Soft breeze, deep blue sky
desert delight round the bend
Saguaros dancing!
When I rounded the corner on the Spur Cross Trail, this saguaro, with his arms extended, looked to be dancing. He didn’t seem to have a dance partner at the time and, given his prickly nature, I wasn’t about to oblige him either.
We have enjoyed a few hikes now while hangin’ out in the burbs north of Phoenix, taking advantage of these warm winter days. Spur Cross Trail is one of many in what is the newest addition to Maricopa County’s Regional Parks system, Spur Cross Ranch Conservation Area. A moderate hike at 5.2 miles; link up Elephant Mountain Trail with this and you have a nice 7.5 mile trek. We chose to just gaze at Elephant Mountain on this day as I was looking forward to another 7.5 miler the next day with the gals, friend Nina and her most precious pooch Polly.
Hiking destination for the girls’ outing was Pass Mountain Trail in Usery Mountain Regional Park. Terry and I had done this hike last year so there was zero risk of me being found wandering aimlessly in the desert. I do have quite the reputation for having a pitiful sense of direction, which I will not even attempt to deny. This trail offers sweeping desert vistas, mountain views, and saguaros dotting the landscape, a most enjoyable way for Nina and I to catch up on the adventures we each have had over the past few months.
Meeting other RVers is always an enjoyable part of this lifestyle. What we didn’t know when we booked our reservation at Cave Creek Regional Park was that we would have the opportunity to meet another nomadic couple and they would be camped right next to us! Stay tuned for my next post when I introduce you to our new RV friends.
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Paint Your Landscape 
Love your prickly dancing partner LuAnn! 😀 and the closeup of the cactus needles, not to mention the sunset. Great shots!
Thanks Gunta! 🙂
Sometimes I’m a bit slow. I just realized I could pull up your shots for a closer look in slideshow. Especially liked the first desert sunset with the ocotilla (sp?)
Thanks! I am still waiting for some spectacular sunsets here in the desert…none yet but I know they are out there. 🙂
Beautiful series!!! The sunset and cactus picture is simply amazing!!!
Thanks Rexlin. 🙂
Livin’ the RV life looks wonderful!
It ain’t too bad! 🙂
These RV adventures are just amazing…how about taking a Florida girl with you next time☺ BTW your curly cactus friend he is amazing…a real keeper!
I would love to have you tag along. 🙂
Great views (pictorial and life perspective). Thanks so much for sharing.
My pleasure Kevin. 🙂
Just a dash of that beautiful weather :).
Wishing it your way Boomie 🙂
Now its my turn to say, Ahhh, memories. Although I did not hike on this trail but your beautiful captures are bringing out desert sceneries that I am beginning to miss.
We do love hiking but probably will have seen enough cacti by the time we leave AZ. We are hoping for some desert wildflowers before the end of our stay. Hope by now you are enjoying NM.
Oh how great this was LuAnn ~ Fun shots – I especially love the one with you next to the cactus to give “perspective” 🙂 ~ Love your poem depicting “the dance” too ~ ! Much Love to you dear friend ~ x Robyn
Thanks Robyn. You have been on my mind a lot. Hope all is going well and you are finding some answers.
Amazing photos, that cactus is huge! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Rohan.
My pleasure. Thanks for stopping by. 🙂
It’s delightful to view these spectacular mountains, cactus, orange sky… in the early morning. Thank you for the wonderful tour! Look forward to meeting your RV friends. Have a wonderful weekend wherever you are now 🙂
Thanks Amy. Wonderful weekend to you as well. 🙂
In one of our post from the area, we too found a very happy dancing cacti. They are all so different and beautiful.
We hiked that same path. Beauty all around. Enjoy!
They are pretty amazing, aren’t they? Wish the wildflowers were starting to bloom.
That Saguara does look posed for a dance, but I bet those prickles are very sharp. What a wonderful backdrop for your hike and catch up with your friend. Beautiful.
Thanks AD.
Having just witnessed of the great east coast blizzard, those photos look mighty appealing.
I feel so for those on the east coast. Mother Nature has been relentless this winter. Be safe.
As ever I love the delightful colours that you capture on your photos, vibrant, varied and that blue sky is sublime! You have me a happy a Ste J today.
Glad to oblige Ste J. 🙂
stunning shots..
Thanks!
just great photos! thanks
Thanks David. Hope all is well with you and Les.
Hi LuAnn & Terry,
It looks like you two are already enjoying hiking in the desert. Your pics are great as usual, LuAnn. Gayl and I arrived at San Elijo yesterday, Friday, with our new trailer. It got a work out because it was freezing and we traveled through cloudbursts, even down here at S E. Oh well, the new Dutchmen Kodiak seemed to weather the storm well with no apparent leaks, etc.
We came down to assist this weekend with the building of camp host sites 16 and Bill and Lisa’s site 55, where they will hopefully be completed by this Sunday.
We are glad you our enjoying your new adventure at Cave Creek. This has to be the perfect time of the year to be in the desert. Keep enjoying yourselves.
Roger & Gayl
It is too bad we missed you this time around but know we will see you both again. Wish we could have seen the final results with site 16 before we left. Perhaps we can get someone to send us some pictures. Enjoy your time there!
Love the photo of you near that saguaro, it shows how really large they are. You take really beautiful photos. I look forward to hearing about those new RV friends 😉
I think you might know them. 😀
An old desert rat once told me that the Native Americans believed that when they died they came back as saguaro’s. The arms that go up represented the good deeds they had done and the ones that pointed down were the bad deeds. Not sure if it is true but who am I to argue with a desert rat? lol
I am going to have to look more closely at the saguaros here in the campground…very interesting! 🙂
Reblogged this on ww123.
Thanks for the visit and the reblog. 🙂
😉
Had a blast hanging w/ you these past few days! Love the shots…even the ones of the cactus 🙂
Nina
I will try not to bore you with too many more, but no guarantees. 🙂
very pretty pictures, that top one the first thing I thought was that catcus is dancing. I wonder what the tune is it is dancing too?possibly windy days song?
You may be right about the song. I should have been listening a little closer. 🙂 Thanks for the comment and the visit.
If you didn’t dance with it, did you at least sang a beat to it so it didn’t look silly dancing on its own? 😆 I went hiking yesterday and was taking pictures of prickly things. None of them are as unique as what you shared you here.
If I had tried to sing to that cactus there would not have been one in the picture. It would have run away shrieking! 🙂 Glad to hear you were out hiking! 🙂
We’ve just moved to SE Phoenix area and I can’t wait to walk the trails you’re writing about. Thanks for the information!
Welcome to Phoenix. I lived there for 20 years and love coming back, particularly in the winter. 🙂
I noticed I was not getting notices of your posts… somehow WP had switched you off… but Ingred’s post reminded me of yours so I’m on a bit of a catch up… great post and photos…
It wouldn’t be the first time someone switched me off (lol)! Welcome back. 🙂