36: Last Impression

Patagonia-Sonoita Creek Preserve, Arizona


P A T A G O N I A,  A Z

A black cat crosses my path as I’m leaving the Stage Stop Inn in Patagonia, AZ.  I’m anti-superstitious, so I scoff at the encounter.  But then, thirty minutes later the only bad luck I’ll have in Arizona rears its head.  The plan for visiting the Patagonia-Sonoita Creek Preserve included a promise that the gate would be open for me at sunrise.  When the gate is locked, I immediately think of that damn feline. 

As the sun rises on my last day in Arizona, I wait impatiently.  I have a flight to catch later so I’m hyper-aware of how fast the clock is ticking.  I’m determined to see this property, locked gate or not.  As I was driving in earlier, I noticed another gate.  It too was locked but seemed a lot easier to hop than the barbed one I’m currently deterred by.   After a few more minutes of waiting impatiently, I head back down the road, park where I shouldn’t, and hop that gate.  Before hopping though, I put a note on my windshield declaring who I am and that I’ve been given permission to visit on a day this preserve is normally closed. 

The trail I join is another meander through a Mesquite Bosque.  Like the trail I walked at the 7B Ranch a few days ago, paths through Bosques are one of the loveliest ways of traveling I know.   When I emerge from the Bosque, I encounter an intersection.  With limited time, my choice becomes elemental.  Like other mammals, I’m drawn to water so I choose the river trail which follows Sonoita Creek for a mile, the heart of this preserve. 

This property is The Nature Conservancy’s oldest preserve in Arizona and harbors a lush riparian habitat.  It also contains the largest Cottonwood trees in the country.  At the base of one, I stand and gaze skyward.  The creaking branches and rustling leaves in the light cool breeze, along with dozens of chirping birds flitting among its branches, create a pleasing hum.  I’ve never thought much about the sound a tree makes, but this Cottonwood emanates quite a pleasing cacophony on this early April morning. 

Later, I’m standing creek-side surrounded by an amazingly green canvas – a desert oasis of grand scale.  What a lovely spot.  Standing completely still for a few minutes lets my intrusion ripples dissipate, returning this lovely spot to its pristine level.  It seems the most appropriate way to enjoy this spontaneously found ponder spot.  Though the clock is ticking, I linger as long as I can.  My time in Arizona is winding down quickly, and despite the abbreviated visit, this preserve is such a perfect last impression.     

On my return, in the Bosque again, I’m surprised when I pass a young couple.  We exchange no words; just a nod, maybe knowing we’re both trespassing… but perhaps also knowing the beauty and importance of this property is worth a risky trespass. 

The mortal tick of the clock and a black cat have been the only things to dampen my visit to the Patagonia-Sonoita Creek Preserve.  In fact, over the past six days in Arizona, I can’t think of anything else that has gone wrong.  It’s been an amazing tour in the grandest of all states.  

Mesquite Bosque, Patagonia, AZ

 LEARN MORE ABOUT TNC's WORK AT THIS PRESERVE HERE.  
Location: Patagonia-Sonoita Creek Preserve, Patagonia, AZ

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