SPECIAL COLLECTOR’S ISSUE MARCH 2017

ESCAPE • EXPLORE • EXPERIENCE E X P L O R E SAGUARO NATIONAL PARK 16 THE BIG PICTURES: 38 WITH A 10-FOOT POLE 50 GRAVE SITUATION For centuries, the Tohono O’odham people With hindsight, the decision to cut down, Grand Canyon SAGUARO NATIONAL PARK National Park have been harvesting saguaro fruit in what chop up and bury thousands of saguaros A Portfolio Edited by Jeff Kida 2017 is now Saguaro National Park. Although seems like an overreaction, but in 1941, it March Williams it’s not as common as it used to be, Stella was considered the best way to protect 28 THE WILDERNESS OF UNREALITY Tucker and her daughter Tanisha are car- the species from a “bacterial infection.” An Eastern tourist-photographer visits rying on the tradition with age-old tech- By Noah Austin PHOENIX 2 EDITOR’S LETTER Arizona’s famous Saguaro National Monu- niques and picking poles (10 feet or so) Saguaro Lake Mesa ment in search of inspiration and camera made of saguaro ribs. 3 CONTRIBUTORS 52 SCENIC DRIVE Saguaro fodder. A story originally published in By Kathy Montgomery Pronghorn Drive: Although you might not Picacho Peak National Park January 1942. Photographs by Bill Hatcher 4 LETTERS see any pronghorns on this 10-mile loop Tucson By Natt N. Dodge in Buenos Aires National Wildlife Ref- Bisbee 5 THE JOURNAL Buenos Aires 44 BORN SURVIVOR uge, you will see a gorgeous grassland National Wildlife Refuge People, places and things from around the 34 THE BONES OF A SAGUARO For any species, survival is a carnival of that’s a haven for hundreds of animal state, including the return of spring training An Essay by Kelly Vaughn calculated gambles, treachery, unintended species. POINTS OF INTEREST IN THIS ISSUE and the Chicago Cubs; the artistry of wind consequences and circumstances beyond By Noah Austin power in Northern Arizona; and Gourmet control. Perhaps no plant in the Sonoran Photographs by Jack Dykinga Girls, a place in Tucson where the gluten- Desert illustrates that notion better than free food is so good, you won’t know the giant saguaro. it’s gluten free. 54 HIKE OF THE MONTH GET MORE ONLINE An Essay by Lawrence W. Cheek Hunter Trail: There are five trails at www.arizonahighways.com Picacho Peak State Park. None are very long, but the Hunter Trail will test /azhighways your mettle with its series of vertical @azhighways ◗ Morning dew covers a milkweed ascents and narrow rock ledges. @arizonahighways seed and other vegetation in Flor- By Robert Stieve ence, southeast of Phoenix. Eirini Pajak 56 WHERE IS THIS? CANON EOS 5D MARK II, 1/250 SEC, F/5, ISO 500, 100 MM LENS, 37 IMAGES STACKED

FRONT COVER: Saguaro National Park illustration by Chris Gall BACK COVER: A clearing monsoon storm leaves vibrant light on Saguaro National Park’s Tucson Mountain District, as viewed from Hohokam petroglyphs atop Signal Hill. George Stocking CANON EOS-1DS MARK II, 1/2 SEC, F/16, ISO 100, 33 MM LENS

2 OCTOBER 2015 PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTS AVAILABLE Prints of some photographs in this issue are available for purchase. To view options, visit www.arizona highwaysprints.com. For more information, call 866-962-1191. www.arizonahighways.com 1 editor’s LETTER CONTRIBUTORS

LAWRENCE W. CHEEK massed on a hillside, and far stranger. But the Writer Lawrence W. Cheek rejoins MARCH 2017 VOL. 93 NO. 3 tough stance is misleading. The saguaro is always Arizona Highways this month for Born in danger.” 800-543-5432 Survivor (page 44), a story about Larry is a longtime contributor. He’s smart, www.arizonahighways.com the science of saguaro cactuses. and he’s a wonderful writer, too. That’s why It’s Cheek’s first contribution to the we called him when we needed a non-scientific magazine in five years, but before that, PUBLISHER Win Holden essay on the science and nature of saguaros. he authored about 60 stories and five EDITOR Robert Stieve Through the power of his pen, you’ll learn about books for Arizona Highways, starting the plant’s unlikely existence. In fact, that it ever ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER, with an April 1984 cover story on Arizona WE KNOW IT’S COMING. DIRECTOR OF SALES & MARKETING Kelly Mero The barrage of letters about the “cactuses” in takes root is a miracle of nature. “The life cycle of architecture. “I still relish any chances to this issue. Not the photographs of cactuses. the species begins with an appropriately implau- MANAGING EDITOR Kelly Vaughn write about Arizona,” he says. “I return And not the stories. But the word itself. Cactuses. sible event,” Larry writes. “A white flower pops ASSOCIATE EDITOR Noah Austin every year or two on assignment or for

It seems like such a benign word — a handful out of an adult saguaro during the driest, bleak- EDITORIAL a visit.” Cheek’s current surroundings of vowels and consonants neatly tied together. est slice of the year, mid-May to mid-June. To ADMINISTRATOR Nikki Kimbel couldn’t be more different from the Nevertheless, there’s a determined fellowship of readers out there intent on produce fruit, the next step in reproduction, the PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR Jeff Kida landscape of the Sonoran Desert: He eradicating it from the pages of this magazine. flowers have to be pollinated, and this job falls CREATIVE DIRECTOR Barbara Glynn Denney lives on Washington’s Whidbey Island, “The plural of cactus is cacti,” they insist. to a visiting medley of bats, birds and bees.” ART DIRECTOR Keith Whitney about 30 miles northwest of Seattle,

And they’re right, cacti is correct. It’s just not correct at Arizona Highways. When the fruit eventually and improbably MAP DESIGNER Kevin Kibsey and spends much of his time building

It’s not our style. Our style is to use “cactuses.” All magazines, by the way, appears, it attracts white-winged doves, Gila PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Michael Bianchi boats. He’s completed five of them so far, and his current project is a 21-foot cruising sailboat. “Being surrounded by water and so much stunning natural beauty, it’s hard to have an official style. Most of ours is derived from the Associated Press, which woodpeckers and other wildlife. It attracts WEBMASTER Victoria J. Snow specifies that “cactuses” is the preferred plural. If the AP didn’t have a ruling human beings, too. argue that I have too many boats,” he says. Cheek’s recent writing credits include The New CIRCULATION DIRECTOR Nicole Bowman on this, we’d defer to Webster’s New World College Dictionary, Fourth Edition, For centuries, the Tohono O’odham people of York Times, The Seattle Times and, naturally, WoodenBoat magazine. FINANCE DIRECTOR Bob Allen which lists “cactuses” as its first preference for the plural form, with “cacti” Southern Arizona have been harvesting saguaro OPERATIONS/ as the second preference. Even the Oxford English Dictionary is on our side. fruit in what is now Saguaro National Park. IT MANAGER Cindy Bormanis “The Latin-style plural is appropriate to formal, scientific or technical writ- Although it’s not as common as it used to be, a

ing,” the OED states, “while the English plural is better suited to everyday handful of descendants are carrying on the tra- CORPORATE OR language. Choosing to use the Latin plural form when an English one is also dition. Last summer, writer Kathy Montgomery TRADE SALES 602-712-2018 BILL HATCHER available can smack of pretentiousness or pomposity.” In other words, Eric and photographer Bill Hatcher were invited to SPONSORSHIP SALES Bill Hatcher has spent the past few REPRESENTATION On Media Publications years photographing the biggest Clapton uses plectrums, not plectra. Neon tetras swim in aquariums, not tag along. Todd Bresnahan aquaria. And at Arizona Highways, we publish stories and photographs about “Using a picking pole, made of saguaro ribs 602-445-7169 and most unusual saguaros in saguaro cactuses, not cacti. Well, most of the time, anyway. In this issue, and a crosspiece of greasewood, Tanisha pushes Saguaro National Park — in a way,

you will find a few scattered “cacti.” They’re in a story we originally pub- and pulls the fruit to the ground,” Kathy writes. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR [email protected] he says, it’s part of his interest in lished in January 1942. The subject was Saguaro National Monument. “Then she demonstrates how to use the hard, 2039 W. Lewis Avenue exploring giant trees around the Phoenix, AZ 85009 “On his very first visit,” Natt Dodge wrote in The Wilderness of Unreality, sharp base of the spent blossom to cut through world. So, he was a natural fit “Pop’s interest had been aroused in the anatomy and physiology of the great the fruit’s thick skin before scooping out the for With a 10-Foot Pole (see page GOVERNOR Douglas A. Ducey cacti. He went to the national monument headquarters and deluged Custo- seedy red pulp with her thumb.” 38), Kathy Montgomery’s story DIRECTOR, dian Don Egermayer with questions. How old were the plants? How much Tanisha and her mother, Stella Tucker, conduct DEPARTMENT about the Tohono O’odham did they weigh? How tall did they get? Did they have blossoms, and at what the harvest in the same place every year. It’s the OF TRANSPORTATION John S. Halikowski tradition of harvesting saguaro time of year? Were they good for anything besides camera fodder?” same grove Ms. Tucker’s grandmother, Juanita fruit. “I understood that the fruit, “Pop,” the protagonist of the story, was an amateur photographer named Ahil, visited long before the landscape was pro- Arizona Highways® (ISSN 0004-1521) is published month- like that of other cactuses, is a tra- Marvin Frost. He was from Illinois, but he spent a lot of time at what was ly by the Arizona Department of Transportation. Subscrip- ditional food of Native people, but tected by the National Park Service. tion price: $24 a year in the U.S., $44 outside the U.S. then Saguaro National Monument — it became a national park in 1994. Our In With a 10-Foot Pole, you’ll learn more about Single copy: $4.99 U.S. Call 800-543-5432. Subscription I wasn’t aware that the tradition piece depicted his time in a place that was much quieter and more personal the past, present and future of the saguaro har- cor­respon­dence and change of address information: Ari- of collecting the fruit continues zona Highways, P.O. Box 8521, Big Sandy, TX 75755-8521. in 1942. As Mr. Dodge wrote, “Custodian Egermayer makes available as vest. Like so many Native customs, its future is Periodical postage paid at Phoenix, AZ, and at additional to this day,” he says. “It’s unfor- much time as possible, directing visitors to the locations of various spec- uncertain. However, as long as there are tradi- mailing office.CANADA POST INTERNATIONAL PUBLI- tunate that the practice is fading, tacular individual saguaros, and telling them about the giant cactus and tionalists willing to carry on the ritual, there CATIONS MAIL PRODUCT (CANA­DIAN DISTRIBUTION) since it’s an important seasonal SALES AGREE­MENT NO. 40732015. SEND RETURNS TO the twenty-six other species of cacti to be found on the monument, as well will be saguaros. In all, Saguaro National Park QUAD/GRAPHICS, P.O. BOX 456, NIAGARA FALLS ON L2E connection these people have as the numerous strange and interesting varieties of plant and animal life protects nearly 1.8 million of its namesake cac- 6V2. POSTMASTER­ : Send address changes to Arizona with the Sonoran Desert and the Highways, P.O. Box 8521, Big Sandy, TX 75755-8521. Copy­ outdoors. But the practice is well which occur there.” tuses. And, yes, we do mean cactuses. Despite right © 2017 by the Ari­zona Department of Trans­­por­­tation. With more than 750,000 annual visitors, that kind of personal attention the protests from some of our readers, that’s the Repro­duc­tion in whole or in part with­­out permission is pro- documented, so I hope in the future the Tohono O’odhams will rediscover the harvest isn’t possible anymore. The saguaros, however, remain the same. They’re word we use. hibited. The magazine does not accept and is not respon- and keep alive this part of their history and culture.” Hatcher’s work has been featured in sible for un­solicited ma­ter­ials. the icons of the Sonoran Desert, a species found nowhere else in the world. National Geographic and other magazines, but his recent focus has been Arizona’s border- Their survival, though, isn’t a given. As Larry Cheek writes in Born Survivor: ROBERT STIEVE, EDITOR lands: His photos accompanied a Scientific American story on how communities along the PRODUCED IN THE USA “A forest of saguaros seems as formidable as a battalion of NFL linebackers Follow me on Instagram: @arizonahighways U.S.-Mexico border are benefiting from conservation jobs. — NOAH AUSTIN

