Mike in the Wild

Botanical gardens abound in the desert, almost in defiance of the preconception that life doesn't thrive in arid climates.  Boyce Thompson Arboretum State Park, Arizona's oldest and largest, takes the idea to another level.  It makes a point to feature not just native Sonoran Desert flora, but plants from all the dry landscapes of North and South America, southern Africa and Australia.   Spread over close to 400 acres, the park's paths meander through endless collections of cacti, agaves, trees, bushes and flowers.  The preserve owes its existence to mining magnate Colonel William Boyce Thompson, who donated his winter house and its surrounding garden to the arboretum in 1928. Nestled along Queen Queek, below scenic Picket Post Mountain, the park is an easy one hour drive east from central Phoenix into Tonto National Forest.  It features various biomes, including a eucalyptus forest, an expanse of the Chihuahuan Desert, a grove of fruit trees and a man-made ...

It makes sense that a state right next to Arizona would have similar birds.  But what stands out from a couple days birding in southern California is that such a wide variety of birds can be found in such a small geographic area.  And the birds we generally see in the Copper State at higher elevations are found in lower elevations in the Golden State. I birded mostly in the Wood Ranch area of Simi Valley, a bedroom community 30 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles.  This location afforded easy access to the Lang Ranch Open Space  - part of the greater Conejo Open Space Conservation Area - and a network of parks and trails that link up with the greater Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.  You could theoretically hike to the Pacific Ocean, approximately fifteen miles to the south.  But I stayed close to the trailhead, enjoying panoramic views of the surrounding Simi Hills and Santa Susanna Mountains. The terrain was mostly grassland - its ...

While you expect cacti and rugged terrain on a desert hike, grassland isn't usually a prominent feature.  By visiting the McDowell Sonoran Preserve from Brown's Ranch Trailhead in far north Scottsdale, you begin to appreciate how this open land supported the Brown family's cattle farm for many years. The ranch is long gone, but a vast network of trails crisscross the property through prairie, washes and mountain peaks, offering an escape into the high desert.  Various yucca's, many blooming, are also a unique addition to the landscape. I hiked almost five miles in an area around the dominant peak in this section of the park, Brown's Mountain.  From the Trailhead, I took Upper Ranch Trail to Wrangler Trail to Brown's Mountain Trail up to the saddle.  From there, I took the summit spur to gaze at the panorama from a lofty and cool 3,253 feet. I continued down on Brown's Mountain Trail back to Upper Ranch Road in a loop around the north side of the landmark t...