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(upbeat rock music) (inspiring music) The Sonoran Desert.

On first glance, it's arid, rugged, and desolate, but just look a little closer, and it's absolutely teaming with life.

Thought to be one of the most biodiverse deserts in North America, the Sonoran Desert is home to more than 2,000 species of plants, 350 birds, 60 mammals, 100 reptiles, and dozens of species of amphibians and native fish.

Through blazing hot summers, freezing winters, and long droughts, life in the desert continues to pulse, and creatures and plants alike call the Sonoran Desert home.

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(upbeat music) - When you're near water, designate a water watcher.

- A water watcher stays distraction-free and focused on those in the pool.

- Help prevent drownings.

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(birds chirping) (upbeat music) - Rising from the desert floor, Tom's Thumb is a unique rock formation that overlooks the McDowell Sonoran Preserve.

A common area for hikers and rock climbers alike, the McDowells are also home to hundreds of plants and animals that thrive in its desert landscape.

The Tom's Thumb Trail is a four-mile trail with 1,217 feet of elevation.

This trail can be fairly difficult because there's a lot of loose gravel along the way, so make sure you come prepared.

Tom's Thumb can be seen from around the Valley.

No matter where you are, you can pretty much spot the thumb sticking straight up out of the McDowell Sonoran Preserve.

This is a pretty popular hike in the Phoenix area, so maybe you've even thought about hiking it yourself, but have you thought about all the different plants and animals that call this preserve home?

We're gonna learn about ‘em today.

(upbeat music) What's so fun about being in this preserve is that it's home to numerous species of plants and animals.

And in fact, come here.

I wanna show you something.

This is a home right here of a cactus wren, our state bird.

They will make numerous nests.

We can see quite a few of them throughout this cholla.

And they do that to throw off their predators, so you don't know which one they actually live in, except we do.

We just saw one fly out.

Lucky us, but that's what's so amazing about being out here, is you might see a lot of critters.

And one of the creatures that lives out here is the desert tortoise.

Hi, Jessie.

- Hey, Kristen.

- It's so good to see you again.

- You too.

- I love talking about the tortoises.

Where are they?

- Well, tortoises are all over the preserve because it's great habitat, but they're kind of hard to find, so let's see if we can find one today.

- Okay, let's do it.

(upbeat music) Jessie, what is the goal of this research?

- The goal of this research is overall to understand the Sonoran desert tortoise population and be able to conserve it into the future.

So, we study things like tortoise movement in and around the preserve and what barriers to movement there might be.

We identify important habitat.

And we also keep track of the health of the population with annual health assessments and checking for things like diseases and illnesses.

- Wow, and it takes all of us being aware that they're even here when we're out hiking.

- It really does.

It's a group effort.

- Jessie, how many tortoises are you tracking out here?

- In the whole preserve, we track about 20 tortoises at a time.

They're distributed around the preserve in different areas.

We have the northern section of the preserve, the southern section of the preserve, some places that are near urbanization, other places that are more internal to the preserve.

- Why do you track them?

- Well, it's really interesting to learn about animal movements.

It can tell you a lot, not only about the species, but about the habitat itself.

So, by watching the tortoise movements, we can identify critical habitat to the tortoises and suitable habitat around the preserve, and then we have an idea of what areas need to be protected most when we're thinking about tortoise conservation.

- When I think about the research you're doing, I picture hikers seeing a tortoise cross the road with this thing on their back and going, "What is that?"

- Yeah.

- So, of course, the primary concern would be, do they feel the tracker?

Is it harming them at all, or do they just not even know it's there?

- Yeah, so the tracker itself is about yay big, and we put it on top of the carapace or the shell with plumber's epoxy.

It's very, very light, and the tracker itself doesn't bother the tortoise at all.

- Okay.

- We put it on the side of the shell, so it doesn't get caught really on anything, but the plumber's epoxy is actually the best because it's really secure, but if push comes to shove, it'll pop off.

- Okay.

- And that's what we want.

We want the tortoise to be able to get through any sort of circumstance and pop off the transmitter if needed.

- So where are they?

- Well, they could be all around, could be down low, but also even up as high as this mountain.

