Welcome to the Wonderful World of Wild Burros
Wild Burros of the Alamo HMA can sometimes be very elusive, making it a point to stay hidden where they can spy on you. Other times, they appear right in front of you, as if to say, “Where have you been all my life?” This little tale has a bit of both.
The winter of 2019 was a great time to explore the Alamo HMA. Located in the west-central Sonoran Desert of Arizona, the Alamo HMA is traversed by three rivers: The Big Sandy, The Bill Williams, and The Santa Maria. Lake Alamo also fits nicely into the HMA. This is where our adventure begins.
We set out in our canoe from the sandy southern shore, headed to the north side of Alamo Lake, and started our hike into the Rawhide Mountains by picking up a fabulously clear and well-tread burro trail that began at the edge of the lake. We were prepared to forge our own path into this unknown wilderness but decided to make it easy and follow the burro trail!
Unfortunately for myself and my husband, this was the song that played on rotate in my head the whole time: “Follow the burro brick trail…burro, burro, burro….” I’ll stop right there!
The trail led us into a broad dry wash with high craggy cliffs in some areas and rough mountains with ironwood trees and creosote bushes covering the land. Wild poppies nodded their heads in the breeze, lush grasses thrived in the shaded areas of the dry riverbed, and once in a while, a friendly Saguaro appeared around the corner like an old guide pointing us in the right direction. We had been hiking for about three miles and still no sign of wild burros apart from the trail we were on and some random piles of “you know what.”
I could feel them watching me, though. I was convinced of it! It was then we stumbled across a big hole in the dry riverbed about three feet deep with water at the bottom. We had stumbled across a burro well. Not only are burros magnificent mountain climbers with their perfect little hooves, but these hooves also double as a digging tool! These wells help the burros stay hydrated, and other wildlife can get a nice cold drink at this desert watering hole. We noticed other animal footprints surrounding the hole as well as burro prints. Let me just say, wild burros are so smart and thoughtful!
Onward through the wash, we started to hear rustles and rock movement. Could it be we had happened upon some unsuspecting burro buddies? Yes!
They had heard us coming and maneuvered up the banks of the wash, having a commanding view of us. It was the classic stare down. Nobody move! One false move and they could do a perfect 180-degree turn, head off into the bushes, and blend in, never to be seen again. Luckily, they stuck around, and we got a few minutes of company. There was a lot of ear twitching, tail wagging, and cute head tilts.
Alas, with no warning, the pair of burros decided it was time to head up and over the mountain to join their burro band. Trotting off, they stopped, turned, and gave us one last classic over-the-shoulder look, and then it was Bye, Bye Burros.
We headed back down the wash, across the lake, and back to our camp for sunset. We were later joined by a couple of rowdy jacks who kept us up all night long with their burro shenanigans and their bountiful braying melodies, which in turn came back with many vivacious responses from their many burro buds all over the valley, across the lake, and up into the mountains.
It was the perfect day.
Whether I encounter one or a dozen burros, getting the chance to spend time with these intelligent, highly animated, self-sufficient, stealthy big-eared beauties is a privilege. They will most likely see you first. If you get to spend some quality time with them, one way to know they like you is when they do a series of unsuspecting, insanely loud, almost startlingly scary braying bellows. You are now bonded for life and will become an instant burro believer. That’s my experience anyway, and I’m sticking to it! Welcome to the wonderful world of wild burros.