skyislandsarchive-blog

[skyislandsarchive-blog]

Trails, trip logs, and descriptions of (all?) the trails in Arizona. Google Map of trail heads.

[skyislandsarchive-blog]

Coronado National Forest

[skyislandsarchive-blog]

By Peter Warshall

Abstract. --Previous work on biogeographic isolation has concerned itself with oceanic island chains, islands associated  with continents, fringing archipelagos, and bodies of water such as the African lake system which serve as "aquatic islands". This paper reviews the "continental islands" and compares them to the Madrean sky island archipelago. The geological, hydrological, and climatic context for the Afroalpine, Guyana, Paramo, low and high desert of the Great Basin, etc. archipelagos are compared for source areas, number of islands, isolating mechanisms, interactive ecosystems, and evolutionary history. The history of scientific exploration and fieldwork for the Madrean Archipelago and its unique status among the planet's archipelagos are summarized.

[skyislandsarchive-blog]

Vanderbilt's Bioimages Database has a clickable ecoregion map with details of characteristic species, photos, associated habitats, and national forests within a region, in addition to other things. 

[skyislandsarchive-blog]

Butterfly Trail

Length: 11.4 miles round-trip

Difficulty: Moderate

Elevation: 6,505 to 8,263 feet

Directions: From Tanque Verde Road in Tucson, drive northeast on the Catalina Highway for 4.2 miles to the Forest Service boundary and continue 19 miles to the Palisade Visitors Center.

Special Consideration: A $5 day pass is required.

Vehicle Requirements: None; accessible by all vehicles 

Dogs Allowed: Yes (on a leash)

USGS Map: Mount Bigelow 

Information: Santa Catalina Ranger District, 520-749-8700 or www.fs.fed.us/r3/coronado

Follow photo link for a more thorough hike description from Arizona Highways.

[skyislandsarchive-blog]

Phyllis and Weldon Heald were freelance writers who relocated to southeast Arizona from the northeast. They owned the Flying H Ranch in the Huachuca Mountains, and the Painted Canyon Ranch in the Chiricahua Mountains before settling down to write full-time in Tucson. They wrote books, articles, short stories, poems, plays and screenplays. Much of their writing was on the flora and fauna of the Southwest as well as historical sites in Arizona. Before his career as a writer, artist and photographer, Weldon worked as an architect. He wrote several books including, "Sky Island," and "The Arizona Scenic Guide." Phyllis began her career as a playwright and she continued to write plays with her husband. The Healds taught writing workshops at the Southwest Writers Conference in Flagstaff. Later in her career, Phyllis was a writing consultant for writers.

I love that their archive is combined and that they are equally treated.

To Read: Sky Island, The Arizona Scenic Guide

This archive can be found at the University of Arizona Special Collections.