Don't Try This

If you've been following this blog, you know that you should not go hiking with my brother. This video will show you why. Uncle Andrew hiked in the summer heat down the Bright Angel Trail to Plateau Point at the Grand Canyon. 

He had previously done a down to the river and back to the rim trip, so had "been there done that." (And it wasn't even too hard for him.) So this time around he wanted to show people what the trail was like. Instead of taking a video camera, he took a photo every 4 or 5 steps down the 6-mile long trail, which ends at a beautiful scenic area overlooking the river. 

For you purists who say that the Grand Canyon isn't in one of the four North American deserts, you're right, the rim is in the Colorado Plateau. But watch the vegetation change and become more desert-like as Uncle Andrew descends 3,000 feet from the rim into 115 degrees Fahrenheit in about 3 minutes. It might make you a little dizzy, but at least you can stay cool.


So where should Uncle Andrew go hiking next and would you like to go with him?

Learning to Drive

Learning  to drive is always a rite of passage. For me, it was a terrifying experience when I was 15 years old and in driver's ed class. The instructor figured everyone had already driven, so he put me on the street and said go, not bothering to find out that I had never even sat behind the wheel of a parked car. After nearly sideswiping a whole line of cars and making him so nervous that his face was wet with perspiration, he decided maybe we needed to learn in an empty parking lot. I couldn't have agreed more. 

When it came time to take my driving ed test with him, he flunked me before I even took the test. But I could perform in a high stress situation and passed with flying colors (well, he only had to use the instructor brake once). So he had to unflunk me and then I got to terrify my parents as I put in my hours before I could get a license to drive on my own.

Out in the desert, learning to drive is a little easier. There aren't the inconveniences of parked cars. And there are plenty of roads. And living on a ranch, young'uns are encouraged to drive at an early age so they can help move the tractor to the other side of the field. My husband learned to drive when he was five. That does seem like a very early age, but he had his older brother to help him. His older brother was six. 

Last week the California cousins came for a visit, and my sister-in-law decided that it was time for her oldest daughter to learn how to drive. She got behind the wheel of her cousin's work truck and before long was driving it, only slightly scaring her mother. It was a stick shift, which really impressed me, because that took me forever to learn how to drive. 

Desert Boy didn't want to be left out of the fun. Here he is practicing with his Pony Express Rider cousin (update on the ride coming soon). His cousin is laughing because Desert Boy already knows he needs to shift. While he's "driving" he makes vroom, vroom noises.

And now that we get a wider view, you can see he is ready to live it up, taking his cute California cousins for a ride. I'm already sweating the real driving!

What do you remember from your first driving experience?

What is a Desert?

I've been writing about deserts for awhile, but it seems that it might be a good idea to define what a desert is. The most basic definition is that a desert is an area that is moisture deficient; more water evaporates than is received. Another definition, more quantitative in nature, says areas that receive no water for at least 12 consecutive months are extremely arid lands, those that receive less than 10 inches (less than 250 mm) a year are arid lands, and those that receive 10-20 inches (250-500 mm) a year are semiarid lands (steppes rather than deserts).

One of the characteristics of deserts is that they have large temperature fluctuations due to the lack of humidity. Daytime and nighttime temperatures may vary by over 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 deg C). (Keep that in mind if you're packing for a trip to the desert!)

Deserts are not necessarily hot. Antarctica classifies as a desert because of the small amount of precipitation it receives. In fact, over one-third of the land masses on our planet are considered to be deserts. Sand covers only about 20 percent of deserts, with a variety of soils, bare rock, and even ice constituting the other desert bottoms.

The word desert is derived from the Latin desertum, which means "unpopulated place." That was largely true at one time, but due to humans creating diversions and developing the combustible engine that pumps groundwater up to the surface, over 500 million people live in the deserts. Desert cities include Phoenix, Arizona; Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Greater Los Angeles area, California; Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Juarez, Mexico; and many others.

Although at first it might appear that few plants and animals live in deserts, biodiversity is often high. Animals might not be readily seen because some spend part of their lives in burrows to escape temperatures that are not conducive to their lifestyles, while others are primarily active at night. Some animals (like kangaroo rats) have evolved to be able to live without drinking water by creating water during metabolic processes when they digest food. Plants are often drought- or salt-tolerant to be able to withstand the harsh conditions. Some desert plants have long taproots to be able to reach underground water.