2 MARCH 2017 PHOTOGRAPH BY PAUL MARKOW PHOTOGRAPHS: TOP PATRICIA A. CHEEK ABOVE, RIGHT BILL HATCHER www.arizonahighways.com 3 LETTERS [email protected] THE

around arizona J JOURNAL Your photograph of the Flagstaff train station [The Journal, January 2017] reminded me of my first view to Flagstaff. It was late 1946, and the scene was similar, viewed from a platform on an Army troop Flagstaff train stopped in the middle of the night, with snow fall- Train Station

NOAH AUSTIN

Trains have been rumbling through ing and a light on the station sign that read: “Flagstaff, Flagstaff for more than a century, and the westward expansion of railroads helped turn the city into a Northern Arizona hub of commerce and transportation. In Visitors explore the 1926, the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Arizona, Elevation 6,899 Feet.” I’ve been back many monument near Railway built Flagstaff’s Tudor Revival- Faraway Ranch in style station, and today, 80 to 100 BNSF the 1920s. Railway trains pass by every day — even in the snow. The station also serves as times, along with my wife, Patty, visiting relatives who a twice-daily stop for Amtrak’s Southwest Chief passenger line, which runs between Chicago and Los Angeles. Much of the route parallels Historic Route 66, which keep us connected with Arizona Highways. Thanks for also goes through Flagstaff. Those looking to get their nostalgia fix without buying a train ticket can simply stop at the Flag- staff Visitor Center, which features FLAGSTAFF Lichen-stained rhyolite spires mark recalling that memory of my first visit. Flagstaff Visitor Route 66 memora- the view along Chiricahua National Center, 1 E. Historic Monument’s Echo Canyon Loop. bilia and informa- Route 66, 928-213- tion about the area. 2951, www.flagstaff arizona.org It’s located right in Tom Keel, Lakeway, Texas the train station. 6 JANUARY 2017 PHOTOGRAPH BY CAMERON CLARK www.arizonahighways.com 7

January 2017

fter seeing this month’s issue [January possessions I’d never part with. A family NAU sweatshirt answered questions 2017] I decided I’d seen enough about friend was the late Barry Goldwater, and about the college. After visiting NAU, A the Grand Canyon and will cancel our I particularly prize the issues with his I decided I would go there just to be in subscription. There are lots of neat places stories and photographs. He and other the beauty of this state. I met my future to see in Arizona; why have the Grand contributors to the magazine took us to husband the first week of school in Canyon in EVERY issue? Please consider places we could never go ourselves. If 1970. We were married in the old rock other places to visit and hike. About not for this magazine, a lot of the history Episcopalian church in Flagstaff, and we hiking, we are 78 years old and, frankly, of Arizona and her people would have are still happily married after 44 years. don’t care a lot about hiking anymore. been lost forever. My mom is gone, but her subscription to And So Sondra Morrow, Mesa, Arizona Mary Ann Gove, Cottonwood, Arizona Arizona Highways continues delighting us. Nancy Anderson, Maple Valley, Washington It Grows he December 2016 issue is stunning uring the war, my father was sta- American threefolds (Trixis californica) grow in the Flor- in its beauty. My family moved to tioned in Arizona and “adopted” EDITOR’S NOTE: Yes, Kevin creates those remark- ence area. In addition to T Morenci in 1943. I was 3 years old, and D by an American family. I was born able watercolors. Arizona, the plant species even though that Morenci is gone, the in 1946. The “adoptive” family sent us is native to California, New spirit of Morenci lives on in the hearts your magazines for many years. I spent ’ve been reading Arizona Highways for Mexico and Texas. To learn and souls of many. Having lived in my youth marveling at the wonderful many years, and I was pleased to see more about Sonoran Desert Morenci, Tucson, Phoenix, Inspiration, pictures, and still have many maga- I the article titled The Tucson Tornado plants, visit Boyce Thomp- Safford and traveled most of the state, zines, dated as early as the 1940s. I was [The Journal, January 2017]. The 78-year- son Arboretum State Park I am at heart an Arizona “cactus- thrilled to see that you still publish old man who died in the 1974 tornado near Superior. For informa- jumpee.” I may live on the “other” side these wonderful magazines. was my grandfather. His name was tion, call 520-689-2723 or of the mountains, but my heart is always Ian Lowe, Plymouth, England Carl Fehr. He owned and operated visit www.azstateparks.com/ in Arizona. Fehr’s Inn, the first Mexican/American parks/both. Dee Jack Egge, Hurley, New Mexico s an artist and professional callig- food restaurant with a lounge and live CANON EOS 5D MARK II, 1/2000 SEC, F/3.2, ISO 400, rapher, each month I am especially music in Tucson. The restaurant was 100 MM LENS, 61 IMAGES ’m an Arizona native and have most A attracted to the inset map [Scenic located on Speedway Boulevard, just STACKED of the Arizona Highways issues from Drive and Hike of the Month]. The min- east of Country Club Road. It opened in I 1939 to the present. Every month iature watercolor painting inserted in 1946 and closed in the early 1960s. I had when I turn to the “50 years ago” item, the sepia-toned map always catches my never seen this photo of the [1964] tor- I recognize the cover and often pull it eye. Is your map designer, Kevin Kibsey, nado. Now I can see the violence of the from my collection to reread it. I’m in also the accomplished artist? I would storm that took my grandfather. my eighth year of writing a column for love to see more paintings of Arizona Barry Huffman, Tucson three Northern Arizona newspapers. interspersed with photography. My love I also write pieces on Arizona and Verde of Arizona began in 1968, when I visited contact us If you have thoughts or com- Valley history for our local historical the state with my mother. I remem- ments about anything in Arizona Highways, we’d society/museum newsletter. Many of ber rain on the roof of a motel in Oak love to hear from you. We can be reached at editor@ arizonahighways.com, or by mail at 2039 W. Lewis my ideas have come from my collection Creek Canyon, and I fell in love with Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85009. For more information, of Arizona Highways. They’re one of the the area. A college student wearing an visit www.arizonahighways.com.

4 MARCH 2017 PHOTOGRAPH BY EIRINI PAJAK J around arizona

Perrin Ranch Wind Farm

NOAH AUSTIN

For millions of years, wind has helped to sculpt the landscape of the Coconino Plateau south of the Grand Canyon. And for the past five years, it’s also helped to power Arizona homes and businesses. The Perrin Ranch wind farm, which began operating in 2012, consists of 62 wind tur- bines spread over 20,000 acres of private and state-owned land north of Williams and west of State Route 64 (to the east are the San Francisco Peaks, as seen here). From base to hub, each turbine is about 260 feet tall, and each generates electricity when wind speeds reach 8 mph, although 25 mph winds are needed for the highest output. NextEra Energy Resources owns and operates the facility, and the company sells the power it gener- ates to the Arizona Public Service utility. Since it’s at the mercy of the wind, Perrin Ranch doesn’t always operate at full capacity, but when it does, it generates about 100 mega- watts of electricity — enough for APS to NEAR power more than WILLIAMS 20,000 homes in www.nexteraenergy resources.com Arizona. Not bad for a pleasant breeze.

6 MARCH 2017 PHOTOGRAPH BY SCOTT BAXTER www.arizonahighways.com 7 J history photography J

THIS MONTH IN HISTORY

■ On March 4, 1930, former President Calvin Coolidge dedicates Coolidge Dam, located southeast of Globe on the Gila River. The dam impounds San Carlos Reservoir on San Carlos Apache Tribe land. ■ On March 15, 1899, Santa Cruz County in extreme Southern Arizona is created. Today, Santa Cruz is the smallest of Arizona’s 15 counties. ■ The Territorial Legisla­ ture names the bloom of the saguaro cactus the official flower of the Arizona Chicago Cubs players pose at Rendezvous Park, the team’s Territory on March 18, 1901. first spring training home in Mesa, in the 1950s. ■ On March 31, 1906, the price of beer in Pima County goes up due to an The Cubs increase in liquor-license In case you missed it, the Chicago Cubs won the 2016 World Series. costs. The new price: Their attempt to do it again begins this month in Mesa, a place they’ve 10 cents a glass. Hoodoos rise beneath the Milky Way galaxy been visiting for spring training since 1952. Q&A: Shane McDermott in Blue Canyon on Hopi Tribe land. NOAH AUSTIN 50 YEARS AGO PHOTO EDITOR JEFF KIDA IN ARIZONA HIGHWAYS s the ball bounced toward third base- They trained there until 1979, when the team man Kris Bryant, Chicago Cubs fans replaced the Oakland Athletics at the recently JK: Tell us about this beautiful route I found took me up onto dinary, and you really start to PHOTO held their collective breath and Joe built Hohokam Park north of downtown Mesa. photograph (above). a mesa where these hoodoos become acquainted with an WORKSHOP ABuck made the call: “This is gonna be At Hohokam, the Cubs became the Cactus SM: This is Blue Canyon, which are — you can’t see them from aspect of reality that few people a tough play. Bryant! The Cubs win the World League’s hottest ticket. Winter visitors from is located on Hopi Tribe land in the road or from the canyon get to experience. It’s connecting Series! Bryant makes the play! It’s over! And the Midwest flocked to games against the rival Northeastern Arizona. I made floor. It was just a matter of being with nature in a different way. the Cubs have finally won it all!” Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago White Sox. it several years ago, when there curious and persistent. I then did With an extra-innings victory in last year’s And the fans kept coming even after strange wasn’t as much information some research on the Milky Way JK: This is a single image, not epic Game 7, the North Side of Chicago’s long- errors and unfortunate foul balls contributed about the canyon on the internet and figured out winter, when this a composite. Why? Horses and suffering baseball team ended 108 years of to frustrating exits from the playoffs. With the as there is today. Another pho- photo was made, would be the SM: I like the challenge it creates: Cowboys tographer, Rick Goldwasser, and time to shoot it. How can I work with just a sliver at White heartbreak. Although the Cubs’ connection to addition of lawn seating in the outfield, more Stallion the Phoenix area isn’t quite that long, the club than 12,000 people could watch a game at the I spent a couple of years looking of moonlight and get a photo of Ranch has made Mesa its spring training home for stadium. The March 1967 issue of for it, and we finally found it. JK: What do you like about night the whole landscape? That’s why April 28-30, Tucson most of the past 65 years. In 2014, the team moved to a newly built Arizona Highways featured (EDITOR’S NOTE: Today, visiting Blue photography? I don’t have a ton of these images Led by Arizona High- In 1952, the Cubs left their previous spring stadium, now known as Sloan Park, in Mesa’s Wonderful World of Birds, Canyon requires a Hopi guide.) SM: Part of my fascination with — there are about four days per ways Photo Editor Jeff Kida, this workshop a beautiful portfolio of night skies comes from growing month where the moonlight is home of Santa Catalina Island, California, northwest corner. The move meant more ame- offers an authentic and set up shop at Mesa’s Rendezvous Park nities for players and fans, along with more illustrations by longtime JK: How did the photo come up in Canada, where we’d see right. When I go out shooting, if Old West experience, — located where the Mesa Convention Center seats for lovers of Old Style, Chicago dogs contributor Larry Toschik. together? clear skies maybe 50 days a year. I wait in my vehicle for an hour, including opportunities to photograph horse “It is a beautiful world, SM: Blue Canyon itself is enor- In Northern Arizona, it’s more my eyes are adjusted enough and Mesa Amphitheatre are today. That made and the late Harry Caray. The move has paid roundups, barrel rac- Chicago the third team, after the New York off: In 2016, the Cubs broke their own Cactus a world the artist is admi- mous, but this particular area like 325 days a year. Also, I have that I don’t need a headlamp ing, cattle penning and (now San Francisco) Giants and the Cleveland League records for total, average and single- rably equipped to capture was hard to find. I started going a real fascination with the dark or anything. That way, I can see other ranch activities. Indians, to train in the Valley of the Sun. But game attendance. And with the North Siders in oils, water colors, and back regularly and climbing up — it doesn’t scare me at all. The the landscape and compose the Information: 888-790- 7042 or www.ahpw.org Rendezvous Park was less than luxurious, coming off their first World Series win since with pen and pencil,” and into the sandstone cliffs. One sounds of nighttime are extraor- image without using artificial light. and in 1967, after a season back in California, 1908, this year’s spring training seems likely to Editor Raymond Carlson the Cubs relocated to Scottsdale Stadium. rewrite the record book yet again. wrote. To learn more about photography, visit www.arizonahighways.com/photography.

