Doug, Bob, Mike, Elaine, Denise, Linda, and I hiked 11.9 miles starting from the Dixie Mine Trailhead. (Elaine turned back early for a six mile hike.) We noticed that some of the cactus flowers are starting to bloom and that other flowers are beginning to dry out.
A view of a blooming ocotillo from the Dixie Mine trail.
Mine tailings…
Petroglyphs:
Doug, Linda, Denise, Elain, Mike, and Bob:
Bob, Mike, Doug, Elaine, Denise, and Linda:
Wolfberries:
Prickly Pear blossoms:
Mariposa Lily:
A view from the Prospector Trail, just prior to meeting up with the Bell Pass Trail:
A view from the Bell Pass Trail:
Prickly Pear Blossoms:
Saguaros in the wash:
Rain falling on the large panel of corrugated metal sheets flows into a trough at the bottom. Pipes leading from the trough fill a holding tank lower down. Barely visible (behind some vegetation) at the left is a mostly submerged and concrete lined tank which is sloped on one side for animals to enter and drink. We’re not entirely certain how water flows from the large holding tank to the drinking tank; the pipe leading from one to the other was well above water level and there is no evidence of a pump at this site. (It’s possible that there’s an underground pipe which we could not see.)
We had observed this site from above during past hikes up to Hog Heaven and then continuing onto the East End (summit). I had that that what I was looking at in the past was actually a concrete pad with some sort of round drinking tank. Visiting the site up close dispelled those erroneous assumptions.
We saw animal remains nearby.
More saguaros with views of Weaver’s Needle and the Flatiron in the distance.
Owl Clover / Exserted Indian Paintbrush:
Globemallow (with bee!):
New Mexico Thistle:
Pot shard. (We left it and another piece of similar size in place where we found them.)
A view from the Coachwhip Trail:
Prickly Pear Blossoms (with another bee!):
A small rock outcropping with Thompson Peak in the distance:
Hedge Hog Blossoms:
Miniature Woollystar:
Mary says:
The flowers are all very beautiful. I enjoyed these pics. They brought Spring to a very snowy Michigan
April 3, 2016 — 1:24 pm
Linda says:
Wow, really great photos of the desert blooms!!!
April 3, 2016 — 2:19 pm
Susan Davis says:
YES! Great pics of desert still in bloom! And, some treasures along the way! Thank you!
April 3, 2016 — 4:26 pm
Jackie says:
Wow! I can’t imagine walking all those miles. That’s really hard to do. I know I could never do it. The pictures are gorgeous! I’m so proud of you!
April 3, 2016 — 8:09 pm
Denise says:
I tried to choose a favorite close-up picture of the gorgeous blooms we saw but I couldn’t do it! I don’t think the desert gets much more beautiful than what we experienced on this hike. I’ve made an inquiry about the history of the water catchment area and I’ll pass along what I learn when I hear back from “the expert”. Thanks for a great hike.
April 4, 2016 — 6:04 pm