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The Emerald Desert, Take 2: Pt.1 ..Hilltop Oasis and Boulder Oceans


Silas_Sancona

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We wait for it every year, ..and suffer through punishing heat to get there.  While the sight of the Deserts here in Arizona ..and surrounding areas of the Southwestern U.S.  often greet the quick visit with a rather bleak and thirsty looking landscape most of the year, there are two times when, with just the right amount of rain magic, everything thirsty comes back to life and one wonders if they have somehow wandered hundreds of miles south, east, or west  where landscapes during the summer ..or spring, can be greener.

While things tend to stay greener year round higher up in the mountains, many areas below roughly 5,000ft rely on adequate rainfall to bring life back to parched soils. When the rains are good, barren and seemingly boring landscapes suddenly become emerald carpeted corridors of life as everything takes advantage of the gift of rain.  While things this year are a little behind how things were looking last year, many areas of the state have received good enough rainfall this year to see a pretty good green up, especially across far southern AZ where rainfall has been pretty continuous since mid- June.  Up this way, while some areas are still awaiting a few good soakings ( Hint, Miss Nature:D ), other spots, especially in the foothills, are looking pretty good right now.  Hopefully rainfall continues to bring relief to these areas ..and the drier spots.. through the rest of the season.

Like last year, my plan is to hit up as many of the spots i venture to  to see how the landscape looks when nice n' green..  Adding a few other spots i skipped over last year to the preliminary trip itinerary this year as well..  Hopefully, i can reach them all  and share how magical of a place the deserts can be, ...when the weather cooperates, lol..


Part one encompasses  areas between Chandler and Tucson, including Oak Flat and the Trail access area near Picketpost Mountain / Boyce Thompson.. where my Devilish Blondes hang out.

Other part ( or two ) will cover Tucson, and areas in Southern AZ, closer to the border.  One area i'm planning on returning to was covered in last year's posts.

First up is yesterdays check- in trip out to Oak Flat and the trail access at Picketpost..  While both areas are greening up, very evident Oak flat has been getting in on some of the better rainfall so far this season.  Trail Access area is just starting the process w/ most of the warm season grass and native annual flowers less than 3" in height, & trees, shrubs and perennial stuff just starting to flush a bit in response to a few recent soakings..

On the stop at Oak Flat, my plan was to check out that canyon that took some time to find access to again to see what the rains were bringing out. While wandering through a different portion of that canyon, i ended up exploring previously un- explored areas that took me  off track from my " planned " route..  having to reorient myself back to the main trail..  No worries..  Led me through more interesting spots along the way.

Stop was brief at the trail access as the sun ( and humidity ) were reminding me it was time to get back to the house..


Morning views of Apache Leap as i approach Superior ( AZ. )


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Headed uphill..    @Merlyn & @teddytn      ...Was thinking maybe i could climb this rock to get at some of the Agave Seeds up there, in picture #2  ..if interested :floor::D ( Not happening )


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First, Post storm, morning views from the flat.

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Deer Grass ( Muhlenbergia rigens ) Meadow and some Emory Oak Groves on the way out to the Canyon.. Another couple weeks and this is going to look lush..

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View into / across part of the Canyon before i descend into it..

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Entering the canyon.

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The sweet spot to camp ..or picnic at the bottom.. Didn't ride the rope swing this time, lol.  Even on a cool-ish and humid morning, noticeably cooler down here.IMG_3725.thumb.JPG.de4acb860864b296cc18274d9cb3f546.JPG

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.......



 

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7 hours ago, teddytn said:

Looks gorgeous there. Come on @Silas_Sancona a little scramble up the hillside never hurt anybody!! Lol

Maybe i could flag down some passing trucker or tour bus operator and con them into letting me climb on the roof / top of the bus as they pass under..  ...to get at those seeds, Haha..


Continuing on..

Exploring a wider meadow in another part of the Canyon. 

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First sign the native Morning Glories will be coloring up the landscape in force in a couple more weeks.  Plenty of seedlings popping up everywhere hiked.  Species in the picture is Ipomoea hederacea. Planted some back at the house as well. Seed collected out here last year.

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Smaller side- canyon lined with nice looking Emory Oak..

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Finding another, much taller Check Dam.. Obviously man made and imagine the area behind it, where i'm standing, was likely a deeper " lake ' before gradually it filled with sediment. " Dam " is somewhere between 10-15ft in height.

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Perfect conditions for Xeric Ferns ( Myriopteris and Pteris sp. in this case )

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Views looking back over the Canyon from the opposite side where i'd entered it..  Hard to see but there's actually a Pinyon seedling rooted in a depression in the far right hand corner of this " Table Top " rock in picture #4. Was going to climb atop it to get a better look, but with how wet everything was, and hiking shoes in not the best condition, decided against it. 

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Rock Top pools..

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While there are numerous, excellent Pinyon Pines to observe out here, this area hid some of the best looking specimens i've been able to access. Quite a lot of seedlings scattered around as well. Many of the older trees had cones on them ..Most of the seeds ( good ones any way ) have already been harvested for the year.

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A secret passage and other cut up boulders worthy of later exploration..

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More Ferns ( Myriopteris sp. ) and Spike Moss ( Seleginella sp. ) Have to do my homework but the lighter green species ( Picture #5 ) might.. or might not.. be recorded out here. Only other spot i've seen what i'm sure is the same species in the Catalinas near Tucson.

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Another Fern i need to research a bit more..  May  or may not be Astrolepis cochisensis,  Scaly Cloak Fern.  Only specimen i have observed out here so far.

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Interesting Fungi:  One of the " Earth Stars "

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Fern Gully?  ..and what remains of an old Juniper or AZ Cypress Trunk..

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.......

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Final picts. from the flat, for this trip at least..

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..Green up on the hills is a little more apparent as the sun comes out ( and the Humidity sky rockets, lol )

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Will be interesting to see what this hillside looks like once it greens up a little more.  All the low, " turf-y " grass in view is Blue Grama,  Bouteloua gracilis  which supposedly works well as a native turf alternative in more civilized landscapes.

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Headed back downhill...

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Finally!  an "ok"  Traffic- blocking free  picture of the bridge that spans Queen Creek as i approach..

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Pictures from the Trail Access to Picketpost Mountain.  Some Saguaro were still flowering out there which is somewhat unusual.

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A cautionary tale from a hillside.. Green "Grass" you see covering patches of these two hills is the notorious, and highly invasive Buffel Grass ..Rapidly spreading across these slopes. This is the stuff that will guarantee Saguaro.. and other iconic desert vegetation disappear much faster from our landscapes if this stuff isn't stopped in it's tracks...  Same story with Fountain Grass ..Just  DON'T Plant it!!  Where ever you are located, there are plenty of great, native Grass options to choose from, which won't destroy iconic landscapes,  and everything that inhabits and depends on them.

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Don't be the " Invasives don't harm much " guy..   Be like this person..  https://blog.desertmuseum.org/2017/09/27/buffelgrass-is-back-how-to-help/


A couple shots looking west across the Queen Valley toward the San Tan Mountains, and the East Valley neighborhoods of Phoenix ( ..and home, lol ) as you descend down the Gonzales Pass.. And a shot of  Dromedary Peak as you leave the foothills behind..

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