telepathic stuntman

Douglas Spring Trail – Saguaro National Park

January 7th, 2016 · No Comments

My friend Bob and I recently backpacked the Douglas Spring Trail, which follows the boundary of the Saguaro National Park east pretty much the whole way to Douglas Spring campsite, 6.1 miles from the trail head. The trail is a nicely graded, uphill hike pretty much all the way to within a mile or two from the campsite, climbing more than 2,000 feet with an accumulated elevation gain of more than 2,500 feet.

Prickly Pear Cactus

Saguaro Cactus

Cholla

Fishhook Barrel Cactus

With increasing elevation, the trail took us through multiple changes in ecosystems – cactus gave way to grassy plains and then to short junipers. The weather was absolutely beautiful and the views were pretty nice, once we crested the ridge and left Tucson behind. We arrived at the campsite (elevation 4,800 feet) late in the afternoon and were the only ones there. We enjoyed a fine meal of “Deconstructed Lasagna” washed down with a bit of whiskey and then chilled out while watching the stars. The temperatures dropped quickly though and we were both happy to crawl into the warmth of our sleeping bags fairly early in the evening.

The stars were especially bright, so I slid my body out of the tent just far enough to have an unobstructed view of the sky. In the chilly calm I laid on my back and stared upward until falling asleep. I saw one shooting star zip all the way across the sky and it was awesome.

We made coffee in the morning to ward off the chill and I cooked up some tasty Whiskey bacon Pancakes with Maple syrup – YUM!

The return trip was all downhill and quite pleasant, with expansive views laid out in front of us for much of the way down. It was an excellent trip and all the better for doing it with an old friend!

→ No CommentsTags: Camping · Cooking · flora · Weather

Las Noches do las Luminarias

December 8th, 2015 · No Comments

Featuring art installations by Bruce Munro: Sonoran Light at the Desert Botanical Garden

→ No CommentsTags: Art

Red Tanks Divide Loop – Superstition Wilderness

December 1st, 2015 · No Comments

My friend Matt and I just completed a challenging loop of about 25 miles through the Superstition Wilderness. We started at the Peralta Trailhead ad hiked the Dutchman’s Trail to Whiskey Springs. We hiked Whiskey Springs to Red Divide, camped just beyond the LaBarge Box Canyon and then took a side trip down the Hoolie Bacon trail. We then continued along the Red Divide trail, which really was not a trail at all, more of a collection of cairns and “suggestions”. We finished by taking Coffee Flat to Reed’s Water and camped there under an old windmill.

It was a difficult loop because of the lack of water, the overgrown catclaw that shredded our clothing and skin, and the challenging footing along the sides of the canyons. Still, the scenery was absolutely brilliant and we had the place to ourselves – wonderful solitude. Evening temperatures got very cold, well below freezing and our water was frozen solid. We had very nice fires each night though and that helped a lot!

Coffee Flat

Red Tanks

Prickly Pear

Ocotillo

Jojoba

Prickly Pear cactus that had been eaten by Javelina

Hedgehog Cactus

Cholla

Yucca

Whiskey Bacon Pancakes with Maple Syrup!

Agave

→ No CommentsTags: Camping · Cooking · fauna · flora · Landscapes

Dia de los Muertos

November 5th, 2015 · No Comments

Dia de Los Muertos is holiday celebrated in Mexico that focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died, and help support their spiritual journey.

This is also celebrated here in Phoenix, and these shots are from the Desert Botanical Garden.

Creative Visualization by Keven Siegert

Pages

Categories

Archives