What's Happening at Hawkins Preserve
Dear Friends of Hawkins,
Currently our whole landscape is damp, vibrant and green, a departure from the norm and an opportunity to watch the way of water on our Hawkins environment.
Departure #1: Mushrooms
Slick rock and thin, dry soil are seldom congenial locations to spawn mushrooms. Nevertheless this past week they have begun to appear. This 7 inch puffball (or puffball look-a-like) has planted itself alongside the streambed leading to West Rim Falls.
Edible or deadly?
(I do not know the difference.)
Departure #2: Erosion
The marks of erosion appear everywhere on the slick rock. Watching the way water moves on its surface gives us a condensed view of the processes which continue to create the ravines and canyons on the Colorado Plateau.
Miniature slot canyon
(in the making)
Departure #3: Decay
Semi-arid regions (of which Hawkins is an example) typically exhibit very slow rates of decay due to dessication. Persistent moisture soaking into the structure of this old Pinon tree will probably increase the rate of its disintegration.
Back to earth
(Long dead, this tree was blown
down early this summer.)
Departure #4: Regrowth
Most years our Monsoon rains give us enough moisture to maintain our plants and help prepare them for the long cold season. Our current Monsoon moisture is doing more. It is promoting an unexpected degree of regrowth. One example is this Colorado Four O’Clock. Instead of conserving its resources, notice how it is confidently taking advantage of an opportunity to enjoy a second spring.
New leaves and flower buds
A few more...
Remnants of the rain
Morning light and shadow
Who can identify this tall, swaying beauty?
Visit the preserve often,
Shelby and Roberta Smith
Dear Friends of Hawkins,
The recent long spell of hot dusty weather has ended. A parade of rains has cleaned, freshened, and re-invigorated the earth and plants of the Preserve.
Refreshed by the rain
This week every surface and every inhabitant of the Preserve look washed and vibrant. With cooler, damper air and a renewed range of natural colors Hawkins is ready for hikers & bikers, nature-lovers, and photographers.
A changing Technicolor show
During Monsoon season the skies produce a Technicolor show accompanied by the great bass drums of the clouds.
Perhaps the last of the season
Too spent to open fully, a few blossoms of Colorado Four O’clock make a brave last appearance.
On Patrol
(a great place to spend an hour on Tuesday morning)
Best wishes to all,
Shelby and Roberta
Dear Friends of Hawkins,
The first large and long-lasting monsoon rain of the season made a dramatic appearance in the Preserve this afternoon. It brought drenching rain, lightning, booming thunder, and tree-swaying winds.
Dark clouds rolled over the shoulders of the Sleeping Ute
The storm gave everything in the Preserve a good soaking.
Every arroyo was flowing.
Every low spot was filled.
Water cascaded over the rim near the “rock footprints”.
Though the downpour had slowed, West Rim Falls (my designation)
continued gushing merrily over the edge near Patrick’s Point.
At East Rim Falls water bounces from ledge to
ledge before dropping into the canyon.
After two hours the wind died and the rain stopped, leaving behind
the smells of wet earth and soaked wood and the fragrance of sagebrush.
Another view of West Rim Falls
With thankfulness on having received the “water blessing”,
Shelby and Roberta Smith
The Monsoon Season
With a drum roll of thunder, the monsoon storm arrives
Dear Friends of Hawkins,
The current monsoon has dropped significant amounts of water onto the Preserve. Evidence of such showers dissipates rapidly. With acres of slick rock on the surface and a fairly sharp slope to the south, the water moves on. Some of it scurries off the cliff edges. Some evaporates. However, significant quantities are well utilized. The soils and rocks and thirsty plants soak up all they can. Pot holes and rock crevasses drink it down, refreshing the trees and shrubs whose roots have worked their way deep into the subterranean strata of the sandstone. By these various means the plants and trees fortify themselves for the long endurance required of them.
Rain-filled pot holes at Patrick’s Point
These pools soon sink into the porous structure of the Dakota Sandstone. Imagine the volume of rainfall over a vast span of time required to sculpt and carve the surface of the slick rock in the Preserve.
