Mountains in Arizona

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Mountains in Arizona

QUOTES

Ayer notes, “Believed by the Hopi to be the home of their Kachina gods, the mountains are also revered in Navajo culture.”

“The Bradshaw Mountains south of Prescott were once alive with silver prospectors, and the Chiricahua Range was long-time home of the Apaches.”

PARAPHRASE

Original Material

“In the Kofa Mountains north of Yuma (good gem hunting territory) is Arizona’s only stand of native palm trees. Here, on a National Wildfire Refuge, is one of the last homes of desert bighorn sheep.

My Paraphrase

Eleanor Ayer in “Discover Arizona: The Grand Canyon State” notes the significance of different Arizona mountains by highlighting their importance as places of mining and habitation of endangered species.

Original Material

“Forming the edge of Arizona’s high plateau is the 200-mile Mogollon Rim. The rim was lifted out of a prehistoric sea and its high walls of limestone, sandstone, granite and shale today stand more than a mile above sea level. This area was the setting for many Zane Grey stories.”

My Paraphrase

The Mogollon Rim is the defining end of the high plateau and it originated from prehistoric sea. Its rock is made of different materials and it is an inspiration for many stories about the place.

SUMMARY

The highest mountains in Arizona are the San Francisco Peaks found at the north of flagstaff. Humphrey’s peak is the highest point at 12,633feet. The people consider the mountains sacred and they believe to be the home of the gods. The mountains are the last home of the native palm trees in the region and one of the last remaining habitats of the desert bighorn sheep. The mountains have been a source of inspiration for many, including authors, and they have the states largest ski resorts. They are believed to hold some minerals such as gold and silver.

COMBINATION

Original material

“The Bradshaw Mountains south of Prescott were once alive with silver prospectors, and the Chiricahua Range was long-time home of the Apaches. In the often photographed Superstition Mountains east of Phoenix is the lost gold mine of “the Dutchman” Jacob Waltz.”

My combination

According to Ayer, the mountains in Arizona were once the homes of the Native Americans. Moreover, they were known for their minerals, as they were once “alive with silver prospectors” and they were considered the “lost gold mine”.

Original material

“Within the San Francisco Peaks is the Sunset Crater, the 1,000-foot volcanic cone created by an eruption about 1068. There is also evidence of lava flow in the White Mountains, home of 11,950-foot BaldyPeak. Arizona’s largest ski resort, Apache Sunrise, is run by the WhiteMt. Apaches. Another popular ski area (the furthest south in North America) is 9,157-foot Mt.Lemmon in the Santa CatalinaMountains near Tucson

My combination

The mountain peaks are a major attraction in the region. Some of the mountains have evidence of volcanic activities. Tourism seems to be a major economic activity in the region. The local communities are heavily vested in the economic activities, as can be evidenced by the management of Apache Sunrise, which is “Arizona’s largest ski resort.”

QUOTES

Richard Brusca and Wendy Moore observe, “Situated 140 km north of the United States-Mexico border, the Santa Catalina Mountains are one of the best known sky islands”

“I continue to live under the spell of the Catalinas, their great beauty and deep mysteries, and an opportunity to learn about the ecology and natural history of the southwest.”

PARAPHRASE

Original material

According to Brusca and Moore, “On the north side of the Catalina Mountains, most grassland habitats have been converted to “scrubland” by over a century of grazing, giving the landscape a desert-like appearance.”

My paraphrase

Human activity has contributed to changing the environment and appearance of the Catalina Mountains. In the beginning, most of the region of the northern side was covered with grassland. However, humans changed the appearance when they started grazing their livestock in the region. Currently, the mountains do not resemble their past as they have more of a desert like appearance

Original material

“Higher plant diversity in the north-slope sites is likely also due to the greater variety of soil types there, including limestone soils.”

My paraphrase

The northern region contains different types of soils. Soil is important for plant growth. The north region mostly has limestone soils. Some plants use such soils to grow and they will be many in such a region

SUMMARY

The authors describe the different mountains in Arizona that qualify as sky islands. The height and the trees in the region are important in defining the place. The name of the sky islands can change depending on a persons view when looking at the mountains. Hence, the Madrean sky islands, Petran sky islands, and the cordilleran sky islands refer to much or less the same thing. The region covering the sky islands is about 45,000 sq km, 25,000 of which are in the US. The region is a meeting place between two deserts and two mountain chains. That means it has a lot of biodiversity based on the two different environments.

COMBINATION

Original material

“This great cordillera, sometimes called the spine of North America continent, has but one break, a low saddle called the cordilleran gap between the rocky mountains/Colorado plateau and the Sierra Madre Occidental of Mexico. This low-elevation gap is a biogeographic barrier between the high-elevation, temperate and tropical montane biotas of the cordillera.”