8 MARCH 2017 PHOTOGRAPH: COURTESY OF LARRY LEE COLLECTION, MESA HISTORICAL MUSEUM PHOTOGRAPHS: TOP SHANE McDERMOTT ABOVE, RIGHT JACK JORDAN www.arizonahighways.com 9 J from our archives [January 1957]

The January 1957 issue of Arizona Highways focused on the man-made lakes along the Salt River northeast of Phoenix. Among the features was a Harry Vroman portfolio that included this shot of a Sunday crowd at Saguaro Lake. “Come Sunday,” Vroman wrote, “there will be a gathering at Saguaro Lake of the great boating fraternity; those fortunate ones with their own boats, others renting at reasonable rates.”

10 MARCH 2017 www.arizonahighways.com 11 J dining nature J

Gourmet Girls was nothing, really, on a more house- made, homemade, handcrafted level.” Gambel’s If you happen to be gluten intolerant, you’re going to love Gourmet Girls in After developing a following at local Tucson. Its philosophy is simple: Make gluten-free foods that people won’t farmers markets, they opened their retail Quail guess are gluten free. operation in 2011 — 11/11/11 at 11 a.m., to be You’ll find the abundant exact — and built their menu by identify- Gambel’s quail (Callipepla KATHY MONTGOMERY ing foods that gluten-intolerant customers gambelii) across the Sonoran might be missing. Pancakes, French toast, Desert, particularly near GOURMET GIRLS IS A BRIGHT SPOT good, clean and healthy food. and biscuits and gravy sprang to mind for streams, backyard birdbaths and other watering holes. on the Tucson dining scene. In every Gourmet girls Mary Steiger and Susan breakfast, as did beer-battered fish and Family coveys, which some- sense of the word. Fulton began their partnership as cater- chips, a grilled cheese sandwich and a times include as many as The gluten-free bakery and bistro is, ers. A client’s request for a gluten-free Reuben on “rye” for lunch. 15 chicks, nest in bushes and quite literally, bright — painted a shade cake set them on their current path. “We’ve had people sit at the table and low trees and eat a primar- of green that brings to mind glow sticks. “At the time, it was a non-served mar- cry because they’re eating eggs Benedict ily vegetarian diet of seeds, If you happen to be gluten intolerant, ket,” Fulton says. “There were a few com- for the first time in 20 years,” Fulton says. leaves, fruits and berries. Gourmet Girls might make you weep mercial products available in the stores, The goal at Gourmet Girls is simple: — Kelly Vaughn tears of joy. For the rest of us, it’s just but they weren’t very good. And there Make gluten-free foods that people wouldn’t guess are gluten free. And Steiger and Fulton have succeeded. But whether you’re gluten intolerant or not, Gourmet Girls will put a smile on your face. Take, for example, the cupcake menu, which changes frequently. On a recent visit, it included root beer float cupcakes topped with a cherry and a bendy straw, pink and blue cotton-candy cupcakes, and s’mores cupcakes crowned with a cascade of toasted marshmallows. Why cupcakes? “Because they’re so much fun,” says Fulton, whose hair sports a stripe the same bright green as the wall. “Who doesn’t love a cupcake? They just lend themselves to everything. In October, for breast cancer [awareness], we made boob cupcakes and donated a portion of the proceeds to the local can- cer society. So that was really fun.” Oh, and they’re delicious, too. By the time you read this, Gourmet Girls will have rolled out a happy-hour menu with foods gluten eaters take for granted, such as mozzarella sticks and chicken tenders, along with others you might not have imagined, such as cupcake and wine pairings, gluten-free beer and signature cocktails. The award- winning 14 Carrot Gold margarita gets its cheerful Tang-y color from carrot juice, though you’d never know it by the taste. And their latest margarita creation is the Can’t Beet This. It’s just the most recent in a long line of bright ideas.

TUCSON Gourmet Girls, 5845 N. Oracle Road, 520-408-9000, www.gourmetgirlsglutenfree.com

12 MARCH 2017 PHOTOGRAPH BY STEVEN MECKLER PHOTOGRAPH BY LISA LANGELL www.arizonahighways.com 13 J lodging Add our website to your

travel bag Your source for: Hiking Camping Scenic Drives and look at the birds, Willow told us. A Hotel San Ramón corner room, the Manzanita, looked spa- Restaurants Like its surroundings, the Hotel San Ramón in Bisbee is quirky and colorful. cious and light, with views of Brewery It’s cozy, too. But what it lacks in roominess, it makes up in comfort. Gulch to the east and the Bisbee Mining Diners & Historical Museum to the south. KATHY MONTGOMERY With lower ceilings and smaller, Inns south- and west-facing windows, our FROM OUR SECOND-FLOOR ROOM IN corner of Howell and Brewery avenues studio-apartment-sized Agave suite lacks Lodges Bisbee’s Hotel San Ramón, we can see the has lived more lives than a cat, serving at the bright, airy feel of those rooms. But diverse cross-section of people who make various times as a bathhouse for miners, what it lacks in roominess, it makes up in B&Bs up the life of this mining town turned mercantile, barbershop, ice cream parlor, comfort, with a small midcentury kitchen tourist destination: middle-aged vacation- telegraph office and tortilla factory, to with a Formica counter and linoleum And more ers, in shorts and sneakers, strolling hand name just a few. Today, the hotel occu- floor, and a comfy, slipcovered love seat. in hand; a shirtless man in dreadlocks, pies the second floor (once the offices of On the frosted glass panel of the closet toting an odd assortment of instruments; Bisbee Fuel & Feed Co.), above Santiago’s door, with its skeleton-key hardware, we and an attractive young couple, sipping Mexican restaurant. can just make out the faded words: “Dr. cans of Pabst Blue Ribbon on the Copper Earlier this afternoon, an attendant Cruthers Law Office.” Queen Hotel’s bar patio two doors down. named Willow welcomed us in the tiny Waking from a comfortable sleep the The open windows admit a gentle Día de los Muertos-themed gift shop that next morning, we secure the heavy drapes breeze, along with the sounds of Bisbee’s serves as the Hotel San Ramón’s lobby on by their tasseled ropes and enjoy a pot of emerging nightlife. From the saloon, the ground floor. fresh-roasted Bisbee Coffee Co. brew while strains of Tom Petty’s Breakdown mix Entering through a separate door, we Old Bisbee comes to life on the street. But- with the low murmur of conversation and headed upstairs to tour the split-level terflies flit from flowers in the mining the clink of beer bottles. hotel’s six rooms, spread out along wide museum’s garden, and an endless parade The Hotel San Ramón is a little like its hallways illuminated by clerestory win- of dog walkers passes below, along with surroundings: quirky and colorful, its lay- dows. Late-afternoon sun, filtered by tree young parents pushing strollers and bear- ers of history on display but overlaid with canopies at eye level, filled the rooms ing small children on their shoulders. In contemporary touches. facing Brewery Gulch through 6-foot our own good time, we’ll head downstairs Built in 1902, the brick building on the windows. Local kids like to come up here and join the procession. www.arizonahighways.com BISBEE Hotel San Ramón, 5 Howell Avenue, 520-432-1901, www.hotelsanramon.com

14 MARCH 2017 PHOTOGRAPH BY STEVEN MECKLER The light of sunset reddens mature The Big Pictures: saguaro cactuses at Saguaro National Park’s Tucson Mountain District. In the distance are the Santa Catalina SAGUARO NATIONAL PARK Mountains. Randy Prentice A PORTFOLIO EDITED BY JEFF KIDA

16 MARCH 2017 ABOVE: Snow and fog cloak the park’s saguaros at sunrise. Although snowfall in the park is rare, the cactuses can tolerate occasional winter weather. Jack Dykinga

RIGHT: Hohokam petroglyphs cover rocks in the park’s Tucson Mountain District. The jagged mountain in the distance is Ragged Top, part of nearby Ironwood Forest National Monument. David Muench

18 MARCH 2017 www.arizonahighways.com 19 Viewed from the park’s Rincon Mountain District, a storm moves over the outskirts of the Tucson area and the distant Santa Rita Mountains at sunset. Joel Hazelton

Viewed from the park’s Rincon Mountain District, a storm moves over the outskirts of the Tucson area and the distant Santa Rita Mountains at sunset. Joel Hazelton

20 MARCH 2017 www.arizonahighways.com 21 WESTERN NATIONAL PARKS ASSOCIATION As a nonprofit education partner of the National Park Service, WNPA supports 71 national parks across the West, including Saguaro National Park and 12 others in Arizona. Although WNPA is best known for its Park Stores, which provide necessary revenue to its 71 park partners, retail is not the organization’s primary goal. Rather, WNPA helps drive a greater appreciation and better understand- ing of those parks by developing products, services and programs that enrich the visitor experience.

For more information or to become a member of WNPA, please visit www.wnpa.org or call 520-622-1999.

ABOVE: A cactus wren, Arizona’s state bird, perches on a saguaro skeleton. The birds build their nests in saguaros and other cactuses. Tim Fitzharris

RIGHT: Mature saguaros grow amid ocotillos, chollas and other desert plants at the park. It can take up to a century for a saguaro to sprout its first arm, although some never grow arms. Jessica Morgan

22 MARCH 2017 www.arizonahighways.com 23 LEFT: Rock formations in the park’s Tucson Mountain District frame a view of a saguaro-covered hillside. This vantage point is near the 0.8-mile Valley View Overlook Trail. Tim Fitzharris

ABOVE: A sweat bee gathers pollen from a saguaro blossom, the Arizona state wildflower. Birds and bats also pollinate the blossoms. Eirini Pajak

24 MARCH 2017 www.arizonahighways.com 25 “This was as the desert should be, this was the desert of the picture books, with the land unrolled to the farthest distant horizon hills, with saguaro standing sentinel in their strange chessboard pattern, towering supinely above the fans of ocotillo and brushy mesquite.” — DOROTHY B. HUGHES

Fog shrouds a stand of saguaros at the park. Saguaros can live for 200 years or longer and grow more than 45 feet tall. Michael Jennings

26 MARCH 2017 FROM OUR ARCHIVES: Originally published in January 1942

THE WILDERNESS OF

unrealityAn Eastern tourist-photographer visits Arizona’s famous Saguaro National Monument in search of inspiration and camera fodder.

