with Coleton Lunt

The geology, flora and fauna, and the chance of spotting one of the deserts elusive creatures is what makes hiking in the Southwest so attractive. The landscape here is mostly red sandstone which is, in my experience, the most beautiful terrain Earth has to offer. The red rocks are literately petrified sand dunes which are around 150,000,000 – 200,000,000 years old. The rock has a rough texture which gives you the best traction you could ask for when hiking. Because of the destructive forces of erosion, these solidified dunes are slowly making their way back into soft rolling hills of sand, therefore, we are in no shortage of red sand which offers every hiker a free exfoliating foot scrub as it fills your hiking boots. Our hikes take you through areas where you are able to view cross sections of these ancient dunes to find obvious signs of mother nature’s forces.

The St. George area is a mecca for geologists who come from all parts of the country to study the landscape. Along side the red rock are basalt, granite and lime stone mountain ranges. There are few places with such a variety of rock in one small area. The geologic events that took place millions of years ago are extremely easy to distinguish. In some areas, the land is apparently stretched just like an accordion. In others, it is bent and folded just as a piece of paper would fold. These slow but powerful forces help us understand just how old and active our planet is.

For how hot and dry it is here, there is an abundance of plant life, beautiful, edible, and medicinal. Cacti comes to mind when thinking of a desert but out here, sage dominates the landscape. Silver Sage, Purple Sage and Big Sage are three of the most prominent and wonderfully scented plants found here. The cacti that do exist produce prickly pears which are great for making jam, syrup, or simply snacking on, if you can get around the slivers and spikes. Cholla cacti are also abundant and are a bushy gnarly cactus which provide protective shelter for the Cactus Wren. Another abundant plant in this area is the Creosote, not to be mistaken with coal tar creosote. The Creosote bush is probably the hardiest plant you will ever encounter because of its incredibly deep roots and resin coated leafs. Creosote is currently being studied as a chemotherapeutic agent for cancer and is more known for its antimicrobial, antioxidant, antiviral and antibiotic properties.

It seems as though this place is the perfect home for lizards, rabbits, snakes, coyotes and many types of raptors, or birds or prey. Among the more rare animals is the Desert Tortoise. Because they are a threatened species and because they spend around 80% of their lives underground in burrows, they are a rare sight to see, but they are here and there has already been sightings of them by a few of our guests and guides. Another interesting animal living here is the endangered Gila Monster. This is one of the largest lizards that exist in the area growing to be 18 to 24 inches in length and are also one of only two poisonous lizards on the planet. They seem threatening with their red and black coloring and a hiss of a snake but they are actually docile and slow moving. As long as they are not bothered, they are no threat to humans.

The night is when most creatures come out of their burrows and into the wild but getting out early in the morning gives hikers a chance to encounter these amazing desert animals. This is just a taste of what to expect when hiking with Green Valley and I feel privileged to have the opportunity to share the desert with others for a job.