Yesterday, I did my first hike since returning to Arizona. I was accompanied by friends and enthusiastic hikers, Judy and Ken Zender and Bill McAdam. I took the opportunity to take a few photographs along the way, capturing some nice pictures from the scenic Sonoran Desert. Our chosen trail is located within the City of Scottsdale, about 30 minutes east of home.
Not long after beginning our trek, I photographed this towering cactus. I chose to backlight it with the sun, creating the glow on its needles. I like the effect and don’t often miss the opportunity to take this kind of picture.
The area, as today’s title suggest is a mountainous one. Our hike circled Granite Mountain and led us through a gap between it and nearby Cholla Mountain. These are old mountains and chunks of them have been breaking off for a very long time. The path of our hike winds though fields of boulders of all sizes. The following photo shows a common sight, a pile of old, weathered boulders.
This view of nearby Cholla Mountain illustrates the array of boulders shed over many centuries.
Along the way, we encountered several hikers, cyclists and one equestrienne, enjoying a pleasant ride with her horse.
A photographer’s eye is always drawn to interesting shapes and textures, in this case remnants of a tree, now broken and weathered by the elements. The desert climate is severe. Little water and extreme temperatures (high and low) exact a toll on the resident plant life. Only the hardiest species endure.
Near the end of our hike, we visited an interesting local attraction, appropriately named Balanced Rock. This boulder has come to rest atop a large outcropping and it’s very solidly perched.
In addition to being an interesting geologic phenomenon, Balanced Rock and the supporting outcrop is a popular recreational feature of the Granite Mountain Trail. We, of course ascended the outcrop and also convinced some cyclists to demonstrate their prowess in navigating the descent.
We enjoyed a beautiful day with clear skies and a temperature reaching the low 70’s F ( low 20’s C). Thanks to my fellow hikers for an enjoyable day. You can see my adventurous companions descending from the outcrop at Balanced Rock in the masthead at the top of the post.
Obviously a nice outing, Peter. Very nice photographs. I particularly liked the way you captured the sun effects on the Saguaro Cactus.
Hi Peter:
Thanks for the pictures, great as usual. I’m sure that Ken & Judy enjoyed themselves with you.
We’re going up the Amazon River at thepresent time and hoping to get some good pictures. Will look forward to seeing you and Rolande when we return in December.
Karey