BY NATT N. DODGE

rizona, someone has sagely remarked, is geology by ingly had risen out of the night. A Palmer Thrasher gave his day and astronomy by night. It might be added that flute-like double call; from a distant knoll a coyote raised his at dawn and dusk, those all-too-brief interludes voice in a quavering requiem to the departed night, and Pop between day and night, Arizona is biology. Frost bent behind his camera to pull the focusing cloth over his Horizontal shafts of light from a rising January sun were head. The famous Cactus Forest, that “Wilderness of Unreal- touching with gilded tips the crags and pine-clad ridges of ity” of Saguaro National Monument [the monument was desig­ LEFT: Here’s how Arizona Highways described this Saguaro National Monument the rugged Santa Catalina Mountains to the north. The flush nated a national park in 1994], was about to have its picture photo in 1942: “Arms intertwined, this ‘family group’ indicates affection among ters Saguaro National Monument, for the protection and care of giants.” Arizona Highways Archives of dawn was fading from a few cloud wisps retreating unwill- a taken — at sunrise. ABOVE: Pop Frost prepares to make a photo amid the monument’s iconic cactuses. approximately 99 square miles of desert and mountain range. It ingly from their rough pallet about Spud Rock, high on the Arizona Highways Archives is his job to look out for all of the plants and animals; all of the Rincons. But hills, and washes, and brush-covered flats of roads and trails, and telephone lines; all of the people (about the Cactus Forest still lay in the drab anonymity of the heavy 16,000 visit the national monument every year); and for such shadow reaching out across the desert at the foot of the gully- That was two years ago. Pop Frost, with two sons in the equipment as the Service has provided for the maintenance wrinkled Tanque Verdes. Deep within this shadow and near University of Arizona, had brought Mrs. Frost from their Lake and development of the monument. This responsibility, as well the crest of a knoll crossed by a narrow and twisting desert Forest home to spend Christmas with the boys. Casually, at as the physical labor of accomplishment was his alone, for at road, stood an automobile bearing Illinois license plates. a nearby point of interest, they had gone out to the national the time of Pop Frost’s first visit to Saguaro, it was a “lone post” Nearby a tall, slender, bespectacled man in a worn leather monument. The senior Frost, since retiring from his profes- monument. But if there is anything that Custodian Egermayer jacket and soft, gray hat was leisurely setting up a tripod. sion as architectural superintendent, had taken up photog- really enjoys, it is meeting a visitor who is sincerely enthusiastic Having placed the camera to his satisfaction, Marvin Frost, raphy as a hobby. Here, in the Cactus Forest, he discovered about his monument and its great forest of giant cacti. So when Sr., paused to look out over the wide expanse of the Santa Cruz such a wealth of scenes and settings as he had never dreamed Pop hunted him up at the headquarters and started firing ques- Valley to the west. Bathed in the crisp light of early morning, existed. No orthodox forest this, but a weird growth of leafless, tions, Don was so pleased with the visitor’s interest that he laid the distant desert gleamed with the bright green of midwinter columnar giants looking down upon an unworldly, tangled aside the office work and went out with Pop into the forest. foliage. Although 15 miles away, the business district of Tuc- undergrowth of spiny, thorny, prickery vegetation. Within this First Don pointed out the skeleton of a dead saguaro, the son stood out sharply in the clear, desert air. Beyond rose the protective cover lived queer reptiles, strange mammals, and bundle of wooden poles or ribs which constitutes the frame- jagged picture-mountain peaks of the Tucson range. But Pop sweet-voiced birds. work of the plant. He explained that this served, during life, as Frost’s enjoyment of the scene was interrupted by the glint of Pop’s visit of weeks stretched into months. More and more the “plumbing” of the giant, carrying, during the rainy seasons, gold on the tip of a giant saguaro rising 30 feet above his head. of his time was spent, camera swinging from his shoulder, moisture from the shallow but wide-spreading root system to Glancing back at the hulking shoulder of the mountain tower- hiking through different portions of the forest looking for the great masses of pulpy tissue surrounding it. He explained ing behind him, Pop was warned by the blazing sky immedi- peculiarly shaped saguaro, spectacular scenes, appealing com- that this tissue could absorb enormous quantities of moisture, ately above the ridge that the sun was almost upon him, and position, delicate flowers, and reptiles that could be induced thus storing it for use by the plant during the long, hot, dry turned to his camera. to pose. On his very first visit, Pop’s interest had been aroused portion of the year. He told Pop about experiments and stud- Like a silently drawn curtain, the shadow below him had in the anatomy and physiology of the great cacti. He went to ies conducted by the Carnegie Desert Laboratories of Tucson, disappeared. Where wash, and knoll, and flat, a moment the national monument headquarters and deluged Custodian over a period of many years. These experiments indicate that before had merged in gloom, a miracle had come to pass. Now Don Egermayer with questions. How old were the plants? How only a very, very small percentage of the few saguaro seeds that like a sea of golden spears, file upon file, rank upon rank, wave much did they weigh? How tall did they get? Did they have find suitable conditions for germination ever reach maturity. upon wave; across knoll, and flat, and wash, and all that roll- blossoms, and at what time of year? Were they good for any- During its first years the plant grows very slowly, a three-foot ing valley floor northward to the towering Catalinas stood thing besides camera fodder? individual being about 30 years old. After that, growth is more a mighty army. Silent, motionless, serene; their gleaming arms Now Custodian Egermayer was, and is, a busy man. He is rapid, as much as three or four inches per year but when, in held high to greet the dawn, a million breathless giants seem- held responsible by the National Park Service, which adminis- later life, the plant branches, this annual extension is distrib-

28 MARCH 2017 www.arizonahighways.com 29 requests for information, and carries on such other “front yard” During this season, Pop roams the Cactus Forest, his camera duties as time from her essential housekeeping activities will loaded with color film. For a time he became devoted to desert permit. During deer and quail hunting season, Don must be reptiles, keeping on the lookout for snakes and lizards which he away patrolling the boundaries of the monument. Work in the tried to inveigle into posing. He was especially desirous of get- field even during the months of heavy tourist travel keeps him ting photos of Gila Monsters and rattlesnakes in their natural so occupied that on one occasion, when Mrs. Egermayer was environment. away for two weeks, the nickname of “The Monument with During his many hours spent in driving or hiking through Nobody Home” was applied to Saguaro. the monument, Pop frequently met groups of visitors, and, Thus it was that when Pop Frost arrived at the monument voluntarily acting as their guide, took them to some of the headquarters on that bright and hot May morning, he found most spectacular or peculiarly shaped saguaro. Visitors are Custodian Egermayer just starting off on a week’s project to always grateful for Pop’s aid, and for the information he is able pack, on horse and mule, five and one quarter tons of supplies to impart as a result of his experiences on the monument. He and tools to the top of the Rincons. So Pop drove out alone into gives them accurate information regarding the flowering plants, the Cactus Forest to test his ingenuity in devising ways and their blossoming dates, and in what part of the area they may uted among the arms. ABOVE: Rangers at Saguaro National Monument’s headquarters provide means of photographing saguaro blossoms at the tips of the be found. He has seen and tried to photograph the wary wild information to visitors. Arizona Highways Archives Only a few of these trees, LEFT: Don W. Egermayer, the monument’s custodian in the 1940s, enjoyed meeting giant spine-clad arms 30 feet above the ground. hog, or javelina. Desert mule deer, rabbits of four species, bob- none of them on the monu- visitors who shared his enthusiasm about the monument and its cactuses. Since the Cactus Forest in January and the same spectacu- cats, skunks, kangaroo rats, wood or packrats, foxes, coyotes, ment, have been recorded Arizona Highways Archives lar piece of Sonoran desert in May are two entirely different and ring-tails as well as many other less common animals are with a height over 50 feet; places in which to take pictures, Pop was soon back at monu- present in the desert portion of the monument. At the higher the majority do not exceed ment headquarters in search of a bit of shade and a cool drink elevations mountain lions, bear, the smaller white-tail deer, 35 feet. Some have few arms, During the winter, which is the principal rainy season as of water. He found Mrs. Egermayer, unofficially known as the porcupines, and other native mammals are sometimes encoun- many branch a dozen or well as the main visitor period, Egermayer is kept busy trying H.C.W.P. (Honorary Custodian Without Pay — an appella- tered. So far, however, Pop has found more than enough wild- 15 times, while more than to maintain this road in serviceable condition, and in provid- tion of lone-post custodians), was mildly perturbed. A group life in the Cactus Forest part of the monument to keep him 40 arms have been counted ing information and guide service for the many visitors. Of the of visitors had come in to request drinks of water. While she and his camera busy. Some of the most typical desert creatures on some specimens. In some approximately 2,000 people who came to the Cactus Forest had been busy telling some of them about the monument, the such as the kangaroo rat and the ring-tail are nocturnal. To of the dense groves of the during January 1941, two-thirds were from states other than driver, in flushing the car’s overheated radiator, had used more photograph them Pop has fitted his camera with a synchro- forest, plants average a stand Arizona. Custodian Egermayer makes available as much time than half the drinking water supply which Don had left her nized flash. This device proved of unexpected use to Custo- of 15,000 saguaros to the as possible, directing these visitors to the locations of various to last during his absence. Of course the visitors didn’t real- dian Egermayer in a most unusual manner. square mile. Some of the largest are estimated to weigh 10 or spectacular individual saguaros, and telling them about the ize that the monument had neither electric lights, telephone, One of the famous crested saguaro on the monument, locally 12 tons, and are capable of taking up from the wet soil 3,000 or giant cactus and the twenty-six other species of cacti to be a source of drinking water, or other modern conveniences known as the “Candelabrum,” appealed strongly to Pop’s sense 4,000 pounds of water following a single soaking rain. The first found on the monument, as well as the numerous strange and which the majority of people consider as necessities. So Pop, of the dramatic, and he photographed it at night from a num- white blossoms appear at the tips of the saguaro branches late interesting varieties of plant and animal life which occur there. after the visitors had gone, drove in to Tucson with one of the ber of different angles. His attachment for this particular tree in April, and the blossoming period continues through May In the summer, however, when the lightning-caused fire danger 10-gallon milk cans used by the Egermayers for getting and has never weakened and he has taken numerous pictures of it to be followed by the development of egg-shaped fruits which, is at its height on the pine and oak-covered highlands in the storing their drinking water supply. over a period of two years. Shortly after Pop first visited the upon maturity, split open revealing brilliant red pulp filled Rincon Range which lifts its peaks to an elevation of 8,600 feet, Pop’s photographic urges have developed a great variety of Cactus Forest, scientists of the University of Arizona noticed with tiny black seeds. Don must leave the lower part of the monument to protect his interests which have found satisfaction in the Cactus Forest. that throughout the area a number of saguaro were dying and Perhaps it was his desire to see those great fluted columns 49,000 acre “back yard” from the ravages of the fire demon. Although he has never tired of looking for spectacular “shots” literally melting away. This was reported to the proper officials. crowned with halos of white blossoms that brought Pop Frost During July 1941, sixteen lightning-caused fires broke out of the huge and stately desert pachy- back to Saguaro National Monument in May. He had returned in the heavy timber along the crest of the Rincons. Here are derms themselves, he has found an to Illinois, and was planning to spend the summer in his usual 62 miles of fire trails to be kept in condition. Don must pack unlimited number of other camera vacation land near Acadia National Park in Maine. But the in, by horse, food and other supplies and equipment to be targets, both for color and black-and- memory of those Arizona giants haunted him, and one May in readiness when the seasonal fire guards go on duty at the white pictures. Since, by National morning he surprised Custodian Egermayer by showing up at beginning of the thunder-storm season. About 34 miles of tele- Park Service policy, grazing is monument headquarters, camera over his shoulder, and a smile phone line must be kept in working order so that the phones reduced to a minimum in the desert of anticipation on his face. “I’m back,” Pop stated cheerfully. at three stations on the top of the range may be alive when portion of the monument, vegeta- “Where are the Saguaro?” (This question was Pop’s little joke. smoke is spotted, either from the lookout at Spud Rock on the tion is luxuriant. During the spring It is the common one asked by first-time visitors to the monu- monument, or from one of the cooperating Forest Service look- the slopes at the base of the Tanque ment, for the headquarters building is so located that from its out stations atop peaks in neighboring ranges. The monument Verdes become a veritable flower broad porches not a single giant cactus can be seen.) headquarters is not connected by telephone with the stations garden. Fields of blue lupines, yellow In Saguaro National Monument, there are two seasons; the in the mountainous part of the monument, but is equipped encelia, purple pentstemon, and pha­ visitor season and the fire season. There are also two main with a short-wave radio transmitter and receiver. Through this celia have not faded before the pink parts to the monument which Custodian Egermayer refers medium, contact may be made by headquarters with the Forest and magenta blossoms of the hedge- to as his “front yard” and his “back yard.” The front yard, an Service lookout on Mount Bigelow far to the north of the monu- hog cactus and the scarlet-tipped expanse of some 14,000 acres of desert at an elevation of about ment. That station is connected by telephone with the lookout ocotillos dominate the landscape. 2,800 feet, contains the cactus forest. It is made accessible by and fire guards on top of the Rincons. a loop road of 9 miles which is subject to all the ills of the aver- While Egermayer is away from headquarters, his capable Visitors to Saguaro National Monument find age ungraded desert route, crossing deep washes and climbing and charming wife takes over operation of the radio, meets a spot for a picnic lunch amid the cactuses. short but steep hills. visitors who come to the office with their questions and Arizona Highways Archives