In spite of the recent monsoon rains, the peak of the flowering season in the Preserve has passed. Colorado Four O’Clocks continue to produce a parade of blooms. Their rubbery emerald green leaves are almost as showy as their purple blossoms. A nice example of this is the plant located just off the paved path near the great iron sculpture.
Four O’Clocks reaching for the light
This species (unknown to us) blooms bravely along the canyon rim
to the east of the point where Slick Rock Trail intersects Rim Route.
A few clumps of Indian Paintbrush continue
to brighten the landscape.
Close-up of a Colorado Four O,Clock
Visit the Preserve, but go early or late. It’s getting warm there.
Shelby and Roberta Smith
Dear Friends of Hawkins,
Tuesday morning at 7:30 we visited the Preserve. A young mother was hiking with her child. Another fellow was walking his dog. It was a peaceful, beautiful morning with clear blue skies and temperatures in the 60’s. Happily, we found no evidence of mischief anywhere in the Preserve.
The topic for today is: Symmetry
Avian symmetry
(Fallen from its tree - this nest reveals the orderly
and well executed design of its creator.)
Human symmetry
(Planted skillfully into the earth, this giant replica
of a Mesa Verde black on white bowl blends
seamlessly into its surroundings.)
Floral symmetry
(Lifting itself innocently into the atmosphere, this sun loving
blossom paints its primary yellow petals onto our primary blue skies.)
Sandstone symmetry
How did this rock divide itself into these precise and classic forms?
Here we see but one of the many “rocky” curiosities in the Preserve.
Last light
(the view from Hawkins Preserve on July 3, 2010)
Visit the Preserve often,
Shelby and Roberta Smith
Dear Friends of Hawkins,
This year the blooming season for the Nipple Cactus in the Hawkins Preserve continued for at least six days starting on Tuesday, June 22. The last one we spotted was along the Slick Rock Trail on Sunday evening of June 27. The Prickly Pears, however, are more persistent. They begin blooming in May and continue well into July. In spite of dry conditions during the last month, they continue producing delicate blooms of many colors. Here are a few of the color variations:
Translucent Pink Prickly Pear
Rich Pink Prickly Pear
Deep Gold Prickly Pear
Bright Yellow Prickly Pear
Rosy Apricot Prickly Pear
We visited the Preserve three times this last week. Though there are many people in the Preserve every day, on two of those occasions we did not see a single other person. It is a privilege to visit a semi-wild area so accessible, yet so untrammeled.
Visit the Preserve often. Take your camera.
Shelby and Roberta Smith
Dear Friends of Hawkins,
Dale Diede, one of the most active and hard-working members of our Hawkins Group, is hereby named Official Hawkins Photographer of the Month. This photo taken Tuesday afternoon (6/22/10) clearly illustrates how well he deserves this designation.
Nipple Cactus Blossoms in the Hawkins Preserve
Each blooming season we anticipate the arrival of the Claret Cups, the numerous Prickly Pears, the Rattail Chollas, and others, but the blooms of the Nipple Cactus, as Dale’s photo illustrates, provide us with a special treat. Thanks, Dale. Your photo is spectacular!
Where in the Preserve does a person find National Geographic quality sights such as the above? In the best watered locations? In areas of deeper, richer soils? No. Many of the blooming plants, especially the cacti, survive and somehow prosper in the most inhospitable appearing spots. (In areas of thin, powder-dry soils, in the cracks of bare rocks, out on the slick rock, along the dry rims of cliff edges and on the ledges of rocky monoliths.) How do these plants do so much with so little? How does this loveliness appear like magic out of such grim and limited habitat?
Blue and Purple Penstemon?
Penstemon is a guess. However, since beardtongue is another name for the penstemons, the fuzzy apparatus inside the lips of the blossoms add a little more evidence to our guessing. We spotted this column of blooms just off the paved path west of the great bowl.
Indian Paintbrush
Orange and yellow-orange varieties of Indian Paintbrush are the most common ones in the Preserve. This very red and taller than usual fellow grows just off the Slickrock Trail not far from the parking area.
