Travels and Adventures: April 2006

Sunday, April 30, 2006

Red Rock Canyon Conservation Area, NV

Side Blotched Lizard (Uta stansburiana)

These are the most common California desert lizard species.

The males are more colorful than the females. This one is a male.

The Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area is a 197,000 acre area managed by the Bureau of Land Management. It is located about 12 miles west of Las Vegas, accessible by Blue Diamond Road.

not sure what these are called - but I came across them in Red Rock Canyon

These pretty trees with purple blooms were seen in Red Rock Canyon on the Lost Creek trail - they were very pretty

Desert Tortoise

These guys can be seen at the visitor center at Red Rock Canyon.

The desert tortoise can live where ground temperatures can exceed 140 degrees farenheit, and can survive for a year or more without access to water.

Cholla Cactus

I believe this may be a Tree Cholla (Opuntia imbricata), but I am not sure. Cholla cactus are found in all of the hot deserts of the American Southwest.

Mojave Aster

The Mojave Aster (Machaeranthera tortifolia) grows in the Mojave Desert, from Riverside, CA to Utah.

a small Barrel Cactus

I believe this is a young Sonora Barrel Cactus (Ferocactus covillei). Barrel Cactus usually grow along desert washes, gravely slopes, and beneath desert canyon walls in all of the hot deserts of North America. Native Americans used the cactus for various purposes: cactus spines for needles, cactus flowers for food, and the cactus stem as a cooking pot.

Desert Marigold - these can be seen along the roadsides and in both Valley of Fire State Park and in the Red Rock Canyon Conservation Area

Desert Marigold - this one was folded up

Desert Marigold (Baileya multiradiata)

These flowers are native to the southwestern US and Mexico. They typically bloom in spring thru July, but sometimes can bloom in October or even in November due to summer thundershowers.

Desert Globemallow (Sphaeralcea ambigua)

These wildflowers can be found in the deserts from Baja California to Utah.

Desert Globemallow - these can be found throughout Red Rock Canyon and Valley of Fire as well as along the roadways. Other common names include Apricot Mallow and Desert Hollyhock.

Beavertail Cactus bloom - these cacti bloom only in the spring

Beavertail Cactus bloom - these were absolutely stunning in person

Beavertail Cactus (Opuntia basilaris)

This cactus is a member of the prickly pear family. It thrives on the dry, rocky slopes of the Mojave and Sonoran deserts of southeastern California, southwestern Utah and western Arizona. It produces bright red to lavender flowers March thru June.

Calico Hills

Calico Hills in Red Rock Canyon, NV

there was a little waterfall on the Lost Creek Trail

on the Lost Creek/Children's Discovery Trail in Red Rock Canyon, NV

Lost Creek in Red Rock Canyon, NV

Cathedral Rock in Kyle Canyon

Kyle Canyon - elevation around 7000 ft

the ski area up in Kyle Canyon

near the end of the road in Kyle Canyon

Valley of Fire State Park is located about 50 miles northeast of Las Vegas, Nevada, near Lake Mead. Besides being a recreation area for hiking and camping, it is also a favorite area for filmmakers. Several movies have been filmed here, such as Star Trek Generations.

Indigo Bush (Psorothamnus schotti Fabaceae )

Thrives in desert plains, slopes and sandy washes.

Desert Bighorn Sheep taking a break in the hills near Valley of Fire State Park

The Desert Bighorn is an endangered subspecies of Bighorn Sheep that live in the Southwestern regions of the US.

Beavertail Cactus

Evening at Valley of Fire State Park

Dedicated in 1935, Valley of Fire State Park is Nevada's oldest state park. It covers 34,880 acres. Throughout the park, you can see the brilliant colors of the sandstone rock.

Valley of Fire State Park

Prehistoric users of this area were the Ancient Pueblo peoples, also called Anasazi. You can see several examples of their rock art in the park.

Beehives - one of the first viewpoints in Valley of Fire State Park

Beehives

These sandstone formations were formed as a result of wind and water erosion.

Beehives

Balanced Rock - near the Visitor Center

Balanced Rock is named so as the top part of the rock looks like it is precariously balanced on top of the bottom portion.

Chuckwalla (Sauromalus ater)

When this lizard senses danger, it will crawl into a crevice and inflate itself to make it too big for the predator to pull out. They can grow 11-18 inches long. They are diurnal, which means they are active day and night. They are often spotted lying on the rocks, basking in the sun, and they will continue to bask in the sun until their optimum body temperature of 100-105 degrees f is reached. They are strictly herbivorous, feeding on fruits, leaves, flowers and buds. This one was a youngster as he had colored bands on his tail. He is hiding in the shadow. Maybe if you click on the photo you can actually see him, but he is there! lol

Chipmunk by the car

Petroglyphs on the trail to Mouses Tank

Petroglyphs probably had a deep cultural, religious and spiritual significance to the people who created them.

Petrified log - one of many in the park

Wikipedia's definition of petrified wood: "Petrified wood is a type of fossil: it exists of fossil wood where all the organic materials have been replaced with minerals (most often a silicate, such as quartz), while retaining the original structure of the wood. The petrifaction process has occurred underground, when wood became buried under sediment. Mineral-rich water flowing through the sediment deposited minerals in the plant's cells and as the plant's lignin and cellulose decayed away, a stone cast was formed in its place."

The pretrification process preserves all of the features of the original wood, right down to the microscopic level, including tree rings.