75/100... kitt peak national observatory

"Space: the final frontier..." Millions of Americans in the late 1960's tuned in each week to watch the "voyages of the Starship Enterprise" as they boldly went "where no man has gone before." Nearly every television set in the world was tuned in to watch Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin (Apollo 11) land and walk on the moon on July 20, 1969. Every preschooler learns the song "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star..." Is it just human nature to be curious about the heavens and the sky?

During our trip to southern Arizona, we stopped at Kitt Peak National Observatory (#75 on my "100 Things To Do in Arizona" list) to get an in-depth peak at the night sky and the tools astronomers use to scrutinize it.

Kitt Peak National Observatory is about 56 miles southwest of Tucson on the Tohono O'odham Indian Reservation where about 200 acres in the Quinlan Mountains are leased from the Tohono O'odham under a perpetual lease agreement for as long as the facility is used for scientific endeavors. It took us about 45 minutes to get to the turn-off to ascend the mountain. As we turned off the highway, we noticed there were scattered clouds and an outside temperature of 71 degrees.

The telescopes looked tiny way off in the distance.

Astronomers recognized a need for a national observatory in the 1950's and after a three year survey of over 150 mountain ranges across the United States, Kitt Peak was finally selected. Factors such as temperature, visibility, light pollution and access to an international airport were part of the decision-making process.

We stopped at this view point about two thirds of the way up the mountain. It's easy to see why Kitt Peak was chosen!

Beautiful Arizona thistles dotted the mountainside along the road. 

Finally, we arrived at the parking lot for the Visitor's Center. The clouds were increasing and the outside temperature was 52 degrees- a drop of 19 degrees from the base of the mountain! Kitt Peak National Observatory offers tours of three of their telescopes- we decided to do all three! First up was the McNath-Pearce Solar telescope- the world's largest solar telescope.

It doesn't look like a typical telescope, does it? The slanted piece is 200 feet long and extends into the ground (at the same angle) for another 300 feet. The angle is determined by the latitude.

Our docent (a retired engineer who volunteers at Kitt Peak) explained how the telescope works and then, at last, took us inside. I thought it was the most interesting of the three telescopes we saw since it is so different.

The giant mirror, called a heliostat, tracks the sun. The light is reflected down the tunnel.

Dust particles in the air allow us to see the light beam.

Astronomers collect the data they need including recording the images. We've come a long way since Hans Lippershey's first telescope in 1608 and hand-made drawings of what he saw!

The telescopes at Kitt Peak are available for researchers and graduate students to use. They first complete a lengthy application explaining what they need, what data they hope to collect and when they need to use the telescope. A committee selects "the winners" (considerably less than half of the applicants) and assigns them a date and time. If it storms or the sky is covered with clouds on their assigned day/time and they cannot use the telescope, they must begin the process anew.

Dorm-type rooms and a cafeteria are available for the researchers/grad students to use. As most of the astronomers are working at night, "quiet hours" are generally during the day.

A basketball court was built so researchers could get some exercise- but has become overgrown with weeds since no one wants to waste their allotted time "playing"- they are either working or sleeping for a few hours!

One of the issues that the Tohono O'odham people had when they were approached with the concept of building a national observatory on Kitt Peak is that it is their second most sacred mountain. According to their story, I'itoi (the creator) sometimes leaves his home on a neighboring mountain and comes to Kitt Peak to rest and relax.

The cylindrical formation off in the distance is Baboquivari Peak where I'itoi lives. (Notice the clouds... I was getting a little concerned that we wouldn't be able to see anything once it got dark.)

One of the founders of Kitt Peak, a professor at the University of Arizona, had an idea that might persuade the Tohono O'odham people to lease the top of their second most sacred mountain. He invited the tribal elders to come to the university and showed them the heavens through his telescope. The tribal elders were amazed that they could see the stars, planets and moon (that are so much a part of their heritage) in such detail and they consented to lease the land strictly for scientific research- no military or commercial application. 

Kitt Peak was named by a Pima County surveyor, George J. Roskruge, in honor of his sister, Philippa (Roskruge) Kitt. "Kitt Peak" was officially adopted by the US Geographic Board in 1930.  The name for Kitt Peak in the O'odham language is "ioligam" which means "red stick", a reference to the many manzanita bushes.

