Harsh, Hot, and Beautiful; for Skywatch

We go early. We wear sunblock, hats, and sunglasses. We carry walking sticks and water. 

We watch the trail carefully for all the slithering, stinging, and biting creatures who live in the desert. 

We admire the volcanic vistas and rejoice in the immense desert skies overhead. 

We know that anything could be over the next rise: A badger, a javelina, a tarantula, a rattlesnake. 

Not many people, though.

It's harsh, it's hot, and it's beautiful in the Chihuahuan Desert. 

For skies in all kinds of places, be sure to visit Skywatch Friday. 

Meeting the Rattlesnake: What Happened Next

The "park" part makes it sound so tame, doesn't it?

Yesterday I was telling you about my son Ben and his first ever meeting with a rattlesnake. In the wild. On a trail.

Beez and Ben: Ready for anything

When he heard the rattling and saw the coiled snake a couple of feet in front of him, Ben's first reaction was to back away quietly. His second was to trot back down the trail to get Beez and me so we could come and take pictures.

After we took a bunch of photos, we continued carefully past the snake and on up the rocky trail to finish our walk. Thinking about the possibility of that rattlesnake having a few relatives in the vicinity, and realizing now just how hard those well-camouflaged guys are to spot, we walked loudly and clunked our walking sticks ahead of us, every step of the way.

Such a rocky trail. So many possibilities.

And then I remembered that in all the excitement of getting a photo of a for-real wild rattlesnake, I had left my bottle of water behind on the trail.

On the trail on the other side of the rattlesnake.

You must realize that we were out hiking in the desert in the summer. It was early in the morning, but the sun was getting hotter with every step. I needed that water. So, my good son Ben volunteered to go back through the snake's territory for the third time to get my water and meet us back at the beginning of the trail.

Third time's the charm. As Ben told us later, he cautiously approached the spot where the rattlesnake had last been seen resting in the shade of some sage. He was tiptoeing along, hoping to get by without disturbing the heretofore patient snake. Just as he came up to the very spot where the snake had first rattled at him, four things happened simultaneously:

1. His cell phone vibrated in his pocket

2. A disembodied robotic voice said (also from his pocket), "You have now walked three miles"

3. Ben's body rose several feet up into the air, and...

4. He involuntarily shouted out with the shock of all these things happening.

He tells us that while he was still airborne, he realized that the snake might be startled by all these goings-on. Why, that snake might even have lost patience, what with all the recent disturbances in his quiet desert home.

Here's my favorite part: With admirable understatement, Ben said when he landed that "he decided to run a little bit."

We don't know what the snake thought, but here is his picture again.

One of the heroes of this tale
(remember, click any photo twice to enlarge it)

*****

By the way, if you are in the mood for more snake adventures, you just might want to read Mr. Zee Goes Up, which appeared on this blog way back in 2008.

The Intrepid Naturalists Meet a For-Real Rattlesnake

Click to enlarge

We took our son, visiting here from New York City, for an early morning hike at the Chihuahuan Desert Nature Park the other day. We brought cameras and binoculars and cell phones; lots of water; hats, sunglasses, and sunblock to protect us from the sun, and hiking sticks.

When Ben wondered if he really needed to carry a stick, we just smiled and said, "Snakes." We said snakes in the way that people will who are real desert amateurs and have never seen a rattlesnake outside of a zoo and who wonder to themselves about the efficacy of hiking sticks in snake country.

He believed us and brought the stick along. Good thing, too.

Now he really believes in walking loudly and carrying a big stick. The stick preceded him by a step and startled a rattlesnake, who politely rattled to let Ben know he should stop and look around. Note that the sound was the first indication of the snake--this guy was so well camouflaged that I found it hard to see him, even when I knew he was right in front of me.

Ben came back down the trail to get us and we approached cautiously to take photos. The sun was glaring on the camera screen and I wasn't sure what I was getting, but I snapped away blindly and hoped for the best.

He was such a polite and patient snake.

Tomorrow: What happened next...

The Intrepid Naturalists Explore the Desert at Night, Part 1

Dusk in the Chihuahuan Desert Nature Park

Picture the empty desert and then, picture yourself out there walking around in the darkness. A few years ago, you would never have found me in this situation--but I guess I can still surprise myself.

Last Saturday night we attended a really special event called Nighttime in the Desert, which was held at the Chihuahuan Desert Nature Park, a 935-acre site northeast of Las Cruces. The Asombro Institute for Science Education, which is responsible for the park, works to foster scientific literacy in children and adults by teaching them about the desert, its plants and its animals.

We arrived in the parking lot at dusk after a trip down a five-mile dirt road and were greeted by the Executive Director, Dr. Stephanie Bestelmeyer. Dr. Bestelmeyer wants to see people get excited by science, and she and her staff and volunteers make sure that happens as they share their knowledge and enthusiasm.

The beginning of the trail was lined with learning stations, starting with a hands-on display that explained how meteorites impact landforms. The presenter, whose day job was at the nearby Johnson Space Center, and his 5th grade son were fascinating people who really knew their stuff and were ready for an evening of explaining meteorites to adults and children.

That learning station was only the beginning. The evening to come was to be filled with one new experience after another, for an amazing night of desert education.

Next: What can you find with a black light in the desert night?

The Intrepid Naturalists Explore the Desert

We've just discovered the Asombro Institute for Science Education near Las Cruces. I liked the more descriptive former name, the Chihuahuan Desert Nature Park, but no matter what it is called it is still wonderful place to visit, especially if you are a fan of the desert and of endless views of the surrounding mountains.

Located east of the city, the 935-acre park is near the Doña Ana Mountains and overlooks the Jornada Basin, with vistas that also include the San Andres, San Agustin, and Organ Mountain ranges. In high rainfall years, the runoff water from the entire basin accumulates in the emphemeral Isaacks Lake, forming a very shallow lake that quickly evaporates.

Auntie Bucksnort and I got off to a fairly early start this morning, because we are working on getting ready for the coming desert heat of spring and summer, when we know we'll need to do our explorations either early or late in the day. The park is probably only a 20 minute drive from our house to the last turnoff, then a leisurely (but bumpy) additional six-mile drive down a dirt road.

There is a parking lot, a shaded picnic table with an amazing view, and bathrooms at the trail head. Near the parking lot is a xeriscaped memorial garden, a short "Desert Experience Mini-Trail," and the beginning of a longer (1.5 mile) Desert Discovery Trail. Everything is labeled along the way so that you can enjoy your self-guided tour of the Chihuahuan Desert.

Along the Desert Experience Trail, with the Organ Mountains just coming into view

A view of the Organ Mountains and the Jornada Basin

This was one of the quietest places I have ever experienced. Except for our own footsteps, the only other sounds we could hear were the wind through the creosote bushes and some happy little desert birds trilling in the distance.

***

If you go: Wear long sleeves, sunscreen, and a hat to protect yourself from the sun. Take water, binoculars, and a camera. We thought that shady table by the parking lot would make a perfect place for a picnic. Hours and directions are here.

***

From the Institute's home page:

"Asombro" is the Spanish word for “wonder,” which is exactly what Asombro Institute programs bring to the thousands of children and adults who participate each year. The Asombro Institute for Science Education (formerly the Chihuahuan Desert Nature Park) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to increasing scientific literacy by fostering an understanding of the Chihuahuan Desert. To achieve this mission, we currently serve more than 14,000 K-12 students and 2,500 adults in New Mexico and West Texas with inquiry-based science education programs each year. Programs take place in classrooms, schoolyards, and at the 935-acre Chihuahuan Desert Nature Park site located north of Las Cruces, New Mexico.