Moominmama's Adventures

  In which Moominmama hikes in the Superstition Mountains, visiting a rare waterfall and finding golden treasure... It was a hazy, cloud-filled day to hike in the Superstition Mountains east of Phoenix, but the weather here hasn't stopped centuries of eager prospectors and wasn't going to stop Moominmama either. The mountains came by their name reportedly because the Apache and Pima people were wary of the volcanic range and the spirits living there. Personally, Moominmama thinks the looming boulders provide plenty of reason to be wary  There are rock piles neatly arranged like tetris blocks. And then there are the jagged peaks with boulders that have collected below in a grassy skirt while the tip looms above.  The area has drawn prospectors, even to this day, because of a legend of a lost gold mine. Its location was supposedly revealed in a deathbed confession, and people have been searching for it ever since. But on this day, Moominmama was in search of a rare waterfal...

Wherein Moominmama enjoys the glories of a "Super Bloom" and meets new flowers in the Sonoran Desert... This spring has brought unusual glory to the desert. While spring flowers are not unusual, a wet winter in the Sonoran desert has prompted what's called a "Super Bloom."  The views are spectacular as the California and/or Mexican poppies raise their sunny faces, and the blue lupine shoot up in between.   Add the flowering brittle bushes, delicate bluedicks, some desert chicory (white) and orange globe mallow against the green background, maybe golden sand or reddish rock, and it's a feast for the eyes.  Moominmama must offer thanks to the many park rangers during my Arizona travels who have patiently identified these plants and answered questions during my attendance at ranger-led hikes! Of all the flowers I have met this past month, my favorite is the fairy duster, because I don't remember ever seeing anything quite like it back east. Plus the name is...

  In which Moominmama visits Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument and nearly gets startled off the side of a mountain... Unlike hiking in Saguaro National Park or Tucson Mountain Regional Park, Organ Pipe feels much more remote. Moominmama can hike up a ridge and see desert all around. And it's a long drive north before you get to the first gas station! There are beautiful canyons with towering red walls of volcanic rock that channel any water downward, creating unusually lush, birdsong-filled gorges, sometimes even with a small stream. These are some of Moominmama's favorite hiking trails. But the remoteness is an illusion.  The southern edge of the park, which is also a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, is divided by Trump's border wall with Mexico. Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument is known as the northernmost area for the rare organ pipe and senita cactuses, but it is also protected because of rare species such as the Senoyta mud turtle and the Sonoran desert pronghorn, the fa...

  In which Moominmama learns to appreciate, but not touch, cacti, especially the noble Saguaro... Cacti come in all shapes and sizes and range from the cute to the creepy. A barrel cactus typically grows up to look like R2D2. Some resemble piles of bocce balls. Prickly pear look like a pileup of Mickey Mouse ears with spikes. The teddy bear cholla drop from the parent plant in small spheres that could be mistaken for Tribbles (see Star Trek). Come spring and summer, all these succulents can bloom in astonishing ways. And blooming or not, they each contribute to the ecosystem, providing all kinds of food and supplies for bugs, birds and other wildlife. The major general of the cacti is the saguaro cactus, and Saguaro National Park protects many in combination with the county regional parks where my camping has led me. Tucson Mountain Park abuts the western parcel of Saguaro National Park so these sentinels stand tall all around me now. A saguaro can grow up to 60 feet tall and live ...