Valley View Overlook Trail

I'll admit, I'm pretty smart, but sometimes things don't come together for me immediately. For example, with a trail named "Valley View Overlook", you might expect to see a view of the valley below at some point during the hike. And yet, those things did not come together in my brain until just now, as I was typing the name at the top of the page. So, spoiler alert, you're gonna get to see photos of a gorgeous valley view! Keep reading...

We all know that I'm directionally challenged so I often have no idea where I'm heading until I consult my friend Google. She told me to go down the same road that I took to get to Signal Hill a couple of hikes ago. This time I took the next turn and headed up the mountain and ended up on a one-way dirt road. Without the option to turn around, I didn't bother stopping to check and see if I was headed in the right direction (Why, yes! I have in-fact gotten lost while following directions from Google. Thanks for asking!) Eventually I came to a crest with a few cars parked on the left. I slid into the last available spot, grabbed my gear, dusted off my shoes, and hit the trail.

This is another spot where I was hoping to catch a glorious desert sunset, so I arrived at the trailhead late in the day. The sun was low in the sky and the clouds had already started the show. Knowing that this trail is out-and-back, so I wouldn't miss anything if I didn't turn around, I moved along the path pretty quickly...well, pretty quickly for me. It helped that most of the trail was terraced so there weren't any loose rocks to trip on.

I know I said that I didn't need to turn around because I was taking the same trail back, but I did anyway. You never know when you might miss something on the way back because the light hits differently. Of course I stopped, and I turned around, and I talked to the cacti and the birds and the people passing by.

On a side note, I met this darling elderly woman with a huge walking stick (huge, like 7 feet tall) and the cutest hat with a giant brim. I stopped dead in my tracks and said, "What an amazing hat!" Her reply was, "Thank you, and it's perfect because my name is Hattie!" And then she told me all about her hat band that was made out of can tabs, pretty twine, and beads. Her energy was amazing, and that brief interaction will stay with me for a long time. Sometimes that's all it takes, my friends. A quick hello, a genuine complement about the smallest thing, and you get to have a wonderful memory that makes you smile.

So back to the hike. It's winter here but there hasn't been much rain. Good for me because I don't have to hike through mud or wait out a monsoon. On the flip side, everything is pretty dry and brown and there aren't a lot of leaves on the bushes. Still, the desert plants are really unique and amazing. I came across ocotillo, mesquite, palo verde, and lots of others that I don't know the name of.

The saguaro definitely took center stage; one guy looked like he was a dinosaur sitting on his tail with really long legs, another was standing tall displaying the apartment complex that the birds had built on his trunk, and a couple down the path looked like they were a green ghost and a skeleton trick-or-treating together. But my favorite cactus of all was the most adorable teddy bear cholla at the end of the trail that looked like a 52-point fawn with fuzzy little antlers. Yes, I know that's now how antlers work but look at the picture and tell me that's not what you see. Thought so...you're welcome.

Speaking of the end of the trail...holy cow!! When I head out on a path, I really try to focus on the journey, on the things near me, on the view I get to admire as I'm moving through a new space. I am rarely thinking about what I'm going to encounter when I get to the end. Sure, if I had paid attention to the name of this trail, I probably would not have been so surprised. Surprises are not really my thing, except this kind. I'll take a surprise like this view any day of the week.

Spectacular, right? I have to admit, that's a pretty good picture. I mean, I was there, and I'm still mesmerized. Of course, there was a bench placed in front of this perfect view. So I sat down and took it all in. No matter where you are, the ocean, desert, mountains, or forest, if you step away and find a quiet spot to just be with nature, she will soothe your soul. As you speak to her, Mother Nature will send a breeze to carry away your burdens. She will breathe her energy back into you and fill you up. All you have to do is be still and silent for just a moment.

So I practiced being still and silent and watched the sun set on another day.

The only complaint I have about hiking in the Saguaro National Forest is that all of the roads close at dusk. I would love to sit and watch the clouds change their colors as the sun dips further and further below the jagged horizon. Instead, as she slipped just below the clouds on the other side of the mountain range, I headed back the way I came. On my walk out, I was sure to stop and look back to see if there was any sort of encore. I don't know why I would question that, there always is.