I am not a Gila Monster!

Now I'm a Gila Monster!

Piestewa Peak Park (Phoenix Mountains Preserve).  From Highway 51, take the Glendale Ave exit. Head east on Glendale Ave (which actually turns into Lincoln Ave as you head further east).  About 3/4 of a mile from Highway 51, you take a left turn at the traffic lights onto Squaw Peak Drive.  Follow this road straight into the park and stay on this road all the way to the far end where you come to a circular parking area and can drive no further.  This is where we will be meeting to start this hike.

McDowell Sonoran Preserve (Gateway Trailhead).  For those of you with GPS, the exact address for this location is 18333 E. Thompson Peak Parkway, Scottsdale.  We will be meeting at the main building area on the east side of the parking lot. For those of you who still drive around the old fashioned way (like me), here are the directions.

Heading North on Hwy 101, take the Frank Lloyd Wright exit.  This exit will drop you onto the service road that runs parallel to the highway (Pima Rd). Stay on this road through the first set of traffic lights (cross over Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd at the traffic lights). Go past the West World entrance. Stay straight until your next set of traffic lights at Bell Rd. Turn right onto Bell Rd.  Follow Bell Rd past the Ice Den skating rink and past the Basha’s shopping center. At Thompson Peak Parkway (major intersection) take a left.  Follow Thompson Peak Parkway for a few hundred yards. The entrance to the Gateway Trailhead parking area is on your right.  Follow the entrance into the parking area and park wherever you find a spot. We will all meet up by the main building.

Heading South on Highway 101, take the Pima Rd/Princess Rd exit.  From the exit ramp, stay straight through the first set of lights at Pima Rd. At the second set of lights, take a left onto Bell Rd.  Follow Bell Rd past the Ice Den skating rink and past the Basha’s shopping center. At Thompson Peak Parkway (major intersection) take a left.  Follow Thompson Peak Parkway for a few hundred yards. The entrance to the Gateway Trailhead parking area is on your right.  Follow the entrance into the parking area and park wherever you find a spot. We will all meet up by the main building.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at info@takeahikearizona.com. See you there!

So for those of you not familiar with the area, head up the Peralta Trail up to the Freemont Saddle that overlooks Weaver’s Needle.  Do not try to hike up to the cave first. From the saddle, head up and over the rocks to your right where many people go to get an even better view of the Needle.  If you look towards the Needle (twelve o’clock), a little to the right (about 1-2 o’clock) is a lone pine tree (a little one).  You can’t miss it. As our friend told us, look for “the tree”. I was a little concerned at first until I saw that is is indeed the ONLY tree up there.  That tree is actually on the trail that you want to pick up to head toward Geronimo’s Cave. However, the tree is in the opposite direction of where you want to head.  So, start hiking on the trail to the right of the saddle that looks like it will take you toward the tree eventually, and you are on the right trail (just don’t bear left to head to the tree when that option appears).

Almost immediately you are in for a scenic treat. The minute you turn the corner and start heading back in the general direction of the trailhead, you have gorgeous views of the other side of the Superstitions that y0u don’t get to see while hiking up the Peralta Trail.  It’s nothing but wilderness. At this point, I wish I could tell you to just follow the trail from here on out but it is not so easy. The “trail” is not a clear path or marked in any manner. You may see cairns once in a while that you hope point you in the right direction, but that is about it.  The only thing I can tell you is stay parallel to the Peralta Canyon that you hiked up earlier and eventually you may find your way back to the trailhead. Seriously. This hike back via Geronimo’s Cave is not for the faint of heart nor the ill-prepared. You know the rule of thumb used at the Grand Canyon….it takes twice as long to hike a mile up than it does down? Well, reverse that for this hike.

Do not attempt to go back this way if you are running low on water or snacks. It takes some time to return by this route.  You should also be concerned about returning this way if you have anyone in your group that has even a minimal fear of heights.  There is quite a bit of scrambling over rocks and sliding down steep inclines – often close to the edge of large dropoffs. So take your time.

