It's been hot and dry, so don't get your hopes too high. I live here, and I've been out and seen very little. There are some pretty areas near Scottsdale--you might try going up State Route 87, the "Beeline Highway" towards Payson--there are some nice desert foothills along that route, and some hiking trails. I'd be surprised if you saw anything besides some common feeder type lizards, though, the Tree Lizard and the Side-Blotched--those are always around.



Another area you could try is along the river via Bush Highway, which can be reached from Mesa by going north on Country Club, or east from Scottsdale on Mckellips--I think. There is a fee for use of any of the riverside rec sites, but it's pretty. Again, not likely you'll see many herps.



Unfortunately, to see herps, you pretty much have to road ride and you need to know where to go, and have a few days to devote to the effort. If you can get away to southern AZ, you could have some fun in the southern mountains, like the Santa Ritas south of Tucson, but it's a full day's event, and a bit of a marathon at that.



Gloomy as it is to be responsible, if the cost of gasoline (@$2/gal) is a factor, this is just not a great year for spring herping. It would be a shame to spend lots of time and money and be disappointed.



Boy--what a wet blanket I am! Just go for a nice hike on one of the trails off the Beeline, and enjoy--that's the way most folks find herps here anyway--with luck, you can come back and post that I don't know what I'm talking about--you saw lots of stuff!

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