The Desert Tortoise

[desert dweller]

I took someone to the Phoenix Airport yesterday. After dropping her off, I kept going west and north to areas I hadn't been before. Using the Arizona Atlas/Gazetteer I headed for places near Wickenburg. The first turnoff that looked interesting was a twenty-mile dirt road to Castle Hot Springs. But after raining all day, the road was a little soupy and I only got ten miles before I decided not to chance getting stuck. There were signs of recent flash floods in the dips and it was still raining in the mountains I was heading for. So, I turned around just in time for the next storm to hit and slipped and slid the whole way back to the paved road.

I went on through Wickenburg and headed for Salome to get a short cut back to I-10. On the way I noticed a turn off that went toward the old Silver Queen mine in the Harquahala Mountains. I followed the dirt road for about 4 and a half miles till it ended at a cabled gate. Arizona has had some rain off and on for the past few weeks and it had just rained there. Everywhere it was green and blooming. Even the smallest streamlet was flowing. It was still cloudy but the sun was beginning to show.

I had brought a fanny pack and boots just incase I wanted to do some hiking. I forgot to bring along a water bottle from the house when I had left and figured on getting some when I gassed up. Well, I forgot about it then, also.

Where the truck was parked was a deep gully coming from the mine. It had a little flow but nothing that could stop me from crossing. I really had no interest in the mine mainly because it said to keep out. Sometimes though, there are old shafts flimsily covered around these mines.

My goal was to hike up the hillside on the other side of the gully and get to the ridge top to take some photos. The going was slow because I was constantly stopping to look at the plant life. The ocotillo was blooming but most of the flowering was on very small, ground level plants. Their colors were yellow or blue or orange or red, depending upon its type.

The sun was out soon and it was getting warm from walking the steep hill. I wasn't too worried about not having water because the truck was in sight, but it is still against all of my instincts and knowledge to be out in the desert without water to drink. I made the top without any problems. It took an hour mostly because of stopping constantly to take photos.

The top was anti-climatic but it afforded a good view of the mine area. The sunshine was short lived and the clouds were heading in so I started back down. I used up all of the film except for two shots left on the roll. Leaving some film unexposed was a great decision.

About halfway down the hillside the clouds had moved in and it was getting dark. It was too steep and rocky to go any faster than I was already going. I just hoped for just another 20 minutes before the deluge. Stopping on a small flat area, I looked back up at the hill and something caught my attention and made my heart race. Right there at eye level was a very large desert tortoise. I must of just stepped over him. I have never seen one in the wild before. They only come out from their burrows when it rains. Here is a link giving more info on tortoises, if you are interested:

http://www.desertusa.com/june96/du_tort.html


The one I saw had a shell 12 to 14 inches long. It looked old and probably was. I used my last two shots on the roll of film on this guy. I hope they turn out. On the very last shot I put a Bic lighter next to him for scale. It started raining again right when I got back to the truck.

What a great hike. Its funny how not having any water to drink kept me from going very far, yet it was because of the possibility of a great deal of water that also limiting.

The desert is beautiful.

Thanks for listening.

dd

[desertgirl]

Your write up sounds very interesting & it is great that you got to see a desert tortoise. My only encounter with one was -- a shell near Peralta. Such opportunities to see a live one in the wild when they are supposed to be out is os cool! Awaiting to see photos!
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Photos: http://www.pbase.com/desertgirl/galleries
Life is but a dream ...there is no end to what you can dream!

[plummer150]

Nice! I always like exploring new areas without have a predeterminded destination and then just ending up there. Which is what happen to me when I took Az route 88 through Tortilla Flat. Boy was I in for a surprise when I finaly made it to Roosevelt Lake. It took me like 3hours. Ugh
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"IRONMAN" cometh, hiketh, destroyeth

[Shawn]

'We saw one crossing the road out near Planet Ranch one time, that's the only one I've seen in the wild. Some poeple have them in their yards, and don't see them for months at a time.
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The bear went over the mountain to see what he could see.

[Canyon Dweller]

What a cool site to see. It's always neat seeing rare animals. I hope you can post them on the internet. I would love to see them. Sounds like you had a neat hike.
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Mountains are there to be climbed!

"Meaningless! Meaningless," says the teacher, "Utterly Meaningless, Everything is meaningless."-Ecclesiastes 1:2

[ck1]

I encountered one on a hike out at Pass Mountain...beautiful creature. It's amazing how they survive.
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-Colin

"The Journey is the Destination"