Beautiful manzanita bushes cover Kitt Peak.

Kitt Peak is home to 24 telescopes, each a different size or type. Since telescopes are very expensive to build and maintain, several universities or entities usually go in together to build one. We toured two other telescopes during the course of the day. 

Be sure to wear comfortable walking shoes when you visit- the telescopes are spread out over the top of Kitt Peak! And notice that the clouds blew away- we had a clear sky for observing during the night!

There were several hours between the last tour and when the NOP (Nightly Observing Program) began- not enough time to leave the mountain and we forgot to bring our books to read. We napped for a bit in the car because the higher elevation (6875 feet) makes you sleepy <wink, wink> and then walked around the grounds. We watched birds and squirrels and had a snack.

This "Angry Bird" tried several times to abscond with our bag of Cayenne Pepper Pecans but the bag was too heavy for him to lift. He finally gave up trying to carry it off and began using his beak to poke a hole in the bag. We shooed him off feeling that cayenne pepper probably wasn't good for him. 

Finally it was time for the NOP to get under way. We had a delicious box supper while we listened to a presentation and then divided into groups. First we learned to read a star chart, then learned how to use binoculars to observe the night sky. Finally, we had time at one of the telescopes to gaze at the moon, stars, nebulas, or whatever we wanted. 

We watched the sun set from the top of Kitt Peak- what a gorgeous view!!

After sunset, at twilight, we watched stars begin popping out into the night sky... first just a couple, then a few more. And, of course, the moon was visible. We used our binoculars to get a closer look!

Finally it was time to use the telescopes; ours was a 16-inch reflecting telescope. Some telescopes are housed in domes but ours was in a flat-roofed building and the roof rolled to the side so we had a 360 degree view of the sky. It was incredibly dark with zillions of stars overhead.  Our star guide, a paid employee, pointed out stars, constellations, satellites, and planets before we used the telescope to find Omega Centauri (one of the biggest and closest star clusters), M81 (a small spiral galaxy), Venus, Mars, Saturn's rings, and a host of other things. 

As I listened to our docent explain that the Big Bang created the heavens and the earth, I felt sad. How could someone look up at the magnificent universe and not see the hand of God? 

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. ... God made two great lights- the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars."

Genesis 1:1,16

All too soon (about 10:30) it was time to put the telescope away and head back down the mountain. There is a strict NO LIGHTS rule on the mountain after dark since it interferes with researchers observing and collecting data. In fact, they gave us red flashlights to use when we walked around. And of course, NO flash photography. And NO HEADLIGHTS!! They gave instructions for turning off all headlights and fog lights. If your car had lights that could not be turned off, they taped manilla folders over them. So... we were going down a steep mountain road with lots of curves and few guard rails... in the dark... WITH NO LIGHTS! They did have us caravan down behind one of their vans since they know the road well. As long as you stayed close behind the car in front of you, you would be fine. A few miles down from the peak, we all pulled over and were allowed to remove the folders from our headlights and turn them on. Yep- it was definitely an E-ticket ride!!

Thumb Up or Down: UP!

Miles Round Trip: 672.2 miles

Miles To Date: 5940.4 miles 

Percent of List Completed: 58%

Date of This Trip: May 25-27, 2012

33/100... organ pipe cactus national monument

Perhaps the most notorious thing Arizona is known for is wanting to protect its border with Mexico. SB 1070 garnered national and even international attention before making its way to the US Supreme Court. There are many reasons that proponents of SB 1070 feel so strongly about protecting our border- one is to stop or at least slow the flow of illegal drugs into our country. Many Arizona border towns have become unsafe due to the Mexican drug cartels.

Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument (#33 on my "100 Things to See in Arizona" list) is situated right on the border with Mexico in the west-central part of the state and has seen its share of violence in recent months. Parts of the park have been closed to visitors due to fighting among the drug cartels inside the park. Park rangers now wear flak vests and travel in pairs outside the Visitor Center.

Ten years ago, Park Ranger Kris Eggle was shot and killed in the line of duty while pursuing members of a Mexican drug cartel hit squad who fled across the border into the park after committing a string of murders in Mexico. There is a memorial in his honor at the Visitor Center, which, incidentally, is named after him. 