Desert Four O’Clock
These Four O’Clocks with their lush foliage inhabit a shady location in a drainage area near Point Trail.
All of the above residents of Hawkins are awaiting your visit. The best time to see the Nipple Cactus is mid-day. Go soon. They probably have only 2-4 more days. Take a cell phone, adequate water and a big hat. Mid-day temperatures on the slick rock will be 10-15 degrees higher than in town. Also, remember the nature walks at Hawkins each Monday evening at 7:00 P.M. Meet in the parking area at the south end of Cedar Street.
Best regards, (Thanks, again, Dale for the amazing photo of the Nipple Cactus)
Shelby and Roberta Smith
Hawkins kiosk:
Received with Gratitude
Dear Friends of Hawkins,
Our special thanks to Paul Morey, our local Climbing Coalition, and the Access Fund for donating the money and a lot of labor to build our new kiosk. It is beautiful, professional-looking, and functional. Again, thanks. We are very grateful for your generosity. Attached to the kiosk you will find a trail map, basic rules of the Preserve, announcements about allowable activities, and an “alert” about wildlife motivated primarily by the mountain lion recently spotted in the area.
Recent Weather
This dusty, thirsty June of 2010 began to resemble June and July of 2009 which seriously set back the dry land crops of the Four Corners. However, last Friday evening and Saturday morning our landscape began to bump and shudder with rumbles of thunder and sporadic rain. Saturday morning thunder claps and black clouds overran the Mesa Verde escarpment. Thanks to this glorious rain the plants in Hawkins are bursting out in blooms and new growth.
Blooming Season:
Desert Four-O-Clock
Invigorated by the recent rain this triple blossomed Four-O-Clock has just
opened.
Prickly Pear
Last season Roberta and I identified a dozen or more distinct colors of Prickly Pear blossoms. This rich display is beginning to appear again. Pink and yellow are the most common colors, but others such as this creamy peach one are opening once more.
Rumex
Using an internet search - the above plant appears to be Rumex hymenosepalus, (Sorrel, Wild Rhubarb). A local person told us this plant provides a rich brown color for dying cloth. One internet site indicated that rumex appears to have some food uses if prepared carefully.
Exotic Fauna:
(Turquoise) Collared lizard
This resident of Hawkins (speckled turquoise with a golden head) surely ranks high on the list of exotic and beautiful lizards. Its name is derived from the black rings around its neck. When in a hurry he can really fly across the slick rock. However, like many of his kind, he is also quite curious about people who visit his home territory. If a person approaches slowly, one step at a time, he will allow them a good look before zooming off, again.
Everything seemed to be normal and in order in the Preserve. As we were leaving the parking area, a fellow arrived on his motorized wheelchair. He lives in an adjacent neighborhood and visits the Preserve often. For people who must travel this way, the paved path is a great feature allowing them access to enjoy the landscape, view the art objects and see some of the blooming plants.
One more photo:
Pink Prickly Pear with its “inner workings” visible
Visit the Preserve often. Remember the guided Nature Walks at 7:00 P.M. each Monday evening.
Best regards,
Shelby and Roberta Smith
Dear Friends of Hawkins,
The blossoms of the prickly pears are opening now in the Hawkins Preserve. The fine features of this gleaming pink one are even more apparent in contrast to the rough and scratchy neighborhood it inhabits.
Rich Pink Prickly Pear
The yellow Prickly Pears can be somewhat taken for granted since they are the most common in the Preserve. However, the fine, silky texture of this next one reveals that it deserves attention, also. It is as wonderful as any of the others.
Frosty Lemon-Lime Prickly Pear
This clump of Claret Cup Cactus is thriving on the north facing ledge of a large monolith standing away from the rim of the cliff. It has bloomed its little heart out and is still not quite finished for the season. Though shriveled, its eight little “bloomlets” stand proudly in the sun.
Claret Cup Cactus thriving on an (almost soil-less) ledge
Succulents such as these Clarets and Prickly Pears are well designed to absorb, store, retain and judiciously use the scanty and infrequent rainfall of desert and high desert climates.
