Rainy Morning at Granite Mountain

There were stunning views throughout the whole trip, but one of the most memorable was from an early morning hike at Granite Mountain. I was partially on a mission to return to a plant I had found a couple days prior, partially itching to get back out into the boulderous mountainside one last time before we left.

That morning, I had watched mist roll in from the top of the mountain, a sight to be had. Reality set in that I would likely never have the opportunity to return to the cabin, so I was more than happy to make the wet, early morning trek. And was I glad I did.

A little water does wonders for the desert. One rain can be the difference between germination or dormancy for another dry year. But a little rain can also awaken the plants that are already there. Removing a layer of dirt and dust gives the growing plants a perky vibrancy that looks almost unreal. A grey, dim, misty morning, starkly contrasted with abstract shapes for green and yellow cacti and other foliage, gives the allusion that you are walking through a surrealist painting. I had walked around the area for hours upon hours in the days before, but that morning offered another perspective of the desert that I was lucky enough to experience.

Water is a scare, valuable resource in the desert - that is no secret. The secret is what the desert can do with a resource so many of us Floridians take for granted.

Publicado el marzo 25, 2018 06:06 TARDE por arielac2