Applied Knowledge

Starting the hike

Okay kids, it's time to see how much you were all paying attention during yesterday's visit to the Desert Botanical gardens. Today, we are hiking through Saguaro National Park - that's right! It's named after the Saguaro cactus, the large cactus only found in this area of Arizona. We awake with the first rays of the sunrise that are peaking through the broken back window shades of the van. A brief walk outside to enjoy the warmth, and to listen to a far-off pack of coyotes greeting the day, and we'll be off to the trailhead!

So many Saguaro cacti

What's that? Where's breakfast, you ask? Why, you *know* by now that breakfast awaits us in the parking lot of the King's Canyon trail, where we will be hiking today. We'll make some oatmeal with mixed berries(frozen, thanks to the mini freezer!), and eat that up while preparing our backpacks and making some PB&J sandwiches. Honestly, there is no better lunch for a hike - they are full of protein and carbs to keep you going, they get better with heat, and can sustain a good crushing at the bottom of a bag. In fact, I think PB&J sandwiches actually taste better the more abused they are! A quick coffee, slather on lots of sunscreen, and we are off!

Feeling fulfilled

We are taking the King's Canyon trail - not the wash - up the valley to the Man-a-gah picnic area. You'll see, this place is fantastic, with its massive picnic tables, and large stone firepits for grilling. I'm not sure they've been used *ever*, but imagine how much fun a BBQ would be up here, after having hiked all of your picnic gear 1.5 miles from the nearest parking lot! But that's for another time - we have so much more trail to cover!

We're heading across to the opposite side of the wash now, and starting our ascent up the Sendero Esperanza trail, which will take us all the way up to the ridge of mountains leading to Wasson's Peak. Don't worry, we're not hiking UP Wasson's Peak - that's a bit too far for our visit today. We're keeping this challenging, but achievable.

Take a look around! We are surrounded by a "forest" of Saguaro Cacti! Admire how the majestic green columns ascend into the sky! Check out their crazy arms, pointing out in every direction! I know those Teddy Bear Cholla cacti look so very soft and cuddly, but I would avoid hugging them - Chollas bite! And yes, those are the tall, slender stalks of Ocotillo, but they are not dead, even though it might look like it. They are in a dormancy period, due to lack of water, but look closely, and you might spot the fiery red flower tufts that some of the Ocotillo still have - a sign they are still alive. 

Look at that view!

Keep climbing, winding along the rocky path between so many spiney plants, and look - we've made it to the top! From here, you can look down both sides of the ridge, and see how sprawling the landscape is, and how many Saguaro cacti are everywhere! I can understand your reactions - I too cannot stop repeating the word "WOW", and I think I may have expressed, "This is crazy," more than once. 

Don't try this at home.

Let's take a break for lunch, sit on a shady outcropping of rocks, and eat those well-smushed PB&J sandwiches. Did you know that the trail running along the ridge is called the Hugh Norris trail? I like to call it the Chuck Norris trail. Just because. Feel free to insert your own Chuck Norris joke here. 

Or this. Just don't taunt cacti.

So beyond this point, we just keep climbing up to Wasson Peak, but the views of the valley, the Western "flats" and all the neighbourhood we drove through this morning will be the same, only from a higher point, so enjoy the views a bit more, and we'll start the hike back down. To make thing a bit different, we'll follow the Gould Mine trail back.

Cactus skeleton

Look out for birds and chipmunks on the trail - it's getting quieter now that we are at the hottest time of the day, and so the creatures are venturing out. I hear chirps and cheeps in the low creosote bushes and Palo Verde trees - one even sounds like a fax machine calling out! 

Beautiful trail

Not much longer now, then we'll be back at the parking and heading to the Visitor's Center, where you can collect you park stamps and stickers, ask any lingering questions you might have about the lifecycle of a Saguaro cactus, or even fill up your water bottles. Make sure to stop by the washroom, too, since we'll be heading back to the Ironwood National Monument and Dispersed Campsite after this.

Can't get enough of this crazy landscape

Don't forget that we'll be having happy hour, with wine and snacks, outside the campervan for sunset!

Sunset views