Breaking News!
June 2, 2011 by taha
Take A Hike Arizona will remain open for business!! We are very happy to report that the company will continue to offer fantastic hikes for families, individuals, groups and corporate team building. Stay tuned for more details to follow in the coming weeks. Feel free to send any email inquiries to info@takeahikearizona.com or just call at 480-634-8488 and we will be happy to speak with you about availability for future hiking excursions.
Happy hiking!
Fun Facts from Eastern Mountain Sports
May 10, 2011 by taha
Once in a while, we come across some interesting facts about the outdoors. Check out this article posted by Eastern Mountain Sports about the dangers of the outdoors as compared to everyday hazards!
http://www.emsexploration.com/wordpress/what-do-we-really-have-to-fear/
Wildflower update
March 30, 2011 by taha
Okay, it appears we are off to a bit of a slow start to our wildflower season this year. Could be those freezing cold days we had during the “winter”. But, the cacti and plants are starting to bloom! Almost all the hedgehogs we see now are blooming. The creosote and brittlebush are now well on their way. I’ve also seen some chicory, scorpionweed, poppies, and fiddlenecks. Still waiting for the Palo Verdes and Ironwood trees to blossom. I also noticed that the buckhorn chollas are chock full of buds, so when they bloom in the next week or so, they are going to be amazing! The prickly-pear cacti appear to be a few weeks off still from blooming, so be a little patient there. And as usual, the Saguaro will be one of the last to bloom, probably in late May or June this year.
Out in the Superstitions, we haven’t seen too much blooming action. 
Some thistle are blooming and the hedgehogs are blooming there as well. Still not many brittlebush with color yet and the Sumac still has a ways to go before we see any color there. But, we will be heading out there again soon, so we’ll see if anything has changed.
That’s the update for now. Stay tuned as we head further into Spring!
The Great Horned Owl
March 7, 2011 by taha
AT Take A Hike Arizona, we like to keep things fun and light-hearted and we love when children (especially our own) show a growing interest in our beautiful desert! Well, my 10 year old daughter actually wrote this report about the beautiful Great Horned Owls that we have here in our desert. I thought she did a great job of keeping it simple and interesting. So, I wanted to share it with you. If you have any questions or comments about anything, please feel free to post comments below and if you like what you read, let us know that too. I’m sure my daughter would love to hear from you!
The Great Horned Owl
The Great Horned Owl is one of twenty types of owls living in North America. This report will tell about what the owl looks like, where it lives, what it eats and drinks, and will also give you some interesting facts about it. I found this bird to be fascinating and I hope you will too.
The Great Horned Owl is brown and gray. It has big yellow eyes, a white throat, two feathery horns on top of its head called tufts, and gold colored disks made from feathers that frame its face. The owl has four powerful toes with very sharp claws called talons. The Great Horned Owl is one of the biggest types of owls and grows to be as big as two feet tall with a 3 ½ foot wingspan.
Like many animals, the Great Horned Owl drinks only water. It eats small mammals, birds, small reptiles, and insects. It does not eat plants. It is purely a meat eater, in other words, a carnivore. The owl eats its prey whole. However, the owl cannot digest all of the parts of its prey such as the fur, bones, feathers and teeth. So it ends up spitting these parts it cannot digest back out. These parts that are spit back out are owl pellets.
Great Horned Owls are common in both North and South America. You can find them in deserts, mountains, woodlands, canyons, near water, and in cities and suburbs. Usually these owls use the old nests of hawks, crows, ravens and other birds. It will also use existing holes found in cactus, trees and rock cliffs as its home.
The Great Horned Owl has excellent hearing. It is able to hear a mouse moving beneath a foot of snow! The owl is sometimes called a cat owl because of the tufts on its head. But, the tufts on its head are not ears at all! Its ears are actually holes found on the side of its head. What’s really interesting is that one of the owl’s ears is set higher than the other. By moving its head to equalize sound, the owl can align the source of the sound with its line of vision.
