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Biological Soil Crust: Holding the Place in Place

Tuesday, August 12, 2014 by The Hike House Leave a Comment

Despite its rugged appearance, Red Rock Country is a sensitive and limited living system in need of your help to sustain and enhance it. In this fragile desert, plants grow slowly and are easily trampled, and soils wash away from the impact of thousands of human footprints. Many popular areas have become crowded and show signs of damage to vegetation, cryptobiotic soil, water, archaeological sites and wildlife habitat.

Although the soil surface may look like dirt to you, it is full of living organisms that are a vital part of desert ecosystems. The large, black patches of dark, knobby, brittle crust are actually a cryptobiotic crust. Communities of soil crust are made of lichens, mosses, cyanobacteria, liverwort and fungi. The crust prevents erosion and retains water and minerals for plants. Without this veneer of life within the soil crust, the red rock landscape which Sedona is famous for would become barren sand dunes.

Even a single footprint off-trail on fragile biological soil crust can have a long-lasting effect on the desert ecosystem. Because most living crust biomass is concentrated in the top 1/8th inch (3 mm) of the soil, even small impacts have profound consequences. Crushed crusts contribute less nitrogen and organic matter to the ecosystem and the soils are left highly susceptible to both wind and water erosion. Recovery may take up to 250 years in places of lower rainfall, assuming an area is not again disturbed.

These crusts are found all over the world and they generally cover all soil spaces not occupied by trees, shrubs or grasses. In many areas, they comprise over 70% of the living ground cover and are crucial in reducing erosion, increasing water retention, and increasing soil fertility. In most dry regions, these crusts are dominated by cyanobacteria (blue-green algae), which are one of the oldest known life forms. These living organisms and their by-products create a continuous crust on the soil surface that helps, well, hold the place in place. They are also an important pioneer stage in succession on bare ground, thus enabling grasses and herbs to become established.

Soil loss due to rainfall and water movement is increased when cyanobacteria connections are broken. This is particularly problematic when the impact is in a continuous strip, such as a vehicle or bicycle track, because channels for water flow are quickly formed, especially on slopes. Soil crusts are also important in the absorption of rainfall. This function is especially vital in arid areas that experience sporadic, heavy rainfall, like the Southwestern United States during the summer monsoon. When it rains, the organisms and their mucilage absorb up to ten times their volume in water and then release the water slowly into the soil once the rain ends.

Moreover, because plant cover is sparse, crusts are an important source of organic matter for desert soils. Organic matter is an important food source for organisms that live below the soil surface and who help keep nutrients available for plants by decomposing plant litter. Cyanobacteria and cyanolichens contribute nitrogen to soils, which is especially important in desert ecosystems where nitrogen often limits plant growth. Indirect benefits to soil health also are evident.

Many human activities are harmful to biological crusts. The crusts are no match for the compressional stress caused by footprints of livestock and people or by the tires of bicycles and vehicles. You may ask yourself, ‘What Can I Do to Preserve a Healthy Desert Ecosystem?’ When you are outdoors, whether you are hiking or biking, stay on established trails. Creating new trails destroys the fragile biological soil crust, desert vegetation and animal habitat.  If you must travel off trail, choose slickrock, gravel or sand surfaces. At trailheads, do not go beyond piles of rock, logs or fences. These have been placed to prevent further damage. You may also consider volunteering for trail-maintenance crews and learn techniques for repairing unmaintained trails. It is only through our diligent efforts and respect for the land that we will be able to preserve this beautiful, ever-changing desert ecosystem for future generations to appreciate.

Filed Under: Miscellaneous

Capturing Sedona’s Beauty

Tuesday, August 5, 2014 by The Hike House Leave a Comment

Capturing Sedona’s Beauty: Taking the Best Sunrise & Sunset Photographs

As the summer sun tumbles out of the sky, just before it dips below the horizon, Cathedral Rock turns ablaze in golden-fire red. The tall sandstone walls catch the day’s last rays of sunshine, accentuating the structure and texture of these petrified sand dunes. Indeed, few places rival the sheer splendor of a Sedona sunset or sunrise, especially during Arizona’s monsoon season.

