kenne
Saguaro Cactus are large trees that live to be hundreds of years old. It is one of the defining plants of the Sonoran Desert. Like this Saguaro in Tanuri Ridge, these plants are large, tree-like columnar cacti that develop branches (or arms) as they age, although some never grow arms. The number of arms and the likely age of this particular plant, may have helped shorten this plant’s life due to current long drought and unusually cold weather this past winter. Our Saguaro was one impressive plant when I first photographed it last November. I’m sure that over the life of this plant, it experienced harsh conditions, but none as sever as the last nine months. Even with some of the arms actually reaching down to help support this giant (most Saguaro arms point up), our freaky weather took its toll.
Its many arms help depict many images in one’s “mind’s eye”, i.e., runners embracing one another at the finish line, or a symbol of, “He out heavy, he’s my brother.” Although the age of this plant is hard for this novice to determine, the Saguaro rarely grows its arms until after the age of 75. Definitely a slow maturer, the cactus only puts up a main stem or spike, for three-quarters of a century, during which it might grow as high as a foot after fifteen years, and even seven feet after fifty years. Yet, for many, they may still not have any arms. As the images show, this “big guy” in Tanuri Ridge had a lot of arms, all of which now lie helpless on the ground near the Rillito River.
This is a big loss to those of us who walk the Tanuri Ridge trails along the riverside. As someone who loves to “capture the moment,” the two (several exist from each shooting) I have near the end of its long life only causes one to challenge the imagination as to other moments that might have been captured over the years. At one time, there was running water in the river with large cottonwoods lining its edge — just imagine! Such imaginative moments are priceless.
kenne
This annual event is held the Saturday before Thanksgiving. Participants can cycle 109, 79, 64 or 40 miles. This year over 8600 riders participated in the fundraising event. The cycle routes go through the scenic areas of Tucson, with beautiful vistas of its local mountain ranges – three rising over 9,000 feet complete with the backdrop of the mighty saguaro cactus, icon of the Southwest’s Sonoran Desert. To get a photographic feel for the annual event, I choose to photograph the nearby 64 mile start in the foothills and along Sunrise Drive.
kenne
Saguaro National Park
Cam-Boh Trail in the Saguaro National Park — Image by kenne
Tucson is located in the Sonoran Desert, one of the natural beauties of the American southwest and has one of our great National Parks, the Saguaro National Park. Since this is National Park Week, I would be remiss not to share some information on our neighbor park. The park is divided into two sections, lying about 20 miles east and 15 miles (24 km) west of the center of Tucson. Each section includes ranges of significant hills, the Tucson Mountains in the west and the Rincon Mountains in the east. The park gets its name from the saguaro cactus which is native to the region. Many other kinds of cactus, including barrel cactus, cholla cactus, and prickly pear, are also abundant in the park.
The park was established as Saguaro National Monument on March 1, 1933, and changed to a national park on October 14, 1994. For more information on the park, click here.
kenne
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