Papago Mountains - Phoenix, AZ

This morning we flew from Houston to Phoenix, AZ and checked into the Holiday Inn and Suites for the night.  We drove to
Papago Park and spent the afternoon hiking about 3.5 miles.  The weather was a pleasant 62 degrees and the skies were a beautiful blue.

This tall organ pipe cactus (Saguaro) is one of the defining plants of the Sonoran Desert.  These cactus are large, tree-like columnar cats that develop branches (or arms) as they age (although some never grow arms.  Their growth is very slow.  In fact, one that is ten years old may only be 1.5 inches tall. They can live 150-200 years and grow to be 40-6- feet tall.  When rain is plentiful and the saguaro gets enough hydration, it can weigh from 3200-4800 pounds!