Other botanicals with less well developed sets of water-management talents, never-the-less, manage to survive and thrive in the Preserve. One example is this purple beauty.
Possibly a variety of narrow leaf penstemon
As dry as the last few weeks have been, our blooming plants continue to demonstrate their survival skills. They thrive in areas of shallow soil, in the cracks of rocks and sometimes (in the case of some of our succulents) on locations that appear to have little or no soil at all. The Sego lily, however, does best in areas of deep soil. Its edible bulb is most commonly found 12 to 18 inches below the surface.
Callochortus nuttallii (sego lily, mariposa lily, state flower of Utah)
Visit the Preserve, stay on the trails, set a good example for others,
Shelby and Roberta Smith
Yellow Evening Primrose
Dear Friends of Hawkins,
The plants which sport these charming “pom-pom” blossoms are flourishing this spring. With such a playful, child-like name we cannot help but smile whenever we spot them in the preserve.
Yucca baccata (Datil yucca, Spanish bayonet, banana yucca)
These blossoms have surely been the subject of some of Georgia O’Keeffe’s paintings, don’t you think? Creamy and exotic as an orchid, these blooms of the banana yucca are now opening all through the Preserve in lush detail.
Claret Cup Cluster
Ignited by the late afternoon sun, these Clarets glow like small lanterns set out for the evening. A little more rain would help many of our plants in the Preserve, but as you can see the claret cups, the pussy toes and the banana yuccas are putting on a fine display.
Bullsnake (we think)
“A narrow fellow in the - - - - rocks?” Is that what the poem says? No, certainly not. However, it might have been her words if Emily Dickinson had lived in Cortez instead of green and grassy New England. This fine little racer allowed us only one quick shot with the camera. In a flash he was under a ledge and out of sight. We relaxed a little when we saw there were no rattles on his tail. Even so, many people share the feelings Emily wrote of when she said:
|
(I) “never met this fellow Attended or alone Without a tighter breathing And zero at the bone.” |
Checking a computer site, Roberta and I decided his distinct brown checked pattern is typical of a bullsnake. We wish him well. May he help keep the prairie dogs under control.
When you visit the Preserve, please be our eyes and ears. We may have had another incident of unauthorized digging at the pueblo. If you see something out of line, call:
|
The Cultural Center–------------ 565-1151 or Linda Raczek–------------------- 564-9903 or Shelby Smith–------------------- 739-3124 or Cortez Police Non-emergency-- 565-8441 or Cortez Police Emergency-------- 911 |
Love the Preserve and visit it often,
Shelby and Roberta Smith
Dear Friends of Hawkins,
This Tuesday was a prime day to visit the Preserve -- bright, still, and warm. Our botanicals have seriously started the blooming process. Some of them (such as this primrose) are located right out in the center of the slick rock. At least four varieties of primrose inhabit the Preserve.
Yellow Evening Primrose
Other varieties are more difficult to locate. We have learned it is helpful to walk a ways, then stop and look behind us. A different vantage point can reveal surprises behind shrubs and in the crevices of rocks and within shady patches under trees. This next specimen, a Scarlet Gilia, was found “hiding” under a tree along Rim Route.
Scarlet Gilia (commonly called the skyrocket or the fairy trumpet)
The Preserve does not have an overabundance of Gilias as they are more common at higher elevations. However, the few we have provide a brilliant splash of red, a totally different red than the claret cups. To see an abundant display of Gilias, drive up the Mesa Verde entrance road from mid June to mid July and give attention to the roadside areas.
Banana Yucca buds and blooms
With soft velvety petals and a pleasant aroma the yucca is an appealing resident of the Preserve. If we have sufficient rain to enhance the growth cycle, these plants should produce a large crop of fruit this year. Yucca fruits were harvested enthusiastically by the ancient peoples of our area and also by our more recent Native American people a generation ago. Some usage continues today -- the fruits can become a sweet treat and the roots can produce a kind of bubbly shampoo.
Visit the Preserve often. The cycle of blooms changes continuously.
