Day 3 Kofa Wildlife Refuge – Palm Canyon Road

Whether the coyotes howling in the distance at 4am woke us up or if we were already awake and we heard them…we aren’t sure.  It was very cool.  Another reminder that this desolate place is alive. 

We took another road through Kofa.  The longer we stay, the more we see.  Today we noticed scat, animal tracks, a centipede, lots of butterflies, new wildflowers, a hummingbird, and a Gambel quail. 

Our lunch spot.

These are the guts of a dead saguaro. The wooden ribs once helped to hold the cactus upright. The round pouch that you see is actually a scar. A woodpecker probably drilled a home in this cactus. The cactus formed a scar or a “boot” around the wound, creating a nest for the woodpecker. When the woodpecker moves on, all kinds of other animals make their homes in the abandoned nests.

Did you know that Arizona has a “stupid motorist law?”  If you decide to cross a wash during a thunderstorm and get stuck in a flashflood, or if you go 4 wheeling and get into a mess that requires emergency services and rescue…then you have to pay for it!

I’m not sure if it is dust or the new wildflowers blooming…but I don’t feel very good…going to bed super early with lots of medication…need to feel better tomorrow!