The cave itself will be off to the left side of the trail in the area where the landscape/rocks have a yellow tint.  The cave is quite large and pretty open so you really can’t miss it. You have to leave the trail for a few yards to hike up to the actual cave entrance, but you should see some paths that are worn down a bit from others that have gone there before you.  This is a great spot to hang out and enjoy the view for a bit and take lots of photos!  After this point, the trail gets a bit scarce. You have to pick your way through the boulders – while staying parallel to Peralta Canyon. You will also have to scramble quite a bit to get back to an area that feels like an actual trail again.

With all that said, my best advice is if you are going to Geronimo Cave for the first time, go with someone who has been there before and can help guide you back to the Peralta Trailhead.  Also, be sure to bring lots of water, snacks and really comfortable, sturdy shoes. Some of the descents are pretty steep and can be hard on your toes if you don’t have the right shoes on.  I would not recommend bringing younger kids as some of the rock scrambling may be difficult for them to get up and it is a long hike for little legs.

If you are curious about the hike, please feel free to check out the photos we took. They are in our photo gallery on our website under the Superstitions hiking folder. If you would like more information about the hike or would like a guided hike out into the area, please do not hesitate to contact us at info@takeahikearizona.com. We love to share our experiences with you and keep you safe out in the desert!

One of our favorite hikes in the Superstitions is the ever popular Peralta Trail.  It is so popular that parking can be a problem on the weekends. But even on a busy weekend, the area is so large that you are not competing for space on the trail like you would on Pinnacle Peak, Camelback or Piestewa Peak. 

Right from the start, the Peralta Trail has beautiful scenery around every corner. The rock formations along the way are some of the most unique to be found in the valley and during the warmer months, we often see gorgeous collared lizards and blooming flowers of all kinds. From the Peralta Trail you can also find Geronimo’s Cave (if you know where to look).  We are heading out there tomorrow for a fun (day off) hike. We’ll be sure to take some more photos – especially of the cave – and post them to our blog. So stay tuned for some more info about the hike and a few other trails that you can find starting from the same trailhead.

Take A Hike Arizona, LLC is one of the very few companies/organizations that holds a commercial permit to hike in this area of the Superstitions.  If you’d like to learn more about the excursions we offer in the Superstitions Wilderness Area, just give us a holler at 480-634-8488 or email us at info@takeahikearizona.com. We’d love to take you out there and show you the beauty found in this special part of the Sonoran Desert.

Heading into the desert!

Well, the summer has been fun so far. We’ve been keeping busy doing sunrise, sunset and night hikes during the hot desert season. Check out some of our beautiful photos from these excursions when you have a chance. The sunsets this summer have been amazing! One of the things we’ve really enjoyed this summer is our Parents’ Night Out kids camp. This is a night hiking camp for the kids which is about 4 hours long. During the summer it is a great opportunity for parents to get out for a night knowing their children are having a great evening themselves. This camp was so popular that we are offering several additional opportunities for parents to tell their kids to “Take A Hike“!

The next night hiking camp for kids will be held on Friday, August 28, 2009.  The kids will love this night hiking camp made just for them! We will take the kids out on a desert scavenger hunt for fluorescent gems, go on a scorpion hunt (we don’t get that close to them!), look for small desert critters that come out at night and we will get them actively involved in lots of fun desert themed activities and games!

For only $30 ($25 for each additional sibling) the Camp Adventure includes:  Guided hike, pizza, water, snacks, refreshments, use of backpack, an arts & crafts project, and lots of FUN!!! See below for our night hiking camp schedule.

Also, as we head into the Fall season and the weather cools, we will once again be offering our Kids’ Day Hiking Camp. We often schedule these camps to coincide with the Scottsdale School District calendar. Our day camps are 5 hours long and similar to the night camps include water, refreshments, snacks, lunch, an arts & crafts project, fun interactive desert themed games and a guided hike into the Sonoran Desert. The cost for this hiking camp is $40 per child ($35 for each additonal sibling). See the schedule below for our upcoming day hiking camps.