My combination

The cordillera is a vast region in terms of its size as well as the natural diversity. The region is referred to as the “spine of North America, mostly because of its position. The different natural environment in the region not only adds to the biodiversity, but it is also considered as a “biogeographic barrier” between the desert and the mountain areas.

Original material

“A mountain range in this region is defined as a sky island if it is high enough to rise above the valley floors of desert scrub or desert grassland. Should they rise above those communities, they will host oak habitats, and if they rise high enough they will also have pine forests and even mixed conifer forests with firs and spruces (a subalpine plant community).”

My combination

The height of the mountain ranges in the region determines their definition. The ranges that are higher than the “valley floors of desert scrubs or desert grassland” are referred to as sky islands. The height of the mountains also determines the trees and vegetation that are abundant in the region.

QUOTES

Fulton Williams notes that “Perishable materials are seldom found in a good state of preservation in open sites and must be sought in places from undue weathering”

“The value of the discoveries lies not so much in the quantity of specimens or any individually unusual features among them, but in the coexistence of the several items.”

PARAPHRASE

Original material

According to Williams, “As the Winchester Mountains and the valley to the south are still in an area primarily important for wild game and grazing rather than agriculture, and as the preponderance of material recovered consists of bows and arrows, it is more than possible that here was a repository for offerings to deities of the chase and hunt.”

My paraphrase

The main activity that people participated in during prehistoric times was hunting and keeping of animals. This was evidenced by the unsuitability of the land for agriculture as well as an abundance of game in the region. Moreover, the tools found in the caves were associated with hunting.

Original material

“It is probable that the cave was occupied to a limited extent by a people predating those whose artifacts were found at the surface level. This seems indicated by the ash residue of many fires, crude manos and metates, and chipped stone…”

My paraphrase

The caves contained evidence showing the tools that the people used. By analyzing some of these tools, it is likely that another group of people lived in the caves for a short while.

SUMMARY

The author describes one of the most profound features of Winchester Mountains. The caves are a treasure full of history and they can help people to understand some elements about their past. The seclusion and isolation of the mountains was convenient for those seeking shelter and refuge. The caves contain a lot of evidence showing the kind of lifestyle that the people led

COMBINATION

Original material

“In the recent past bat droppings have been collected by guano hunters and it is probable that these were the first people, other than those of prehistoric times, to have used the cave for any definite purpose. While it is quite possible that the Apache Indians may have employed the cave as a camp site, there is no direct evidence of their having established it as a permanent abode.”

My combination

Other than people living in the prehistoric times, the guano hunters were some of the early inhabitants of the caves. The hunters used the caves for different purposes. The Apache Indians may have frequented the caves but “there is no direct evidence” that they lived in the caves permanently.

Original material

“This seems indicated by the ash residue of many fires, crude manos and metates, and chipped stone—all found below surface level and unquestionably of earlier origin than the perishable material.”

My combination

The presence of different tools and other forms of evidence including “many fires, crude manos and metates, and chipped stone” show that the people who lived in the caves might have lived there in prehistoric times because the tools were found below the surface level

QUOTES

When describing the beauty of some of the natural features in Arizona, John Annerino observed, “It was a mountain wholly detached from the earth-a magic pillar of granite riding high above dark and angry clouds”

“So this is where God put the West”

PARAPHRASE

Original material

Annerino noted, “Far in indeterminate distance lay the outlines of the mountains. Always they seemed to recede. The plain all but invisible, the wagon trail quite so, the depths of space-these flung heavy on the soul their weight of mysticism”

My paraphrase

 

Original material

“Off in the distance, as everywhere in this desert land, rose the arid mountains, all rock and angles sparsely grown with brush, floating under cloud shadows, dappled with sunlight, colored by superstition and legend”

My paraphrase

SUMMARY

The author describes the beauty of the different physical natural elements found in Arizona. He is awed by the beauty of nature, as he seeks to show how the different features stand out and yet seem to converge when it is convenient. His main form of expression is photography and he includes the sentiments of different people who seem to share his awe as they gaze upon the beauty in Arizona.

COMBINATION

Original material

“It was a mountain wholly detached from the earth-a magic pillar of granite riding high above dark and angry clouds. Lightning briefly played around its base; and then it vanished as quickly as it appeared.”

My combination

The mountain seemed to stand in isolation as it towered above everything else. It was as if it was “wholly detached from the earth” as it stood out in the horizon. It seemed to cover and hide everything that would seem to distract others from viewing it, including the lightning, which only appeared for a moment.

Original material

To my surprise and wonder, I discovered that Arizona and the great southwest offered an immense and diverse landscape of mountain islands that towered high above desert seas…”

My combination

The author was surprised by the vast vegetation and beauty in Arizona. He observes the “immense and diverse landscape” which was present in mountains and the desert.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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