Cowboy Country

At last. The time of year we have waited for.

The rattlesnakes are back under the rocks, many of the creepy-crawlers have taken to a warmer spot and the skies have a sparkle we’ve been anticipating.

Winter. Hiking weather. Now you can get out and really enjoy the desert.

We took advantage of one of these premium days in early December, deciding to spend an afternoon in a spot less familiar to us than past walks. We visited a site on the west side of the Bradshaws, via Wickenburg and Yarnell.

This part of the desert is not as inviting as say, the Superstitions or the McDowell Mountain Regional Park. It is a different clime, so of course, the flora is different. Cacti are more along the lines of prickly pear, cholla and yucca as opposed to saguaros, barrel cactus and agave. There also are pines and deciduous trees in abundance due to the presence of a high water table.

The Hassayampa River and numerous large washes flow through the area. The combination of moisture and a different elevation makes that side of the Sonoran Desert look quite different from the higher reaches.

Getting up and away from the Valley this time of year is appealing because of the air quality in the winter. The brown cloud that can be so pervasive this time of year can be seen from the higher spots, but you are out of the thick of it.

We took a relaxing hike along a major wash in the Prescott National Forest. We encountered a few birds and saw prickly pear pads that had been nibbled by javelinas but didn’t run into any exotic animals as such. But it’s interesting to see signs of wildlife even if you don’t see the life part of it.

The desert is dry – which sounds redundant but isn’t meant to be. Rain hasn’t fallen up that way since November, but that was a tiny bit, not making any difference to the drought.

The thing that’s scary about this arid time is what next summer will be like. If it doesn’t rain a lot pretty soon, the coming summer will make our last fire season look amateurish. There is no rain to speak of in the forecast.

Being out this time of year is wonderful. Even if it’s chilly, you can work up a good sweat. We enjoyed an afternoon in the 50s. When the sun got down below the mountains, it was pretty brisk.

There are numerous trails to follow in that part of the state. It is definitely cowboy country. There are zillions of boulders and hills to hide from the bad guys. You can see them coming from miles away.

This hike was featured January 2006.