Please keep in mind that these camps do fill up quickly. If you would like more information or would like to reserve your child’s space, just give us a call at 480-634-8488.

Parents’ Night Out/Kids Night Hiking Camp

Dates: August 28, 2009, September 25, 2009, November 20, 2009

Time:  6:00pm – 10:00pm

Meeting Place:  McDowell Mountain Community Center, 10607 E. Paradise Lane, Scottsdale, AZ

Kids Day Hiking Camp Schedule

Dates:  Wednesday-November 11, 2009, Monday-December 21, 2009, Wednesday-December 23, 2009

Time:  10:00am – 3:00pm

Meeting Place: The Gateway Trailhead, 18333 E. Thompson Peak Parkway, Scottsdale, AZ

Saguaro flower awaiting pollination

Well, I would have to say it is finally here…….the summer. It’s not official by the calendar yet, but anytime it consistently reaches 90 – 100 degrees everyday and the kids are on “summer vacation”, that’s good enough for me! One of the things that we (at Take A Hike Arizona) really like to see as the weather warms up during this time of year, is the ripening of the Saguaro fruit on the Saguaro cactus.

The Saguaro is the largest cactus found in the United States and can only be found in elevation ranging from sea level up to 4,000 feet.  But, that is another blog post entirely. So back to the fruit. Typically, the cactus will bloom in late May to early June with the fruit appearing and ripening about one month after that. This year, the flowers appeared a bit earlier than usual and you can now see the fruit starting to ripen at the top of the cactus.

The Saguaro flower requires pollination before it will produce any fruit. The flowers are most often pollinated by bats, White-winged Doves, Mourning Doves, bees, and other types of birds. Once the flower is pollinated, it will produce a 3 inch long fruit that contains as many as 2,000 seeds! The seeds are very tiny and and kind of remind me of the small poppy seeds you find on bagels – except the saguaro seeds are even smaller. The fruit is a very important seasonal food as it ripens during the driest part of the year right before the summer rainy (moonsoon) season. Many desert animals depend on this fruit for sustenance during this time of year.

The fruit itself has many uses for us humans as well. After being plucked (i.e., harvested) from the cactus with long saguaro rib poles, the seeds are meticuously separated from the pulp. This is a very time consuming, painstaking process done by hand. The seeds are then dried and can be ground down into a flour or even eaten as is.  The pulp can be consumed as a juice or can be boiled down to make a syrup. Some of the syrup, in turn, can be used to produce a wine that the Tohono O’odham Indians use as a ceremonial drink to usher in the rainy season. The fruit is actually quite nutritious. The seeds are 30% fat and the pulp contains about 10% protein and 70% carbohydrates (which is why it makes such great wine!).

If you are interested in finding out more about harvesting and eating saguaro fruit, check out some southwest ethnobotany books at your local library, attend an ethnobotany lecture offered by Desert Botanical Gardens  in Phoenix, or travel down to the Tohono O’odham reservation just south of Tucson. The Tohono O’odham offer food products harvested from the desert including Saguaro juice and syrup. If you live in the Phoenix metro area, you may also be lucky enough to find these items at a local farmer’s market in your area. If you do come across the opportunity to try a taste of Saguaro fruit, the juice, syrup or wine, I would highly recommend trying it. It has a unique flavor all its own and you may find the natural desert flavors grow on you pretty quickly! Let me know if you try it and what you think! Happy harvesting!

We  just got back from a great hike out on the Peralta Trail in the Superstitions Wilderness Area. This 4.5 mile (roundtrip) hike is one of my favorites for a couple of reasons. First, although you gain about 1,300 -1,400 feet in elevation, the trail meanders its way up to the saddle versus using steep switchbacks. This makes the trail very manageable for anyone wanting to head out on it. Second, I never get tired of admiring the dramatic volcanic rock formations along the way or coming up over Freemont Saddle for a fantastic view of Weaver’s Needle. I love the view of Weaver’s Needle so much that I used it as our backdrop for our holiday photos last year!