Humans have adapted to survive in the desert by being nomadic to find food and water sources. Traditional desert dwellers include the Bedouin, Tuareg Tribe, and Pueblo people, who live in hot deserts, and the Inuits, who live in a cold desert. Many more people have moved to the desert in the last 75 years due to the invention of air-conditioning and highly engineered water systems.

Common Lizards

A trip to the desert just doesn't seem complete unless you see some lizards. Lizards are reptiles, and are generally fairly easy to spot because they make a rustling sound as they move around on feet with five-clawed toes. Getting a good look at one can be difficult, though, because they move so quickly. So I've done the hard part for you. I've found some lizards, managed to photograph them, and spent hours flipping through my A Guide to Field Identification of Reptiles of North America and then went to the internet because the entries are much more interesting. Here's what I found out.
The desert horned lizard (Phrynosoma platyrhinos) is a pudgy-looking lizard, and because it's so cute I get more excited about seeing this one than most others. It has small horns on its head (imagine that), and cryptic coloring that allows it to blend in with its habitat. It's one of about seven horned lizards found throughout the deserts of North America.

With its orangish head, this lizard doesn't blend in as well with its surroundings. As best as I can tell (and if you're a herpetologist and know better, let me know), it's the orange-headed desert spiny lizard (Sceloporus magister cephaloflavus), which has a wide distribution throughout the North American deserts. One cool thing about this lizard is that if the temperature decreases, it can turn its dark spots even darker to soak up even more heat. 

This sagebrush lizard (Sceloporus graciosus) can be distinguished from its close relative the western fence lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis) by its longitudinal stripes that run parallel along its body. As you can probably guess, the sagebrush lizard likes to hang out in sagebrush habitats. What you might not guess is that this little guy is a voracious ant eater. It will also eat other insects and arachnids. 

Here's another view of the sagebrush lizard checking out its surroundings. (I can just tell it's thinking "How close should I let her come to take her freakin' photograph?") They are quick to frighten, and they take refuge under bushes, in burrows, or wherever they can get away from you. They mate in the spring, typically lay a clutch of four eggs in June and the eggs hatch in August. I will soon be on the lookout for them so I can show you. (Please pretend you care.)

I should mention that if you come out to the desert in really cold weather, you won't see any lizards. They aren't that dumb. They like to wiggle into loose soil or hide in other animals' burrows to keep a relatively constant temperature. If you are trying to find lizards in warm weather, one of the best techniques is to go to some lizard habitat (a golf course is not good habitat), and sit still. Eventually a lizard will run by. You don't have to do anything except sit there. See, I knew I could convince you to like lizards!

Please Practice Safe Eating

We're recovering from a stomach bug. Desert Boy managed to escape it, perhaps because he uses safe eating practices. 

Desert Destination: Zion National Park

Every Monday we visit a desert destination.

Located at the junction of the Mojave Desert, Great Basin Desert, and Colorado Plateau, Zion National Park preserves over 200 square miles of exceptional terrain. Nearly everywhere you go, the views are stupendous.

Last week, Desert Boy and I headed to Zion to meet up with Uncle Andrew and his friends. It was hot, so we decided that the best afternoon hike would be in the Virgin River.

The river was flowing 43 cubic feet per second (cfs), and there had been no recent storms, so the water was clear and usually about knee high. But in some places the water was shallower, and in others deeper.

We hiked upstream with some of the other 2.5 million visitors that Zion receives each year. Some of the footwear was quite interesting--and some people chose to wear no footwear at all--ouch!

After a couple hours we reached the junction with Orderville Canyon. That canyon was narrower and the water warmer, so we headed up it. It had some interesting obstacles to negotiate.

Desert Boy didn't mind getting his toes wet.
And he delighted in playing in the water and sand.

Eventually we got to a place where we could go no further. So we enjoyed the view and headed back downstream.
The crowds had thinned out and we had a few moments where we felt alone in the impressive canyon.

The entire hike took about 5 or 6 hours, including many stops. It was a tiring but fun hike. Most importantly, we all came back alive.

Surviving the Desert: Don't End up like This!