From July through September, these almost daily storms form and produce spectacular atmospheric conditions. Paying close attention to the weather can yield great results for a photographer. The leading and trailing edges of a storm provide an almost theatrical excitement. Dark thunderheads roll in, teasing the parched earth with its fleeting promise of rain.Occasionally, a beam of sunlight will burst through towering cumulus clouds to produce a brilliant glow, painting the land in otherworldly colors.

Hiking with a camera in Red Rock Country can make for a rewarding experience. When I hit the trail to photograph the outdoors, I hike more thoughtfully and with a deeper sense of respect and appreciation for the land. Sedona has long been a favorite subjectfor serious landscape photographers to shoot, and as I have discovered, it is also a great place for amateurs to experiment and hone their skills. While almost everywhere you look is scenic, different times of day certainly offer better light and conditions for images. Red Rock Country is most photogenic in the ephemeral moments before and after sunrise and sunset. Many photographers refer to this time; the transitional light of dawn and dusk, as ‘magic light’ or ‘sweet light.’ Taking photos in early and late light can provide shadowy backgrounds for strongly lit subjects, yielding exposures that render richer color saturation.

If you’re like me and struggle to get out of bed any earlier than you absolutely have to, then waking up before sunrise can seem like a chore. But once you capture just one spectacular sunrise image, you realize that losing a little sleep is a fair sacrifice. You’ll be up before the day’s first light more and more, seeking to capture the majesty of a Sedona sunrise. But if you want to capture the sandstone formations alight in a fiery blaze, turn your back to the setting sun and point your camera east. Many of Sedona’s prominent red rock formations like Cathedral Rock, Courthouse Butte, and the Twin Buttes all stand tall enough to turn glowing orange in the last few moments before sunset.

In addition to packing all the outdoor necessities, be sure to bring a reliable light source or headlamp so you can safely navigate the trail once it starts to get dark. An almost calming twilight envelops the sky after the sun sets. But then it lights back up with brilliant colors, providing the opportunity to make photographs with a lot more mood. This is one of my favorite times to shoot. Whether you are an amateur photographer or a contributing editor for National Geographic, take a hike on a trail in Red Rock Country and bring your camera. You will not be disappointed. Happy Trails!

Yavapai Vista Trail

Reasons to hike: A series of short loops and easy climbs start at the Yavapai Vista trailhead and offer up-close views of Bell Rock and Courthouse Butte; all from the much less crowded west side of HWY 179.

Total Distance: 1.25 miles

Difficulty Rating: Easy-Moderate

 

Doe Mountain: https://thehikehouse.com/trails/doe-mountain-trail

Reasons to hike: Doe Mountain is a small mesa in the Dry Creek area that provides breathtaking views from a route around the perimeter. It’s short and sweet and gives you the little elevation needed for sweeping red rock views.

Total Distance: 1.4 miles (+ about 1 mile if you follow the trail around the perimeter once on top).

Difficulty Rating: Easy-Moderate

 

Scheurman Mountain Vista: https://thehikehouse.com/trails/scheurman-mountail-trail

Reasons to hike: This trail is definitely among the less traveled in Red Rock Country. A short climb to a vista overlook provides some of the best elevated views of Cathedral Rock, Courthouse Butte, Gibraltar/Lee Mountain and the Twin Buttes.

Total Distance: 2 miles

Difficulty Rating: Moderate

Filed Under: Miscellaneous

Monsoon Season in the Desert Southwest

Sunday, July 20, 2014 by The Hike House Leave a Comment

Cumulus clouds tower above like giant cotton balls inching across the Sedona sky. Cooler temperatures, moments with shade, and drizzling rain are all a welcomed respite from the dry heat of the Arizona sun. Hikers and photographers hitting the trails in Red Rock Country during monsoon season are often rewarded with sights of unrivaled beauty. But just as one minute an ethereal light paints the sandstone cliffs a fiery crimson and copper, swiftly approaching thunderheads looming large on the horizon threaten lightning, high winds, dust, and torrential downpours. In addition to being prepared while outdoors, it is important to be aware of potentially dangerous hazards like the chance of extreme weather conditions, to remain safe.

