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 ...

  In which Moominmama returns to the road in 2023, running away from winter, but not without winter giving chase... Travel fever propelled Moominmama from home after the first week in February, with the goal of spending spring in the deserts of Arizona. With park reservations made six months in advance, there was pressure to hit the road regardless of what was blowing in New Hampshire. And blowing it was, with the temperature exactly 1° on departure, with a frighening wind chill. I reclaimed the Moominhouse in Tennessee, returning to a camping spot near Chattanooga to drain the pipes of antifreeze, rinse the water tank and make the trailer inhabitable again. Clusters of daffodils and shirtsleeve weather made it seem like winter was far away. After a day to clean and restock, Moominmama headed west, aiming for Oklahoma City to visit the youngest Moomin and stay at Lake Thunderbird State Park in Norman. It was in Oklahoma City where I stopped at the First Americans Museum, which open...

  In which Moominmama learns to measure elevation in the Smoky Mountains by the smell of the trees... Hiking in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Moominmama knew she'd reached 6,000 feet of elevation whenever the woods started to smell like Christmas. That's because these mountains are home to the Fraser fir. The popular and fragrant Christmas tree is mostly grown on tree farms these days, but the Smokies are one of its rare natural habitats -- but only above a certain height.  Clingmans Dome is the highest peak in the Smokies with a viewing tower at the top, overlooking a large stand of towering Fraser fir and providing 360-degree views of the ridge that divides Tennessee and North Carolina. To get there involves a long, winding road off Newfound Gap Road and then a short, steep hike up a paved path, because, of course, this is a big tourist spot. But there were other places where reaching the height to smell those trees required some serious leg work.  One of Moo...

  Wherein Moominmama heads south for some hiking in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and gets to see some unusual bridges... The route south to the Great Smoky Mountains crossed through West Virginia and when signs appeared warning me of a closure for "Bridge Day" on Oct. 15, it suddenly dawned on me that I was approaching the New River Gorge Bridge. One day of the year in the fall, the bridge closes to vehicular traffic and opens to pedestrians -- and to base jumpers. This has been going on for years and was stuck in my memory because my ex-husband had come to the bridge to base jump many years ago. I'd seen video, and we had a lovely photo of his parachute against the huge arch of the bridge hanging prominently wherever we lived. He had told so many stories about this place that I immediately knew I had to pull over and see the bridge for myself. Fortunately, it's part of a national park with a visitor center on the gorge. The bridge deck is just over 3,000 f...