Maribeth and Ricki looking out over the San Pedro River Valley.
Slideshow
Taking a break at Leopold Point — Images by kenne
Looking northeast atop Mount Lemmon in the morning a clouds begin to build bringing rain to the Tucson area. Note how dry the plant in the foreground. The rain is much-needed. — Image by kenne
Dan Granger photographing columbine on the Box Camp Trail
Not meant to be a Canon ad, but . . .
Golden Columbine — Images by kenne
Unlike “nature walks,” hikes usually don’t allow time to stop and capture the moment — unless one is willing to be left behind, unnerving the guides.
This summer the SCVN hikes on Mount Lemmon have been very dry, dusty experiences minus the color of the usual mountain wildflowers. So, when flowers are spotted, inducing trance-like states, as in the case of columbines in a mountain canyon where a small stream might normally exist, some of us cannot pass up the moment connecting nature with our being in the digital world.
July rains should bring on an ever-changing kaleidoscope of wildflowers. But, for now, we feel the call of the wild to save the season by capturing the moment in a time our culture and technology are becoming more complex, more intricate, and more challenging to control.
— kenne
Aspen Draw Trail On Mount Lemmon — Images by kenne
Oracle Ridge Trail, View South Toward Mount Lemmon (Since I Was Leading This Year’s Hike,This Is An Image From Last Year) — Image by kenne
Oracle Ridge Trail #1
Once a trail
through the Mount Lemmon Forest,
shaded by tall ponderosas
until the trail reached the ridge
where the only shade
was from large alligator junipers.
This picture made it a favorite
of many southern Arizona hikers,
till ten years ago
the ridge was charred
by the Aspen Wildfire,
leaving only minds eye images.
Now, ten years out
many blacken trees remain
as new aspen, pine seedlings
and New Mexico locust
bring back the green
to the ridge.
Always a moderately
difficult trail on the return,
the loss of shade
has made it less inviting
to those looking forÂ
a cool retreat fromÂ
the desert heat below —
still #1 for some.
kenne
Short iPhone Video Clip At Dan’s Saddle Where We Rested Under Sparse Shade Before Starting Our Return Up The Ridge.
Phil Bentley Playing The Harp
Becoming is Superior to Being 