30 MARCH 2017 www.arizonahighways.com 31 Pathologists of the University of Arizona, cooperating with on Saguaro National Monument. All diseased plants on a 320- scientists of the Bureau of Plant Industry, U.S. Department of acre test plot are being cut down and buried under aseptic Agriculture, started an intensive study. The ailment proved conditions. If successful, the treatment will be continued over to be a bacterial disease growing to epidemic proportions on a larger portion of the Cactus Forest. the monument, as well as in many other parts of the saguaro Pop’s camera was responsible for his acquiring considerable range in Arizona. Among other facts, the scientists desired to information about the birds of the monument. Birds, as every- determine how much time elapsed between the infection of one who has tried to take pictures of them is well aware, are a saguaro and its death. [See related story, page 50.] difficult to photograph in the wild state. Now Mrs. Egermayer Pop, of course, had been considerably worried about the for several years has been conducting a bird-banding station. infection that was playing havoc among his beloved sagua- Two screen traps are in place outside of the kitchen window ros. One day, in looking through some of his early pictures of and are operated by a pull-string from inside. As a coopera- the “Candelabrum,” he noticed near it another saguaro which, tive banding-station operator, Mrs. Egermayer is provided by in the light of his later knowledge, showed indications of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of the Interior, advanced stages of saguaro necrosis. Pop’s center of attention with numbered leg bands for birds of various sizes. Birds being the “Candelabrum,” he didn’t remember ever seeing the which she captures are banded, and before they are released, other plant, so began looking through his series of pictures. In the band numbers are recorded. These numbers, with data one of them, a flashlight picture he had taken soon after com- regarding the birds, are sent to Washington, D.C. Many of ing to the monument, he found the other saguaro showing no the birds return to her trap and, over a period of years, Mrs. sign of the disease. In short, through Pop’s series of photos of Egermayer has accumulated much pertinent information about the “Candelabrum” and the dates he had recorded in taking them. Among the visitors to the monument are many persons the pictures, scientists working on the saguaro disease prob- who make bird-study a hobby. Mrs. Egermayer is able to lem have obtained accurate data of considerable value. As this answer their questions and, in addition, give them much infor- article is written, an active campaign is being launched by the mation about the local birds, the common species found in the Bureau of Plant Industry in an effort to control the infection vicinity, and other facts. Motorists enjoy a view of the namesakes of Saguaro National Monument, circa 1960. Courtesy of National Park Service This bird-banding station appealed to Pop as affording an excellent opportunity to get photographs of the feathered SAGUARO NATIONAL PARK: THEN & NOW songsters as they came to food and water. He watched Mrs. Egermayer in her banding activities, became interested himself, the monument for the first time of a seasonal ranger. This is 1942 2017 and soon was an ardent bird enthusiast. He has learned to rec- Ranger Francis H. Elmore, formerly of Casa Grande National Designation National monument National park ognize all of the common species, and will often stop at head- Monument, near Coolidge. Pop Frost is enthusiastic over the quarters, after having spent an afternoon among the saguaros, improved service to the public, but he is beginning to talk Custodian/superintendent Don Egermayer Leah McGinnis (acting) to report, for the observation record files, what species he has about the “good old days” when Saguaro was a lone-post mon- seen. Linnets, thrashers, the Canyon Towhee, Gambel Quail, ument. But, after all, it doesn’t matter to him; he has his cam- Area 99 square miles 142 square miles Vultures, Red-tailed and Desert Sparrow hawks, Road-runners era, and he states emphatically that the surface has only been and many others are of common occurrence. Gila Woodpeck- scratched on the photographic possibilities of Saguaro National Annual visitors 16,000 750,000 ers and the Red-shafted Flickers excavate their nest pockets in Monument. He knows that camera fodder, unlike other kinds, the arms of the saguaro. The Gilded Flicker, often seen on the becomes more valuable with greater use. Full-time rangers 1 10 monument, is identified with the giant cactus, the range of the Perhaps you will see Pop, some evening, when you drive out bird being identical with that of the big succulent. Abandoned to the view overlook about sunset. He will be standing beside Seasonal rangers 1 4 nest pockets of woodpeckers and flickers are sometimes taken his tripod on a point of vantage overlooking that weird leafless over by the tiny Elf and Pygmy owls. Pop is very proud of sev- forest where a million arms are uplifted in silent tribute to the Saguaros per square mile Up to 15,000 28,800 (average)* eral photos he made of a Great Horned Owl. passing day. You will not be able to recognize him by Illinois The fame of the giant cactus and of the Cactus Forest which plates on his car, for he is now an enthusiastic Arizonan. But Cactuses seen from headquarters None Hundreds is the heart of Saguaro National Monument attracts thousands there is something about him that is unmistakable; that look of visitors each year. Because of his multiplicity of duties, Cus- of relaxed calm which comes to men of the desert as they gaze Miles of roads 9 29 todian Egermayer has had little opportunity to provide them out over the wide spaces while the shadows lengthen. As the with the information about the monument and its attractions thin light of the setting sun gradually pales, the sea of uplifted Miles of paved roads None 18 which he feels that they should have in order to enjoy it fully. arms seems to merge, imperceptibly with the drab grey of However, with the aid of Mrs. Egermayer and of Pop Frost, V.E. desert knoll, and wash, and flat. But still Pop lingers, waiting. Species of cactuses 27 25 (Visitor Extraordinary), the quality and scope of interpretive Dusk deepens. Listen! First a shrill yapping from yonder hill; service is on the upgrade. Don is looking forward to the time then the full throated chorus of desert music as the coyotes Cattle grazing Minimal None when the construction of an overlook containing exhibits, and greet the near approach of night. a contact station where a ranger-naturalist may be stationed to With a smile of satisfaction, Pop folds his tripod and puts his Overlooks None 10 meet and aid every visitor who enters the monument, may be camera in the car. But the smile is not only because he has come completed at a site overlooking the great Cactus Forest. to the end of another perfect day for desert photography, but *This average comes from the 1.8 million saguaros on the approximately 62.5 square miles in the park where saguaros grow. The present travel season is recording an advance in the because he realizes that as long as there is a Saguaro National Our thanks to Andy Fisher and Jeff Wallner of the National Park Service, and Jim Cook of the Western National Parks Association, for their help in researching this chart. service made available to visitors through the assignment to Monument, the voice of the desert will never be stilled.

32 MARCH 2017 www.arizonahighways.com 33 The Bones of a Saguaro AN ESSAY BY KELLY VAUGHN

The setting sun silhouettes the iconic cactuses of Saguaro National Park. Michael Jennings 34 MARCH 2017 www.arizonahighways.com 35 My favorite saguaro was there one day, gone the next. I don’t really know how I came to love it — sight fre- broad interstate curve around Tucson, then ventured past quency, maybe. She shaded a bramble of creosote and neighborhoods to find that pretty pocket of public land. cholla along a favorite trail, the one I visit to clear my head It’s funny that so few people visit the park each year — and open up and run a little. just 750,000, compared with the 6 million who stand on The saguaro was a landmark of sorts. Each time I saw the edge of the Grand Canyon — given its proximity to the it, I knew I was almost finished. That my legs and lungs second-most-populous city in Arizona. Maybe that’s why might rest. I liked it in those moments, though. Solitude in such space. More than that, though, she was a postcard cactus, one Divinity. whose beauty was in her symmetry. An arm on either This was a drive-through park, one where we pulled to side, reaching upward in graceful curves. That sweet, pale a spot and overlooked fields of the giant candles, many- green of a rain-kissed desert. armed and otherwise. You can, of course, hike a little to On the last day I saw the cactus (Carnegiea gigantea) feel yourself surrounded, but on this day, we were the whole, I had a late start. The air felt halfway. Caught type of tourists I usually disdain. It was warm, and the air between the dry husk of summer and the swell of an after- inside the car was cool, and our walk around a paved loop noon storm. was enough to make us feel connected to the land. The rain came. The lightning, too. And the next morn- A few minutes later, we climbed a grade in the road ing, my saguaro was in pieces. and parked again. The park felt wild there, and we made I wrote an elegy for it shortly after — something about a few photographs and watched desert raptors drop and how her arms must have been too heavy to make it when lift. When I turned back to the car, a cactus caught my eye. the electricity split her seams — but I can’t find the note. It was tall, with short arms all around it in a near-perfect I’ve long looked for another one like her, but I wonder if circle. This was not my cactus from the trail, but it might saguaros might be like snowflakes that way. Only familial. have known her in another life. Only familial. Never the Never the same. same. I smiled and sipped from my water and knew that Still, it made sense that Saguaro National Park would things would realign. call to me. And the Anne Lamott line — If you don’t die of thirst, there are blessings in the desert — knocked at the edges of my brain. We went on a Wednesday — my parents, my children and I. We stopped for sandwiches at my favorite lunch spot in Tucson, everyone on edge because of the A few weeks later, the roadside memorial to the men thing that happened two days before. who abandoned Earth in my front yard had grown, so It was this: At 4 a.m., two cars crashed outside my I took to the mountain to try to avoid it all. The candles. house. One hit a tree and burst into flame. I heard it all The burned-up tree. The ghosts and debris. and ran outside. There was death there — something so The air carried the chill of early autumn — no sign of violent and graceless, it’s hard to find words for it. rain — and I could feel the edge toward winter in my Still, my head isn’t right. lungs. Hitting the top, I looked left toward the bones of my I think we were all trying to escape what I’d seen in saguaro. Phoenix. None of us wanted to talk about it, anyway. Beneath her, the grass was green. The chain fruit cholla So when it came to choosing Saguaro National Park West bore fruit. Two birds plucked things I couldn’t see from or East, I chose East, the farther outpost. We drove the her hollows. Her heavy arms life to other living things.