Kris Eggle

August 15, 1973 - August 9, 2002

Sixty-nine percent of the most remote regions of the park were closed to tourists after his death in 2002 as park rangers were forced to be de facto border patrol agents. A stronger border patrol presence led to portions of the closed part of the park reopening in 2009 for tours guarded by heavily armed park rangers. Then, in March of this year, more sections were reopened and the guarded tours discontinued as safety conditions improved and many more Border Patrol agents were added. 

We went through this formal Border Patrol Checkpoint just outside the park. There are several similar checkpoints between the park and Tucson as well as a bevy of Border Patrol agents patrolling in vehicles. We appreciate their efforts to keep us safe.

We arrived on a beautiful late spring day ready to see some organ pipe cactus. The extreme southern part of Arizona is the very northern part of their natural habitat. I have seen them in botanical gardens or in people's yards where they can be watered during extreme heat or protected from frost but was looking forward to seeing these unique plants in nature. 

It was about 17 miles from the park entrance to the Visitor Center... and we only saw a handful of rather smallish organ pipe cacti. This was NOT a good sign! We did, however, see more ocotillo than we've ever seen in one place and thought perhaps it should have been called "Ocotillo National Monument!" 

My first question at the Visitor Center was "What is the difference between a National Park and a National Monument?" The answer: a National Park requires a congressional designation while a National Monument requires only a presidential designation. In other words, either 435 people have to decide... or one. Both are maintained by the national parks service. After watching a short video about organ pipe cactus, we were on our way to explore the two hour loop road (rather than the 4 hour one!) on the east side of the park.

Both loop roads are graded dirt roads so the going is slow! We drove about four miles (25 minutes!) before we finally saw an organ pipe cactus. This was definitely NOT a good sign! As we were discussing just turning around and leaving, we saw another... and then another.

They really do look like organ pipes reaching upward!

While it looks like several cactus trunks clustered together, organ pipe cactus actually have several narrow (which in cactus measurement means about six inches!) stems that rise vertically from a very short trunk just above the ground. The stems generally grow to heights of about 16 feet but some reach heights of over 25 feet. Unlike saguaro cactus, organ pipe cactus stems rarely branch.

As the dirt road got closer to the mountains (the Ajo Range), the number of organ pipe cactus increased. Although it took about an hour or so of drive time before we began to see many, it was well worth the drive!

Although only about 100 miles (as the crow flies) separates them, the desert landscapes at Saguaro National Park and Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument are very different!

Several times we pulled over as far as we could on the dirt road and got out to explore the area. As far as we could tell, we were the only ones on the loop and it was eerily quiet when we first got out of the car. Then, slowly, the birds would begin to sing. 

Who would have thought we would become birders???

We watched a raven glide before perching on a saguaro (right) and a woodpecker (middle) sun himself atop a cactus!

Organ pipe cactus flower from late-April to mid-June. The funnel-shaped, white blossoms open at night and are closed by morning. After they close, they have a purple or pink tint to them. Although they were blooming, we arrived at the park too late in the morning to see the blossoms open.

The spent blossoms add color to the desert landscape as well as a lovely fragrance.

As the single lane dirt road continued around the mountains, more and more organ pipe cactus appeared. The rocky terrain was not what you normally expect in the desert!

The saguaros were still blooming- so pretty to see their white bouquets on top!

We rounded a turn and stopped to watch some birds. As we were scanning the mountainside and sky, we did a double-take when we saw a DOUBLE arch!! I think we would have missed it had we not stopped!

The big arch is 36 feet high, 90 feet wide and more than 720 feet long. Impressive, huh?

Weather is the culprit that formed these arches. The heat of the day and cold at night make the rock expand and contract causing tiny cracks to form. Water seeps in the cracks, then evaporates leaving salt crystals that grow and chip off pieces of rock piece by piece forming the arch. 

As the sun dropped lower and lower in the sky, long shadows danced across the desert. Our eyes feasted on the beauty all around us.

The Ajo Mountains turned pink as sunset approached.

We watched another beautiful Arizona sunset- simply lovely!