What’s cool about the Peralta Trail (and the Superstitions in general) is that you get a lot more than just scenic views on your hike. This area is rich in vegetation and wildlife. This year the Superstitions had some of the most beautiful Spring flowers, more so than anywhere else in the valley. As a matter of fact, there are a number of flowers still blooming out there this week. Then during the warmer months (like now), you will find plenty of lizards darting about.

The Peralta Trail is one of my favorite places to find gorgeous Common Collared Lizards such as the one in the photo above. These critters can be tricky to spot. I’ve found them most often on the upper third of the trail (up above the yellow tuff line that is on your right side as you head up). Look for them on the volcanic reddish brown pockmarked rocks. They seem to love hanging out in the sun on those particular rocks. If you move slowly enough, you may be able to get a few good closeup photos of the lizard before it runs and hides. You might also be lucky enough to be treated to the sight of it hopping as it moves away from you. It is amazing how graceful they can appear as they quickly hop from one rock to the next! I sometimes wonder if they have hidden springs in their legs!

If you like the photo of the lizard above and you just have to see more of them, check out our wildlife photos in our photo gallery. You will also find some great photos of the hikes we have done in the Superstitions as well. So, if this sounds like a hike you’d like to try, just head out east on US Highway 60 until the highway turns into a 4-lane road. Then look for the turnoff for Peralta Road. Turn left onto Peralta Road and follow that all the way to the end (about 8 miles on a dirt road). The trailhead is at the very end. Facilities (or some semblance thereof) are available at the trailhead. If you are heading to the trail from the Scottsdale area, leave yourself at least 1.25 hours for the drive and get there early! The parking lot gets full on the weekends. Of course, we at Take A Hike Arizona, always recommend you take a guided hike into this area as it is wilderness and rescues do take place there much too frequently. And besides, how else are you going to find those elusive Collared Lizards??

Kadija

 There is a special lady named Kadija who is near and dear to many hearts including ours at Take A Hike Arizona. Kadija, a single mom with 2 young boys, was recently diagnosed with stage 4 cancer.  Kadija is known to be a dynamo (with an attitude) driving people to do their very best in their fitness regimes and their lives. Her loyal followers are always inspired by her unswerving support in their efforts. She always exudes confidence and a great enthusiasm toward life. She will be no different in her fight against cancer. But she does need our support.

Being a single mom with 2 young children, Kadija supports her family through her coaching as a fitness trainer. Unfortunately, she cannot continue to work at this time and her friends want to help. We, at Take A Hike Arizona, are hoping to raise funds to lend a helping hand. Join us on May 30th at 6:00am at the new Gateway Trailhead in Scottsdale for a sunrise hike.  We are not charging  for this guided hike, but will instead gladly accept donations to be contributed to Kadija’s fund. We will provide water, snacks, use of backpacks and trekking poles for those who need them. The hike will also be accompanied by 2 knowledgeable guides (June and Tracey) who can tell you all kinds of neat things about the desert flora and fauna.

If you’d like to join us for this hike and support a great cause, please RSVP to Andrea Hood at AHood4@cox.net or call June and Tracey (Take A Hike Arizona) at 480-634-8488 to reserve a spot on the hike. Donations will be accepted at the time of the hike.  Checks can be made payable to The Kadija Support Fund (an account that has been set up to accept donations for Kadija). To learn more about Kadija and the fund that has been set up, please visit the website that has been created by iBloom Interactive Marketing at http://www.aboutkadija.com.

We hope you can join us for this beautiful sunrise hike on Saturday, May 30th!

Saguaro cacti silhouttes

I am somewhat sad to report that Spring here in the desert is just about behind us. Now that we are heading into May, I expect that things will warm up pretty quickly here. Luckily, we still have many cactus still in the process of blooming or beginning to bloom!

The saguaros are just now starting to grow their buds and a number of them are already blooming those gorgeous large white flowers, which are our state flower by the way. The saguaro blooms do seem to be a bit early this year. Typically, the flowers on these cacti bloom in mid- May to early June with the fruit harvest then falling into late June early July. We also have many cholla cacti starting to show their colors as well as the Little Leaf Palo Verde trees and the Ironwood trees. So, there is still a lot of color to see out there.

