Sabino Canyon....

Yesterday we spent several hours at Sabino Canyon. It is a really beautiful place to spend time and we always go there at least once on every trip. The canyon is a mixture of low desert trails to walk and a road leading up the canyon that can be walked or you can ride a tram or a mixture of the two. The tram ride allows you to get on and off as often as you want and is good for all day as long as you don't go back to the beginning. We usually ride all the way up and then pick somewhere on the trip back down to get off and walk between several stops. This is an example of the low area where the trails are before getting on the tram. We had to wait for the next tram....there was the biggest crowd that I had ever seen there, which was unusual......so I wandered around a bit nearby.
Found this little lizard that is missing his tail, but it appears to be growing back.
Was surprised to spot a Robin in the tree! Just like back home :-)
The views from the tram are spectacular and I can't do justice to them with a few photos. There are numerous bridges like shown here that you cross over and if the snow melt and rains were heavy then there is water over them that you must walk through or take the tram across....we did both.

Some hikers headed across a bridge. The water is very cold! I love being in the canyon when there is lots of water....that much more beautiful.

The combination of rocks, water, and the vegetation keeps you clicking away constantly! I took about 300 photos :-) Mike took his usual 50....he is more discriminating about what he shoots.

This is called Anderson Falls.

The rock croppings would be a geologist's dream.....stunning and interesting.

Large white rocks reflecting in the water.

The rocks are a type called Gneiss (pronounced "nice"). The stripes in them can be really lovely.

More rocks....when the sun hits them they sparkle and really look beautiful.

Along the water areas there are Cottonwood, Palo Verde, Mesquite, Sycamore, Willows......making a very varied landscape with the cactus and rocks. This trip there were also wildflowers all along the road and in patches up in the rocks. There are trails along the water and up the canyon sides for the hearty hikers.

This Lesser Goldfinch(?) was doing something on this tree. It has a bit of fluff in its mouth and there looks like there might be a hole below it. Someone came walking through and scared it away, so this is my best photo.

A view upwards toward the top of the canyon.

I really like the rocky areas around the water.

Reflection

Water rushing over the bridge. We waded across at least 3 bridges, but it is worth it to see the beautiful water areas.

Tiptop of the canyon.

My best bird find....a Ladderback Woodpecker....new to me. We saw and heard numerous birds but not always where they could be photographed :-)

Another shot of the male....

....the female joined him on the other side of the tree.

They were rather striking to see!

Mike had some nice close-ups and other things and I have more photos so I will put more on tomorrow. We fly back to Nashville tomorrow afternoon. Then drive home on Saturday. I will try to set up some sort of posts before leaving. I still have all my cactus shots and some more bird shots of ones I have already shown. Today is cooler with a chance of rain.....never seen rain here. Don't know what we might be doing.