January 29 - 30, 2022 -- Hillside, Arizona
Report by Joe Orman
![[logoaddress.jpg]](../logoaddress.jpg)
I'd gotten tips on two crested saguaros one a Jeep road near Hillside, so on this trip my goal was to photograph them myself ... and, as always, hopefully find some new ones! As usual, the quest involved a few more of my favorite things: Jeeping, hiking, and camping.
I left pavement and headed into the hills on a cattle ranch road. The canyon I was following was steep-walled, and I stopped frequently to let my binoculars scan the boulder-strewn slopes all the way up to the skyline. My first discovery was a beauty -- this big top-crest, which I got up to only after several hundred vertical feet of scrambling.
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crestedsaguarosociety.org/crested/cryavapai200/crest270.php
On the same slope, I spotted this arm crest. I carefully traversed a few hundred feet over to where it clung precariously to the boulders.
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crestedsaguarosociety.org/crested/cryavapai200/crest271.php
From that vantage point, my binos picked out two crested saguaros in the distance on the other side of the canyon. Driving down-canyon, I spotted a faint double-track heading toward them. But this old road was too rough even for my Jeep, so I parked and hiked into the hills. Before I got to the two crests I'd spotted, I noticed this ring crest among the boulders; a very steep and overgrown scramble brought me up to it.
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crestedsaguarosociety.org/crested/cryavapai200/crest272.php
The next boulder pile held the first of the two crests I'd spotted from the distance; more boulder-hopping and bushwhacking brought me to it.
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crestedsaguarosociety.org/crested/cryavapai200/crest273.php
The second of the two crests I'd spotted from the distance was down below along a wash. You'd think going down would be easier, but the scramble and bushwhack down to it was the worst of all!
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crestedsaguarosociety.org/crested/cryavapai200/crest274.php
By that time the sun was nearing the horizon, so I had to hustle back to my Jeep. After a pleasant night camping beneath the stars, I continued following the cattle ranch road. I soon came to the first of the two crests I'd gotten tips on, this small top-crest just above the road.
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crestedsaguarosociety.org/crested/cryavapai200/crest246.php
The second of the two crests I'd gotten tips on was just a short hike away.
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crestedsaguarosociety.org/crested/cryavapai200/crest247.php
From there, I decided to continue hiking and make a long loop back to my Jeep. Soon I spotted this arm crest.
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crestedsaguarosociety.org/crested/cryavapai200/crest275.php
Nearby I found this mutant / Y / arm crest saguaro.
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crestedsaguarosociety.org/crested/cryavapai200/crest276.php
On the other side of a steep canyon, my binoculars picked out what looked like a crest seen edge-on. After a steep descent and climb, I was delighted to discover that it was a big top-crest.
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crestedsaguarosociety.org/crested/cryavapai200/crest277.php
A ridge walk and a boulder scramble brought me back towards my Jeep. One last crested saguaro ... I look forward to watching it full crest out in the years to come.
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crestedsaguarosociety.org/crested/cryavapai200/crest278.php
Just a stone's throw from my Jeep, I glanced down and noticed this crested prickly pear cactus. In prickly pears, excess cresting growth along the edge of the cactus pad makes the pad twist like a potato chip.
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crestedsaguarosociety.org/mutant/pricklypear/crest8.php
With that, another fun and productive crest-hunting trip comes to an end. As always, thanks for sharing the adventure with me!