But, there is no denying that the warmer, no….hot, okay, the really hot weather is on its way. With that in mind, we (Take A Hike Arizona) are offering  our guests the option of hiking during the cooler parts of the day. From May through September, we will have sunrise, sunset, moonlight, and night hikes. Check out the following descriptions to see what you can expect from each hike:

Sunrise: We begin our sunrise hikes in the pre-dawn hours as the sky begins to lighten. Many desert dwellers are nocturnal and these early morning hours provide a great opportunity to see the desert animals, such as coyote, bobcat, and javelina, as they begin to retire for the day. Sunrise hikes are a great option for those visiting the Valley of the Sun during our warmer months.

Sunset:  We begin our sunset hikes about one hour before sunset to ensure our guests have an unforgettable view of the sun setting over the valley from the peak of the hike. As the sun sets, the sky provides a fantastic display of rich color and provides a beautiful backdrop for photography. As we watch the sun set, the city lights begin to flicker on and as we hike back down the trail, we are provided with gorgeous views of these lights around each corner of the trail. During the mid to later months of the summer, we will oftentimes be fortunate enough to witness the stunning desert rainbows that hang over the valley right before evening sets in.

Moonlight:  Our moonlight hikes start right at sunset. This allows our eyes to adjust naturally to the darker sky as we hike.  During our moonlight hikes, we like to point out various plants that bloom only at night during the summer. We look for bats pollinating the saguaro cacti, we look for javelina rummaging in the undergrowth for food, and we listen for the howl of the coyote and the calling of the Great Horned Owls. We take some time to listen to the “quiet” of the desert night and stargaze at the numerous stars that are so visible in our dark desert skies. This is a great excursion that gets you outdoors while escaping the heat of the day.

Scorpion and Tarantula Hunts:  Similar to our moonlight hikes, we start our “hunts” shortly before dark to let our eyes adjust naturally to the lack of daylight. We provide flashlights and ultra-violet (black) lights to our guests to help them “hunt” for the scorpions and tarantulas. Scorpions will actually appear iridescent in the glow of the black lights, which helps us locate them. The flashlights will help us find tarantulas and a number of other desert dwellers that are out and about during the evening hours as well. These excursions are referred to as “hunts”, but none of the animals located are ever touched or harmed in any way. It is a memorable excursion that allows you to see these animals in their natural habitat.

So that is it in a nutshell! Come see for yourself why the Sonoran Desert is considered to be the most diverse desert in the world. You will be amazed at how alive the desert really is. Check out a couple of our summer packages now and book your tour today! Space is limited on our night hikes. Stay tuned for more fun facts about the desert and the latest happenings in our future postings. Thanks for checking out our blog!

Pinnacle Peak visitor

Okay, let me first say that I am not an expert when it comes to snakes. However, with that said, I do know enough about them to be able to admire them from a distance. Call me crazy, but it is always a treat to come across our desert dwelling snakes on a hike. Let me reiterate… I like to see them from a distance.  I actually had a great opportunity this past week to do just that!

While out hiking on Pinnacle Peak on my way back down the trail, I turned the corner of one of the switchbacks and whoa….there it was.  Surprisingly, I was one of the first to come across the rattlesnake as he crossed the trail. I say surprisingly because I have never seen the Pinnacle Peak trail so crowded!  The snake must have been waiting for the perfect opportunity to pass by unhithered. Anyway, the photo at the top of this post is the one of the actual snake I saw on this hike. It was a Western Diamond-Backed Rattlesnake. After seeing this truly “pretty” snake, I thought perhaps it would be fun to share some information about these reptiles that call the Sonoran Desert home.

One interesting bit of trivia that I learned from the folks over at the South Mountain Environmental Education Center  is that there are more kinds of rattlesnakes that live in the Southwest than anywhere else in North America! However, you are more likely to be struck by lightning than bit by a rattlesnake. That should be encouraging to those of you who may be fearful of hiking in areas where rattlesnakes reside. What also may be of interest to you, is that the majority of rattlesnake bite victims are younger (under 30 years of age), male, and inebriated. I think you get the picture. If  you mess with the snake, it will mess with you.

