This is my third time staying along Vekol Valley Road in the Sonoran Desert National Monument. Each of the times I’ve stayed here. I’ve happily wandered out into the desert for about an hour or two each day, just walking and enjoying myself.
I knew that today’s walk was going to be a good one when I saw a bird of prey perched at the top of the saguaro cactus.
iPhones aren’t the world’s greatest wildlife photography tools, but I got close enough to snap a picture of this beautiful bird perched and seeking prey.
However, I took a few more steps closer, and this majestic hunter took to the skies.
As I was happily trumping along, enjoying the sunshine, warmth and beauty of the desert, I realized I had never walked over to the hills that are near the area where I camped to go up and see what I could see so I headed in that direction.
The view from up there was outstanding, but the higher perspective makes this area look much more desolate than it feels like when you’re walking through it.
As is always the case, as I get close to a summit or high vantage point where I’ll see further than I can currently see, I get curious about what’s over in that direction.
Unsurprisingly, the answer on this hill was more desert, cactuses, and mountains.
One of the interesting things about the top of the hill was that much of the exposed rock, which is probably shale or schist, contains veins of quartz. It’s fascinating looking and helps me understand why there’s so much quartz all over this area.
I also created a quick vertical video of my hike today. You can watch it here: https://sheaoliver.com/video/wandering-in-the-sonoran-desert-and-heading-up-a-hill/
