Opuntia bigelovi: Teddy bears point the way to Peak 2881, with the Mazatzals in the background.
- alluvial fan
- alluvia, in the form of rocks and gravel washed down from a
mountain, spread out in the shape of a fan at the base of the mountain.
- arroyo
- a deep desert wash with steep sides.
- bag
- to climb to the top of [a mountain peak].
- bajada
- coalescing alluvial fans form a smooth slope at the base of a mountain.
When you hike across them, bajadas aren’t as smooth as they look.
- bail out
- to climb down from the side of a mountain. Bailing out
is possible when you aren’t cliffed out.
- braid
- when the trail divides into two or more trails which
come together again after a short distance.
- bushwhack
- to hike off trail. Bushwhacking often involves walking
through prickly vegetation.
- butt slide
- to slide down the rocks, as on a slide in a children’s
playground. Control your speed and avoid sliding into or over cactus.
- cairn
- a stack of three or more rocks, used to mark a hiking route.
- caldera
- the crater formed when a volcano collapses into its magma
chamber.
- catclaw
- a small tree of the acacia family, Acacia greggii,
armed with sharp little thorns which snag.
- cliffed out
- you want to climb down the mountain, but find yourself on
the top of a cliff. So you have to bail out somewhere else.
- contour
- to make your way around a peak instead of climbing it.
O.K. if the slope is reasonable and you have good footing.
- exploratory
- a route where the hike leader has never been before. Unless you
are a leader, you’d be surprised how many hikes are exploratory.
- horst
- a large section of rock in between faults but not containing faults.
- lichen
- a plant community of fungus and algae, growing on the
surface of the rocks. Lichens grow in many bright colors.
- rhyolite
- an extrusive volcanic rock composed of fine-grained
feldspar, mica and quartz.
- saddle
- a smooth dip in the ridge between two peaks, with the ground
sloping upward toward the peaks but downward on the other two sides.
- scramble
- to use your hands as well as your feet in climbing.
It’s wise to wear gloves when the hike includes boulder scrambling.
- slickrock
- a solid rock surface to walk on. Dry slickrock isn’t slick.
When the slope is moderate, slickrock is your best hiking surface.
- sweep
- to be the last hiker in the group. A hike leader
often sweeps when the home stretch of the hike is on trail.
- switchback
- to zigzag up the side of the mountain instead of going straight up.
If you are on a trail with switchbacks, stay on the trail.
- Teddy bear
- the most prickly cactus of all, Opuntia bigelovi.
Cute and furry from a distance. When the branches jump, hikers become
unwilling participants in the plant’s propagation scheme.
- tuff
- volcanic ash that has solidified into rock.
- tuckered
- tired enough for the hike to be over, but you have
miles to go. Walk slowly, stopping to rest when necessary.
- wash
- a stream that is usually dry.