Desert Hike

The desert terrain is deceptively beautiful. The spring time greening, cactus flowering and reptile action made for beautiful walks in Usery Park near Mesa, Arizona. Several morning hikes provide this small sampling of photos that were taken. Some photo ops were missed. Before the camera could be drawn from its holster, a missed shot was of the deformed lizard. On closer inspection, it was two lizards -- coupling.


Finding large sticks on a desert trail is ---. Whoa. That is not a stick. Once aware of my presence, the rattles started and continued until I retreated and took a path off trail and beyond the rattlesnake.


Too much water makes the saguaro top heavy and a little wind becomes dangerous. There were several of these monsters lying flat on the desert floor as nature recycled for another generation of desert plants.


A few varieties of cholla and a cactus that make this desert their home.




Walking in the desert getting that perfect photo of a blooming cactus or cholla does have its negatives. Removing my boots and socks after my hike, souvenirs of the desert were found attached firmly on my leg. This was painless compared to a years ago experience with the "jumping cholla".