It also has excellent eye sight. However, its eyes do not move, they are fixed in place in its head. The owl has to move its head to see what is around it. Even though it looks like it can turn its head in a complete circle, the owl cannot turn its head all the way around. It can turn its head 180 degrees each way. The owl does not see in color, it only sees black, white and shades of gray. An owl’s eyes do not work as well during the day as they do at night. They can see when there is hardly any light at all.
A few more interesting facts about the owl is that it can fly silently. This helps it to hunt at night. Also, the Great Horned Owl is one of the very few animals in the world that will kill skunks and porcupines. This owl is so fearless that it is sometimes called the flying tiger. Owls do not form flocks. They always hunt alone. Also, did you know that they rarely fly in rain because their feathers are not waterproof?
There are many more facts to learn about the Great Horned Owl. This report provided some information on what the owl looks like, where it lives, and what it eats and drinks. I hope you enjoyed my report about the owl as much as I enjoyed learning about it myself.
Bibliography
Tekiela, Stan. Birds of Arizona. Adventure Publications, Inc., 2003
Bessesen, Brooke. Look Who Lives in the Desert!. Arizona Highways, 2004
Jackson, Tom. Owls. Grolier, 2008
Gray, Mary Taylor. Watchable Birds of the Southwest. Mountain Press Publishing
Company,1998
Desert Moonsoon Thunderstorms!
August 19, 2010 by taha
Rainbow during a monsoon storm
One of my favorite things about the summer here in the desert is our monsoon thunderstorms! Yes, believe it or not, we have moonsoon storms here. Many people associate “monsoon” with the storms that blow through India and wreak havoc with flooding and high winds. The word monsoon is actually derived from the Arabic word “mausim” which means season or wind-shift. The monsoon thunderstorms created here in the Sonoran Desert are a result of that shifting of wind that takes place as we move into the summer season.
During our winter, the wind flows primarily from the west or northwest from California and Nevada. As summer approaches, the winds shift to a southerly or southeasterly direction and moisture is brought up from the Pacific and Gulf of Mexico and dropped right in our lap! This seasonal shift generally occurs (on average) around the beginning of July (average date is July 7th to be exact) and generally ends mid-September (September 13th on average). In the past, the start of the season was defined as 3 consecutive days of dew points averaging 55 degrees or higher. It was always fun taking bets on when that was going to happen! In 2008, however, the National Weather Service actually established a set season starting June 15th and ending September 30th (similar to how a hurricane season is defined-although I believe the hurricane season goes through October 15th).
The thing I find unique and quite spectacular about the monsoon storms we get are the dust storms that precede the actual rain. The thunderstorms are not always accompanied by a dust storm but when they are, it is quite an impressive sight. The way the dust storm is created is that the typical monsoon thunderstorm has a front that pushes air downward quite forcefully. This air then hits the ground and is forced out and upward before the storm cell. This creates a gusty front which in turn kicks up large quantities of dust and sand that then creates a wall of dust. This wall of dust is actually called a haboob. Yes, we do chuckle everytime we hear that word. It’s just one of those funny words I guess. Well these haboobs, or walls of dust, can exceed over 3,000 feet in height! Can you say “airport delays”?
Anyway (airport delays or not), once the excitement of the initial winds and haboob pass, the rain starts. These storms are often accompanied by heavy rains. We sometimes receive over 2.5 inches of rain in one storm! That is over 1/3 of our annual rainfall average. Wow! Now the flip side of this coin is the fact that rains that fall that fast cannot be absorbed by the desert quickly. So we do run the risk of flash floods and since most of our roads weave in and out of washes, drivers do have to use caution when out and about during and shortly after one of these storms. The washes are the area of the desert floor that siphon off the excess water and no, we cannot avoid having our roads run through them. Most of the year it is not a problem. During the monsoon storms you cannot drive through these washes if you see water running through them. Even if the water appears shallow, you cannot tell if a wall of water is, in fact, making its way down to your location that very minute. If the road has caution signs up or is blocked, don’t try to save time by going around the signs even if it appears there is no water in the wash at the moment. They are there for your safety.
