What: Wildflowers, Cacti and Birds - Photo Shoot to Peridot Mesa and Boyce Thompson Arboretum
When: Thursday, 28 February 2019 (subject to change based upon when flowers are in bloom, could be plus or minus a week or so). Departure time is planned for 5:00 am with arrival back in Sun City Grand at about 5:30 pm
Where: Peridot Mesa on the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation and Boyce Thompson Arboretum, AZ
Photo Shoot Leaders: Richard Coles & Dennis Hilgar
Who: On a first come/first served basis group size limit of 16 Club Members.
Degree of Difficulty: This photo shoot is appropriate for photographers of moderate fitness levels who can readily handle a long day, moderately strenuous activity such as being able to climb 35 stairs consecutively, have good balance, plus walk without difficulty at least 1.0 mile over loose or uneven surfaces with occasional steep slopes. Altitudes will range to 3,000 feet. We will be walking over a dirt road or uneven ground with protruding rocks.
All participants are expected to be able to carry their own camera, personal gear and water. Temperatures in are expected to be about 40F to 65F.
Photographers will ‘be on their own’ to wander about exploring and photographing, returning to vehicles without delay at agreed upon times.
Food/drinks: Please bring enough water and snacks to stay hydrated and energized.
Camera Equipment Requirements: Any and all cameras you would like to use for a fun outing. Smartphones, point & shoot, DSLR’s, opportunities for a variety of lenses. Knee pads or gardening pads and bean bags will be also be useful to enable kneeling/sitting on the ground while taking photos. Helpful but not essential things to take are tripods, polarizers, reflectors, diffusers, flash, as well as lenses (macro, wide angle, telephoto).
Suggested Reading: 10 Tips for Improving Your Flower Photos and A Guide to Getting Great Wildflower Photos
Clothing: Peridot Mesa is totally exposed to the sun with no shade and generally rocky so hats and proper hiking footwear are required, no open toed shoes or sandals. Weather/temperature appropriate, layered clothing along with sunscreen, hats, sunglasses.
Itinerary: Enjoy a trail walk through a very unique terrain carpeted with Mexican Poppies and other varieties of flowers that is populated with Saguaro and other cactus varieties. The Peridot Mesa vent is a part of the San Carlos volcanic field located in San Carlos, AZ on the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation. The mesa is about 1.9 miles in diameter and is capped by a basalt flow 10 to 20 feet thick that originated from a volcanic cone located in the Southwest corner of the mesa.
We anticipate arrival at Peridot Mesa about 8:30 am and we plan to leave Peridot Mesa at 10:45 am.
We plan to eat lunch at a Judy's Cook House between Globe and Miami at 11:30 am. Exit Rte. 60 at Russell Rd. and take immediate left up the hill into their parking lot. Immediately after lunch we will proceed to Boyce Thompson Arboretum. (40 min away)
We plan to leave Boyce Arboretum at 2:30 pm.
Conditions: There are no restrooms at the Peridot Mesa site so our restroom stop will be at McDonald's along the right side of the highway in Globe because they have better restroom accommodations.
We will also stop a short distance from this, at Circle K on the left side of the highway in Globe, where each participant must obtain a $10 recreation pass for access to Peridot Mesa. Each person has to be processed separately and each will need to present a drivers license. This is a time-consuming process which is why we are departing SCG at 5:30 am.
Estimated Fees: Admission fees Peridot Mesa $ 10.00 per person per day, fees Boyce Thompson Arboretum $ 12.50 per person. Actual fuel cost to be shared by participants in each vehicle for the round trip is estimated per person to be $8.00. Lunch individual tab.
Car Pools: High clearance vehicles only are required, each capable of holding a driver plus 3 participants. We will meet in the parking lot outside of Angela's at 4:45 am to form car pools and depart at 5:00 am. Use the parking lot on the south side of Remington drive farthest from the restaurant.
Review: TBD
Registration Deadline: Monday, 25 February, 2019 and please indicate if you are willing to drive. We will draw from the waiting list if there are cancellations.
Registration: will be available starting Sunday, January 27, 2019
Note: This shoot is dependent upon good weather and may be cancelled if inclement weather is forecast or if there is insufficient interest.
