DESTINATION

destination BOYCE THOMPSON ARBORETUM One Man's Oasis Springs to Life at PICKETPOST MOUNTAIN

MOST PEOPLE DON'T THINK OF WINTER as a time for enjoying nature's color. But then most people haven't been to Boyce Thompson Arboretum State Park in the winter, when bright burgundy and coral berries flourish on many of the bushes, and trees vaunt yellow or red leaves. If that comes as a shock, prepare yourself. November visitors to this scenic oasis, 60 miles east of Phoenix, also may enjoy birdwatching, amateur photography in rich winter light, a serene picnic in the cool air and a fine hike. The Main Trail runs a 1.5-mile loopfollowing a burbling creek, curling around great hunks of cliff rock and passing through a grove of Chinese pistachio trees. Which brings us back to color. Even in December, the tall pistachios hang with bright orange, red and yellow leaves, and the ground seems carpeted with fallen brighthued leaves. Add to this the grove's border of pomegranate hedges in fruit, plus the good chance of seeing a sunset-red cardinal feeding on the white seeds of its red fruit, and you truly have a Kodak-worthy show.

Farther along the trail, in Queen Creek Canyon, vibrant strawberry trees wear clusters of orange-red fruit. The berries on the heavenly bamboo bush blaze bright red as well, and the African bush willow's leaves turn a striking burgundy. The sound of water trickling overthe bottom rocks of Queen Creek adds a dimension that could inspire a poet or philosopher. "We really appreciate December here," said Carol Crosswhite, curator of zoology, who, along with her husband, Frank, has worked at the arboretum for 30 years.

"It's the end of the year, a more introspective time, and it's nice to have a peaceful place that encourages that kind of reflection. I love to just sit out and watch the birds and the trees to my heart's content."

The arboretum, the oldest and largest in the state, was founded in 1924 as the Boyce Thompson Arboretum by William Boyce Thompson, a Columbia University-educated mining engineer and entrepreneur. He started two successful copper companies headquartered in nearby Superior.

Although he made his fortune digging in the earth for copper, Thompson also understood the intrinsic value of nature's beauty. His goal for the arboretumnow cooperatively managed by the University of Arizona, the Arizona State Parks Board and the arboretum's own nonprofit foundation-was to preserve and foster an appreciation for plants that thrive in arid climates around the world.

Rambling along the base of Picketpost Mountain, the park today boasts more than 3,000 such species on 100 acres accessible to the public.

The rich plant variety matches the abundant bird population, which numbers more than 200 species. In one December day, a birder reported seeing almost 40 species of fruitand seed-eaters that winter in the Sonoran Desert - including a white-throated swift, a broadbilled hummingbird, a red-naped sapsucker and a hermit thrush.

Bare branches on the arboretum's willow, cottonwood and sycamore trees make it easier to spot, say, a ruby-crowned kinglet, as you walk along the trail. And the relatively small number of visitors during winter months-at least compared to other times of the year - means crowds don't scare off the birds. Some birders say they get better looks at their winged friends at the arboretum than in truly wild settings.

But the same trees look different depending on where they're located on the grounds. The Chinese pistachios in the grove might still have leaves and color, but those down by the creek, where temperatures are colder, will already have lost their leaves.

"You never know what surprises you might find as you walk through," Crosswhite said.

Winter offers opportunities to see small mammals, such as rock squirrels, cliff-chipmunks and Harris' antelope squirrels. Larger predators are less likely to appear in the open, although Paul Wolterbeek, an arboretum employee, recently spotted a bobcat relaxing on some cliffs.

After hurriedly fetching a video camera, he began inching up the rocks to photograph the animal. "I was getting close when an automatic sprinkler went off behind me, and it scared him off," said Wolterbeek, who also saw two bighorn sheep crossing the foothills of Picketpost.

