Saguaro Park to Colossal Cave - Winterlude 2020 - CycleBlaze

January 18, 2021

Saguaro Park to Colossal Cave

Driving home in the dark this evening, I proclaimed this a pretty perfect day.  No, a perfect day, insists Rocky.  What could have been better?  She’s right.  Perfect.

The ride plan for the day was to return to Saguaro Park, starting with a loop through the park before the day got too busy with visitors (it’s Monday, but also Martin Luther King Day) and then bike south to Colossal Caves and back.  We timed it to return in late afternoon, have an early dinner on the open patio of the restaurant/bar near the park entrance, and then go back to the park in time to see the sunset.  If time permitted, we’d also take a short walk in the desert while waiting for sundown.

Our timing was pretty good - perfect, in fact.

First curve-billed thrasher of the tour! A good omen for the day’s outing.
Heart 6 Comment 0 Link
On the loop again, Saguaro National Park. Worth a repeat visit. Worth many repeat visits.
Heart 2 Comment 2 Link
Kelly Iniguezthis has my name on it!
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1 month ago
Scott AndersonTo Kelly IniguezIt better not! Defacing government property is a felony offense.
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1 month ago
Javelina Rocks again. We had a look at these the last time out, but the light is better this time.
Heart 3 Comment 0 Link
A crested saguaro! This is turning into quite a special day.
Heart 5 Comment 0 Link
Crested saguaros are a rare but beautiful freak of nature, estimated to occur only about once in every 200,000 cacti. Multiple theories exist - genetic defect, lightning strike, or frost damage - but no consensus exists on the cause.
Heart 8 Comment 2 Link
Bruce LellmanEvery year we have at least one branch on our cherry tree that does this exact thing. I think it's when the cells go nuts for some reason.
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1 month ago
marilyn swettWow! Nice catch Scott! Wish we could have seen one of those. I love saguaros
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1 month ago
Pistol Hill, with Rincon Peak behind. We’ve ridden Pistol Hill Road in both directions now. Both ways are fine, but eastbound is better for the mountain views.
Heart 1 Comment 0 Link
Oh wow, look at that! What, I ask. I’m not sure, but it’s really special. Oh, it’s gone now. Sorry, you missed it.
Heart 3 Comment 0 Link
Descending from Colossal Caves. Saguaro Park is eleven miles north, and nearly all downhill. Yee, haw!
Heart 0 Comment 0 Link
On an after dinner walk in the park. We’ve just got time for a two mile loop along Javelina Wash before sunset. Beautiful this late in the day, but no javelina.
Heart 2 Comment 0 Link
Cacti are such a fascinating study. Interesting, dead or alive.
Heart 1 Comment 0 Link
Doin’ the shimmy.
Heart 3 Comment 1 Link
Jen GrumbyThat cactus is doing the shimmy!
Miles from its home in Kissimmee
It's looking so wiggly
It makes me all giggly
This cactus whose first name is Timmy
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1 month ago
Saguaro, enwraptured.
Heart 1 Comment 0 Link
Just one of those chollas.
Heart 2 Comment 4 Link
Bill ShaneyfeltTough winter there... so scrawny.
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1 month ago
Scott AndersonTo Bill ShaneyfeltIt’s been one of the driest on record. Fortunately we’re due to get a bit of rain in the coming days. Anxious to see what springs up afterwards.
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1 month ago
Scott AndersonTo Hi, Marilyn. Welcome to CycleBlaze, btw! This is the third empty comment you’ve left here, so I wonder if you’re unclear on how comments work? Let me know if you have any questions.
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1 month ago
marilyn swettTo Scott AndersonI think I finally got this figured out, sorry! I wanted to say that I had no idea that there were so many types of cholla. I bought a book on AZ cacti when we got home and wish I had had it with me on our trip
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1 month ago
Smoke signals rise above the Rincons. Trouble ahead.
Heart 11 Comment 6 Link
Patrick O'HaraWow. Now that's a nice shot.
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1 month ago
Kelly IniguezNote this one to be in your best photo contest for 2021.
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1 month ago
Jen GrumbyAgreed!

Are those lenticular clouds?

In the top one I see a spaceship. The middle .. a large squirrel or maybe a ferret?
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1 month ago
Scott AndersonTo Jen GrumbyLenticular? Yes! Ferret? Perhaps.
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1 month ago
It looks like it must be time to find our seats to watch the sunset.
Heart 2 Comment 0 Link
Here’s a promising spot.
Heart 1 Comment 0 Link
I think this is the first time this tour that we’ve been out at the right time to see the fireworks. Looks like we picked the right evening for it.
Heart 7 Comment 1 Link
Kelly IniguezWell, maybe this one needs in the contest also!
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1 month ago
Yup. Here at the right time.
Heart 6 Comment 0 Link
I love the way that the clouds are so shattered here. Mount Wrightson and the Santa Rita range on the horizon.
Heart 7 Comment 0 Link
Heart 0 Comment 0 Link

Ride stats today: 38 miles, 2,500’; for the tour: 2,152 miles, 74,600’; for the year: 16 riding days, 702 miles, 20,600’, and 1 flat tire

Today's ride: 38 miles (61 km)
Total: 2,005 miles (3,227 km)

Rate this entry's writing Heart 8
Comment on this entry Comment 3
Bob DistelbergScott, I think you outdid yourself on photos today. I was going to comment on individual photos, but in the end decided that every one was amazing.
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1 month ago
Scott AndersonTo Bob DistelbergThanks, Bob. Such a wonderful day - I’m happy to have come away with something to help us look back on it.
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1 month ago
Jen GrumbyThose sunset photos ... Wow!!
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1 month ago