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Tag: hike

12 June 2017

The ever changing Greenland Lake–North Rim Grand Canyon

Greenland Lake North Rim Grand Canyon National Park ArizonaWe call it Greenland Lake although it may look like a pond, or puddle, to you.

Greenland Lake North Rim Grand Canyon National Park ArizonaStanding water is rather rare on the Kaibab Plateau.  Surface water from snow melt and rain is mildly acidic and seeps through cracks and joints in the Kaibab limestone dissolving the rock and creating a cave under the surface.  Then the surface area, lacking support, collapses and creates a sinkhole.  Silt and clay flow into the lake sealing the sinkhole’s bottom and enable it to hold water.  Yet there is often not enough precipitation to fill the lake.

Greenland Lake 2017 & 2014 comparison North Rim Grand Canyon National Park ArizonaThe last time I stopped at Greenland Lake early in June 2014 there was no water so imagine my surprise when the lake looked full on May 30th.  That’s a good sign we had a decent snow-pak this winter.  My supervisor, who stays through the winter, said 11 feet on the ground at one time.

fallen aspen Greenland Lake North Rim Grand Canyon National Park ArizonaI like to see the changes that occur around the lake.  Trees once standing have fallen down and new sprouts of aspen replace them.  One dead snag fell into the lake.

trail Greenland Lake North Rim Grand Canyon National Park Arizona

Salt cabin Greenland Lake North Rim Grand Canyon National Park ArizonaAt one time cattle grazed here and a cabin to store salt is near the lake that would have provided intermittent water to the livestock.  It’s only a 200 yard walk, past the lake to the cabin but instead I walked around the shoreline watching out for gopher mounds that can be a real ankle biter.

deer tracks Greenland Lake North Rim Grand Canyon National Park ArizonaNow, this waterhole provides for wildlife like deer, cougar, and bobcat.  Swifts flew in and out searching for insects but way too fast for me to photograph.

fallen aspen Greenland Lake North Rim Grand Canyon National Park ArizonaI marveled at the reflections from different angles around the lake.

fallen trees Greenland Lake North Rim Grand Canyon National Park ArizonaAnd had to do a little scrambling to get around the far side of the lake.  Shoreline was soft and some areas were thick in New Mexico Locust which is full of thorns.

muck Greenland Lake North Rim Grand Canyon National Park ArizonaNot sure what the mucky looking stuff is but made for an interesting pattern.  Maybe that’s where the salamanders hide out.

carved aspen Greenland Lake North Rim Grand Canyon National Park ArizonaI recommend the stop along the Cape Royal Road to explore Greenland Lake and the Salt Cabin.  But please don’t carve into the trees.

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Arizona, Grand Canyon National Park North Rim, Places I've been, United States Greenland Lake, hike, Salt Cabin, sinkhole, trail 14 Comments
06 February 2017

Palm Canyon trail Kofa NWR Arizona

Sunset Kofa National Wildlife Refuge ArizonaThe contrasts are striking between desert, palms, and canyon walls along the Palm Canyon trail.  Located in the Kofa Mountains named because the King of Arizona gold mine stamping its property “K of A” in the late 1800s.  The idea of protecting this Sonoran Desert landscape began during the 1960s when conservationist Major Frederick R. Burnham observed that populations of bighorn sheep were sharply declining and appealed to the Boy Scouts to take up the cause.  For two years, more than 10,000 boy Scouts and their leaders campaigned to protect bighorn sheep and finally in 1976 the 665,400 acre Kofa National Wildlife Refuge was established to be managed by the US Fish & Wildlife Service.

Looking up Palm Canyon trail Kofa National Wildlife Refuge ArizonaPalm Canyon

A half-mile National Recreation Trail leads into Palm Canyon so all four of us camping together on the Kofa climbed into Sharon’s jeep and drove the two miles to the end of the road to start our hike.  Turns out either of the truck campers could have made the drive on this well graded road, but we weren’t sure until we got there.  I’m sure there are times when after heavy rain the road would be rutted and rough.