They'll get under the burrows and really go very deep, especially in the wintertime.

They'll go that high.

(upbeat music) (inspiring music) - [Kristen] Jessie, this looks like an important piece of what's happening out here.

And I'm hearing something too.

What is all this?

- Yeah, so this is actually how we find the tortoises.

So each of our tortoises are equipped with a radio transmitter, which basically means it emits a frequency that we can pick up on this equipment.

And so this helps us triangulate their location.

The closer you get to a tortoise and the right direction, you're going towards the tortoise, the louder the beep gets on the telemetry equipment.

And so we have to keep it up high trying to get over any sort of obstacles like boulders that can mess with the frequency, and really trying to get an idea of just kind of the cardinal directions.

Where is this tortoise going, and what direction do we need to follow?

And as we get closer, we can kind of narrow down exactly the location.

- So right now, what is it telling you?

- Right now, it's telling us the tortoise is this way.

- Should we go?

- Yes, let's do it.

- [Kristen] All right, let's do it.

(upbeat music) Okay, and we're all clear to go off trail since we're with the expert, right?

- Yeah, so for this research project, we're permitted through the Arizona Game and Fish Department to handle tortoises and the City of Scottsdale to go off trail.

The City of Scottsdale actually owns the land of the preserve.

We just do the research and let them know the best management actions to take.

- Yeah, you're really out here in the elements.

- Yes, it's where the tortoises are.

- It's not snake season right now, right?

- No, it is not snake season right now.

But even if it were and we saw one, we would just give it lots of space and let it go about its day.

- What is the interaction like with the tortoises and the rattlesnakes in the preserve?

- You know, we actually find them using the same borough sometimes.

- Oh.

- Yeah.

Any place that's good for a tortoise may also be good for a snake.

So the telemetry unit says she's somewhere around here, and this is perfect tortoise habitat, and there's a couple known burrows in the area, so that makes a lot of sense.

- Great.

- So we're just gonna get closer, and the telemetry will tell us exactly where she is.

- I cannot wait to see what we find.

This tortoise has some prime North Scottsdale real estate here.

- Yes, absolutely.

This is a perfect tortoise borough.

It's got a nice front porch.

It's got a wash out the front yard with all the food it needs, areas where water collects.

It's pretty much the best place to be as a tortoise.

So tortoises are a little smaller than humans, and they live in dark places and far back into the burrows to regulate their temperature.

So in the winter, they'll go in burrows to stay warm.

In the summer, they'll go in burrows to stay cool.

So unfortunately for us, that means we gotta get down and dirty to get these tortoises.

- Okay.

- So I'm gonna take my backpack off, and grab a flashlight, and see if we can find her.

- Let's go.

- Okay.

- [Kristen] So she's up in here all the way?

- [Jessie] Yeah, so I'm looking over, and I'm seeing some tortoise scat over here and over here.

I think she might be up all the way.

Do you wanna take a look?

- [Kristen] Oh.

I see her.

- Yeah.

- [Kristen] Wow.

Sorry for shining the light on you.

- [Jessie] I know, she's kinda sleepin.

- Oh, she's so pretty.

- Yeah.

- [Kristen] Man, she just blends right in.

I would not have ... I mean, not that I was gonna go looking in a hole without you, but even knowing what I was looking for, I don't think I would've seen her without you telling me she was there.

- [Jessie] Oh yeah, with the telemetry equipment, we, all the time, will just step right around or over the tortoise and have no idea it's there.

They blend in so well.

- [Kristen] What do you know about her from looking at her?

Like, does she look healthy?

How would you know if she wasn't?

- [Jessie] Yeah, so we actually have years of data on her health.

And so we check them every spring.

And as far as we know, she's had a very average to good body condition score.

So you can check the top of their head to see if they have lobes of fat, or if it's more emaciated.

That's one way to tell their condition.

We had a couple hard years where there was not a lot of rain, and so a lot of our tortoises were struggling a little bit, but this past year with all the vegetation and all the rain, they're looking really good.

- [Kristen] That is such good news.

That was amazing to see up close.

Thank you so much- - Oh, you're so welcome.

