THE LAST OF ITS KIND

Photographs by Joel Hazelton Illustrations by Jacqui Langeland

40 MARCH 2021

In the interest of full disclosure, we've asked photographer Joel Hazelton to tackle some pretty gritty assignments for Arizona Highways. He's camped in the middle of raging monsoon storms, hiked to some of the more remote destinations in the state and photographed in conditions that range from blazingly hot to bone-breakingly cold. And while we're not sure if he's come face to face with any apex predators, we wouldn't put it past him to walk away unscathed if he has. He's that kind of photographer.

“I think the March 2018 wildflower assignment along Interstate 17 had to be very challenging,” says Jeff Kida, our photo editor. “Joel had to scout the flower bloom and then figure out a way to get access for the best photos. And, I think the recent White Mountains-Wallow Fire assignment [for our upcoming June issue] had to be a bit of a challenge as well.” So, with all of those past assignments in mind, we decided to test Hazelton's patience with our wild ideas once more. For this issue, we sent him in search of the northernmost saguaros on three of the state's most frequently traveled highways: Interstate 17, State Route 87 (the Beeline Highway) and U.S. Route 60. It was a challenge that would test Hazelton's logistical mettle.

As it related to I-17, at least, the assignment was a bit of a doozy. That interstate's northernmost saguaro visible from the highway was in the median between the northbound and southbound lanes. Hazelton and Kida placed calls to our friends at the Arizona Department of Public Safety, who assured them Hazelton could park near the Bloody Basin Road exit, walk across the road and hike to his subject. “I learned early on in this assignment that the last saguaro tends to be an outlier not necessarily part of a larger habitat,” Hazelton says. “That was the case with the one on I-17. For the first half-mile or so of walking, cars were whizzing by and it was a little sketchy. Luckily, though, the median widened and I found some

INTERSTATE 17 STATE ROUTE 87

valleys and peaks, along with a bunch of really old relics, such as cans, that have probably been there for ages.” As the sun set, Hazelton realized he needed to hike back to his car. And while he had a headlamp, he worried it would be distracting to drivers. He turned it off and walked back in the dark. “That was sort of interesting — and nervewracking,” he says.

In all, Hazelton made three trips to photograph the I-17 saguaro. He poured the same effort into photographing the saguaros on the Beeline and U.S. 60, too.

The Beeline, in particular, proved challenging because its northbound and southbound lanes don’t run parallel for its entire stretch. Hazelton would think he’d found his subject, only to discover another saguaro farther north — but visible from the southbound lanes. He used GPS waypoints to track his potential subjects, and when he found “the one,” access was much easier than it had been on I-17. “There was a network of dirt roads that I was able to drive to get the shot,” Hazelton says. Similarly, access to U.S. 60’s last saguaro — on the east side of the highway, near Jones Water Campground — was fairly easy. But the cactus itself wasn’t exactly stunning.

“If I’m being honest, I don’t think it was doing too well,” Hazelton says. “It was sad-looking, but luckily it didn’t have any gunshot wounds, as I saw in others. I tried to focus on photographing it in silhouette, and I think I got some good fall color behind it.” In the nearly two months Hazelton spent working this assignment, he learned quite a bit about what is perhaps the state’s most symbolic species. “I think the biggest thing was that they grow on rocky, south-facing slopes,” he says. “And that there are always a few that seem to break the rules and live away from their neighbors.” As you can see, though, Hazelton follows all of the rules of good photography — no matter how gritty the assignment.

This landmark saguaro is in somewhat rough shape, perhaps as a result of growing near the edge of the species' range.