Author and essayist, Edward Abbey, developed a love for the desert Southwest as a park ranger at Arches National Monument (now a national park) in Utah. His non-fiction work, Desert Solitaire, has been compared to Thoreau's Walden. It has also been cited as an inspiration for some radical environmental groups. While I may not agree with some of his more controversial views on the development of public lands, I do share his love of this desert environment in which I now live.
This week I went with a group of my friends on a hike through Catalina State Park, located at the base of the Santa Catalina Mountains near Tucson. The sky was a brilliant blue and the scenery was breathtaking. Because our winter was so dry there were only a few, small, purple blooms of verbena instead of the usual display of spring wildflowers, but the numerous majestic saguaros provided a splendid treat for our eyes. For those who think the desert is a barren landscape, I recommend taking a hike in this 5,500 acre park of foothills, canyons, and streams.
Here are a few photos I took on my hike. See if you don't agree with me that the desert is indeed a place of beauty.
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