Its roots exposed, a fallen saguaro at Saguaro National Park receives a dousing of rain. Laurence Parent

36 MARCH 2017 www.arizonahighways.com 37 With A 10-Foot Pole For centuries, the Tohono O’odham people have been harvesting saguaro fruit in what is now Saguaro National Park. Although it’s not as common as it used to be, Stella Tucker and her daughter Tanisha are carrying on the tradition with age-old techniques and picking poles (10 feet or so) made of saguaro ribs. BY KATHY MONTGOMERY PHOTOGRAPHS BY BILL HATCHER

T 6 P.M. on a late-June evening, it’s 102 degrees at Stella Tucker’s camp- site at Saguaro National Park. A graniteware pot bubbles over a fire, A the fragrance of burning mesquite mingling with the sweet smell of saguaro-fruit juice cooking down into syrup. Tanisha Tucker uses Tucker’s round, caramel-colored face shines with perspiration, strands of a picking pole, made steel-gray hair stuck to her forehead under a wide-brimmed straw hat. She of saguaro ribs and a wears jeans, Crocs and a turtle necklace representing the daughter she lost to crosspiece of greasewood, kidney disease. to harvest saguaro fruit “We used to call her ‘Turtle,’ because she was never in a hurry to do any- at Saguaro National Park. thing,” Tucker explains with a chuckle. Tucker’s family is one of the few Tohono O’odham June is the hottest month in the Sonoran Desert, with Tucson temperatures families keeping the soaring as high as 115. It’s also the month the saguaro fruit begins to ripen. So tradition alive. every year, as the mercury rises, Tucker comes to this campsite at the foot of

38 MARCH 2017 www.arizonahighways.com 39 the Tucson Mountains to harvest saguaro fruit, as Tohono O’odham women have done for millennia. Called Papagos by the Spanish, the Tohono O’odhams have made the Sonoran Desert their home for centuries, sustaining themselves largely on wild foods and flood-based farming. Historically, they relied on the saguaro harvest and wine feast to usher in the mon- soon storms that made both possible; the ceremonies are so central to the tribe’s culture that they mark the Tohono O’odham new year. With few tribe members still involved in traditional food practices, Tucker’s harvest at Saguaro National Park has become an increas- ingly important resource for Native and non-Native people alike. “There used to be a lot of families here,” Tucker says, pointing to various spots around the campsite. “There was a family there, two families camped out over there, a third one on that side and then a family right there.” The elders died off, she says. And the children never took over. Traditionally, Tohono O’odham families returned to the same groves every year. Tucker’s grandmother, Juanita Ahil, harvested

Traditionally, Tohono O’odham families returned to the same groves every year. Tucker’s grandmother, Juanita Ahil, harvested this area long before the formation of Saguaro National Park.

ABOVE, LEFT: The cover of the April 1983 issue of Arizona this area long before the formation of Saguaro National Park. After Highways featured a photo of T 7 A.M. THE NEXT DAY, the sun feels oppressive as cars harvest,” she says. “The first fruit you pick, do a little bit of the park’s creation, Ahil welcomed visitors, giving demonstrations Stella Tucker’s grandmother, pull in for a workshop organized through a grant-funded a blessing. You can do a little heart or cross, on your head and and sharing her knowledge. Now, Tucker and her daughter Tanisha Juanita Ahil, harvesting A project called Standing with Saguaros. The 15 available your heart.” have picked up the mantle. saguaro fruit. slots filled up within a few hours. With that, Tucker sends pickers into the surrounding des- And there’s a lot of interest. Non-Native students often come ABOVE: A saguaro heavy At 69, Tucker walks with a cane and is no longer up to the ert in groups of three, each with a picking pole and a 5-gallon via workshops scheduled by the national park. Native people have with fruit grows in Saguaro rigors of picking. So she sits under the shade of a ramada while bucket. come from Alaska, the Dakotas and Oklahoma. National Park’s Tucson Tanisha demonstrates. Using a picking pole, made of saguaro “They came from all over,” Tucker says. Mountain District. In this area, ribs and a crosspiece of greasewood, Tanisha pushes and pulls N HER BOOK Papago Woman, anthropologist Ruth Underhill Tonight, ethnobotanist Carrie Cannon will camp overnight, the fruit typically ripens in the fruit to the ground. Then she demonstrates how to use documented Tohono O’odham rain ceremonies as they were hoping Tucker’s process can inform her work with Northwestern late June and early July. the hard, sharp base of the spent blossom to cut through the Ipracticed in the 1930s. She accompanied a family to its tradi- Arizona’s Hualapai Tribe, whose southernmost band once harvested fruit’s thick skin before scooping out the seedy red pulp with tional campground, where the women harvested saguaro fruit saguaro fruit near Wikieup. her thumb. She tells participants to leave the pods face up on until “the little rains” came, then carried the boiled juice back Tucker admits the workshops can be exhausting. “But I do enjoy the ground next to the saguaro. to their villages. them,” she says. “It’s just to say thank you, and also to bring rain for the next At a gathering at the council house of a central village, the

40 MARCH 2017 www.arizonahighways.com 41 syrup was mixed with water and left for four days to ferment. “For the last two nights,” Underhill wrote, “the whole village would dance, ‘singing down the rain.’ ” At dawn on the third day, the medicine man told the people to go home and prepare a feast, “for in four days the rain will come.” “I asked later … whether [the prophecy] was always ful- filled,” Underhill wrote. “ ‘Oh yes, yes,’ was the usual answer. … Maybe the rain come soon and he says, ‘Yes, but I counted from when the wagons arrived,’ or it come late and then, ‘I meant four days after the wine had fermented.’ ” At the wine feast, a Tohono O’odham woman told Underhill, the people must make themselves “beautifully drunk, for that is how our words have it. People must all make themselves drunk like plants in the rain and they must sing for happiness.” The wine feast involved an elaborate ceremony, with the important men of neighboring villages kneeling behind their leaders, and young men with horses in the final row. “The Smokekeeper of each town came ready with his accep- tance speech,” Underhill wrote. “This … had been carried in memory through generations. They must be recited word for word or the rain would not come.”

LTHOUGH IT’S BELIEVED the Tohono O’odhams have harvested the cactus fruit in the park’s Tucson Mountain A District for as long as they’ve lived in the Sonoran Desert, the 1961 presidential proclamation adding the district to what then was Saguaro National Monument didn’t include a provi- sion for traditional harvesting. So park officials were surprised when more than 200 Native people, many of them children, showed up to pick. In response to letters alerting him to the oversight, Interior Secretary Stewart Udall successfully pressed to amend regula- ABOVE, LEFT: A picker displays the inside of a saguaro fruit. The tions and allow the Tohono O’odhams to continue to harvest fruit is used to make the wine used in Tohono O’odham wine feasts. there. It took years to iron out the issues, with myriad mis- takes and misunderstandings contributing to the confusion, ABOVE: Stella Tucker and her daughter, Tanisha, pour syrup from saguaro fruit into jars at their Saguaro National Park campsite. The but now the National Park Service grants special use permits Tuckers visit the same area every year for the harvest. for the campground Tucker returns to each year. Tucker attended her first saguaro harvest with her great- grandparents, when she was too young to pick. “We had our own camp in Topawa,” a small village south of says, though she sometimes donates syrup to other villages. Otherwise, the snakes come around, Tucker says. Today, the Tohono O’odham Nation’s rate of adult-onset dia- Sells on the Tohono O’odham Nation, she says. “We’d load up It’s estimated that only two or three still hold wine feasts, Anthropologists have recorded several variations. In one, betes is among the highest in the world. and go by wagon.” which are generally closed to those outside the tribe. But a baby neglected by his mother sinks into the ground, coming The cooking fruit foams, carrying any bits of grass and dirt Eventually, she moved to Tucson, got a job and got mar- Tohono O’odham Community College and Tohono O’odham up on a mountain slope as a giant cactus. A crow finds him, to the top to get skimmed off. Tucker supervises as partici- ried. By then, Ahil was camping near the road not far from Community Action keep the harvest tradition alive. but the boy refuses to go home. Instead, he slowly turns him- pants strain the juice twice — first through a screen, then the current campsite in the national park. When the campsite self into a saguaro, teaching the people rain songs and how to through cheesecloth, leaving a bright red liquid the color of was designated, Ahil built a ramada there and returned every S WORKSHOP PARTICIPANTS straggle back to camp make wine. pomegranate juice. Over the next few hours, it will darken as it year for the harvest. As Ahil got older, Tucker came out to help, with stained fingers, lugging buckets of fruit, they pep- With the fruit on the fire, Tucker opens a Mason jar filled cooks, Tucker explains, until it looks more like molasses. eventually taking over Ahil’s campsite after Ahil couldn’t con- A per Tucker with questions. Her face lights up as she with syrup, offering a taste of the sweet, smoky liquid with The workshop organizer thanks Tucker and her daughter. tinue. Tucker and Tanisha are the only tribal members who responds in between instructions to add water and break up crackers. She enjoys the syrup on bread or as a treat on vanilla On the count of three, Tucker leads participants in a single clap continue to camp there year after year. the fruit with their hands. ice cream. of gratitude, releasing it to the sky for the good of the saguaro, A rain singer used to come to camp to sing at the end of the Because it’s summer, she doesn’t share Tohono O’odham “We don’t have to add sugar to this,” she tells them. “It’s all the harvest and the coming rain. harvest. Since he died, there has been no one to sing the songs. stories about the saguaro, the harvest and the wine feast. The natural. Our family grew up around the desert. We ate a lot of “Maybe I’ll see you guys again next year,” she says, smiling. Likewise, there are no more wine feasts in Topawa, Tucker stories are told only in winter, when snakes are hibernating. stuff that grows in the desert, and people didn’t have diabetes.” “I’ll be here.”

42 MARCH 2017 www.arizonahighways.com 43 BORN SURVIVOR For any species, survival is a carnival of calculated gambles, treachery, unintended consequences and circumstances beyond control. Perhaps no plant in the Sonoran Desert illustrates that notion better than the

giant saguaro. AN ESSAY BY LAWRENCE W. CHEEK

A flash of lightning silhouettes a saguaro at Saguaro National Park. As the Sonoran Desert’s tallest living structures, saguaros often become lightning rods. Michael Jennings

