Monsoon thunderstorms can roll over the mountain during a summer afternoon, pelting flora and fauna with furious wind, rain, and hail. Javelinas and black bears meander the ponderosa pine forests of the 10,717-foot mountain, foraging for food.
Snakes prey upon mountain spiny lizards as they try to defend their territories from one another.
A hiker would make plenty of noise to frighten bears away. Backcountry visitors would give javelinas and rattlesnakes wide berths to avoid provoking them. And no one would risk attracting lightning by carrying a metal fishing pole along a mountain trail during monsoon season. Woodley is a biology doctoral student at Arizona State University. Her scientific instincts overrule her instincts as a disciplined naturalist.