Fishhook Red

This is cactus is commonly known as a fishhook cactus or a Ferocactus wislizeni. These cactus have long been improperly also known as a source of water for people lost without water in the desert. But the water or juice of the barrel cactus tastes awful and contains oxalic acid that can cause diarrhea thereby causing loss of water and additional danger.

These lovely cactus bloom in the late Fall instead of in the Spring when most of the other cactus are blooming.

Weathered Sandstone

Throughout the Southwest, sandstone is used as building material. It is smooth, easily cut, and durable. We are unlikely to run out of sandstone since there are thousands of square miles of exposed sandstone in the Colorado Plateau area. Vast expanses of sandstone are often called "slick rock" and are some of the most popular and iconic photographic subjects of the entire area.We call these rocks with character.

A Matter of Balance: Superstition Wilderness

This post is apparently turning into a series. I have been using the same title for some time for photos of balanced rocks. This particular balanced rock is located in the Superstition Wilderness Area. Here is a quote about the Wilderness Area from the United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service:

This Wilderness was designated in 1939, and was expanded to its present size in 1984. It now contains approximately 160,200 acres. There is a well-developed trail system, and the western end of the wilderness receives heavy use during the cooler times of the year. Trail conditions vary from fair to very poor. Several trails are unsuitable for horses. 

The area is starkly beautiful and often rugged, but can be inhospitable to those not equipped to meet nature on her own terms. Searing heat and a shortage of water are typical conditions in the summer. Bitter cold, rains (and even snowstorms) may occur in the winter.

I agree with all of the above. We were hiking at the end of November, 2017 and it was still over 90 degrees. 

As Clear as it Gets

Blue skies and clear air are a hallmark of the Arizona Sonora Desert. Years ago, we lived in the Republic of Panama for a couple of years and when we returned to the United States, I was tempted to turn around and go back. I had become used to the crystal clear air of the Isthmus and was appalled by the murky air of the Eastern United States. When I finally got home to the desert, I realized I didn't have to live in a bowl of soup. 

Looking over the Salt River Valley

Looking over the vast Salt River Valley, home to over 4.5 million people. Phoenix has now, once again, become the 5th largest city in the United States with over 1.6 million people. The Salt River Valley is another name for the Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale Metropolitan Area. It was my home for over 50 years before moving to Provo, Utah about three years ago. Around the time I moved to Phoenix as a child, the city had just over 100,000 people and was the 99th largest city in the country. After living in Utah, I am now on my way to spending a year in the Washington, D.C. area. Washington, D.C. is only the 22nd largest city in the U.S. so I will be moving to a relatively smaller town, but a little bit larger than Provo, Utah. However, it is a lot easier to travel and live in Phoenix than it is in Washington, D.C.

Clay Hills on the Navajo Nation

Highway 89 in Arizona runs through the Navajo Nation. Most of the area of the Navajo Nation is on the high Colorado Plateau and is covered with sandstone and bentonite. These hills are typical of what you see for many miles traveling north along Highway 89 from Flagstaff to the Utah border north of Page. Bentonite is a general term for a soft stone of various colors that weathers into clay. I have driven this road possibly hundreds of times and I love to see this part of the trip.

A Very Rocky Trail

I love to hike in the Superstition Wilderness Area east of Phoenix, Arizona. This day was a bit too warm for comfort but not hot enough to keep us out of the desert. This is the Hieroglyphic Trail that winds up to a steep canyon with a number of petroglyphs. There was a steady stream of people since we hiked the trail the day after Thanksgiving. It was nice to get one warm day in the desert before moving back to Maryland. I can say "back to" because we lived there many years ago for a short time.