44 MARCH 2017 RANSCENDENCE, SOLACE, serenity, inner mild temperatures and several more decently rainy seasons — peace ... your first encounter with a saguaro for- until, in the relatively wet Tucson region, they might reach the est, a fantasy landscape that seems as improb- towering height of 2.5 inches by the time they’re 10 years old. able as a lake on the moon, fills you with none It first occurs to a saguaro to pop out an arm or two at of these sensations. Instead, it is disquieting, about the age that a human signs up for Medicare. The number Tdisorienting, its overpowering strangeness a signal that some- and reach of arms appears to correlate with rainfall and soil thing here is not quite right — and that something might be that’s conducive to retaining water. But a prolific saguaro is your presence. Everything here has a defensive posture; every- playing the odds, dangerously. The more limbs it extends, the thing feels quietly armed for a ferocious battle for survival. more reproductive success it may have, because blossoms and How can such a place feel welcoming? fruits mostly appear at the stem and arm tips. Promiscuity is I lived in the Sonoran Desert for a quarter-century, and this a risky strategy, as it is for certain other species, because the sensation never quite left me. But the strangeness itself became heavy arms make it more vulnerable to a blow-down in high irresistible, and I returned to the desert forest countless times winds. As an adaptive strategy to the skinflint rainfall, the for hiking and contemplation. The saguaro became a central saguaro root system is extremely shallow — a taproot 2 or character in my understanding of how nature works, what 3 feet deep, and then a system of feeding roots that radiate ecology actually is. For any species, ours included, survival is about as far out as the plant is tall, but only some 4 inches deep. a carnival of calculated gambles, treachery, unintended con- It’s a delicate foundation for a mature plant that can weigh as sequences and circumstances beyond control. Of everything much as 6 tons. Description: Saguaro National Park Arizona. that exists in this desert, Carnegiea gigantea, a candelabrum of A further unhappy irony: The more successful a saguaro Photo by: Michael Jennings. improbabilities, best illustrates the web of relationships and becomes, the more likely it is to literally become a lightning D_031747A.tif. environment among living things in the desert. The life cycle of the species begins with an appropriately implausible event: A white flower pops out of an adult saguaro during the driest, bleakest slice of the year, mid-May to mid- June. To produce fruit, the next step in reproduction, the flow- ers have to be pollinated, and this job falls to a visiting medley of bats, birds and bees. The red fruits appear in June, when they’re practically the only moist plant food available in the region — and with this, the saguaros’ strategy becomes clear. LEFT: A Gila woodpecker perches on a cluster of ert in the 19th century illustrates the global interconnections saguaro blossoms. The flowers typically open from Birds such as white-winged doves and Gila woodpeckers eat mid-May to mid-June. Bruce D. Taubert of life and environment, and how a catastrophe for one species them, and rodents such as woodrats race for fallen leftovers. ABOVE: A dusting of snow covers saguaros and other may raise the fortunes of another. Each fruit contains as many as 2,000 seeds, which all of these vegetation on a hillside at the park. Abnormally On August 27, 1883, the Indonesian volcano Krakatoa animals will helpfully spread through their feces. cold freezes in the 1930s killed many of the exploded, triggering tsunamis an estimated 130 feet high and park’s saguaros. Michael Jennings In the summer heat, these birds and rodents are duck- heaving unimaginable amounts of dust and sulfur dioxide into ing for cover in the filigreed shade of desert trees such as the atmosphere, and, in the neighboring islands, killing more paloverde and mesquite. This appears to be an essential link than 36,000 people. The dust veil cooled the entire world’s cli- in the saguaro survival strategy, because seedlings can only rod. It’s the tallest living structure in the desert, and at the mate by as much as 2 degrees for several years, and on the thrive in the shelter of these “nurse plants” — the sun will peak of the summer monsoon, it’s likely to be more than other side of the world, the North American deserts enjoyed quickly scorch any with the bad luck to germinate in the 90 percent water — an ideal conductor to ground. The mon- two or three years of extravagant rainfall. In 2016, a Canadian open. But these plants are not symbiotic best buds. A saguaro soon is the prime lightning season. biogeographer published a study showing that an unusually that survives long enough will eventually reward its nurse Everything that lives in a desert devises a strategy for large cohort of saguaros sprouted in Arizona in those years. by killing it, radiating shallow roots that intercept the sparse capturing and conserving water, and the saguaro is no excep- Many are still living, enhancing the lives of the 21st century moisture available to the deeper tree roots. Nature, as Emerson tion. Drought isn’t among a mature saguaro’s worries. The people who see them and the woodpeckers and owls that observed, is no saint. skin’s pleats are designed to expand to accommodate water depend on them. In the meta scheme of nature, how do we Despite the astronomical abundance of saguaro seeds, the storage during rainy seasons and then fold in as the storage know which bears higher value? We are not objective observ- odds of one sprouting and surviving to maturity are absurdly is used up. The plant is naturally thrifty. Arizona naturalist ers; we’d best recuse ourselves. low. University of Arizona ecologist Charles Lowe estimated Gary Paul Nabhan estimated that a 75-year-old saguaro uses Bad events also befall the saguaro, and some have seemed that a healthy saguaro produces some 40 million seeds in its about 250 gallons of water per year. This averages to a little less serious enough to trigger widespread worries about the century of fertility. But insects devour the seeds, assorted than 3 quarts per day. The average Tucson human, taking into demise of the entire species. animals attack the seedlings in the first few weeks before they account all of the city’s golf courses and other necessities of As early as the 1930s, observers were beginning to notice sprout their protective spines, and drought and freezing are civilization, requires 360 quarts per day. that large numbers of saguaros within Saguaro National eternal hazards. One estimate is that a single seed enjoys less Just as a long spell of dry weather can discourage a whole Monument were dying of a blackening necrosis that gradually than a one-in-1,000 chance of germinating. And then the seed- generation of seedlings from surviving, an unusual wet spell became fatal rot. [See related story, page 50.] Theories floated — lings demand a summer of at least average rain, a winter of can do the opposite. An event far away from the Sonoran Des- airborne bacteria, air pollution, increasing ultraviolet radiation

46 MARCH 2017 www.arizonahighways.com 47 A saguaro born in 1900 might have been only 12 feet tall by 1960. But here’s what was happening: Late in the 19th century, Southeastern Arizona was a quilt of ranchlands. The high- desert grasslands south and southeast of Tucson provided fruitful grazing for cattle, and the federal government routinely leased grazing rights to its land — including what became Saguaro National Monument. A large frac- tion of monument land continued to be legally grazed until 1978. The cattle, it turned out, were the culprits: They had erased a lot of the natural grasses that helped shelter saguaro seedlings, and probably had crushed countless other seedlings as they tried to shade themselves under mesquite or paloverde trees. The mesquite bosques were also decimated by early settlers needing to heat their homes; the dense and heavy wood yields excellent heat. And now, in this century, yet another hazard is confronting the saguaro. While a warming climate may reduce the frequency of freeze, a threat has emerged in the form of fire. As improbable as it sounds, desert wildfires are becoming increasingly common, thanks in large part to the prolific spread of invasive African buffelgrass. A study of one LEFT: A saguaro skeleton stands along one of high-desert burn area northeast of Phoenix found 19 percent several hiking trails in the park’s RIncon Mountain of its saguaros dead, compared with 2 percent in an adjacent District. Randy Prentice ABOVE: Young saguaros grow beneath a paloverde unburned area. Again, we can blame cows — or, more accu- serving as a “nurse plant.” As the saguaros mature, rately, their human managers. Buffelgrass was first introduced they may eventually kill the paloverde by depriving to Arizona in 1938 as livestock forage. it of moisture. Randy Prentice The saguaro cactus is the Sonoran Desert’s singular icon, the largest native living thing that exists here, and it appears to be — until eventually, decades later, scientists figured out the real a stunningly robust presence in a harsh land. A 40-foot saguaro cause. And it was not unnatural. strikes an invincible pose: bristling with defenses, assertively Every decade or two, a fierce winter storm will heave a vast towering over every other living thing in the landscape, seem- mass of frigid arctic air into the Sonoran Desert, and if it per- ingly confident in its life span of 200 years or longer. A forest of sists long enough, the cold will overwhelm the heat-retaining saguaros seems as formidable as a battalion of NFL linebackers thermal mass of even a large saguaro and kill some of its tissue. massed on a hillside, and far stranger. But the tough stance is One of the worst freezes in Tucson’s recorded history struck misleading. The saguaro is always in danger. in January 1937, when the temperature plunged to 15 degrees Biologists tell us that in a harsh, marginal environment, and lingered below freezing for 19 hours. (The average January a species’ survival is dependent as much on its relationships low is 42 degrees.) Deep freezing can kill even healthy, mature with neighbors as it is on the vagaries of climate and accident. saguaros. They have relatively little green skin area to devote And here’s the encouraging thing: The most imaginatively to photosynthesis — in contrast with the lavish leaves of threatening of the saguaros’ neighbor species — we Homo sapi- a maple tree — and when frost damages a significant fraction ens — has spent the last 80-some years studying the saguaro of this tissue, the plant will slowly starve, though it may take and its ecology, creating sanctuaries for it, passing legislation a decade or more to die. What the alarmed observers were see- to protect it and understanding our potential impacts on it. ing was the periodically normal result of an attack of abnormal Belatedly, we seem to be doing our best. And anyway, in the weather. long run, the saguaro is better adapted to the desert than we Later in the 20th century, the saguaro population still are and will outlast our tenure here. I believe the long run in appeared to be inexplicably declining. Photos taken at the nature is all that really matters, and in this, finally, is transcen- monument in 1935 and 1965 showed that the cactus forest dence and inner peace. had thinned to something like half of its earlier abundance. As some saguaros completed their natural life cycles, there For more information on saguaros, pick up a copy of our book All About Saguaros. weren’t enough maturing adults coming along to replace them. To order online, visit www.shoparizonahighways.com/books.

48 MARCH 2017 www.arizonahighways.com 49 Some of the afflicted saguaros were oozing a black fluid, and researchers eventually theorized that a bacterial infection was killing the plants. And they worried the disease could be con- tagious. To test their theory, scientists orga- nized a study in a 640-acre section of the monument. In the northern half of the study area, the cactuses were left alone, but in the southern half, saguaros that appeared to be suffering from the “infection” were cut down, chopped up, doused with kerosene and pesticide, and buried in pits (see photograph). GRAVE The idea was to see whether removing dying cactuses improved survival rates for other saguaros. It turned out that the saguaros in the northern section did just as well as those left in the southern half, and by SITUATION 1950, researchers had concluded that whatever had afflicted the cactuses was not contagious. In fact, most scien- With hindsight, the decision to cut tists now believe two “extreme freeze down, chop up and bury thousands of events,” in 1937 and 1939, caused the saguaros seems like an overreaction, saguaro die-off. but in 1941, it was considered the And while the die-off sparked con- best way to protect the species from cerns about the survival of the species, the study area seems to have bounced a “bacterial infection.” back nicely. In 2011, the park resurveyed the study area in the Rincon foothills By Noah Austin and found it dominated by saguaros under 12 feet tall — confirming that a surge of new saguaros, from the 1960s to the early 1990s, filled the void cre- ated by the freezes of the 1930s. Saguaro growth has slowed since hen what’s now Saguaro Nat­ then due to the Southwest’s ongoing ­ ional Park was established as drought, so protecting existing sagua- Saguaro National Monument in ros is more important than ever. Remov- the 1930s, scientists didn’t yet ing a saguaro (or any other native plant) have a full understanding of the from Saguaro National Park is illegal; monument’s namesake cactuses. elsewhere in Arizona, removing a sag­ W So, in 1941, they didn’t know uaro from any land, whether public or why a large number of saguaros were private, requires the land­owner’s per- dying in a section of the monument in mission and a permit from the Arizona the foothills of the Rincon Mountains. Department of Agriculture.

In the 1940s, workers bury a pit of chopped-up saguaro cactuses that were afflicted with a then-mysterious ailment. Courtesy of Saguaro National Park

50 MARCH 2017 www.arizonahighways.com 51 scenic DRIVE

PRONGHORN DRIVE Although you might not see any pronghorns on this 10-mile loop in Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge, you will see a gorgeous grassland that’s a haven for hundreds of animal species.

