Have you ever experienced the desert? Have you experienced the desert during a drought? Dry, parched, thirsty, and in some parts she suffers from fires past. As the summer progresses, we witness the clouds forming. Then the sky lights up and the booming sounds are heard overhead signaling what’s to come. Then it happens. One can catch the smell of the rain as it touches the creosote bush. It has to be one of the most amazing and welcome smells of those who call the desert home.

Desert dwellers love the monsoon season. We wait impatiently for its arrival. Once it arrives we welcome it with open arms. We cherish every drop that drips from the skies. We know the monsoons can bring flash floods and present scary situations. We respect mother nature in all her zeal and we thank her, knowing now the desert and her inhabitants are being nourished.

Then we head for the trails. Just days ago I was able to head for the mountains with my sister and my good friend to hike a trail on the heels of the storm that was moving out from earlier in the day. Hearing the water flowing int he desert is music to the ears. We hiked the Yetman Trail in the Tucson Mountains alongside the wash filled with desert rains. Having hiked this trail many times, it was the first time I experienced it with water. It was magnificent. As we approached the Bowen House, I imagined what it must have been to live there and hear the water flow past.

These blooms were plentiful along the trail.

We saw blooms along the trail. And the desert was green! Full of life. We didn’t mind slogging through the wet trail and we walked through the water on the way back. As we neared the trailhead the sun was setting. We cherished every moment and thanked Mother Nature for these bounties.

The first day of fall brings us so many new possibilities - the end of one season and the beginning of another. Fall breezes, colors, and all things pumpkin. In the desert fall is not as distinct. Changes are subtle. On this equinox, rain was in the forecast and the clouds were hovering over the mountains. It was a perfect morning for a hike on Pontatoc Trail. This was my first time hiking this beautiful trail. Once the sounds of civilization grew distant and the sounds of the desert could be heard, I was content. It is easy to bask in the surrounding beauty and let the desert envelops you. This trail meanders through boulders and along a canyon ridge. We saw heart-shaped prickly pear, nests full of life, cactus blooms, and more. While turning a corner we came upon a desert tortoise, who seemed to be sunning himself on a rock. It was such a sight - this, being my first sighting of a desert tortoise in the wild. We watched him from a distance and thanked him for gracing us with his presence. We continued along the trail toward the top of the ridge line to the vast overlook of the city. In true desert fashion, it started getting hot so we turned back at this point. It rained in the desert later this fall day. Fall is in the air.

Desert Monsoon Hike

Desert Equinox and Tortoise SIghting