I was very amused this time by the warnings on the information board about being prepared for hikes.
Personally, I would probably pass out if I wore long sleeves to hike in this climate. I think I might be a lizard or something (my legs get scaly in the dry weather if I don't use lotion!) since my body can't seem to manage it's temperature very well. Put me in the sun and I start baking unless I'm half naked. And walking sticks? The trails at Sabino Canyon aren't that difficult, but lots of people use store-bought walking sticks. On the only steep trail in the area, along Black Ridge, almost nobody uses them. Maybe this is a clever marketing scheme by the local outdoor equipment retailers. The one thing that's not a joke is bringing water. Sure, you'll get to the end of the trail and back alive without it, but you'll probably get a crappy headache from being dehydrated.
Of course, you could take your chances with the water from the falls, which was lovely.
Abstract art, kind of.
View from the top, but a little hill is blocking the view of the city.
A rock tower, just for fun. Someday, there will be a report on the Tucson news: "Hikers Lost Due to Excessive Misinforming Handmade Trail Markers" and someone will feel really guilty.
My favorite type of cactus, the cholla. This is a particularly wonderful specimen, and unusually tall. I love how the color fades from the newer to older parts. From a distance, the look so fuzzy and lovable...
...but don't hug it!