Now let’s move on to the rattlesnake that comes to mind most often when talking about the desert southwest, the Western Diamond-Backed Rattlesnake.  This particular snake is Arizona’s largest rattler. It can reach lengths of up to 7 feet (or more).  I’ve heard that a coiled snake can strike at a distance half its body length. So if my math is correct, that means as long as I stand 30 feet away from this rattlesnake, I should be safe!  Bummer. I don’t think my zoom lens is that strong.

So back to the rattlesnake. A rattlesnake is a pit viper. This means that the snake has heat sensing pits to detect warm-blooded prey and predators. These heat sensing pits are located on each side of its face between the eye and nostril.  Since people are larger than most desert animals (that’s another blog post), we project a lot more heat and the rattlesnake senses that we are too big to eat.  Another feature that defines a rattlesnake is the flattened, distinct triangular shaped head, elliptical pupils like cat eyes and fangs that fold back into its mouth. One of the defining characteristics of  a Western Diamond-backed Rattler are the black and white bands around its tail right before the rattle. 

Speaking of the rattle, many people do wonder about what exactly is inside that part of the snake’s tail that makes that rattling sound. Well, actually there is nothing inside the rattle. The rattle itself is made of hollow segments of keratin. This is the same substance that our hair and fingernails are made of. The rattling sound is created when these segments of keratin are rubbed/shaken together – think of dry leaves rustling in the wind.  I cannot tell you how many times someone walking behind me brushed up against a dry bush on the side of the trail and I’ve stopped short in my tracks looking for the rattlesnake!  Now for the “however”. One thing to keep in mind, contrary to popular belief, you do not always hear a rattle as a warning when you come too close to a rattlesnake. Young snakes have only what is called a “prebutton” and really cannot create the rattle sound and for one reason or another an adult rattler may be missing his rattler all together. So always keep an eye out as you hike along don’t just rely on your hearing.

 So, rattlesnake 101 desert safety tips:

• Stay on the trail. You may encounter a snake on the trail, but you can see it and it can see you. Don’t go wandering about off trail where you are putting your feet down in areas that are not cleared and don’t go climbing up rocks and boulders where you are placing your hands where you can’t see them. You never know when a snake might be happily sunning itself on the boulder above you and there you go disturbing its fine day.
• If you hear a rattle, stop immediately. Look around for the source. If it’s your 8 year old nephew, then all is good (except for the 8 year old nephew). If you do see a rattlesnake, do not make any sudden moves. If you can, back away slowly to put some distance between you and the person closest to the snake. Seriously, that’s what I would do. Okay, not really. If someone is closer to the snake than you, then their hearing is not as acute as yours and you need to move them back with you away from the snake. More than likely, the snake will move along its way and you can continue your hike. Do not approach and/or try to encourage the snake to move along as it may take it as a challenge.
• It is always advisable to also wear high-topped shoes or boots for hiking in the desert.  
• Lastly, stay alert and keep your ears and eyes open! 

So those are the quick, (not all inclusive) rules of safety to try and avoid negative encounters with the rattlesnakes.  If for some reason there is an encounter that results in the rattlesnake biting someone, the first thing you should do is call 911 immediately. Then have that individual remove all jewelry such as rings, watches, bracelets, etc. Do not apply a tourniquet, do not administer any type of drugs or alcohol or suck the venom out (now we have 2 victims), and do not apply ice. Any person bitten by a snake should be transported to the hospital without delay even if you do not think it was a rattlesnake. And you do not need to take the snake with you to show the doctors what type of snake bit the individual. The doctors will treat the symptoms not the species of the snake.

Just as an added FYI, a typical rattlesnake bite will require 20 vials of antivenin ($3,000 per vial) and a tetanus shot. But look on the bright side, it’s better than running into a rabid bobcat. Oh, did I mention we have those too?