April 2019 — More wildflowers! PART 2
Report by Joe Orman
![[logoaddress.jpg]](../logoaddress.jpg)
I keep thinking I've documented all the crested saguaros in this preserve, and I keep getting proven wrong! Every time a new set of trails is opened in the preserve, a hiker or biker posts a photo of a crestie that's new to me. This day I headed out to find an arm crest I'd seen photos of ... luckily the photos included a distinctive hill in the background, which narrowed my search area.
My hike took me within telephoto distance of this crested saguaro I'd documented back in 2013 — looking even worse-off now than it did then:
2013 photos:
crestedsaguarosociety.org/crested/crmaricopa200/crest273.php
Wandering around looking for the arm crest, I thought for a second I'd spotted it — nope, it's a brand-new discovery, and a ring crest to boot (Extend-O-Cam view):
Other side:
crestedsaguarosociety.org/crested/crmaricopa500/crest503.php
Finally I found the arm crest I was looking for (Extend-O-Cam view):
Side view:
crestedsaguarosociety.org/crested/crmaricopa500/crest504.php
On my hike I also saw some Y-split saguaros, including this very tall one:
... and some more wildflowers. Hedgehog cactus:
Yucca:
Mexican gold poppies:
... and lastly some baby birds! Owls ...
... and hawks:
I'd picked up an Internet tip about two crested saguaros very close together along this trail, so on this morning I headed out early to photograph them — was on the trail before sunrise to beat the heat. The trail was long and winding, but lined with delightful wildflowers of all kinds ...
Purple thistle:
Penstemon:
Indian paintbrush:
Something tall and yellow:
I think this is a type of dandelion:
This was the best year in a long time for the mariposa lilies:
Flowers sprouting from an agave:
The heart of a strawberry hedgehog blossom:
Finally I arrived at the two crested saguaros ... this is the one lower on the slope, a nice double-header:
Close up other side:
crestedsaguarosociety.org/crested/crmaricopa500/crest505.php
The higher one is 500 feet away, but I managed to get both it and the lower one in this telephoto shot:
Other views:
crestedsaguarosociety.org/crested/crmaricopa500/crest506.php
Finishing my 10-mile loop hike back to the trailhead, I saw some more wildflowers. Poppy:
Desert sunflower:
Globe mallow:
Daisies:
Cave Creek was flowing ... and slimy!
Just above the trail I spotted a newly-crested saguaro:
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Close up other side:
crestedsaguarosociety.org/crested/crmaricopa500/crest507.php
I also passed the "Guardian of Cave Creek" — still looking awesome!
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Photos dating back to 2004:
crestedsaguarosociety.org/crested/crmaricopa/crest17.php
With my telephoto lens I got an updated photo of this crested saguaro high above on the canyon wall — the very first crested saguaro I discovered myself, way back in 2008!
Took me until 2012 to make the scramble and get these close-up photos of it:
crestedsaguarosociety.org/crested/crmaricopa100/crest192.php
Right beside the trail I encountered my first rattlesnake of the year ... it was moving fast to get away from me, so the photo's a bit blurry:
Lastly, a bit of sad news ... I found that the top had broken off of this formerly-magnificent crested saguaro:
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Photos dating back to 2006:
crestedsaguarosociety.org/crested/crmaricopa/crest16.php
Well, that's it for April! I hope you enjoyed the photos. Early May has been unusually cool, so I've managed to get out and photograph a few more cresties, and I'll probably have one more report before I pause my Crest Quest for the summer. Until then, take care and happy trails!