Against the Wind - Two Days in Saguaro National Park

I started my morning in the Gila Hot Springs exactly how every morning should start: coffee, a good book, and a soak in natural hot springs. 10 out of 10. No notes. But eventually, I had to dry off and point Bob Seger back toward Arizona.

Coffee and a soak

As I was leaving New Mexico I noticed signs telling me what to do in the event of a dust storm. The signs indicated this was a high wind area and that these kind of storms were common. At this point, the wind was shoving the van around. As I continued to drive west, the wind kept getting worse. At one point, visibility dropped to zero as a wall of sand swallowed the road. Fortunately, the signs had prepared me, and I drove through the quarter-mile of beige void until the wind let up a bit and visibility returned to normal.

I woke up early the next morning with a busy day in Saguaro National Park planned. I listened to some tall tales told by my camp host, Jeff, as I broke camp and drank my morning coffee and then headed to the Rincon District in Saguaro.

Saguaro is broken up into two sections, an east side (the Rincon Mountain District) and the west side (the Tuscon District). Today I planned a drive around the Cactus Forest Loop and a 6 mile hike to Bridal Veil Falls.

I have a slight obsession with Saguaros. A few years ago, while driving through Phoenix with an employee, I caught my first real glimpse of one and cackled, “That cactus has a tail!” Needless to say, I was in my element. I texted my friend Natalie to set the over/under on how many photos I’d take during the Cactus Forest Loop. Her guess was 130.

Maybe I’m obsessed with them because they remind me of people?

She was low.

I was very nervous for the hike to Bridal Veil Falls. I used to be an athlete. But due to health issues, work stress and excuses, I’ve lost a lot of my fitness over the last two years. A 6 mile hike on a trail rated moderate was intimidating. But I decided I would regret not doing it more than I would regret doing it and decided to push through.

Maybe the barrel cactus is my favorite? I can’t decide but the good news is I don’t have to.

I don’t know if it was the variety of cacti on the route of the rushing falls but I did not feel the six miles of this hike. The weather was amazing - sunny but not too hot. I took around another 130 pictures. And I had the pride of finishing a long and moderate hike that I thought was outside my ability right now. It was a reminder that I’m capable of more than I think I am.

Bridal Veil Falls

My campground was at Catalina State Park, north of Tucson. I thought the best part of this camp site was going to be the shower. When you only get a shower every few days, you learn to appreciate them more. It turned out that the highlight of this stay was the view. The only downside to this campsite was that it was only available for one night.

The view from my campsite at sunset at Catalina State Park.

The agenda for the next day was the west side, aka the Tuscon District. Because I’m unemployed and living on a fixed income, I’m not allowing myself to buy souvenirs at the parks. This is very hard for me. The largest section of my closet is the hoodie section. But I loved this park so much that allowed myself to pick up a Saguaro sun shirt. I have no regrets.

The Bajada Loop is the scenic drive in the Tucson District and the first thing I did after my stop at the visitor center. The differences between this part of the park and the Rincon Mountain side are surprising. Both have more cacti than you can count. While the Rincon Mountain side has a huge variety of cacti, the Tucson District is primarily Saguaros. Both options are amazing and if you are able, you should make enough time to see both sides of the park.

This cactus has a tail!

After the drive, I did a 3 mile, moderate hike at Kings Canyon. This was a beautiful hike and I didn’t feel miles I had done the day before. I did do this hike counter clockwise, but I think it is more common to hike it clockwise. I was almost back to the parking lot when someone hiking clockwise asked if I’d seen the petroglyphs. “There are petroglyphs?” I exclaimed. If they exist on that trail, I didn’t see them, but that gives me a reason to go back.

Gould Mine on Kings Canyon Loop in Saguaro National Park

While driving to my campsite for the next leg of my trip, I realized that I was moving too fast. It felt like I was treating this time like I was on a vacation. I needed to remember that this was my life right now. If I don’t see everything right now, I will come back next year. I decided I would rather take it slower and not see everything than to rush the way I had rushed the last few days.

While my next few posts will prove I’m only moderately successful at slowing down, the shift in mindset is what really matters.