Here in Arizona, we actually have a Stupid Motorist Law in place here for those individuals who put themselves at risk by entering these flash flood areas and subsequently getting stuck in the wash. This law means the motorist that requires rescue can then be charged for the cost of that rescue service due to placing him or herself in harm’s way (not to mention risking the safety of the rescue team!). The other safety measure worth knowing when it comes to driving in a dust storm, is if visibility becomes too poor to see and you must pull off the road, be sure to shut off all of your car’s lights and do not rest your foot on the brake. Motorists behind you will see your tailights and may think you are in a travel lane and proceed to follow you and hit your parked vehicle. They typically cannot see any better than you!
If you happen to be out hiking when one of these storms approach, be sure to separate yourself from your trekking poles (you know those metal lightning rods you hold in your hands?) and be sure that your group does not huddle together. Try to keep at least 50 feet apart from each other and if no shelter can be found, assume the lightning position (sitting on a backpack or some other object to separate you from direct contact with the ground). Do not sit under or near a tree, wire fencing, in an open field, by poles or bodies of water. Also, do not enter any nearby washes as these may become quickly flooded. The best safety precaution you can take is to check the weather forecast before going out on a hike at all! With a little bit of planning ahead and knowing what safety measures to take, you too can enjoy the amazing show that our monsoon thunderstorms provide us each season!
I remember years ago when we first moved here to the valley (from New England) how funny it was to hear everyone get sooooo excited about the rain. It could be a slight drizzle and the evening headline on the news was STORM HITS THE VALLEY! Really? Well after all these years of living here, wouldn’t you know, I now get excited to hear that we have a “storm” coming. The storms don’t always pan out, but when they do, it is a spectacular sight to see! And we are often given the opportunity to witness beautiful rainbows during our summers here in the desert such as the one shown in the photo with this posting. We saw this rainbow just yesterday during our most recent “weather event” as the news stations like to say. So if you are new to the Arizona desert, put aside the fact that it is sweltering here during the summer and know that with that summer heat comes some of the most beautiful and amazing feats of nature that you may not have the opportunity to see in any other part of the world!
If you would like to learn more about this beautiful desert we call home, just call us at Take A Hike Arizona (480-634-8488) and we will be more than happy to take you out on a hike to experience, explore and enjoy this great area we live in!
Hiking with Gila Monsters!
August 5, 2010 by taha
I am not a Gila Monster!
Now I'm a Gila Monster!
Tonto Natural Bridge
June 9, 2010 by taha
Inside the tunnel under the bridge
Just spent the weekend up in Payson camping with the kids and enjoying the somewhat cooler weather. One of the main activities we planned for our trip was a visit to the Tonto Natural Bridge State Park. The park itself is located 12 miles north of Payson right off Highway 87. It is very easy to find. Due to state budget cuts, the park is currently open 5 days a week – Thursday through Monday (closed Tuesday and Wednesday) and is scheduled to close as of September 27th! Hopefully, a resolution (other than actually closing the park) can be found before September so we can continue to enjoy this beautiful area.
The natural bridge itself is thought to be the world’s largest natural travertine bridge. Travertine is a form of limestone deposited by mineral springs, especially hot springs. The precipiation of the mineral springs forms a coating on nearby surfaces such as plants, roots, rocks, etc and forms very interesting formations including stalactites and stalagmites in limestone caves. Another great example of travertine forming over plants and roots are the Havasu Falls in the western part of the Grand Canyon on the Havasupai reservation. But, back to the Tonto Natural Bridge. The bridge itself sits 183 feet up above the ground. The tunnel below the bridge is 400 feet long and as wide as 150 feet in some places. Both the views from above and looking up from below are amazing!
Our favorite part of the trip was hiking down the Gowan Trail and entering the tunnel itself below the bridge. We spent quite a bit of time inside the tunnel climbing around and hiking to the other end. Some spots were a bit hazardous due to the slippery, wet surfaces. With that said, keep in mind that it is a lot easier to climb up some of these slippery slopes than it is to come back down them. So be sure to take a look at what you are contemplating climbing up and see if it is something you can manuever back down.
heading down some slickrock
In addition to the beautiful scenery the bridge provides, the other great thing about the tunnel is the cool air and refreshing water constantly dripping down from the ceiling above. It is a great way to cool off on a hot day!