Although its plants lie mostly dormant inwinter, the park's popular Curandero Trail, named for Mexican-American folk healers, also offers a good stroll any time of year. Almost two decades in the making, the trail describes how Sonoran Desert plantssuch as the ubiquitous creosote bush-are used to produce

winter, the park's popular Curandero Trail, named for Mexican-American folk healers, also offers a good stroll any time of year. Almost two decades in the making, the trail describes how Sonoran Desert plantssuch as the ubiquitous creosote bush-are used to produce Herbal medicines. In fact, creosote had so many uses, from alleviating arthritis to stimulating liver function, it was virtually a self-contained pharmacy. Spectacularly tall, the Australian Forest's giant eucalyptus trees tower over the smooth trail. Tagged with the nickname "Mr. Big," one red gum eucalyptus measures 8 feet in diameter and stands more than 140 feet tall. The arboretum tends one of the largest collections of Australian plants in the country, and every January the park sponsors Australia Day, a cultural event featuring folklorist and storyteller Paul Taylor. "The Australian section is a wonderful setting to bring the country's culture alive forvisitors," Taylor said. "I love performing under the gum trees." The arboretum's mountain scenery adds to the allure. Hikers pass Magma Ridge, a mass of stacked, split and soaring rocks bordering the north side of the trail. Some of the boulders form recognizable shapes that delight schoolchildren. One specific configuration resembles a bullfrog when looked at from one end, and a camel from the other. Another stack is the spitting image of either a puppy-kids say Odie from the Garfield comic-or a femur bone, depending on what the viewer's eye and mind might conjure. Picketpost Mountain's larger formation hovers over the south side of the trail, seeming to rise from the far bank of Queen Creek. Its name dates to the 1870s, when the site was used as an outpost, or picket post, of old Camp Pinal, "a blighted and desolate" locale where troops guarded the silver mines. "Forsaken by God and man, it might have been an entrance to Hades," Martha Summerhayes wrote in Vanished Arizona, her classic memoir of frontier days as an Army officer's wife. Today, Picketpost and Magma rank as favorite subjects for amateur photographers, drawn by the way their rocks soar against the sky in clear winter light. "There is a golden quality to the light in December," said Crosswhite. "It casts wonderful shadows on the rocks." These images are another part of what makes the arboretum such a colorful winter treat. AH

UPCOMING EVENTS AT BOYCE THOMPSON ARBORETUM STATE PARK

The park, also called Boyce Thompson Southwestern Arboretum, plans events throughout the year. Call or check the Web site for the details.

ARBORETUM FOLK FESTIVAL November 9, 10 A.M. to 3 P.M. Under the first red and gold leaves of autumn, enjoy live music, by Arizona performers and songwriters along the Main Trail.

FALL COLOR FESTIVAL November 30, 11 A.M. to 3 P.M. Savor the beauty of falling leaves, tasty apple pie and live music, along with arts and crafts for the kids.

AUSTRALIA DAY January 25, 2003, 11 A.M. to 3 P.M. Spend a day "Down Under" as Australian folklorist Paul Taylor spins Aussie tales. Learn how to build and play the Aboriginal musical pipe, the didgeridoo; $35 ($25 to members of the Friends of the Arboretum), and preregistration is needed. Call (520) 689-5248 to enroll.

FLOWER SHOW AND CHOCOLATE TASTING February 14-16, 8 A.M. to 5 P.M. Amid plants and blossoms arranged to communicate the subtle "language of flowers," sample gourmet chocolate. Fee for taste sample.

WORLD DESERT FAIR March 1, 11 A.M. to 3 P.M. Explore the exotic with entertainment, foods and crafts from desert lands circling the globe.

SPRING LANDSCAPING FESTIVAL AND PLANT SALE March 14-30, 8 A.M. to 5 P.M. daily. Tour the Demonstration Garden with a horticulturist on weekend days and shop a wide selection of drought-tolerant plants.

WELCOME BACK BUZZARDS March 22, 7 A.M. to 3 P.M. Toast the return of the park's resident turkey vultures, which migrate from the south to call the arboretum home until September.

HERB FESTIVAL April 12, 11 A.M. to 3 P.M. Enjoy live music and culinary demonstrations of herbal cuisine, along with children's games, crafts, an herb sale and exhibits. EARTH ARBOR DAY April 26, 11 A.M. to 3 P.M. Live music welcomes visitors who come to learn tips on tree care and planting techniques.