A short
rugged trek and a world away, you might believe you’ve hiked right up to
heaven; where sensory perceptions are pampered and doldrums give way to
astonished wonder as you traverse a realm as unaccustomed to intrusion as you
are to being one.
You could
run across an antelope… or a bear. You may engage in a staring match with a
bobcat across a sparkling stream or have your cap snatched from your head by a
mischievous coatimundi as the song of a red-faced warbler gently guides you
onward through one of the most diverse plant and animal ranges in the Huachuca
Mountains to perhaps behold one of Arizona’s rarest, wild, wild best invertebrates: The elusive Xami Hairstreak!
Try as I
might, I came across only three recorded sightings in the last fifty or so
years, so good luck, folks!
BE ADVISED! This wondrous place I like to call ‘Heaven’s Garden’ is located on one of Arizona’s largest military installations. Therefore, picture I.D’s are required, foreign nationals are not permitted without the company of United States military personnel and the entire area may close without warning due to public safety or national security concerns.
If you go be sure to pack plenty of water and
dress in layers as the weather conditions can change quicker than the flick of
a lizard’s tongue!
Are
you a hiker? Does this sound like something you’d enjoy?
