Transitioning from Death Valley to Granite Mountains felt like entering a new world. Not only from the flora we began to see but from the way the dynamics of our group changed. We went from seeing the same two plants in Death Valley to seeing several cacti, our first mammal, lichen and ferns and even snow. Our group went from 13 people in a class together to 13 people bonding over their love for the natural world and new experiences. Our first day exploring the granite mountains ended with us all at the dinner table sharing our finds from the hike. We got to see the oil glands of the Thamnosma montana (turpentine broom) under Annikas tiny but mighty microscope. We sifted through our field guides and helped one another figure out the plants we had seen. We determined if Pedro found an actual meteorite or not. I truly felt inspired and uplifted by the people around me and the nature we got to experience and share with one another. What better way to learn about the world around you than from people you admire.
Transitioning from Death Valley to Granite Mountains felt like entering a new world. Not only from the flora we began to see but from the way the dynamics of our group changed. We went from seeing the same two plants in Death Valley to seeing several cacti, our first mammal, lichen and ferns and even snow. Our group went from 13 people in a class together to 13 people bonding over their love for the natural world and new experiences. Our first day exploring the granite mountains ended with us all at the dinner table sharing our finds from the hike. We got to see the oil glands of the Thamnosma montana (turpentine broom) under Annikas tiny but mighty microscope. We sifted through our field guides and helped one another figure out the plants we had seen. We determined if Pedro found an actual meteorite or not. I truly felt inspired and uplifted by the people around me and the nature we got to experience and share with one another. What better way to learn about the world around you than from people you admire.
While in Joshua Tree we stopped abruptly in the middle of the road and pulled the Lata Gris into the gravel and La Cucaracha Blanca followed. We stopped for this dark green blob that laid halfway in the dirt and on the pavement road. It was Datura wrightii (Sacred Datura) growing recklessly on the side of the road. It was an impromptu stop that lead to us seeing some of my favorite things of our trip. I was amazed by the presence of the Datura since it was on my list of plants to find. It contains poisonous alkaloids yet its use has been documented in sacred rituals of indigenous cultures. I thought it was bizarre to see something so special to a culture growing so close to the road that ran through the natural landscape. Our finds didn't stop at the Datura, we went on to see Sarcostemma hirtellum (hairy milkweed) with soft pastel flowers. Seeing flowers at all was always a treat but being able to see something so intricate in the middle of the desert was extremely rewarding.
I knew we would see cacti in our two weeks spent in the dessert. I did not know, prior to this class, that Saguaro cacti reach heights of 40 feet (the tallest ever was over 70 feet!!!). I thought to myself that yes they reach that height but would we see any nearly as tall?! We did see just that. That day our hiking group consisted of Sabrina, Cory, Tayler, Hannah and Pedro and we were on a special mission to find the perfect cacti for Sabrina's tattoo. We stopped every once a while and ventured off trail to observe a few tall Saguaros. We measured them based off of how many Hannahs tall they were. Some were 7 Hannahs tall but not of them fit the aesthetic appeal for a tattoo. We wanted to find one with a minimum of three alternating arms. Meaning we were looking for an almost ancient Saguaro cactus as they don't begin to grow arms until they're about 50 years old!! When we finally found the perfect one on our drive out of the park, we took our time to marvel at the size of our chosen cactus. It could have been 10 Hannahs tall, maybe even taller. It was a special ending to our time in Organ Pipe.