Also, you are allowed to enter the water to swim as long as you are not within the tunnel. So as you come down the Gowan Trail, right before you step onto the man-made bridge that takes you to the entrance of the tunnel, veer off to the right and you can swim right there. The water is very refreshing (meaning down right cold) and there are quite a few little critters that the kids will enjoy looking for around the swimming hole. We found monster size crayfish (seriously, they looked like lobsters!), lots of fish and some interesting frogs. There’s also a large number of swallows that nest in the tunnel and many other colorful birds flying in and out of the area. So there is a lot to see. We spent the better part of our day enjoying the park and we look forward to going back up again later this summer before the park closes in September. For more information about the park visit the state park website and check out our photo gallery on our Facebook Fan page to see our photos from the trip.
Tranquility Trail Animal Sanctuary
June 1, 2010 by taha
If you are looking for something fun and educational to do with the kids over the summer, check out Tranquility Trail Animal Sanctuary in Scottsdale. It is a relatively new organization – a little over a year old located in a building in the Scottsdale Airpark. Their exact location is: 7701 E. Gray Road, Suite 6, Scottsdale, AZ 85260.
The organization is committed to the preservation, protection and rehabilitation of companion animals. As part of Phase One, the organization has established a sanctuary for domestic bunnies that have lost their home for one reason or another. The group offers a number of programs including adoption, spay/neuter services, community outreach, classroom presentations, pet parenting classes, education and collaborative partnerships with other like-minded organizations. What is really great (and this is the fun part for the kids) is you can visit their location and play with the bunnies!
The goal is to keep the bunnies accustomed to being handled and of course to make them feel loved! What child doesn’t enjoy petting and playing with a bunny rabbit? Also in addition to having the chance to interact with the animals up close, the kids will receive some great information from the staff about how to treat and care for the animals. You can also sign up as a volunteer and go through a short orientation on handling the bunnies and become part of a great group of animal lovers! Check out the Trainquility Trail website for more information.
For those of you wondering about what to do with a wild bunny you may find in your yard, check out the House Rabbit Society website. There is an abundance of information about what to do and what not to do with our wild furry friends. Probably one of the most important things to realize is if you find a baby bunnies in a nest, they have not necessarily been abandoned by their mother. Mother rabbits do not attend to their babies as many other mammals do. Did you know that rabbit moms only feed their young for about 5 minutes a day?! So don’t rush to relocate the baby bunnies as more than likely their mom will return in the evening to feed them. If you do happen to find a wild bunny that has obviously been injured or is in need of help, there are a number of people you can contact for guidance. A few of the organizations/individuals in the Phoenix area that you can contact include:
- Adobe Mountain 623-582-9806
- Ginny – Fountain Hills 480-816-9095
- Judy – Mesa 480-807-8355
- Regina – Queen Creek 480-987-3544
- Ruth – Paradise Valley 480-483-0130
- Liberty Wildlife 480-995-5550
These people specialize in the treatment/rehabilitation of wild animals and can be of great assistance to you. I hope you found this posting informative and I hope you find some time over the summer to visit the bunny sanctuary at Tranquility Trail in Scottsdale. If you know of any other fun/different things to do in the Phoenix area during the hot months of the summer, just send us a note and tell us about it!! We’d love to hear from you. You can post a comment here on the blog or just send us an email at info@takeahikearizona.com.
A day on the Apache Trail
April 25, 2010 by taha
View looking toward Superstition Mountains
I love when family and friends come to visit us here in beautiful Arizona! It gives me the perfect excuse to do some more local sight seeing in my own backyard that I otherwise probably wouldn’t take the time to do. Sound familiar? Our latest “adventure” was taking a day to travel along the Apache Trail, one of my favorite scenic drives. To begin this drive just head out on 60 East and take the Idaho Rd exit and follow the signs to Canyon Lake.
