SEA STAR TRAVEL LOG: ARIZONA May 13-29, 2011: Cactus, Coyotes and Canyons

(Arizona canyons, to Grand Canyon National Park)
BIRD WATCHING IN THE CANYONS

Leaving Texas behind, we drove/biked into ARIZONA. We chose to use
rte 10, hoping to be visiting the canyons in the southeast during the spring bird migrations, as VENT (Victor Emmanual Nature Tours, does. There is a great website for birding in Arizona and we used it to plan our trip for the birds and scenery available in the southeast canyons and mountains. www.sabo.org (Southern Arizona Bird Observatory)

Some places we explored were Miller Canyon with its hummingbird feeders at a private home, that allowed us to view perhaps six or seven species at once. There was Carr Canyon,where we 4X4ed to the fabulous Ponderosa Pine campground on the top spotting our first Stellar Jay , Sawmill Canyon where we hiked and located the Elegant Trogan and saw a Painted Redstart in display.  At Garden Canyon and Fort Huachuca there were Pronghorns, Mule deer and trees dripping with beautiful Western Tanagers. Check the pics of some very dangerously placed Pronghorn Antelope. (see slideshow below)

CHIRICAHUA
Dan knew that, unfortunately, Arizona Chiricahua region was engulfed in a fire that did not allow travel to Portal, a famous birding spot we had planned on visiting. In the Sawmill Canyon we met some birders with their guide, and the guide told us that it was still possible to see another part of the Chiricahuas entering from the west. That was good news so we prepared to take that trip.

Along the road towards the Chiricauas is Ariavaipa Canyon Road and some other scenic but unpaved roads.   The bike went back on the trailer we bounced our way along the rutted dirt road through private ranch lands into the canyon. A good sighting there were the Common Black hawks in their nest in a tall tree in an orchard. We drove down the canyon to the trailhead as far as we dared, then returned back to the main road and travelled on. An unexpected surprise was the beauty of the Chiricahua National Monument park area where we marveled at the unbelievable rock formations towering above us and the surrounding mountains. While walking, we saw a Western bluebird up at Rustler Campground and when birding above 7000ft. Dan was lucky enough to spot***

As we drove the Chiricahua Mts from the western side we saw and smelled the raging fire in the distance. A Ranger in a pickup truck approached us and said that the road would be closing if the fire continued to spread with the wind in our direction. I was all for turning around right then but Dan wanted to go on further and felt we had plenty of time before the road would close. We continued on for quite a way but found we could drive only as far as the town of Paradise, where amazingly, just as we needed to turn around because the road up ahead was closed we found George Walker House, a private home and B&B with multiple birdfeeders drawing in the local birds active in their yard. We were invited to stop and have a soda and watch the feeders before heading back over the mountain the way we had come. They were very welcoming and we were glad for the rest. At the feeders we saw Lazuli Buntings, Mexican and Scrub Jays, Black headed Grosbeaks, Acorn Woodpecker and more. We then turned back over the mountain.

We were able to stay at our campsite another night without mishap and the next day continued our journey toward Tuscon. The Monument National Park terrain was forest. We now headed to lower elevations and the desert plants similar to those we had seen in Texas. I say similar because we were now in the area of Saguaro cactus, a plant often as tall as a one story house with a diameter on its one stalk of twelve to fourteen inches, very impressive and vaugely familiar from cowboy or Mexican movie scenery.

Just north of Tuscon, Dan found a road on the map to ride and so up and around the smooth corners we went. The overlooks provided a great view of the city and surrounding areas. This road was also used by bicyclists who chugged their way up Mt. Lemmon and went screaming down.

ARIZONA-SONORA DESERT MUSEUM
A very special place we visited in Arizina near Tuscon was the Sonora Desert Museum. The museum grounds contained and displayed well kept growing specimens of hundreds of varieties of desert plants. The natural settings provided a non-zoo-like atmosphere to see live desert creatures; mountain lions, bobcats, the wolves, coyotes, a bear, javelina, lizards, snakes and small ground animals. A special touch was the exquiste, lifelike bronzes of those same animals in natural poses. The bronzes were so well done they enhanced the exhibit especially if the real animal was hard to spot. Very educational.

As we entered, a volunteer was holding a Harris Hawk and explained where they live and how they hunt, sometimes in groups. We spent quite some time listening to lectures on the plants oand their historical uses in the desert and then went into the aviary where many species of birds from songbirds to hummingbirds to doves , quail and ducks were pearched, flying, standing or walking often within a few feet of the path and easy to spot from the many shaded benches.

We camped near the museum at a close to deserted campground. We camped near a couple we had met in Sawmill Canyon. They had been hiking and shooting pictures with a local bird guide then, and the man was talking about a shoot he would do later with the snakes and reptiles at the guide's home. I wish I could have seen that! We again met at the museum and they again put their super lenses to good use photographing birds and animals. It was unexpected and fun to meet up with them again.

Soon we continued our trip north to Flagstaff to visit the South Rim of the Grand Canyon National Park.

HEBER BMW RALLEY

We travelled over the winding rte. 77 over the Pinal Mts. to the town of Globe, where we met a fellow BMW biker who was on his way to the town of Heber and a ralley. A BMW ralley- that could be fun, so we headed off through the White Mountain Apache land toward Overguard and Heber. The weekend was fun, but very cold. We had to wear most of the layers we had brought while we ate hot chili and cornbread in the open fronted building, and it was good. Of all the crazy entertainments, the organizers have a history of inviting belly-dancers to entertain! We watched for awhile as the beautiful young ladies gyrated up and down the aisles, barefoot on the concrete floors wearing flowing, lightweight, minimal gowns. We enjoyed our time there and met one biker that we later ran into again in Grand Canyon Park.

Leaving Heber toward Payson on rte 260, our next stop was after the tourist town of Sedona, one of the upper mountain campsites, then on through Flagstaff in the morning and onto the road to Tusayon, the south entry to the Grand Canyon National Park.

GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK

Our guidebook said "the Grand Canyon, sculpted by the Colorado River is over 277 miles long, and Americas number one natural wonder. A vast panorama of pyramidal buttes, loney mesas, rust colored cliffs and shadowy side canyons. It's ten miles from the South Rim Village to North Rim Lodge. Scientists estimate the canyon is relatively young at 5 to 6 million years old but the rock layers at the bottom date back some 2 billion years and the rock on th rim where you stand is from the 270 million year old Permian period."

The guidebooks and pamphlets taught bits and pieces of the science. Speaking about the age of our Earth, for me is impossible because time on the geologic scale is incomprehensible. I can recall my High School studies on the forces and results: volcano, eruption, water flowing, erosion, cold temperatures and freezing/thawing cracks and fissures- but in gazing into the canyons, how rocks "land" the way they do and the stratas in the canyons seen on this trip, were more of a visual feast; beauty, starkness, grandure, shape or color than understandable to this humble human. I think the early Indians and the settlers of the mesas and valleys did fine without intellectualizing their piece of the Earth.  So although I stood and dutifully read the helpful geologic information I remained boggled, and kept returning my eyes and attention unconsciously to the sight before me.

After the Grand Canyon we headed into UTAH.

Dan and I hope the reader will enjoy our pictures. The names of the canyons and overlooks are available in the on-line maps of the parks. Again, if there are errors in identification I apologise.

There are pictures in this slide show of Arizona. Enjoy! 124 pictures. The canyon shots are improved by using the + viewer on your browser.