December 5, 2012

Desert Sky

We set the alarm for 7am because we planned on going to Lost Dutchman’s State Park for a guided tour that was scheduled for 9am.  We paid our $7.00 per car daily use fee and drove to the Cholla Parking lot where the hike was going to originate.  We were surprised to see there was a large group of at least 25 people already assembled and it was obvious from the animated conversations that they all knew each other.  By the time we put our boots on and got our hydration packs and trekking poles out of the trunk, Lynn, our hike guide, had arrived.

 

She had us gather in a circle and one by one introduce and tell a little bit about ourselves.  I had been correct about the group knowing each other.  I found out they belong to a club that meets to hike on Wednesdays. 

The Lost Dutchman State Park has several trails that lead from the park into the Superstition Wilderness and the surrounding Tonto National Forest.  The topic of the hike was Medicinal Plants of the Sonoran Desert.  We learned that the desert ironwood is the tallest tree in the desert reaching heights of 15 to 25 feet and plays a pivotal part in the survival of other plants and animals by altering the environment around itself and creating a micro-habitat.  The Teddybear Cholla, so named because of its appearance, has a central trunk from which sprout many spiny branches.  It is often called jumping Cholla because segments break off easily when brushed up against and stick to you. 

 

 

 

The creosote bush is named so because it smells a lot like creosote tar. The bush’s leaves were made into antiseptics by desert Native American tribes.  The hedgehog cactus is a barrel shaped cactus that grows in clumps.  Some Native Americans collect the flower stems, burn off the spines and mash them together.  Sugar is added and then it is baked to make sweet cakes. 

 

The most interesting thing we learned was about the saguaro cactus.  It has an amazing root system.  The saguaro only has one tap root that is about three feet long.  It has two sets of radial roots.  Downward pointing spines make it easier to direct rainwater into the depressions of the cactus.  Many desert animals eat the cactus and butterflies drink the nectar of the cactus flower.  Gila woodpeckers can hollow out the cactus for their nests.

When we got back to the parking lot we stopped to eat lunch at one of the picnic bench shelters.  Back on Apache Trail, we drove a little further and came upon a sign with a hiking icon.  We turned onto the dirt road to see if it would lead us some place interesting.  We weren’t disappointed as it brought us past a couple of parking areas for trailheads into the Tonto National Park.  Maybe we will check out the trails next week.

Although we had been to the Goldfield Ghost Town during prior visits to Arizona, we decided to stop and take a few pictures.  It is a cute little touristy thing to do especially with children giving them a glimpse into what life was like in the Old West. 

In the late afternoon we took a ride over to my daughter Renee’s house and played Clue with the twins.  They are only seven years old but are very good at the game. (Better than their Mema)  Shortly after Renee got home from work we had leftovers from Sunday night for dinner (The pasta and meatballs had been great on Sunday but they were even better tonight). 

We were home by 8.  Because it gets dark so early it seemed like it was much later.  We watched a little TV and went to sleep by 11, tired from our full day.