A Couple More Peaks At Arizona

Pinnacle Peak, our goal for the day.

One very expressive saguaro cactus.
What's he trying to say?

Mary and the guys heading upward.

Rock climbing, anyone?

The rocks along the trail had great character.
Here is the smiling cartoon rock.

Plenty of great views along the trail.

In every direction.

No shortage of depth in this image.
From the touchable rock on the lower left, look to the cactus-filled valley
between it and the rocky hillock, the mounds welling up from the valley floor
and the mountains beyond.
They spread out before you under the infinite blue, blue sky.

But there are also matters closer at hand.

No, do not touch!

Teddy Bear?  Really?
Do Teddy Bears shred you if you hug them?

And don't try to smell them.

And never, ever sit on any kind of cactus!

The top of the jowly rock's face obscures part of the distant trail.
That's his foot on the right.
Obviously, he is climbing instead of taking the trail.
Rock climbing?

Invasive species, like golf courses, are plain to see
from high above the valley floor.

More invasiveness.
Looks like about 7000 square feet worth.

The baby's head emerges from the crawling troll's backpack.
Perhaps the thin air had some effect on my perceptual process.

This one looks like a big rock.

Mary leads the old guys back to the car.

They kept up for awhile.

But not for long.

Where'd she go?

 But enough about rocks and hiking.  The desert was in bloom!  Very lovely...just don't touch!

Lovely buds.  The stem?  Not so much.

Many of the saguaro cacti were blooming.

Like this...

...and this!

The flowers were well protected on this barrel cactus.

But nonetheless beautiful for their thorny accompaniment.

Full bloom.

The aerial view of one not quite all popped.

And finally the delicate blooms of a flowering tree.