This is Bobby. He made the unfortunate mistake of going on a hike with my brother. This is how he ended up. Before long the turkey vultures came in and started nibbling on him. Then they became more voracious and pulled pieces of flesh from his hot body. Coyotes made off with the camera equipment. And at night scorpions came and picked away at what was left of him. The sad thing is that it didn't have to happen. Here's how he could have prevented this terrible accident:

1. Don't go hiking with my brother.

2. Take plenty of water. And drink it. In the desert your sweat contains lots of salt, so consume some salt in the form of electrolytes in a sports drink like Gatorade. Or eat Cheetos. Seriously, they will help you from becoming hyponutremic (salt deficient).  (Good word for the day, see if you can use it in a conversation today). 

3. Dress appropriately. Keep from getting sunburned with long pants, long-sleeved shirt, and a wide-brimmed hat. Wear ankle-supporting boots. Use sunglasses (you got this one right, Bobby).

4. Be in good physical shape. Overexertion in the desert heat can tire you out even faster. Know your limits and don't exceed them.

5. Have a plan. Know where you're going and how to get there. If you don't arrive within a certain time period, have a preplan that your contact will notify authorities and start searching for you. Trust me, helicopters are better than turkey vultures flying overhead when you think you might be dead.

6. Don't go hiking during the heat of the day. Seek shade and do your hiking during the cooler hours.

7. Don't go hiking with my brother.

Memorials can be sent via the comment section of this blog. I'll be sure that they get passed on to Bobby's friends and family. 

Colorful Wildflowers

Monkeyflower (Mimulus guttatus)

Seeing the colorful fireworks last night made me decide to have a colorful blog post today. The wildflowers are going crazy. The ones on the valley bottom are mostly shriveled up, but as we head up in elevation, it just gets better and better.

Palmer's penstemon (Penstemon palmeri) is a tall flower, approaching 3 feet, with clusters of vibrant pink blossoms at the top of each stem. It's found along roadsides from sagebrush-steppe to pinyon-juniper. It's sometimes called balloon flower.

Firecracker penstemon (Penstemon eatonii) are vibrant red and attention getting. I bought some seeds from a native seed nursery that I will plant this fall, and hopefully next summer I will be getting this color right in my own yard.

Thickleaf Penstemon (Penstemon pachphyllus) contrasts with the others due to its blue color. The penstemons have recently been reclassified from the Figwort (Scophulariaceae) family to the Plantain (Plantaginaceae) family. I'm wondering how they feel about that.

The Sunflower (Asteraceae) family has a huge number of flowers in it, many of them yellow. This one, Basin Butterweed (Senecio multilobatus), isn't too hard to distinguish with the many, small yellow ray flowers and the deeply divided leaves. 

Nodding Microseris (Microseris nutans) is widespread throughout the western U.S. It's less than a foot tall.

Northwestern paintbrush (Castilleja angustifolia) is found up to 10,000 feet, but is most common in the sage steppe. I bought some paintbrush seeds to plant this fall, but I've been warned that since this plant has a parasitic relationship with nearby plants, particularly sagebrush, it's unlikely that it will last beyond one year. Paintbrush is still in the figwort family. Are they lonely now that the penstemons moved out?

Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs) in the Desert

The desert holds lots of wonders: incredible sand dunes, amazing plants and animals adapted to harsh conditions, stunning views, and, of course, UFOs.

I've mentioned in a recent post that the desert climate is an excellent place to look at faraway stars, galaxies, and whatever else might be out there. And surely there is something else out there. And if these visitors from a distant place decide to come to our lovely planet for a visit, it only makes sense that they are going to come to an agreeable climate where they can see what's around them and won't have anyone sneaking up on them through the forest or swamp.

The deserts of the U.S. have had great UFO sightings. And I have to admit, I've gone and visited some of them. How could I stay away from Area 51 (or just outside it, since I don't have the necessary clearance to enter the highly guarded perimeter)? And I just had to see the alien on display in Roswell, New Mexico. 

Have I seen strange lights in the desert sky? You betcha. Have I figured out what they were? Nope. It's easiest just to explain them as military aircraft. After all, the military, like extraterrestrials, have figured out that the desert is a great place to be. But is the easiest explanation the correct explanation?

Take a close look at the photo at the top of the post. In it you can see a triangular shape. That's where a UFO crashed in 1953. It was such a catastrophic crash that the vegetation still hasn't recovered. If you look really closely to the right of the crash, you can even see a little alien face looking back at the crash. According to the website that reports this crash, the ET's that landed took refuge in the area.  I'm still waiting to see them, but if I keep looking hard enough, I'm sure one will pop up. 

