RV tip: How to start a conversation

March 27, 2010

It’s simple. Carry a butterfly net!

We were hiking Pima Canyon in the Catalina Mountains in Tucson, Arizona. We had gone on a weekday as reviews had advised. Trail head parking was minimal with no street parking allowed and the parking lot at 10 a.m. was close to full. We started up the trail- like a cattle chute- a narrow strip fenced on either side to take you through private property that borders the beginning of the trail. Shortly, though, we got into the Pusch Ridge Wilderness in the Coronado Forest. If you don’t look behind you, civilization drops away.

We had gone less than a mile when we spotted two men, one with a butterfly net. He was chatting with other hikers. As we went by, George asked, “Lepidoptera?” I heard Doug answer, “How did you know that?” and the conversation began. (Lepidoptera is the large order of insects that includes moths and butterflies. George knows that from fly fishing.) Tom, the other man, was also interested in caves and bats and used nets for catching bats as well as butterflies. Handy device! And a good conversation starter.

We hiked with them for about a mile, spotting a few butterflies and learning names of various flowers and plants along the way.

It clouded up so wasn’t a good day for seeing butterflies, but we did see a couple of other species and enjoyed Pima Canyon. The hike follows and crosses the stream flowing out of the mountains. We made it to our goal – a small man-made dam. Tom told us it was put in to provide a year-round source of water for bighorn sheep, which frequent the area. With a number of pools and shaded areas, we could see why it would be a popular family hike.

It is interesting seeing the upland Sonoran desert next to a riparian or stream-side environment. Tall cottonwoods cluster in the mid section of the hike where water is plentiful. Above you can see the spring runoff right up against prickly pear cacti.

There are nice rocks for lunch at the destination. Stop at the Sprouts and Whole Foods right off Oracle a short ways south of where McGee turns off Oracle – if you want to grab trail mix or a wrap for lunch for your hike.

George’s Keenes or hybrid shoes turned out to be a good choice since we had to cross the stream about a dozen times. Don’t let the Sierra Club description of “easy” fool you. Ask “easy” compared to what. It was about 3.2 miles to the dam with an 850 foot elevation gain. A hiking stick is good for working your way over the many rocks along the path.

Tom had told us to look for a crested saguaro on our way out. We spotted it as we approached the edge of the wilderness- a rather elaborate one. I also found a fallen saguaro. As you can see from the roots- or lack of them – they don’t have an extensive root system. Most of their roots are small and near the surface to grab surface runoff as it comes by.

A very interesting hike- so close to Tucson as the photo near the start of the hike shows – yet round the bend you could be a million miles away. I like those kind of hikes.

And, there are two morals to this hike:

1. Carry a butterfly net and you’ll find all sorts of people to talk to.

2. Talk to a person carrying a butterfly net and you’ll be surprised at what you can learn. We got suggestions for other places to visit plus learned about butterflies and flowers.

Of course you can substitute other items for a butterfly net – anything out of the ordinary. Whether you carry the item or strike up the conversation, you connect with local people and learn more about the area – part of the benefits of RVing and experiencing different areas as we travel. Jaimie Hall Bruzenak