- For showing us that.

Jessie, you mentioned that the tortoises can find all the vegetation they need really right here, right outside her front porch.

She has all this, including some berries.

Would a tortoise eat that?

- No, so tortoises mostly eat grasses or wildflowers or desert cinom.

This is wolf berry.

It's actually edible to humans.

If you do taste it, it tastes a little bit like tomatoes.

And over behind you, we have chuparosa, and that tastes a little bit like cucumber.

So it's not just tortoises that make a life out here and survive out here.

So does any other type of life.

- How do you balance our desire to recreate out here with the need to protect these animals?

- Yeah, it's a delicate balance.

So we wanna find a way for humans and wildlife to coexist.

We want people to be able to come out here and enjoy the preserve and recreate at their leisure, but also have a safe place for wildlife to thrive.

And so there's a couple different things we do, such as having certain areas of the preserve that are only for wildlife, like off trail.

Also for the work that we do, we try to identify really important pieces of habitat, that way we can tell the City of Scottsdale not to put a trail over that habitat or near that habitat so we give wildlife the space they need.

- And you actually have a situation that's developing right now on Tom's Thumb where your work is resulting in some change, right?

- Yes, so we had a couple tortoises that got harassed by humans last year, and they got their equipment taken off of them.

It's actually illegal to harass or handle a tortoise.

They're protected by the state, but mostly it also can be a harm to the tortoises themselves.

These tortoises were at a drinking surface, which was right by a trail, and that's how people saw them.

And tortoises move very slow.

So what we're trying to do with the city, we're in conversations with them to reroute the climbers trail as well as change some signage.

That way, the tortoises can coexist with the humans that also want to climb in the preserve.

- Wow, well, it's very clear that the work you're doing is making a huge difference in the lives of these tortoises, and thank you so much for teaching us about it today.

- Oh, you're so welcome.

Well, I gotta go check on a trail camera.

- Okay, well you do that.

We gotta tackle Tom's Thumb.

- Sounds good.

- Bye.

- Bye.

(upbeat music) - One of the things that is so great about hiking out here in the McDowell Sonoran Preserve is you can see that the trails are very well maintained and they are really well marked.

Plus, an added bonus is that the McDowell Sonoran Conservancy has stewards out here.

They can educate you and point you in the right direction, if needed.

(upbeat music) Not only is this trail steep, look at this loose gravel.

This makes it really, really slippery, and I would not wanna be caught on this trail with the wrong footwear, and this is gonna really slow me down on the way back.

(upbeat music) ♪ Oh, oh, oh ♪ Oh, oh, oh Come over here.

I wanna show you this cute rock formation, and you may be thinking, "Can rocks be cute?"

Well, you tell me.

These are called the Kissing Rocks, and you can see why.

It really does look like they're kissing.

You can find this just off the trail at the Prairie Falcon Outlook, and they also serve as a window to our destination.

Do you see the thumb?

(upbeat music) There it is.

We made it to the thumb.

You know, what I love about making it up here is that I see this formation from all around the Valley, and it feels really special to climb all the way up to it.

♪ Oh, oh, oh This was actually a pretty challenging trail, but well worth it, because the McDowell Sonoran Preserve, it always delivers.

Now, we're gonna go check out another unique rock formation.

(upbeat music) Tortoises and other creatures often huddle in caves, small holes, and burrows to survive the heat and cold of the Sonoran Desert.

About an hour and a half southeast of Tom's Thumb is a trail with a stunning feature where humans have taken shelter from the sun or rain.

Next up, the Wave Cave Trail.

This is gonna be so fun.

The Wave Cave has become so popular in recent years because of social media, and everybody wants their photo surfing on that wave formation.

What you don't see in those photos, though, is the plant life and all of the rock formations around this area that sustain life in the Superstition Wilderness, and that's why we're bringing in an expert.

This is Arizona State Park Ranger, Sara Toms.

Sara, thank you for being here.

- Oh my gosh, thank you for having me.

We are going to have the most amazing hike.

We're gonna learn so much, and you can actually see the cave right up there where we're going.

Are you ready to go?

- I'm ready.

