Category: Arizona

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Saguaro National Park — Christmas Eve

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A stroll to Signal Hill through an amazing Saguaro cactus forest. And what a fascinating sky to complete the picture.
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These saguaros are so interesting – they seem to have such individual personality.
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Oh look up there – on those rocks! This is the only angle you can see these carvings. So glad the light was just right!
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What are the meanings of these petroglyphs?
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Really a fun rock outcropping to experience.
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Changing shadows on the hike down. This is near a CCC camp and they built the picnic shelters using dead saguaro stems.
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Ho Ho Ho. This dead saguaro is setting the mood for tonight’s full moon concert. The rangers had hot chocolate and cookies for us – how nice is that!
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The back patio had solo guitar music while the sun was setting.
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And it was a very peaceful sunset – had to leave our chairs to wander around to the front to capture this image.
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A ranger played a Native American wooden flute while the full moon rose. It was so haunting and moving. Quite a memorable experience. Truly a unique way to experience a national park. We saw the first full moon of 2015 rise in Organ Pipe and the last here.
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Winter Solstice Sunset/Moonrise Hike — Saguaro NP

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Ready for a 4 mile ranger led hike to the summit of Wasson Peak for sunset. It is a very comfortable 60 degrees for the 2-pm start time.
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The Saguaros have so much personality – as does the sky. I am the only photographer in the group so they are not wanting to wait for pictures – locals with too many pictures?
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This is the flavor of the day.
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Views of the distant mountains – Santa Catalinas North of Tucson.
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Our hiking group. Freddie, the ranger on the right, was our leader with volunteer Don and Tim. Two women joined us making a party of The Magnificent Seven.
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The moon is a few days from full but can be seen rising over the mountain. It will light our descent hike.
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Another picturesque view looking south.
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Northwest view from Wasson Peak of the setting sun hitting the landscape.
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Unbelievable! A toast to Winter Solstice and the beauty of the start of the longest night of the year.
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The cholla gives a sense of place to this Wasson Peak sunset shot.
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Hiking down the colors kept coming keeping us entertained for the first mile. The moon lit rest of the hike was so quiet and peaceful. Really special experience!

Last year’s sunset hike http://tealsky.com/2014/12/18/saguaro-national-park-west/

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Green Valley, Arizona

15-12-16 Saguaro NP East Garwood Dam - Greg, Terry, Henry, Marcy, Roger
We met up with friends, 2 couples we had met last year, for lunch at El Molinito restaurant followed by a hike to Garwood Dam in Saguaro National Park East.

Our hikes to this area last year

http://tealsky.com/2014/12/21/sagauro-national-park-east-in-tucson/

http://tealsky.com/2014/12/26/saguaro-aational-park-east-garwood-dam-trail-again/

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We organized meeting for a docent led tour of this ranch that had once encompassed all the land in Green Valley.
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A view towards Madera Canyon and the Santa Rita mountains.
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A detail of the historic fence and refurbished gate. There is also a blacksmithing shop on site.
15-12-22 Condo Lunch Marcy Greg Henry Terry Roger
Our picnic lunch at our casita in Green Valley. A great afternoon as all hung around through wine o’clock. We were well sugared with donuts and hand baked goodies but that balanced the salads and chicken.
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A beautiful sunset a short stroll from the casita.
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Cochise Stronghold, Arizona

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Not sure if the weather will hold for us, we left the mountains and higher elevations for this nice dispersed location for two nights.
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We were rewarded with a nice sunset and good star gazing on the first night.
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A little snow on the ground after an overnight storm but skies are clearing and it is looking like a promising day.
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Picturesque yucca with a dusting of snow.
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The “tank” at the 2 mile mark. A little bit more snow…
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Well maybe a lot more sow. This little agave’s architecture is so highlighted with the snow – really beautiful.
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Na-Na Na-Na Na-Na Na-Na BATMAN!
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Da-DAh, We made our destination before the snow cloud socked us in and created a memorable, not pleasantly, afternoon and evening. Lots of pages read in our book but we were so glad we had gotten out for a hike!
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After that second night we woke up to bright skies and this water fall in the rocks behind our campsite. We are ready to take the back roads to our casita.

Our last visit to Cochise earlier this  year http://tealsky.com/2015/01/05/cochise-stronghold-national-forest/

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Chiricahua National Monument

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Echo Canyon Trail into the valley of rock formations. We hiked one loop trail on the Jan-6th and got a shuttle van on the 7th to hike back to the campground.
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Balanced rocks and blue skies.
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So little sense of scale. We feel minuscule.
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Atlas Shrugged!
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Exploring the Grotto of big boulders.
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A Rubber Ducky! With a Chem Trail…Ha!
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Morning Moon-Rise over our campsite.
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The evening of Jan-6th we decided to cook dinner at Masai Point Overlook to enjoy a sunset and then stay and enjoy some star gazing. Henry’s one-pot wonder was Alfredo noodles with salmon!
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Oh yes – Spectacular! We were the only ones at the overlook to see this view!
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Cochise Stronghold National Forest

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I think I see some Apaches!
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There was still snow on the path but quite a few hikers. We talked to an interesting couple that had worked for the Nature Conservancy while we took a break by the Spring.
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We dispersed camp in the nearby valley and enjoyed watching the moon-rise from the comforts of MINI with an evening glass of Merlot.
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Warm colored rocks at Sunrise.
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Organ Pipe Cactus NM Ajo Loop Drive

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We last drove this road in February 2011- see blog entry http://tealsky.com/2011/02/08/organ-pipe-cactus-national-monument/ It is only a 22 mile road but it took us the whole day to enjoy and appreciate.
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Allegedly a short one-mile trail at Arch Canyon Overlook. But Henry decided to climb to the top and Pam opted to enjoy the solitude of the wilderness from one spot.
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Sunset looking West from walk around campground.
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First 2015 Moon-rise from the east! Our eyes and camera need to swivel back and forth. Such a rich butter yellow-orange color.
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Another day ends here at this fabulous Biosphere Reserve – we will be back to absorb some more of the magic.
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Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument – Senita Basin

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NPS Ranger drove a shuttle van to Senita Basin for us to hike back to campground. The unpaved road paralleled the border of Mexico. The hike was very secluded and incredible.
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We did not see this Cholla Cactus in Tucson so it probably likes warmer weather as do the Organ Pipe Cacti.
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Building left from Victoria Mine – we had our picnic lunch enjoying this view.
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Framing a hiking companion and the view of this wilderness area.
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Moon rise before sunset. This awesome view is from our campsite!
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Tonight’s ranger evening program will be on the Moon – how it reflects different cultures and what we know about it. It is quite beautiful to contemplate.