View West Dome Rock Mountains from mouth of Palm Canyon trail Kofa National Wildlife Refuge ArizonaView west from Palm Canyon trail

At 11am it was still chilly enough, especially in the shaded canyon, to wear a couple layers.  But we weren’t far along before the jacket went around the waist.  The website suggests to allow an hour round trip but us lollygag hikers took over an hour just to get one way.  There was just so much to see.  Plus the sometimes steep and rocky trail required us to watch our feet while walking so we stopped often to look around.

Palm Canyon trail Kofa National Wildlife Refuge ArizonaGeology

Millions of years ago the Southwestern United States resembled a broad plain with scattered marshes and streams studded with mountain ranges and erupting volcanoes that covered the marshes with 100s of feet of ash, rocks, cinders, and lava.  Then about 25,000,000 years ago, after a long quiet period, earthquakes and eruptions occurred cracking, splitting, tilting, and lifting the previous formed rock and created today’s Kofa mountains.  Water flowing through cracks in the volcanic rhyolite formed canyons through erosion.

Plants

The current desert ecosystem is characterized by hot summers, mild winters and low annual rainfall of 4-8 inches.  Yet even in this harsh environment plants have adapted.  Looking with binoculars up tiny side canyons to the north, opposite the wash we followed, rewarded us with an amazing variety of plants.

Cactus Palm Canyon trail Kofa National Wildlife Refuge ArizonaMost obvious are the tall and stately saguaros, yet these seem not terrible old and all of about the same age as is common with the species.  Closer to the ground, prickly pear, cholla, hedgehog, pincushion and barrel cacti thrive.  All wonderful to see but we were really excited about seeing the California fan palm, the only native species of palm tree in Arizona, and only 100 trees remain.

These could be relics of the ice age when the range of California fan palms was much larger than its isolated groves today gradually spreading into these canyons and other protected niches as the climate warmed to desert conditions.  California fan palms typically live for 80 to 90 years.  A fire burned through the grove in 1953, seriously damaging the trees.  Fortunately, most of the palms survived and young trees have become established.  The survival of these trees is directly dependent on the microclimate in this protected canyon.  The palm trees are only able to live in the narrow side canyons where direct sunshine is limited and moisture is available.

Nolina against sky Palm Canyon trail Kofa National Wildlife Refuge ArizonaAs we strained even with binoculars to find the palms we were often fooled by a palm-like plant growing out of cracks and on ledges but the nolinas are much smaller than palms and do not develop a trunk.

Palo Verde along Palm Canyon trail Kofa National Wildlife Refuge ArizonaI love the twisted and contorted shape of the palo verde.  Its almost neon green branches and twigs have enough chlorophyll to produce all the energy the tree requires and during drought often has no leaves.

California fan palms side canyon Palm Canyon trail Kofa National Wildlife Refuge ArizonaCalifornia fan palms side canyon Palm Canyon trail Kofa National Wildlife Refuge Arizona

As the sun rose higher interesting shadow shapes moved rapidly across the north canyon walls.

California fan palms side canyon Palm Canyon trail Kofa National Wildlife Refuge ArizonaCalifornia fan palms side canyon Palm Canyon trail Kofa National Wildlife Refuge Arizona

And the timing was perfect to see sunshine creep into a side canyon and light up the oasis of palms.

Didn’t see the endemic Kofa Mountain Barberry with its holly like leaves which may have been because I was looking for a low growing plant and this is a small bush.  Also don’t think I saw any Ironwood unless it was the thorny trees I called mesquite.

Animals

We also didn’t see the famed desert bighorn sheep.  The only animals we saw were a few birds and lizards flitting about way too fast to positively identify.  Maybe some peak-headed phainopeplas, some kind of hawks soaring in the far distance, turkey vultures, and mostly crows/ravens which seem to survive anywhere.  Saw the scat evidence of coyote and fox.

View West Palm Canyon trail Kofa National Wildlife Refuge ArizonaMany animals survive in the desert because they are mostly nocturnal.  But then after the sun went down and the temperature dropped we weren’t particularly nocturnal ourselves.  Quite frankly there are a few species I wouldn’t want to trip over, especially after dark, like the Gila Monster or Western Diamondback.

