As I drove along Hewitt Canyon Road, the temperature was around 107 to 109. After a while I started to wonder if the thermometer was picking up heat from the engine. I pulled off the road at some stock pens and got out. It felt a lot cooler than 107. I took a few pictures and got back in the truck and the thermometer only said 95. I expected it to go back up when I started driving, but it kept dropping. By the time I got to Roger's Trough trailhead, it was down to 74. I wandered around a little up there, but it was getting late and I was hungry. I need to get up there earlier to go for a hike.
A water trough with dozens of wasps.
The trailhead.
It was very windy up there, too, probably from the storms in the distance. I stopped at the side of the road to take pictures a couple of times and could barely stand still enough to take a picture. There was a snake in the road and I hopped out to get pictures. I could barely push the door open against the wind.
A gopher snake crossing the road.
I could see rain in the distance. I was a little worried that it would rain near me and the washes would flood. I would be trapped for a while.
Storms in the distance.
As I drove along, I saw what I thought was a humming bird in front of me. It was flying a little erratically and I wondered if the wind was giving it some trouble. Then it crashed to the ground. I got out to check on it and saw that it wasn't a humming bird but the biggest beetle I have ever seen.
A little further down the road a couple of javelinas started to cross the road but ran back when they saw the truck. I tried to get some pictures from the truck but none of them turned out. So I pulled to the side of the road and walked as quietly as I could in the direction they went. I hadn't gone far before I saw them walking by in a long line. They hadn't seen me. Javelinas are not known for their keen eyesight. They ignored me as I got the camera ready; that arm waving scares a lot of other animals off. They froze at the sound of the first picture. They started to move off as I took more pictures.
Javelinas. With the storm clouds around, it was getting too dark for pictures.
Then it was back to the truck and on down the road. I had seen so much already, I didn't expect the see anything else worth stopping for. Then I spotted a Gila monster crossing the road. It was the second one I've seen since I moved out here. The spend about 95% of their lives in their burrows, so they don't get seen very much. The side of the road was a vertical dirt wall left by a road grader. I thought very briefly about helping the Gila monster over that obstacle, but there's no way I'm going to mess with a poisonous animal. I kept taking pictures and when it realized I wasn't going away, it started climbing up the side of the road. It was amazing to watch. It didn't seem to have any trouble at all.
This Gila monster doesn't look very friendly.
There was a lot of beautiful scenery on the way out there. I didn't stop to take pictures, though, because I was in a hurry to find a cooler place. I was surprised at how few people I saw out there, too. I expected it to be crowded for the holiday weekend. I only saw 3 other vehicles the whole time.
 |
| 2009_07_03 |
Posts
1 comment:
Wow, a lot of wildlife that day! I lived in a couple of places where there were supposed to be Gila Monsters but i was never fortunate to see one.
Post a Comment