What a great story. I often wondered about tumbleweeds when I was stationed in Yuma. We saw them all the time. We had to be so careful at night because of the little scorpions that crawled up our low cut boots. I’ve always carried a hiking staff with me whe I’m hiking and it has saved me many times. It is about forehead height. I wish I could afford another pair of mountaineering boots like I had for so many years. That is what I used in my cross country skis. I imagine their 500 dollars or more nowadays.
Hit the Thrift Stores or Facebook Marketplace. You never know who has something you need - for cheap! :)