To begin the 7.5 mile hike down to the river, we woke up at 4:15 AM to get a head start on the impending heat expected at the bottom of 95 degrees. The morning temperature was predicted to be 35 at the village, but we were slightly lower in elevation and it felt more like 45. The sky was overcast and the …
Grand Canyon Hike Pt. 1
A group of friends and I recently completed a three-day hike on the South Bass Trail, staying two nights at the Colorado River and in the Canyon. We arrived a day early to allow for extra time to get to the trailhead via a 30 mile dirt road requiring a high-clearance vehicle in places (easy work for my trusty 4Runner). After dinner, …
Watson Lake at Sunset
Watson Lake is a picturesque place of curious granite boulders, high desert plant life, and reflective waters. During mid-day, the sun brightly reflects off the rocks, but during sunset with dramatic clouds overhead, the raking light of the sun sets the rocks aglow. During this particular evening of May 20th, 2011, the lake was in complete shade as the sun …
Tonto Natural Bridge State Park
Tonto Natural Bridge is a hidden gem in Arizona. It is a state park and worthwhile spending a few hours exploring. We only had one hour, so we hiked the steep 1/2 mile into the canyon to get under the bridge. It resembles an outdoor cave with mineral deposits and petrified moss/lichen formations. A spring from above rained on our …
Horton Springs
Horton Springs Trail is fifteen miles east of Payson. I’ve driven past this area so many times without stopping and had no idea the beauty that resides there. It is at the Upper Tonto Recreation Area; picnic spots, camping, hiking, and places to play in the creek. At the start of the trail, there was little or no water in …
Grand Falls
I always wanted to check out the Grand “Chocolate” Falls, recently mentioned in the Arizona Highways Magazine as looking like something out of Willie Wonka. To our dismay, it was dry! We hiked down to the water to get a closer look and the kids didn’t mind the water. There was plenty of thick, juicy mud probably from recent silt deposits. …
An Expressive Tree
I have always been attracted to gnarled, deformed trees. I like a tree that is scary, mysterious, and alive. This oak was found near Lynx Creek while hiking, just north of Lynx Lake. The arms of the tree are twisted and look like tentacles searching for a victim. Maybe I should write fiction, it would certainly be a nice break from …
Aspen Creek Trail (Winter’s last revenge)
This latest storm brought snow to the Prescott area, but we couldn’t just sit on our duffs this weekend. I have free time on my hands! I have about another week of waiting for feedback on my thesis draft. Instead of stressing about how my reviewer may not like my writing, we just had to get outside (even if our …
Spring has Sprung!
Spring is in full swing in Prescott! Despite the windy weather, the warm air and blossoming trees are sweet smells easily uplifting me out of the brown/cold winter. Our tulips and daffodils have opened, attracting my camera and lovely butteflies. Our pear trees in our backyard are shimmering in a white veil of blossoms, swarming with bees and attracting butterflies …
Hiking Badger Springs
Hiking to the Agua Fria River on the Badger Springs trail on a windy Saturday was a way to catch more allergies and check out a new place. This was a small reward after working 2 weeks on my thesis, a day trip to the Agua Fria National Monument. The hike down to the river was an easy one mile. …