Mike in the Wild

An early morning hike into the Phoenix Mountains Preserve near Piestewa Peak I'm lucky to live in central Phoenix and at the same time across the street from fifty square miles of protected Sonoran desert.   What is now the Phoenix Mountains Preserve was not too long ago the northern border of the town.  But as the city boomed and expanded, the park, with its mountain peaks and verdant arroyos, has become a desert oasis in the middle of  the metropolitan sprawl.  I hiked almost six miles, mostly on first-time trails, enjoying beautiful landscapes and a dazzling array of wildflowers.  And I saw some birds and critters too - an early morning start guaranteed that.  I made a loop on Trails 304/8/8A/8D from the end of the Piestewa Peak parking area, hiking Trail 200 and a short spur to get into the park from a private community in the Biltmore area. Scorpionweed or blue phacelia.    Cactus wren calling to other wrens.  He's the state...

Wildflowers, plants and life are blooming in the Sonoran Desert It may be Winter on the calendar, but it's clearly Spring in the desert.  A good amount of seasonal rain has helped create a bounty of blooms in the area.  And if you don't notice the abundant wildflowers, you should at least see the landscape beyond the city streets and highways has greened considerably. Any short walk into a mountain park or preserve will also remind you that wildlife, notably birds, are thriving amidst this lush flora. Hedgehog cactus flower Brittlebush Cactus bloom. Tiny cacti that cluster in the shade. Bee in blue phacelia, also known as scorpionweed. Blue phacelia or scorpionweed in light. Phoenix Mountain Park is lush with this wildflower. Blue phacelia or scorpionweed in light with cactus. Desert marigold. Both blue and white phacelia. From a distant the mountainsides look green, but in a close-up they are blue. Black-throated spa...