And then it was dark.

The two-hour loop road took us four hours- but we experienced the park with our eyes and ears and noses. We persevered through the "boring" part where we saw few or no organ pipe cactus- and were richly rewarded. It was a great day!!

Thumb Up or Down: UP!!!!

Miles Round Trip: see next post

Miles To Date: see next post

Percent of List Completed: 57%

Date of This Trip: May 25-27, 2012

Arizona Eats & Treats #3... El Guero Canelo

Nothing says summertime like a hotdog. You can have it Chicago-style or Kansas City-style or Newark-style or Carolina-style. And in Tucson, Arizona you can have it Sonoran-style. We recently went to El Guero Canelo for the original Sonoran-style hotdog.

There are three El Guero Canelo locations in Tucson- this one is the original, also known as EGC#1.

5201 S. 12th Avenue  Tucson, Arizona

Daniel Contreras was born in Sonora, Mexico and immigrated to the United States in 1979 at the age of 18 searching for the American dream. Finally, in 1993 he began selling carne asada and Sonoran-style hotdogs from a carreta (cart) on 12th Avenue and Utah Street. His Sonoran-style hotdogs were so popular he opened his first restaurant in 1997. And the rest, as they say, is history!

So what, you ask, is a Sonoran-stye hotdog? Start with a fresh, homemade potato bun (specially made like a canoe to hold the toppings!). Add an all-beef hotdog wrapped in bacon. Then top it with pinto beans, grilled onion, fresh onion, chopped tomato, mustard, jalapeno sauce and mayo. That's right, I said mayo!

The Sonoran Dog comes with a mild chili pepper on the side and at only $2.49 each is a steal!

There is a huge salsa and condiment bar if there aren't enough goodies on it for your taste. We tried a couple of the salsas with our chips- muy bueno!! If someone had suggested a month ago that I would eat a bacon-wrapped hotdog with mayo on it, I would have laughed at them. Now, however, I would simply smile and say, "Only at El Guero Canelo!" It was a fiesta in my mouth- the only thing missing was the pinata!

Others have tried to copy the Sonoran-style hotdog- but it all started here. And it's absolutely worth the drive to Tucson!

15/100... saguaro national park

A couple of weeks ago we put the top down on the Miata and headed south to Saguaro National Park (#15 on my "100 Things to Do in Arizona" list) near Tucson. One of three national parks in Arizona,  Saguaro National Park has 143 square miles of Sonoran desert covered with thousands of Giant Saguaros, the largest cacti in North America.

These majestic giants often reach heights of over 30 feet and when fully hydrated can weigh as much as 4800 pounds!

Saguaro National Park is divided into an Eastern District and a Western District with much of the city of Tucson in the middle. Although both districts have a lot of saguaros, they are noticeably different in terrain. We spent the morning in the Eastern District and then went to the Western District after lunch. Peak saguaro blossom time is mid-May to early-June so we were in for a real treat!

The tops of the saguaros looked like a bouquet of white flowers (close-up of one in lower right corner). We also saw blooming cholla (red and pink flowers) as well as some blooming prickly pear (yellow and orange flowers).

The night-blooming saguaro blossom, Arizona's state flower, attracts many birds as well as bats who like its nectar. Several times we parked the car on the side of the dirt road... and waited... and listened... and we were not disappointed!

A cardinal sang his sweet song from his perch high on a saguaro.

The cactus wren, Arizona's state bird, not only drinks the sweet nectar from the blossoms but also makes his home inside the cactus! A mature saguaro can be a condominium to many birds (note the holes!).

Although the park is home to, and protects, thousands of Giant Saguaros, there are many other varieties of cactus and desert plants there. Some were blooming; others were not- but all were beautiful!

The barrel cactus (foreground) had fruit, the prickly pear had blossoms and the ocotillo blossoms were dried up and beginning to fall.

The flowering ironwood trees (with their black barks!) were gorgeous!

Most people equate desert with cactus but a lot of wildlife also lives there.  Although much of our time at Saguaro National Park was during the heat of the day (and it was 97 degrees in the afternoon!), we did spot several animals.

