SAGUARO NATIONAL PARK WEST

We're back in hiking mode (I'm still waving a tearful goodbye to "loafing around" mode), and today we did a scenic drive and a hike at Saguaro National Park West (there is an East park, too, which we will be heading to next). By far, the most interesting thing we saw along the Bajada Loop Drive were the CCC structures that graced the picnic areas. There is no denying the positive impact of a successful stimulus like the CCC during the first depression - the work done was amazing! And it lives on to benefit us all.

This is a CCC picnic structure at the top of a stone staircase, at the Ez-Kim-In-Zin picnic area

A curved grill near a picnic table at the Signal Hill picnic area

A fireplace/grill, also at the Signal Hill picnic area

Picnic table and fire pit at Signal Hill

A CCC restroom

We hiked the Signal Hill trail (some nice petroglyphs) and the Manville Trail to the Cactus Wren Trail and back to Signal Hill. There aren't as many cacti blooming here yet as in Organ Pipe, but a striking thing about this area is that, due to more moisture, the cacti are much larger specimens than what we have been seeing up to now. The Saguaro Cacti tower overhead and are everywhere! The Barrel Cacti are also much larger. One thing I saw on the trail today that I've never seen before is a person texting while riding a horse. I so wanted to take a photo, but I thought it might be rude!

This park is very nicely signed, and the trails are well marked and maintained

Petroglyph rocks with the Tucson Mountains in the distance

Close up of a spiral petroglyph

A huge barrel cactus with weird shaping near the base - Odd!

This curve-billed thresher seemed a bit peeved that we wouldn't share our lunch

Not many blooming plants here yet, but this butterfly found a nice clump of yellow blooms to land on

These cholla-type cacti have purplish branches, buds, and reddish flowers

This is another example of the cactus above - no blooms quite yet, but loaded with buds

What potential beauty lies therein!