- Let's go.

(upbeat music) - So Sara, for people who don't know, why is it called the Wave Cave?

- Well, it's a really cool rock formation.

The Superstition Wilderness is filled with them, but this one, in particular, is actually shaped like a wave.

Erosion has made it that way, and people come to take pictures like they're surfing.

That's why it's such a draw out here.

It's not a far hike, as we talked about, but it's a really cool wave formation.

- I have a feeling it's gonna get a little tricky towards the end.

I'm not fully buying that it's pretty simple.

- It is gonna go a little bit up, but not horrible.

I promise you.

- Okay, we'll see.

- It'd be super worth it.

- Sara, what is that clustered up in the Palo Verde tree?

- [Sara] All right, are you ready for this?

- I think so.

- Mistletoe.

- No way.

- Yep, it's mistletoe.

A lot of people don't realize that.

They love the Palo Verde.

It keeps them safe.

- Wow, that was the last thing I expected you to say.

- [Sara] Yeah, it's mistletoe, and if you look, they've got four little bunches of them up there.

- Wow.

- A lot of people just think they're like a weed or a vine.

It's mistletoe.

- So do they grow in other trees out here or just the Palo Verde?

- They really like the Palo Verde.

- Wow.

- I haven't seen them in any others.

I've mainly seen them in this type of tree.

- Now, while this tree sustains life, I have heard that it can actually be dangerous, if you burn it.

Is that true?

- Yes, it absolutely is.

So you never want to cut down and burn a Palo Verde.

The smoke is very toxic.

It can produce arsenic and mercury.

And if you do burn it, the ash itself can be toxic as well.

So you have to be very careful.

- Wow, I had no idea.

- Yeah.

So a lot of places you'll hear, you know, don't cut down native wood.

Don't cut down this tree.

Definitely don't burn it.

It's not safe.

Everyone talks about the saguaros are so old.

This tree can live up to 400 years.

- Wow.

- And one of the reasons they can, if you look, they really don't have leaves, but everything is green because they can photosynthesis without leaves.

That keeps them alive during drought.

It keeps them going on for years and years.

Everything in the desert has these little spines.

It's to protect themselves.

- Yeah, it's a- - That's why it has it.

- [Kristen] "Don't mess with me."

- "Don't mess with me, don't burn me."

- Okay, but we learned a lot.

- Yeah.

- Thank you for everything you're giving the desert.

- Yeah.

- [Kristen] Let's see what else we can find.

- [Sara] Of course.

(upbeat music) - This beautiful yellow flower, I used to think was a daisy, but it's not.

What is it?

- It is part of the sunflower family.

This is a brittle bush.

It's a really, really resilient desert plant.

During the summer when it's really hot and no water, it'll look dead.

It'll look like a weed, and then the tiniest drop of rain, boom.

We get this beautiful flower happening.

- That's what I love about so many of our desert plants is you could literally think they're dead, and then a little bit of water comes, and they just spring right back to life.

I love the color that this adds to so many hikes in Arizona, but it's had some pretty significant uses other than just being beautiful, right?

- In the early 1900s, this whole area was filled with cowboys.

They would use this plant as a toothbrush.

There's also a resin it creates, and they would use it as gum.

- [Kristen] Okay, now that I'm touching it, I kind of feel how it could be used as a toothbrush because it is, it's really thick And it's kind of furry and fluffy feeling.

- [Sara] Isn't that neat?

- And now I know that if I forget my toothbrush, it's okay.

- There you go.

- I can just grab one here.

- You can just grab one right there.

- I wonder if it's dentist approved.

- [Sara] Absolutely.

(upbeat music) - Okay, I see a split here.

It looks like there are three different ways we could go.

Which way?

- Okay, so the best thing you can do before you go on a hike is look at a map.

So I looked at the map before we came out here, and I know that trail takes you over to the Peralta side.

That trail is gonna take you towards the Hieroglyphic Trail.

That trail will take you up to the Wave Cave.

- Perfect.

- Yeah.

(upbeat music) Okay, you see this right here?

- Yeah.

- A lot of trails will have something like that indicating don't go that way.