A family of javelina were spotted outside the visitor center in the Eastern District. A mom, dad and two little piglets were taking advantage of the shade made by the building. The park ranger assured me they are quite wild.

We spied this cute guy (ground squirrel) high atop a dead, decaying saguaro. He easily scampered up and down his perch.

What a cute jackrabbit! He stayed very still as he tried to hide in the underbrush- we almost missed him!

We watched this deer (by red arrow) scamper off and hide in the shade making him all but invisible!

We saw several families of quail. I love watching them scurry along the ground keeping their babies close by. This pair's babies are behind the cactus out of view.

The Western District was a bit more mountainous and "forests" of saguaros were more evident than in the Eastern District. Around every turn in the road were hundreds or thousands more towering saguaros.

Saguaros for as far as we could see!

Saguaros are slow growing with their rate of growth depending on the moisture they receive. Their shallow but expansive root system and one long tap root soaks up water. During the rainy season they visibly plump out as they store the water internally using it sparingly over the dry months.

Some mature saguaros have no arms and others have many arms. An average old saguaro would have five arms and be about 30 feet tall. The largest ones, with more than five arms, are estimated to be more than 200 years old.

This old man stands proud and tall!

Eventually the saguaros die. Arm by arm they wither and dry up until finally only the woody spine is left. Sometimes the spines are used for fencing material before it, too, decomposes.

This 100% natural, withering saguaro looks like a person!

This one, in a more advanced stage of decay, looks like the "Creature from the Black Lagoon!"

The skin of the saguaro is smooth and waxy and looks somewhat pleated. During the rainy season, the "pleats" expand with water giving it a less angular appearance. Although the skin is smooth, it is covered with spines that protect it.

The spines are prickly!

At last, the sun started its descent. 

The royal giants stood out in silhouette against the sun.

The mountains and desert floor burst forth in brilliant color as the sun dipped lower and lower in the sky.

And then the sun was almost gone.

We had a delightful day exploring nature and marveling at God's creation. I think I saw more saguaros that day than I had in my entire life before that. Saguaro National Park is not just an Arizona treasure; it is a national treasure!

Thumb Up or Down: UP!!!!!! I can't believe I waited so long to go!

Miles Round Trip: 300.7 miles

Miles To Date: 5268.2 miles

Percent of List Completed: 56%

Date of This Trip: May 19, 2012

27/100... tempe town lake pedestrian bridge

One of the quirky things about the desert is that our rivers often have no water in them... until it rains. And in the desert that happens infrequently. Sometimes, though, we turn a river into a lake for recreation, community improvement and even flood control.

The Salt River used to flow through the Valley of the Sun providing water to city inhabitants. In the early 1900's a series of dams were built on the river to provide power and water for farming. Eventually the river ceased to flow in the city and the Phoenix area was left with a dry river bed. Then, in the 1990's Tempe city planners had a plan to bring back the water. Tempe Town Lake was completed and "opened" in 1999 and its pedestrian bridge (#27 on my "100 Things in Arizona" list) in 2011.

The Tempe Town Lake Walking Bridge is at the west end of the lake.

There is no doubt that this bridge is eye-candy for those who enjoy art or architecture!

The lake utilizes rubber, air inflated dams bolted to a concrete slab to contain the lake at each end. The dam is divided into sections called a bladder. Each one is 225 feet long, weighs 10 tons and is an inch thick! The dam can resist flood water and debris at flow rates higher than ever recorded for the Salt River.

Never heard of an inflatable dam? There are over 2,200 inflatable dams in eleven countries around the world. The dams are simple to install, have low maintenance requirements and a long life expectancy.

Sprinklers mist the dam bladders to cool them off and to keep them from drying out and cracking.

The dam at the east end stands five feet high on a concrete base while the dam on the west end (the downstream end) is 16 feet high on a concrete base. It is the highest inflatable dam in North America.

The view from the bridge is spectacular making it a popular path for joggers, walkers and bikers.

Our group (Mike, Laurie, Matt, Richard, Kristin, Janne and Adam) enjoyed the trek across the bridge!

Thumb Up or Down: Up!

Miles Round Trip: 32.7 miles

Miles To Date: 4967.5 miles

Percent of List Completed: 55%

Date of This Trip: May 12, 2012