Shelby and Roberta
Dear Friends of Hawkins,
A multilayered sense of time is evident in the Preserve. Many clocks are ticking there – for our perennials, for our animal life, for our forests, and, (slowest of all) for our rocks.
The Sage Steppe
A slow-motion tumble is in progress at the canyon rim. These rocks (Dakota Sandstone) on the east edge of Patrick’s Point have been at this game for how long? Hundreds? - - thousands of years? Who would know? However, they’ve been at it long enough to acquire a rich patina of yellow, orange, blue and maroon stains.
With snowflakes in the air little more than a week ago, the hesitancy of our flowering plants is understandable – but at last some blooms.
Primrose along Prickly Pear Path
Banana Yucca
Colorful as a flower, the bloom stalks of the Banana Yuccas are emerging. I am told by my Southern Ute friends that the fruit of this plant, picked at the right stage and boiled will produce a treat better than candy. Have any of you done this?
I visited with a hiker who comes to Hawkins frequently. He mentioned the dead deer we’ve been hearing about. I admitted I had not seen the unfortunate creature. He told me his dog found it about 50 feet SW of the juncture of Ruins Road and Fox Trot Run. Then he immediately admitted he should have had his dog on its leash that day -- which gave me the opportunity to discuss some of the reasons leashes are required.
Proceeding down the trail I soon found the deer right where he directed me. On a more cheerful note -- we encountered three deer standing in the thick shadows of the forest along Hidden Path. We wish we had been quick enough with the camera. One of them was an older fawn with a beautiful pattern of spots still evident on its back.
Visit the Preserve soon, (the Claret Cups are coming out)
Shelby and Roberta Smith
These yellow beauties bravely expose themselves
to our unpredictable spring weather.
Dear Friends of Hawkins,
Yesterday we found a soft, grey, overcast evening in the Preserve. A number of people were jogging the paved trail; others were strolling along enjoying the perfect temperature, a windless 68-70 degrees. The soil, with this winter’s good, deep moisture is poised to support a memorable spring transformation.
The Sage Steppe
The sage steppe is in fine shape with its silvery blue tones offering a nice contrast to the greens of our juniper and pinon trees.
What is the best time to visit the Preserve? Is it sunrise when a quiet walk may allow you to encounter one of our resident foxes? Is it a bright, sunny mid-morning while the air is fresh, but not too cool? Perhaps you’d prefer mid-afternoon with its warmth, full light and pleasant breezes? Or perhaps you’ll enjoy the long light of evening while it highlights the rich colors of the Mesa Verde escarpment. No poor choices.
Best wishes to all,
Shelby and Roberta Smith
Dear Friends of Hawkins,
On the last two Tuesdays (the 6th and the 13th of April) I visited the Preserve about an hour before sundown. The evening air on both occasions was invigorating and just comfortable enough with a light jacket. I neither saw nor heard another person anywhere in the whole 120 acres.
The half inch snow we received overnight of the 12th and the 13th refilled some of the pot holes. However, almost all the trails are sufficiently dry and in good condition for hiking. It is a pleasure to see our pinons and junipers looking healthy and strong after a wet winter.
No, the blooms in the attached photo have not returned yet -- but are the sort of thing I'm hoping to see in the Preserve before long.
Best wishes and happy hiking,
Shelby Smith
Spring Break Culture Camp
Dear Friends of Hawkins
The Preserve was a busy place on Tuesday the 30th. The children in Linda’s Culture Camp were being indoctrinated in “rocks”. A number of people were hiking and/or walking their dogs. One woman had her Chow dog on his chain. The chain was a good idea as the Chow was quite hostile. A couple of men with chain saws (recruited by Steve Miles) were attacking the salt cedar down in the creek bottom.
Water is still standing in some of the pot holes and the first green is popping up here and there. What a blooming season we should have this year.