Even though this is clearly a trail, you shouldn't go that way.

Someone has marked it off.

To direct us in the right trail, you can see anything like rocks, big boulders, railroad ties, anything that will block a trail.

- It's like the hiking equivalent of a do not enter sign.

- Exactly right.

(upbeat music) - We are working for this photo at the Wave Cave because this part is tough, Sara.

- It is tough, but one of the big things about this hike is we have an ocotillo.

- My favorite desert plant.

- Mine too.

- I love these.

- I love the ocotillo, and I got a pretty cool fact about ‘em.

A lot of people don't know this, but they are distant relatives to the blueberry.

The blueberry?

- Blueberry.

- No way.

- Isn't that crazy?

- [Kristen] That is really crazy.

I love how full of surprises the Sonoran Desert is.

- When it's drought, they look dead.

- They look like they're dead, and then they have that shallow root system so they can just suck up the water real quick.

- Yeah, and then we get this.

- I love it.

- Beautiful.

- So impressive.

- So beautiful.

(upbeat music) - You know, this started out feeling like a nice little nature hike, and now we have a lot of elevation gain in a very short amount of time.

- Yeah, it has been a challenge, but super worth it.

(upbeat music) - Wow, it's much different, actually, than I expected because it's massive.

- [Sara] It's huge.

- I didn't think it was gonna be this large, and especially the cave scooped out back here.

I thought it was just like the tiny area right behind the wave.

- I did too.

This is massive.

- Wow.

- Really cool.

- It is really impressive.

I can't get over the just sheer size.

- [Sara] It's massive.

- I hear an echo in here when I talk.

It's so large and it's so cool in here.

- It is really much colder in here.

Very protected from the elements.

- Yeah, I feel like a nice breeze, but if it was stormy outside, you would want to be in here.

I mean, this could be such a great place to protect animals, people, whoever could find shelter here, and there's more water up in here.

It's even pooling down here.

So the perfect water source in with your protection.

- There's been many people who sought shelter in here, and even though we call this the Wave Cave, it's also called the Apache Kid Cave.

And the legend goes, The Apache Kid in the late 1800s was a scout, got into some trouble, and hid out here.

- Ooh, good hiding spot.

- Yeah, if you think about this, you have the view of the Valley.

- Yeah.

- So you can see anyone coming.

- Total vantage point.

- We have water, shelter, and a hard hike.

- Wow.

- People aren't gonna come up here.

- Yeah.

- Really cool.

- You'd have to really earn it if you wanted Apache Kid.

- Absolutely.

And I like to say, you know, the mountain has a lot to say.

What does this cave have to say?

(upbeat music) - Hey.

- It's like we're in California.

- I love it, but you know what?

I actually don't love the ocean.

I like being on solid ground, so this is perfect for me.

(upbeat music) Okay, I don't know how to surf, but I think it's something like, like, yeah.

How about that?

- How's my form?

- It's great.

Youre, you're a natural.

- Do I look like I have any idea what I'm doing?

(upbeat music) - Hang 10 right?

- Think of all the people who've got to come up here and surf.

- I know.

- How many times this place is touched and changed, or whose first hike was this, or who got engaged up here?

Aww, right?

- That's so special, Sara.

- And all the things.

- Think of all the people who'd never experienced the outdoors, but they came, and they were intrigued enough by seeing those photos on social media that they had this experience for themselves, and it just takes one hike to change somebody's life and get them to care.

- That's it.

And you never know.

I meet a lot of people who are older who say, "I did this one hike and it changed my life."

- Yes.

- "And now I'm a hiker, and I wish I would have done this when I'm younger."

- And those are more people now who are exposing other friends to it, other family members, and the more people we have out here appreciating these areas, the more people we have in the fight to protect our public lands.

- Absolutely right.

- Yeah, so if you post a picture, you never know who you're inspiring.

- You never know.

(upbeat music) - Often when we're out here hiking, we wonder, "How does so much life find a way in our harsh desert climate?

But on these trails, we learned the desert provides.

Thank you so much for joining us on this episode.

We'll see you when our paths cross again on "Trail Mix'd."

We did it.

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(upbeat music)