I've always figured that Fourth of July is the perfect time for the extraterrestrials to come in their UFOs, due to the fact that any strange lights will be attributed to someone shooting fireworks. So have a happy Fourth of July and keep a sharp eye out. You never know what you might see.

Desert Boy Loses His Hat

See the cute hat Desert Boy is wearing? It's a denim cap with an embroidered horse and bear. His babysitter got it for him when she went on a trip. He had worn it only about a week when we decided to take a hike. I loaded him up in the backpack and we went out on the ranch for a walk.
It wasn't long into our hike that I saw some dark objects come into view. Hmm, must be some curious cows. But surely they won't come too close.
They kept coming closer and closer and even tried to surround us. I kept talking to them in a loud voice. Desert Boy helped. He likes to talk and shout a lot, and that's especially loud when he's in a backpack right next to your ear. I looked back at Desert Boy and found that he was not wearing his hat. In all the excitement of watching the cows come racing towards us and then alongside of us, I didn't notice him pitching it from his fair head. We started retracing our steps.
That's when I noticed that these aren't just cows, there are some bulls mixed in, like this big Red Angus. He seemed really big. And I noticed I was wearing red. I figured I was going to see if he really did ignore red like bulls are supposed to. (For more on this and what kind of cows these are, click here.)
Fortunately the bull kept on walking, and then we got a visit from this friendly horse. Desert Boy seemed to enjoy all these animal adventures. But we didn't find his hat. I went back twice and still never found it. And now I feel really bad that we lost his special hat. 

Proper Footwear for Hiking in the Desert

While I was sitting on a trail this weekend, holding a sleeping Desert Boy who increasingly got heavier every minute so that I lost all feeling in my legs, I found I was at eye level with people's shoes as they walked by. And what an interesting array of footwear! The park newspaper, park rangers, and park signs all stated that hiking boots were strongly recommended for this steep and rocky trail. And that the number one injury was due to improper footwear. So I want to show you what some of the people were wearing and see what you think.

Snazzy red sneakers set a fashion statement in the desert.
Probably the kind of boots the park rangers are talking about when they mean "proper footwear."
These big black boots certainly give a lot of ankle support. And the camo capris are quite the fashion statement.
Running shoes, a comfortable choice for many surfaces.
White tennies were certainly the most common footwear we saw. I like the black socks for contrast.
These checkered tennies also show some fashion awareness, but I'm not sure about the velcro.
These shoes look comfortable and the red is certainly eye catching.
A one and a half inch heel might be a little slippery, and the cutouts in the shoes might let in sand. But with two pairs of anklets bunching up around the ankles, she should be okay. I think.
These white shoes have velcro, I think, and not too much arch support. Perhaps no socks helps keep the feet cool? 
Sports sandals are all the rage, but I wouldn't want to stub a toe.
These shoes certainly provide plenty of ventilation in the desert.

So which do you like best?

Astrophotography

Night sky over Great Basin National Park, 

courtesy of the NPS Night Sky Team

Over the weekend I met an astrophotographer who is touring the Desert Southwest taking pictures of the beautiful night skies. With clean air, little atmosphere, and lack of light pollution, many desert locations are wonderful places to get clear views of the night sky. 

I had never heard the term astrophotography before, but as it was explained to me, I felt my interest in astronomy reawakening. If I can look at a photo and ask about what I'm seeing, it's so much easier than asking about "the little white star-like thing that's just to the left of the bigger star-like thing and a little below the hazy whatchamacallit. What, you can't see it?" 

To increase interest in astronomy and show off their night skies, many locations hold star parties, where people interested in the night sky gather to learn more about what else is in the universe. Some people bring telescopes and help explain what might be out there. Like ET. Hopefully like ET, and not the alien in the movie Alien. 

Back to the (main) subject, Wikipedia has a list of organized Star Parties, and maybe one's in your neighborhood. You can also search nearby national parks and see if they might be having any special programs. While researching this post I found that Great Basin National Park is having astrophotography tips and night sky viewing July 4 and 5 at 7 p.m. If you know of another event coming up, let me know! I'd also like to hear about any extraterrestrial sightings.

Back Home

Desert Boy and I just returned from a lovely adventure, which will be featured in next Monday's Desert Destination. But to give you a teaser, it involved all the elements needed for a successful trip:

Getting Dirty

Playing in Water

Hiking until Utterly Exhausted