Happy hiking to all,
Shelby and Roberta
Dear Friends of Hawkins,
An unannounced light show was in progress in the Preserve at 8:30 A.M. this morning. It was worth attending. This darksome scene featuring the Mesa Verde escarpment could have been rendered by the old Dutch Masters using their dominant darks to reveal the play of light on the landscape. Within 20 minutes, however, these dramatic clouds shifted to reveal an atmosphere seldom seen today: blue skies of a rare, clear intensity - - - typical of our skies in the early 1960’s before the coal plants were built across the Colorado Plateau.
change of palette (above) - - - view from Point Trail (below)
Another show in the Preserve is provided by the slick rock. Although the exposed stone is entirely composed of easily erodible Dakota Sandstone, it exhibits a playful variety of textures and forms. Some of the surfaces erode much more slowly than others. Notice this miniature “butte” standing above the surrounding rock. It maintains its elevated form because of a protective dark surface. Is its surface a kind of lichen or is it a desert varnish-like substance? We are not sure. However, there are many examples of this throughout the Preserve.
Most of the slickrock in the Preserve is light tan or grey in color. Therefore, it is a surprise to find circles, swirls and patterns of other colors in a few locations. Notice this surface near the east climbing access.
Recent rains have helped our fall blooming plants to flower. We found this purple beauty showing off its blooms right beside Mesa View Trail near the great bowl.
We’d like to recognize all of you for your consistent efforts to watch and protect our Preserve. Special thanks go to Dale Diede for firmly re-erecting the Patrick’s Point sign and for beginning to secure the plant posts along the nature trail section of Prickly Pear Path with new concrete bases. Also, we very much appreciate Jim for filling the potholes in our driveway entrance and for starting the process of flattening the “wheelie” ruts in the parking lot. Also, thank you, Linda, for spending efforts and hours far beyond your compensated time to make sure everything works well in the Preserve.
Have you noticed the city is finishing the paving of Mesa View Trail to reach the parking lot at Mesa Elementary School? We still hear rumors that there might be a fifth piece of the Art Along the Trail. Does anyone know? Once we’re sure we have all the art works accounted for, Roberta and I would like to help plan an event to honor the artists who put their hearts into this project. Let’s be thinking about how we might do this..
Best wishes to all of you,
Shelby and Roberta Smith
Dear Friends of Hawkins,
Most people tend to ignore what’s under their feet. Our lawns, garden soil, pavement, and asphalt are just what we walk across or drive on. However, in the great Southwest people more often notice and are curious about what’s “down there”. The steep grades of our streams continually erode away and expose our colorful soils and rock strata. Erosion, volcanic activity, and fault block uplifting are the chief exposers of the various layers of soil and rock in our landscape.
At Hawkins the most attention-getting surface is the slick rock which covers at least one quarter of the surface in the Preserve. Our slick rock, made up of Dakota Sandstone, has an intriguing surface with flowing, undulating patterns, pot holes and water channels. Its origin is equally intriguing. Geologists tell us that the Dakota Sandstone was laid down in the early Cretaceous period and that this rock layer was often covered by ancient shallow seas. A quote from www.geocities.com/earthhistory/grand calls the Dakota formation “a shoreline facies of the Cretaceous Western Interior Seaway.” In some areas of Colorado the Dakota Formation has proved to be “a track rich zone” for both Iguanodon-like creatures and carnivorous dinosaurs. To date no one has found dinosaur tracks at Hawkins, but wouldn’t it be a momentous event if we did?
Let’s keep looking.
The pueblo site is getting better and better. Some wonderful person has put out three items at the kiosk: a map of the covered room complex, information about the village site and instructions regarding how to use, but not misuse the Preserve. Thank you very much.
On our visit Roberta and I traveled Mesa View Trail to Ruins Road. We checked the pueblo area and went down Point Trail to Patrick’s Point, then across the Rim Route and back out Slick rock Trail. The signs appear to be in place and the great bowl in good shape. We encountered one hiker and found lots of praise about the Preserve on the sign-in page.
Best regards,
Shelby and Roberta Smith
Dear Friends of Hawkins,
On Tuesday Roberta and I delayed our walk until the early evening rain had stopped. Even a small shower works its magic in Hawkins, bringing out rich and earthy perfumes from the hot rocks and the resinous trees. The late evening sun was dropping slowly below the clouds, sending its long rays onto the greenery and the slickrock and tinting the bluffs of Mesa Verde with a rosy glow. We sat for a while taking in the show.
