The hundreds of horses that live within the Tonto National Forest and roam along the banks of the Salt River are technically feral, as they’re the descendants of horses the Spanish re-introduced to North America during their conquests of the New World. However, as with most of the feral horses in the United States, they’re referred to as “wild.”
These thirsty horses were not bothered at all by the park visitors and were not especially wild.
Tags: horse horses Salt River Arizona feral river equine Tonto National forest telephoto Nikon Z7 wild horses drink drinking
© All Rights Reserved
When hiking in the Arizona desert, one must look down and take that next step with caution.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barrel_cactus
Tags: Barrel cactus Barrel cactus spikes sharp wound desert Arizona Nikon Z7 scratch
© All Rights Reserved
Multiple Saguaro cacti in the desert park in the greater Phoenix valley. These are massive in size when you compare them to the two hikers in the photo.
Granite Mountain Loop Trail hike to the Balanced Rock
Tags: desert hike Arizona Phoenix Balanced Rock clouds sky mountains landscape Nikon Z7 hikers rocks boulders Granite Mountain Loop Trail Scottsdale
© All Rights Reserved
McDowell Regional National Park
Another rare Crested saguaro at the start of the Dixie Mine Trailhead, near Scottsdale Arizona. Fascinating formation.
The saguaro cactus is composed of a tall, thick, fluted, columnar stem about two feet in diameter with several large arms that curve upward in the most distinctive conformation of all Southwestern cacti. But sometimes they produce a fan-shaped form of uncontrolled growth at the tip. These odd growths are referred to as cresting (or cristate), and are very rare occurrences. It is estimated that this condition affects approximately one out of every 200,000 saguaros. Originally, less than 200 of these abnormalities were thought to be in existence. However, more than 2,000 have been discovered so far, and biologists believe that there may be many more.
Tags: Saguaro Crested Saguaro cactus Arizona Scottsdale Dixie Mine Trailhead desert sun Nikon Z7 growth cristate McDowell Regional National Park
© All Rights Reserved
Scottsdale, Arizona, is a unique city, situated between a rugged desert wilderness and an urban metropolis. Historically, the area was home to several Native American tribes who carved out a living from the desert landscape. The Hohokam people lived in the area from approximately 300 BCE to 1450 CE, making use of water from the nearby Salt River to farm the land. Later, the Pima and Tohono O’odham tribes settled in the region, and continue to call this area home today. These tribes left their mark in many ways.
Tags: petroglyphs Hohokam Scottsdale Arizona Phoenix rock hike archeology carvings Nikon Z7 sun
© All Rights Reserved