Wasson Peak

Saguaro was the last national park on our trip. Before we knew about the October eclipse, we had planned to stop here between leaving Hueco Tanks and heading north to Utah, but the eclipse caused us to change our plans. Part of the change in plans was moving Saguaro to the end of the trip, which added a few hundred miles to the drive, but it opened up the possibility of flying home from Phoenix instead of Los Angeles, which was more convenient in terms of city traffic and van return, and the flights were less expensive.
Skipping Saguaro was out of the question. We were so looking forward to this place with its giant saguaro cacti everywhere. And we were not disappointed. It was phenomenal! The vegetation was sparse but varied and exciting, just like the other deserts we had seen over the past few weeks, a harsh landscape with its own kind of beauty.

We had booked three nights at a campsite just outside the national park, which itself was full of and surrounded by cacti.
The first morning we got up before sunrise and walked into the cactus fields to get some morning glow shots of the landscape. We also learned that the best time to see a roadrunner was at dawn. We still hadn't seen one, which reminded us of our time in Scandinavia many years ago where we hadn't seen a moose despite spending over 3.5 months way up north. The people we met seemed to see them every other day, but somehow these giants kept eluding us. Just when we had lost all hope and were about to leave the Arctic Circle, we got lucky in Finland. Here in Saguaro we hoped to have the same experience, but this time our object of desire was much smaller, very fast and well camouflaged. Yet again, the people in the area seemed to see them everywhere and all the time.

The sunrise was beautiful, but not a roadrunner in sight.
After breakfast we drove into the national park, bought the last shirt of the trip and learned about the flora and fauna of the area. The park rangers gave us some good tips for walks and scenic drives in the park. The walks were great. We saw giant saguaro cacti, some over 20 metres tall and over 200 years old. Fun fact: Saguaro cacti grow their first "arms" at the age of 60! Check out the pictures and be amazed.
In the afternoon we stayed at one of the trailheads and started packing up while waiting for the sun to go down. When it did, we realized there would be no colour show, so we decided to drive back to our campsite. After two minutes in the car the situation changed drastically and for a few minutes the sky lit up in purple and orange. I tried to take pictures, but we had already left the picturesque view. Well...we enjoyed it without pictures.
For the second day we chose a longer hike to one of the highest points in the area, the Wasson Peak, where we had an amazing 360° view of the national park, Tucson, and the rest of the Sonoran Desert. During the hike we met a ranger who was having lunch on the Hugh Norris Trail. We chatted for a while and he assured us that we would see a roadrunner in our remaining two days in Arizona. Hopes were high, but we did not see any roadrunners that day. However, when we returned to our campsite, we were greated by a coyote that was strolling from one site to the next hoping to find a sausage or two that fell down at the last days barbecue. Not a roadrunner, but still an exciting sight.

On the third day we had to leave the national park. There was a lot on our to-do list before we left for Phoenix. First, we washed the sheets, blankets, and towels that Nancy had given us for the trip. Once they were clean, we donated them to the Salvation Army. Then we went to the post office and packed the climbing guidebooks, a bar of chocolate, and cactus candy. The package was mailed to Jessi and Elliot in Michigan. Thanks again for the guidebooks. They were worth their weight in gold! At REI, we returned our camping shower, which unfortunately started leaking weeks ago. In the end, we did not have time to explore Tucson, but we did grab a tasty burrito before heading out of town and up to Phoenix.

Saguaro was incredible. We really loved that place. It was so quiet and vast and different. I don't know what it is, but somehow the desert just resonates with us. The decision to leave the coast again and go back to Arizona was great. We would have missed a lot if we had skipped it.
By the way, we did not see a roadrunner in Tucson.Leia mais