The Outdoors Post

I figure it's time I talked a little bit about the great outdoors here in Tucson. Coming from the temperate Pacific Northwest, I was a little shocked to arrive in a place as dry and hot as Tucson. Erin and I landed in the airport after dark, when the mountains and the sky were equally black. Hard to believe from the airplane window that the air temperature was over 90 degrees. When we walked outside, it was hot, certainly, but it wasn't as unpleasant as I had imagined; especially (as I learned later) because the sun wasn't also burning our skin. It was kind of like a low-temperature sauna. As I felt the moisture leaving my skin, I was thrilled to see my first real desert plants. They were saguaros, the tall, straight, noble kind with upward pointing arms. And these cacti weren't here for the tourists, but were placed inconspicuously in the dirt between parking lot curbs where one might see shrubs or small maples in Oregon.

The heat has been constantly annoying over the past few weeks, but I've learned to live with it, or rather, to hide from it, in air-conditioned buildings and buses. The desert plants, on the other hand, have been much more pleasant. Last weekend our house decided to explore the Desert Museum just west of downtown.

Saguaro [suh-WAH-roh] in the distance

It was a nice change, for one, to just get away from the city, but it was also nice to learn a little about some of the flora and fauna here. Saguaro, for example, only grow an inch or two per year. So the saguaro in the picture is likely close to a hundred years old. And the purple growths on the cactus in the picture below are actually a fruit that is harvested and served in local cafes as prickly pear lemonade.

Prickly pears on a nopal cactus

We also gained a valuable lesson in the dangers of leaving the trail. Erin, hoping to get her picture taken by a giant saguaro, had not taken two steps off the path when she came up short, due to a spine lying on the ground that had punctured her sandal. Luckily, her foot was okay.

Wear thick boots!

The desert plants do have a certain beauty, but this weekend we explored another region of Tucson with a more temperate clime - the top of Mt. Lemmon. This mountain is just to the north of the city, and is accessible by car all the way to the top. Vista points near the summit are impressive.

Kaitlyn, Jen, and Erin on Mt. Lemmon

We stopped in Summerhaven, a little town at the top. It felt like I was back in the Pacific Northwest! Deciduous trees, quiet streams, and - best of all - a cool 70 degree temperature greeted us. We explored a gift shop and considered buying crepes, but eventually decided to take a short hike.

Tucson? Or Forest Park?

We got lost on the hike, so just went back the way we came after a mile or two. As we drove back down the mountain, the rich green trees gave way to pale green saguaros, and eventually we hit the dry basin where the city lies. But now I know that if I ever feel homesick or am just sick of the heat, an island oasis of green trees exists only a few thousand feet above my head.