34: Ponder Spot

Ramsey Canyon, Arizona

S I E R R A  V I S T A,  A Z

At the 6,000 foot contour line along the Hamburg Trail, I call it quits.  The altitude and switchbacks have defeated me.  I’m not going to make it to the overlook and back before sunset.  After shaking off my disappointment, it quickly becomes apparent that my stopping spot is a blessing in disguise.  The ravine I’m in is of world-renown beauty.  I take a seat to catch my breath.  When I quiet down, the serenity of my stopping spot turns disappointment into amazement.  Though I don’t have the clear view the overlook would have provided, I can see Sierra Vista in the distance through the trees.  I suddenly feel the loneliness I was hoping for.  An hour ago, I entered Ramsey Canyon Preserve and charged straight back as deep as I could in hopes it would afford a slow, sunset-chasing walk back out – and hopefully a walk out devoid of all other canyon visitors.  From my resting spot, the loneliness and quiet are only disrupted by bird activity – which is in full force around me.  I sit as still as possible and become orinthologic. 

After a long pause of pure bliss at my serene resting spot, the slow walk out begins.  It’s a thriving stroll past a foraging coati, a flock of ostrich-sized turkeys, and a docile herd of Coues whitetail.  Every now and then a hummingbird whizzes by.  I branch off on a side loop to one of the grandest views in the Huachuca Mountains.  It makes me forget about the unreached overlook.  All the while, the golden light of sunset is leading me out.  It’s one of the best mile walks I’ve ever experienced. 

My room for the night is at an inn right beside the trailhead; still well within the beauty of Ramsey Canyon.  For dinner, the last thing I want to do is leave this canyon, so I forego a trip to Sierra Vista and simply eat the snacks from my backpack… and an amazing slice of berry pie provided by the innkeeper.

Next morning, I return to the trail, but this time I’m accompanied by one of the very best Master Naturalists in southeast Arizona.  Ted Mouras leads our group of ten slowly back into the canyon pointing out amazing facts.  We walk past a 700 year old juniper grove and one of the biggest trees in the state.  We learn about evaporating rain and survival strategies of yucca.  He speaks frequently of the cycle of life; especially the summer monsoon season and how critical it is in a harsh environment like Arizona.  In dramatic fashion, when the tour ends, Ted leaves our group and heads into the woods up the switch-backing Hamburg Trail headed toward my serene resting spot from last night.

At breakfast, before we left on our Ted tour, a regal looking older gentleman was talking about his travels.  He was very thoughtful and deliberate in his speech.  He likes to visit what he calls ponder spots – places of meaning such as a gravesite or a unique geographic feature.  He goes there simply to feel the essence of the place.  I thanked him for bringing such a meaningful new phrase into my vernacular. 

Though I didn’t have the appropriate phrase for it at the time, I have certainly encountered plenty of ponder spots over the past few weeks as I’ve been visiting Nature Conservancy properties.  Some ponder spots have been visited intentionally – such as the Mesquite Bosque at the 7B Ranch or the cold air vents at Ice Mountain - but some just fall in your lap like last night at the 6,000 foot contour line. 

My two walks into Ramsey Canyon have been brilliant experiences.  The canyon’s incredible beauty, vibrant wildlife, and plentiful ponder spots have left a deep impression.  Ramsey’s essence is amazing.  

LEARN MORE ABOUT TNC'S WORK AT RAMSEY HERE.