Spur Cross Trail Hike

I recently completed a hike in the Spur Cross Ranch Conservation Area. This  area, located near Cave Creek, AZ is a short drive from our residence in Scottsdale. I accompanied my friends and neighbours, Judy and Ken Zender, enthusiastic and accomplished hikers. Of course, I always bring a camera when I can, in this case my “go to” camera for travel and hiking, a Fujifilm X100F, mirrorless camera. 

My first picture for today is another backlit saguaro cactus. This particular cactus is interesting for its height and the number of branches it has. It is unusual to see the branches (or arms) so plentiful and twisted. The number of arms is generally indicative of the cactus’ age. It’s a safe bet to presume this cactus is ancient!

The Phoenix area experienced an unusual amount of rainfall in the month of October. This is quite evident, the landscape is very green and there are accumulations of water where one would normally expect the usual dry desert. The following scene is a good example. I photographed this scene while crossing a makeshift bridge constructed of planks that would normally be unnecessary.

I like this next photograph for its panoramic view of the area, typical along the scenic Spur Cross Trail. The conservation area is criss-crossed with many trails. This one is a favourite. The various trails can be linked together to create different routes, providing variety to the hikes.

Along our route, we encountered what might be called an oasis. Tucked in amid a grove of trees is a small pond, covered with lily pads. It’s in an area that once was a farm and this pond may have been used to water livestock. It’s very idyllic and it would be a welcome rest stop on a hot day.

As we approached the last segment of our hike we found a nice view of Elephant Mountain. If you look carefully, you can see a shape similar to the profile of an elephant. 

My last picture for today features an accumulation of water remaining from the October rains. This large puddle occupies an area of the Cottonwood Creek channel, which would normally be dry at this time of year.

Our next stop was the parking lot, where we called it a day and headed for home.