What a relief to step out of the truck into the desert and not be assaulted by the heat! Sadly the weather forecast suggests today is only a brief break from this endless eternal summer.

Barrel Cactus, Cholla, Senna and Arizona Caltrops are blooming, lizards move off the dirt roads at a break neck speeds and a lucky glance at a nearby ridgeline reveals a pair of Bighorn Sheep watching our progress.

The southern section of the Samaniego Hills is surrounded by lightly used dirt roads and cut thru by washes - like the rest of Ironwood Forest National Monument you won't find maps and markers guiding you onto hiking trails, but with a little imagination the area is full of possibilities.