BY NOAH AUSTIN / PHOTOGRAPHS BY JACK DYKINGA

able mountain has its own wilderness throated sparrow, a northern cardinal visitors center to pick up a map or find area (the smallest one in Arizona) and or a Chihuahuan raven, just for starters. a hiking trail. If you packed a lunch, you is the most sacred site for the Tohono And in spring, the area comes alive with can enjoy it at one of the picnic tables O’odham people, whose tribal land lies wildflowers. overlooking the valley. Maybe a prong- just to the west. To the northeast are the Eventually, the loop curves to the horn will stop by to say hello. Las Guijas Mountains, which form part northwest and heads back toward where of the refuge’s eastern border. you started. This stretch offers good SCENIC If you haven’t spotted a pronghorn yet, views of the Altar Valley, into which DRIVES of Arizona’s Best Back there’s plenty more to see as you roll over you’re descending. Keep an eye out for 40 Roads ADDITIONAL READING: For more adventure, pick up the low hills. Mule deer are plentiful in wildlife, or just enjoy the tall grasses, a copy of our book Scenic the refuge, and more than 330 bird spe- which undulate hypnotically in a good Drives, which features 40 of the state’s most beautiful back cies have been documented there. Among breeze. When you finish the drive, if roads. To order, visit www.shop Edited by Robert Stieve the high grasses, you might spot a black- you’re so inclined, you can stop by the and Kelly Vaughn Kramer arizonahighways.com/books.

To Phoenix TOUR GUIDE start here Note: Mileages are approximate. TOHONO O’ODHAM Tucson LENGTH: 10-mile loop (from refuge entrance road) NATION 86 DIRECTIONS: From the intersection of State Route 86 (Ajo Ajo Way Way) and Interstate 19 in Tucson, go west on SR 86 for 10 21 miles to State Route 286. Turn left onto SR 286 and

continue 38 miles to the Buenos Aires National Wildlife

Robles Junction r e

v Refuge entrance road. Turn left onto the entrance road i

86 R

ome of Arizona’s roads are decep- tances, they can hit 55 mph. You’ll be meticulously restored to its original state 19 and continue 2.1 miles to Pronghorn Drive. Turn right onto

z

u Pronghorn Drive and continue 0.1 miles to a “Y” intersec-

tively named. Take Rural Road in going considerably slower than that, both as a semi-desert grassland and a haven r

C

tion. Bear right to stay on Pronghorn Drive, then continue

Kitt Peak

the Phoenix area, for example. If to avoid startling the herds and because for hundreds of animal species. They National Observatory a t 9.9 miles around the loop and back to the entrance road.

S n Y 286 you’ve driven it in the past half-century Pronghorn Drive is a little rough in parts. include the endangered masked bob- a . E VEHICLE REQUIREMENTS: A high-clearance vehicle is rec- S S L L ommended, but the loop is passable in a standard sedan. or so, you know there’s no longer any- In good weather, though, you can do this white, a quail species so rare that if you T A M V SPECIAL CONSIDERATION: The refuge’s visitors center is thing rural about it. But Pronghorn Drive drive in a Prius. Just tread lightly. see one, you should report it to the ref-

open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays Baboquivari Peak I isn’t one of those roads. It’s a scenic From the refuge’s entrance road off uge’s visitors center. R BUENOS AIRES from November through April, but call ahead, as the hours

A 10-mile loop at Buenos Aires National State Route 286, follow the signs to A mile and a half into the drive, the NATIONAL WILDLIFE sometimes change. There is no fee to visit the refuge. V I R REFUGE WARNING: Back-road travel can be hazardous, so be Wildlife Refuge in Southern Arizona, Pronghorn Drive. You’ll then come to road curves to the left, offering a good U A T Q L aware of weather and road conditions. Carry plenty of and it offers a chance to see its namesake a “Y” intersection. You can drive the view of Baboquivari Peak. The unmistak- O A

B water. Don’t travel alone, and let someone know where

ungulates, plus rare birds, rolling grass- loop in either direction, but if you’re A Tubac you are going and when you plan to return. B Arivaca Road lands and an iconic peak. following along here, bear right to go ABOVE: Arizona poppies (Kallstroemia grandiflora) INFORMATION: Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge, A R IZ O N A carpet the grassland of Buenos Aires National Arivaca 19 520-823-4251 or www.fws.gov/refuge/buenos_aires Of course, just because the pronghorns counter-clockwise. You’ll quickly see M E X IC O Wildlife Refuge beneath distant Baboquivari Peak. Travelers in Arizona can visit www.az511.gov or dial 511 are there doesn’t mean you’ll actually what makes the 117,000-acre refuge so OPPOSITE PAGE: Velvetpod mimosas (Mimosa Sasabe to get infor­ma­tion on road closures, construc­tion, delays, see them. They’re fast — over short dis- special. Formerly a cattle ranch, it’s been dysocarpa) bloom amid the refuge’s tall grasses. To Nogales weather and more.

52 MARCH 2017 www.arizonahighways.com 53 HIKE of the month

HUNTER TRAIL There are five trails at Picacho Peak State Park. None are very long, but the Hunter Trail will test your mettle with its series of vertical ascents and narrow rock ledges. BY ROBERT STIEVE

a rock scramble. It’s not extreme, but you should know it’s coming. Ten min- utes later, you’ll arrive at what looks like a trail intersection. It’s not. To the right is a short spur that leads to a nice overlook. Instead of right, you’ll go left and eventually arrive at “the great wall of Picacho” — that’s not an official name, that elevation as you continue down Zion National Park, the course of verti- but it should be. the trail. Yes, down. From the saddle, cal ascents and narrow rock ledges From there, the trail levels off a little the trail drops steeply for several hun- from this point to the top will test your and quickly arrives at the mountain’s sad- dred feet. There’s another cable to help mettle. It’s dangerous, but as long as you dle (elevation: 2,960 feet). This is where with the descent, which you’ll want to pack a thinking cap and watch your step, the Hunter Trail transitions from the do backward, in a rappelling motion. you’ll be fine. And once you’ve topped north side of the peak to the south. The Just be careful. out on the Hunter Trail, you’ll feel like south side was built first, by the Civilian About 10 minutes later, you’ll come you’ve accomplished something. Regard- Conservation Corps, to service a 40-foot to an intersection with the Sunset Trail. less of what it looks like on paper. light beacon that was installed at the top Stay left and continue uphill through of the peak for air traffic control. That another moderately technical area and was in 1932. The north side was built in some rocky switchbacks. Then, after ADDITIONAL READING: 1965, when Picacho Peak and its sur- 45 minutes of overall hiking, things get For more hikes, pick up a copy roundings became a state park. intense — think more cables and steep of Arizona Highways Hiking Guide, which features 52 of the There’s a sitting bench at the saddle, drop-offs. This is the turnaround point state’s best trails — one for each which is a good place to catch your for anyone with acrophobia. weekend of the year, sorted by seasons. To order a copy, visit breath after climbing almost 1,000 feet. Although it’s not as nerve-wracking www.shoparizonahighways. Unfortunately, you’ll lose a good chunk of as the tightrope on Angels Landing in com/books.

TOUR GUIDE Note: Mileages are approximate.

LENGTH: 4 miles round-trip DIFFICULTY: Strenuous (and technical) ELEVATION: 2,007 to 3,374 feet n paper, Picacho Peak isn’t very lupines, globemallows, desert chicory it’s OK to use an iPod on this one. TRAILHEAD GPS: N 32˚38.558', W 111˚24.150' impressive. It’s hardly the highest and brittlebush. The flowers look great Continuing on, about 10 minutes in, DIRECTIONS: From Casa Grande, go east on Interstate 10 O peak in Arizona. In fact, based on Instagram. And they also help miti- the well-groomed trail steepens and for 29 miles to Picacho Peak Road (Exit 219). Turn on a U.S. Geological Survey search, there gate the droning of the 18-wheelers in the segues into some short switchbacks. The right onto Picacho Peak Road and follow the signs for 0.4 miles to the entrance station for Picacho Peak State are at least 2,500 other summits ahead of background. track here turns to bare rock lined with Park. From there, continue 0.2 miles to the Barrett Loop, Picacho. Nevertheless, it’s a peak worth Although the park would be more cables to make the climb a little easier. turn left and continue 0.3 miles to the trailhead. bagging. If for no other reason than to parklike without the interstate traffic, There are more cables to come — cables SPECIAL CONSIDERATION: Arizona state park fees apply. conquer the most recognizable landmark Picacho Pass has been a crossroads of that make this first set look superfluous VEHICLE REQUIREMENTS: None DOGS ALLOWED: Yes between Phoenix and Tucson. sorts throughout history. The peak itself, — so you’ll want to pack a set of durable HORSES ALLOWED: The trail is unsuitable for horses. The Hunter Trail, which is one of five which is visible for many miles in every gloves. Leather work gloves work best. USGS MAP: Newman Peak in Picacho Peak State Park, is the route direction, was used as a navigational As you maneuver past the cables, the INFORMATION: Picacho Peak State Park, 520- to the top. With your first step from the landmark by early explorers such as trail becomes less of a trail and more of 466-3183 or www.azstateparks.com/parks/pipe trailhead, you’ll start a gradual climb Father Eusebio Kino and Juan Bautista de LEAVE-NO-TRACE PRINCIPLES: • Plan ahead and be out all of your trash. up a rocky slope dotted with saguaros, Anza. The old mail road passed through ABOVE: Mexican goldpoppies bloom below the prepared. • Leave what you find. creosote bushes and paloverde trees. here, as well, and so did the Butterfield iconic profile of Picacho Peak. Laurence Parent • Travel and camp on • Respect wildlife. OPPOSITE PAGE: Goldpoppies and lupines are durable surfaces. • Minimize campfire impact. This time of year, you’ll see wildflow- Overland route. So, the traffic today is among the wildflower species found at Picacho Peak • Dispose of waste • Be considerate of ers, too, including Mexican goldpoppies, just an extension of the past. That said, State Park. George Stocking properly and pack others.

54 MARCH 2017 MAP BY KEVIN KIBSEY www.arizonahighways.com 55 ,

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Reprinted from the July 1946 issue of Arizona Highways. © 1946Arizona Highways

©2015 Arizona Highways Arizona Highways’ first full-color cover, a Hernando G. Villa painting courtesy of the Santa Fe Railway Co.

Reprinted from the July 1946 issue of Arizona Highways. © 1946Arizona Highways January 2017 GEORGE AVEY 1946 NATIONAL PARKS MAP 1937 ARIZONA HIGHWAYS COVER ©2015 Arizona Highways Arizona Highways’ first full-color cover, a Hernando G. Villa painting courtesy of the Santa Fe Railway Co. Answer & Winner Win a collection of our can also be sent to 2039 W. fied entries. Entries must 18 x 24 inches #ANPS6 Was $19.99 Now $12.99* 18 x 24 inches #ACVP5 Was $19.99 Now $12.99* most popular books! Lewis Avenue, Phoenix, AZ be postmarked by March South Rim, Grand To enter, correctly identify 85009 (write “Where Is 15, 2017. Only the winner GEORGE AVEY 1946 NATIONAL PARKS MAP 1937 ARIZONA HIGHWAYS COVER Canyon National the location pictured above This?” on the envelope). will be notified. The correct 18 x 24 inches #ANPS6 Was $19.99 Now $12.99* 18 x 24 inches #ACVP5 Was $19.99 Now $12.99* Park. Congratula- and email your answer to Please include your name, answer will be posted in To order, visit www.shoparizonahighways.com or call 800-543-5432. tions to our winner, editor@arizonahighways address and phone number. our May issue and online at Dave Wilhelm of .com — type “Where Is This?” One winner will be chosen in www.­ arizonahighways.com­ Use code P7C5PS when ordering to take advantage of this special offer. Offer expires 3/31/17. Redington, Arizona. in the subject line. Entries a random drawing of quali- beginning April 15. To order, visit www.shoparizonahighways.com*Pricing does not include shipping and handling charges.or call 800-543-5432. Use code P7C5PS when ordering to take advantage of this special offer. Offer expires 3/31/17. MARCH 2017 PHOTOGRAPHS: TOP MIKE SMITH ABOVE, LEFT DEREK VON BRIESEN 56 *Pricing does not include shipping and handling charges.