This past Sunday, we drove from Flagstaff to McDowell Mountain Regional Park. We went from seeing snow covered Ponderosa pines, to seeing Saguaro cacti. It was nice to have warmer weather, with highs generally in the 60s. We spent the following three nights tent camping. Every night, we could hear coyotes yapping as they roamed the park around us. Most of our time during the day was spent cooking, hiking, or reading. We cooked meals in teams, and each team had to plan a few meals, purchase the ingredients, and make tasty food.

On Monday, after breakfast, we packed up the vans and headed to the Scottsdale McDowell preserve, and hiked the Windgate pass trail. On the way up, we taught each other about many of the common plant species. We stopped at Inspiration point for a lunch break, and enjoyed the view. After lunch, some of us hiked a vertical 400ft to the pass, while others continued an additional three miles before completing the loop. After working up an appetite, we thoroughly enjoyed our meal of pasta salad. With some scouting work, we were able to locate a shower facility, and we really appreciated ending the day with a good shower.

Tuesday, we walked from the campsite to get to a three-mile trail loop with a provided informative pamphlet. We were able to identify the Amethyst Mountains, which are featured on the Arizona state license plate. While returning to the campsite, the first group was able to see two coyotes run across the road and into the brush. Upon arrival, the group prepared a nice nacho bar for lunch. As soon as we finished cleaning up from lunch, it started to rain, and most of us spent the afternoon huddled in our tents napping or reading. Although it meant less hiking time, we thought that it was very cool to experience rain in the desert. However, we were not as appreciative of the rain as the night went on, and we needed to make dinner. We were able to find a shelter to cook under, but unfortunately it did not shield us from the pouring rain. Despite the bad weather, dinner crew persevered, and provided the rest of the group with a delicious stir-fry. Then we prepared for our last night in the tents.

In the morning, we had our second botany quiz while on a short hike. Then we proceeded to pack up our tents, and say goodbye to the Sonoran Desert.