We examined the great bowl and found it unmarked and unmolested. The signs sat sturdily in their places, including the one announcing “Nature Trail” at the entrance to Prickly Pear Path (thanks to Rae and her husband who re-installed it. Thank you very much!!)
The recent work at the pueblo looks great (the boundary ropes and the rocks lining the paths). Thanks to all of you who worked on that.
Our walk included Mesa View Trail & Ruins Road -- (with a stop at the Pueblo). -- Fox Trot Run to the west fence -- Jackrabbit Lane to the rim – Rim Route to Patrick’s Point & on to the junction with Slickrock Trail – Slickrock Trail to the Parking area. We encountered three people: one was jogging; the other two walking their dogs. Both of them attached leashes as soon as they saw us.
A wetter than usual year has been good for the lichens and the mosses such as these along Fox Trot Run.
Here is a final view from the Preserve on Tuesday evening.
Best wishes to all,
Shelby and Roberta
Dear Friends of Hawkins,
Do we have a landscape? Oh, what do you think? Such a place to come home to after being away for 10 days. About 7:30 P.M.we trotted down Slickrock & Rim Route to the drop off. As we approached the edge, I thought I heard voices off over the edge to the left of the staircase. I went down and entered the large alcove and listened, but heard no more. So they must have exited to the east on hearing us, or it all may have been my imagination. Next we crossed Rim Route to Point Trail where we sat on the Patrick’s Point bench for a while enjoying the evening coolness. After a good rest we ascended Point Trail and Ruins Road to visit the Pueblo. How wonderful what Dale Davidson and others have accomplished at the site. Then we went up Ruins Road and Prickly Pear back to the entrance.
As dry as it has been, most of the plants are taking a break from the blooming cycle. There is a bit of Paintbrush, such as this fellow
We were glad to see that so far “Atilla and his Huns” have not revisited the “Climbing by Permit Only” sign and that the great bowl has no graffiti
We encountered one jogger named Steve or Scott Ortman (nice fellow) who lives at 1006 Cedar. We visited with him for a minute, told him what we were doing there. He jogs there twice a week and said he would call me if he sees anything out of line.
Jim and whoever else locks the gate at night – thank you very much. We know it is a thankless and at times aggravating task. But never doubt that it is making a positive difference. One by one our late visitors are learning that the closed at dusk sign means something. And more than that -- slowly our whole community of Hawkins visitors are learning that someone is in charge – and with police back-up when necessary.
See you at the Friends of Hawkins meeting next week,
Shelby and Roberta
Dear Friends of Hawkins,
About 7:30 this morning we walked down the Slickrock Trail to the rim. The veteran -- much vandalized – much maligned “Access by Permit” sign at the top of the stairway leading down to the climbing areas was torn from the post. The culprits then threw it down the slope a ways. We brought it home and will attempt to flatten it out and attach it once more to the post.
We then proceeded along the Rim Route to Patrick’s Point and over to Jackrabbit Lane, up the Lane to the Pueblo, along Ruins Road to Prickly Pear Path and to the parking lot. Except for the vandalism done to the climbing sign, everything else looked good. We saw only one other person, a fellow with his dog.
Along side Prickly Pear Path we enjoyed this web design, but could not spot the designer.
Desert Four O’Clocks like this one were about the only blossoms we spotted this morning.
With more abundant rain this spring the Banana Yuccas are producing more fruit this summer. When I worked for the tribe at Ignacio, some of the Southern Ute elders told me that if these fruits are picked at the right time and then boiled, they taste very much like a banana, sweet and wonderful.
Three-leaf sumac berries are sticky textured and as tart as lemon juice, thus rightfully called lemonadeberry. If you find some of these shrubs (off the Hawkins land) you can gather, wash, crush, strain the juice through a cloth, add water and sugar and enjoy -- a little astringent, but tasty.
What a privilege to visit this site each week,
Shelby and Roberta