After a short drive down the Apache Trail, we started our day at Goldfield Ghost Town, the old mining town located right by the Lost Dutchman State Park. We had a great time exploring the old town and taking lots of photos of the area. Years ago, this little “ghost town” didn’t have much to offer, but it has since been rediscovered and tourists have been pouring in ever since. As a result, it has gotten a little bit kitschy but it is still worth seeing especially with the kids! I think we investigated every nook and cranny the town had. We also spent a bit of money of some of the tours they offer there such as the mine tour.
The mine tour was a pleasant surprise. We learned quite a bit about how the miners spent their days and toiled under ground with only candle light to help them see. Did you know that the miners were only given about 6 small candles on each shift to help them see what they were doing? They would conserve their light by putting the candles out and eating their meals in the dark of the tunnels. If I’m not mistaken, there are some restaurants that currently charge a pretty price for guests to eat in the dark now! I guess the miners were on to something.
After our adventures at Goldfield, including a mock gunfight battle performed by volunteers, we hit the road again. We drove towards Canyon Lake. It is a gorgeous drive through interesting landscape with rock formations, plants, and animals not commonly seen in other parts of the valley. We stopped at the Marina where Steamboat Dolly is docked. We parked there and walked across the street to the Boulder Canyon Trail entrance. We hiked up the trail to get some unbelievable views of the area. We could see far into the Superstitions Wilderness and a good bit of Canyon Lake. We saw some folks rafting up into one of the canyons that the larger boats cannot get into (add that to my list of things to do this summer!) and we saw plenty of collared lizards and a snake!
After working up an appetite hiking, we got back in the car and continued down the Apache Trail. Our destination was Tortilla Flats. We made it just in time for dinner. Even for a Saturday evening, the restaurant closes pretty early at 7:00pm so we felt fortunate to get in for last call (for food that is). Tortilla Flats is best known for its decor of dollar bills covering every inch of space on the walls of the restaurant. It is quite entertaining to read what people have written on the dollar bills and to see how old some of them are. The food is pretty good too! I will warn you though, if you plan to order the Nachos Grande, make sure you have someone to share them with!!
At Take A Hike Arizona, we love to share our experiences with our fans and we love to hear from you as well! Tell us about some great adventures you have had whether it is here in the valley or in your hometown. Just send us your experiences to info@takeahikearizona.com and we can share them with our readers as well! Also, we offer great day hikes in the Superstitions area, described in this posting, during which our guides will show you some fantastic scenery and share many local legends and history with you along the way. Just call us at 480-634-8488 to learn more about the excursions we offer!
Homemade granola with Greek Yogurt
March 24, 2010 by taha
Okay, I thought I would try something new on our blog. One thing that most of us probably agree on is that many outdoor adventure/fitness enthusiasts enjoy eating good, healthy food. Although, I have to say I may be the exception to that as I do give in to my McDonald’s and Starbucks cravings probably a little too often. Anyway, I got this recipe from my mother-in-law for homemade granola and it is so good that I had to share it. It is very easy to prepare and stores quite well, although our supply doesn’t last long so I’m always making a fresh batch! So here’s the recipe:
- 1 cup of quick cooking (not instant) rolled oats
- 1/2 cup sweetened, shredded coconut
- 1/2 cup sliced or slivered almonds (I use slivered)
- 3 Tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 Tablespoons of good honey
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Toss the oats, coconut, almonds, oil and honey together in a large bowl until they are completely combined. Pour mixture onto a sheet pan and bake, stirring occasionally with a spatula, until the mixture turns a nice, even golden brown. This takes about 15-20 minutes. Remove the granola from the oven and allow to cool, stirring once.
I then serve the granola with honey and greek yogurt. I use the honey flavored greek yogurt, but plain is good as well. This is a great way to start the day or have as a snack. It is also really delicious on ice cream or sprinkled over fruit. I included a photo below so you could see how I serve it when we have guests over for brunch. I also make it “pretty” for the kids. They seem to think it tastes like a treat that way! Hey, whatever it takes!!
Anyway, give it a try and let me know what you think. We would love to hear back from you as well on your favorite, healthy and easy recipes. You can either email us your favorties at: info@takeahikearizona.com or submit comments on our blog. We look forward to sharing more fun, easy recipes with you in the coming months. Enjoy!
A delicious and easy recipe!
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