The National Weather Service designates June 15 as the first official day of the monsoon, and September 30 as the last day. It is worth noting that the monsoon is not an individual storm, but rather a large-scale weather pattern, which cause these summer thunderstorms. The term “monsoon” derives from the Arabic word “mausim,” which means season. Merchants of antiquity navigating the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean used it to describe the seasonal change in wind direction caused by temperature differences between the sea and land across the Tropics.

Following excessive heat, flash floods are the number two weather-related cause of death in the United States. Monsoon-generated rains frequently exceed rates of one inch per hour. This causes substantial runoff and rapid flooding of normally dry washes and other low lying areas. It is not uncommon for some arroyos or dry washes to rise as much as several feet in a matter of minutes. These flash floods can be even more dangerous in areas where forest fires have denuded the mountain slopes of vital vegetation and can cause walls of both water, mud, and other debris, to violently rush downstream. Earlier this summer in Sedona, where one such devastating forest fire has already scorched large parts of the Canyon along Oak Creek, residents and visitors spending time outside must be prepared for any inclement weather in order to stay safe.

Since the Slide Fire occurred, there have been concerns regarding flooding as well as emergency preparedness. In addition to having a family emergency plan and adequate emergency supplies, including food and water, residents are encouraged to sign up for CodeRED Emergency Alerts. CodeRED is an emergency notification system that serves both Coconino and Yavapai County. Public safety officials can remotely send recorded emergency information to a large majority of residents to alert in the event of wildland fires, neighborhood evacuations, road closures, natural disasters, and any other theoccurrence that may affect public safety.

If you have any questions regarding your emergency preparedness, contact Sedona Fire District at 928-282-6800.

All area residents may register their phone numbers by accessing CodeRED for Coconino County at http://www.coconino.az.gov/index.aspx?nid=207

Sedona residents may access the City’s system at www.sedonaAZ.gov. Go to “Sign Up for Emergency Alerts” on the center of the page.

Yavapai County residents may access CodeRED at www.regionalinfo-alert.org. Go to “Emergency Notification System on the right side of the page.

Flash floods are not the only monsoon-related weather danger. During the months of July and August, the monsoon region in the desert Southwest becomes the most active area for lightning in the Western Hemisphere. While total safety from lightning cannot be assured, knowledge and good judgment can help you reduce risk.

Consider the following tips for a safe outdoor experience:

 

  • Before you hit the trail, monitor weather conditions through the NOAA Weather Radio or another news source.
  • Be mindful of swift wind shifts, rapid cooling of temperature and increasing wind velocity. These are signs for thunderstorm activity.
  • If you are hiking and a storm hits, avoid washes, large bodies of water, narrow canyons with steep slopes, and other low lying areas. At the same time, it is important to stay off mountain peaks and ridges.
  • If there is lightning, do not huddle closely together with other people. Spread out. Instead of sheltering under a single tree, head to a heavily wooded area. Be sure to avoid wide open areas as you do not want to be the tallest object around.
  • If your hair starts to stand on end, that is a sign of electrical energy and you may be about to be struck by lightning. As a last resort, drop to your knees and cover your head.

The National Park Service has compiled a list of 10 Summer Hiking Essentials along with additional advice to ensure a fun and safe outdoor experience. Hiking in monsoon season can be one of the best times to hit the trail all year, but do not rely on your physical strength alone; hiking smart will take you much farther.

Filed Under: Miscellaneous

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Hogs Trail

Wednesday, May 18, 2016 1 Comment

Hogs Trail One of the most underrated areas in Sedona is Munds Wilderness. Many people in the past would take on this area because the predominant trail for this area, Broken Arrow, is adjacent to a heavily traveled jeep road. A new day has arrived…while you still must hike a portion of Broken Arrow to get to Hogs, the trail departs from the … [Read More...]

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