For the week for my birthday, I explored Saguaro National Park and Mt Lemmon byway before taking a 256-mile trail run from Black Canyon City to Flagstaff, AZ traversing 40,000 ft of elevation gain as part of the Cocodona 250 endurance race. I encountered a myriad of ecosystems, flora and fauna along the way.
In Saguaro National Park, I encountered dozens of cacti species, petroglyphs and several life birds: White-winged dove, Lark sparrow, Gila woodpecker, and Curve-billed thrasher.
The next day, I made my way south to Tucson where I drove along the Mt. Lemmon byway up to Mt. Lemmon, which is one of the “islands in the sky” - a biodiversity hotspot. Up there, I came across Palmer’s oak, Silverleaf oak, Ponderosa pine, Pinyon pine, and Alligator juniper. Life birds included Olive warbler, Stellar’s jay, Yellow-eyed junco, Pygmy nuthatch, Grace’s warbler, Northern house wren, Mountain chickadee, and Broad-tailed hummingbird
For the race, I would spend the next 80-miles in the rugged Bradshaw Mountains from Black Canyon City to Prescott. I came across Gray vireo, Townsends warbler, Orange-crowned warbler, Black-throated gray warbler, Hepatic tanager, Hutton’s vireo, Plumbeous vireo, Rufous-crowned sparrow, Black chinned sparrow, Phainopepla, Scott’s oriole, Bushtit, Bridled titmous, Bewicks wren, Hammond’s flycatcher and Spotted towhee, Painted redstart.
From Prescott through Sedona, the landscape changed dramatically from cow pastures to red rocks and canyons. Along the way, I encountered Anna’s hummingbird, Black-headed grosbeak, Horned lark, Chihuahuan meadowlark, Say’s phoebe, Bullock’s oriole, Gamble’s quail, Rock wren, Canyon wren, Woodhouse’s scrub jay, Cassie’s kingbird, Ash-throated flycatcher, Virginia’s warbler, Lesser goldfinch, Violet-green swallow, White throated swift, Juniper titmouse, Green-tailed towhee.
A beautiful trip filled with exercise, new friends, natural treasures and a healthy dose of vitamin D. Arizona is a gem.