Late light Kofa Mountains Kofa National Wildlife Refuge ArizonaYet no worries while the sun was up about being cold and by the time we returned to camp it was a delightful 73°F.  But that quickly changed just as we finished dinner enjoying the setting sun light up the Kofa Mountains and the desert.

Sunset Kofa National Wildlife Refuge Arizona

Venus & crescent moon Chocolate Mountains Kofa National Wildlife Refuge ArizonaFollowed by a gorgeous sunset and then a crescent moon with Venus, and Mars.

Of the 665,400 acres within Kofa National Wildlife Refuge, 547,700 acres are designated wilderness, making it the second largest wilderness area in Arizona.  While the Palm Canyon Trail is the only designated trail on Kofa, visitors are welcome to hike anywhere on the refuge so long as vehicles remain within 100 feet of the road, do not enter mines, or the area closed for the recovery of Sonoran pronghorn mostly seen in King Valley.  Camping on the refuge is limited to a maximum of 14 days in any 12-month period.  Campfires are permitted with a limited amount of only dead, down and detached wood that can be gathered and I didn’t see any of that so probably want to bring your own firewood.  Also remember that summer temperatures can exceed 120°F.  Seems winter is the time to visit and I would highly recommend that.  Had a great cell and internet signal in camp.

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Arizona, Kofa NWR adaptation, California fan palm, camping, desert, geology, hike, hiking, Kofa National Wildlife Refuge, Palm Canyon trail, plants, Sonoran Desert, wildlife, wildlife refuge 14 Comments
25 April 2016

Through the forest to the rim

Yesterday afternoon I explored my backyard which takes me through the forest to the rim of Transept Canyon on the North Rim.

Deer & sunset from RV North Rim Grand Canyon National Park Arizona

The previous night at sunset I’d seen the light through the trees and shining on a building.  Plus if you look closely a Mule deer browsing.

Mule barn North Rim Grand Canyon National Park Arizona

Turns out to be the old unused mule barn.  I live nearby the wranglers who lead mule rides a little ways into the canyon on the North Kaibab Trail.

 

Social trail North Rim Grand Canyon National Park Arizona

A social trail runs past it into the forest skirting a small gully.  The forest floor is carpeted with crispy needles.  No snow around and it’s dry.  Of course it’s suppose to snow tomorrow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Forest path to rim from RV North Rim Grand Canyon National Park Arizona

Then I’m headed towards Transept Canyon.

Barberry North Rim Grand Canyon National Park Arizona                  Lousewort North Rim Grand Canyon National Park Arizona

I saw a few plants flowering along the way.  The yellow Barberry also known as Mahoney and Oregon Grape.  Plus the tiny Lousewort.

View from Transept Trail North Rim Grand Canyon National Park Arizona

The Gambel Oak hasn’t started to leaf out yet and completely obstruct the view.

Across Transept Canyon Widforss Plateau North Rim Grand Canyon National Park Arizona

I didn’t go far along the Transept Trail as a chill wind blew.  The wind in the pines sounds like waves crashing on the shore.  But gusts, like today’s predicted up to 55mph, brings pine cones down with mighty force.  Very startling on an RV roof.  Also a possibility of snow tonight.

Mule barn & RV North Rim Grand Canyon National Park Arizona

RV thru trees North Rim Grand Canyon National Park ArizonaThen found were the social trail returned me to the barn and home.  Look closely and you can see my RV through the trees to the right.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Snag North Rim Grand Canyon National Park ArizonaA huge snag behind my RV appears to house quite a few birds.  I fleetingly saw, and heard, a couple different woodpeckers.  Robins hoping around.  A hummingbird zinged by.  Stellar Jays flitting about.  I’m going to have to practice photographing birds.

I love the peace and quiet that occurs before the North Rim is open to the public.

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Hi, I’m Gaelyn, the Geogypsy

I retired after 29 summer seasons as a Park Ranger, traveling solo for 40+ years. My passions include travel, connecting to nature, photography, and sharing stories.

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