Hiking in the White Tank Mountains west of Phoenix

The White Tank Mountains are about 30 miles west of Phoenix, and rise to 2000 to 3000 feet elevation, not as high as and more gentle than the Rockies. There is a regional park there with many hiking trails, so we decided to go there and try some of the easy ones. We decided to not try the difficult rock-hopping trails that are also there.













There are a lot of white granite deposits in the mountains. These eventually wash down into valleys, and rocks are bigger than cars. When the water is in the valleys that are lined with these white rocks, from a distance they look like "white tanks."




There are also a lot of rocks covered with desert varnish that darkens them, and ancient native Americans often scratched symbols into them, making what we now call "petroglyphs." These rocks are protected by law and are not to be moved or marked up. Modern markups are called "vandalism," not petroglyphs.



We hiked up the waterfall trail, to a waterfall that you can only get to by jumping some very large rocks and squeezing through a narrow canyon. If you look close at the picture you can see some kids and adults trying to make the squeeze. We did not try it. (Click on the picture to enlarge it and see the people.)














The big cactus plants are the saguaros. They can live for hundreds of years and grow over 20 feet high. As they get bigger and older, birds and animals will dig into them and make homes, like a huge green hotel. The saguaro cactus plants are the poster children of the Sonoran Desert, extending west and south from this area, into Mexico and southern California.





























Another cactus we see a lot of is the "fishhook barrel cactus." So called because of the long hooked central spines that stick out from it. In previous years when I was riding my motorcycle through the desert near Tucson, this was my biggest fear! And the guy I was riding with was wearing shorts! Oh well....














Another cactus that is actually quite useful is the "ocotillo," or stick cactus. Native Americans and ranchers would use these to make fences, weaving them together. They too have thorns and make a tough fence to get through.







The desert is definitely different than the lush, green vegetation we are used to in Michigan and on the east coast. It is interesting for the millions of years of history we see in the rocks and rock layers, and the fierce survival struggle of the plants and animals in this environment. We like the variety of seeing both types of environment and topography. But we'll never see the desert in the summer -- 120 degrees is not what we're suited to!