McDowell Mountain Regional Park and Adero Canyon

Wednesday, January 11,2023 My sister, Brenda, and I joined our neighbors in going to the McDowell Mountain Regional Park for the "Welcome to the Sonoran Desert" tour. Ranger Evan met us at the parking lot and led us along the Pemberton Trail to the trail that went to the Nature (Visitors) Center. Along the way he identified the Jojoba mail bush

and told us to look for the seed clusters as a way of knowing it was a male. Later he identified a female plant with a dried nut.

He also identified the mesquite

and Creosote bushes.

And the Cholla with these small red buds.

We had beautiful views of the surrounding mountains and the lone raven sitting in a leafless tree.

At the Nature center we observed rattlesnakes and scorpions; I didn't choose to take any photos of these animals.

Saguaros, standing sentinel-like, are native only to the Sonoran Desert that extends from Mexico to the Mountains North of the Park and West to California.

January 12, 2023 Adero Canyon About an hour before sunset I drove up to the Adero Canyon trailhead in Adero Canyon. This trailhead is part of the McDowell Mountain Preserve but requires no admission fee. The native plant Brittlebush was in full flower around the parking lot.

and I walked over to the overlook for a view of the canyon, Fountain Hills and Red Mountain.

I then started up the trail to see what views I could get from it.