Happy Halloween

Petroglyphs

Apache Spring.

The walls were covered with Hohokam petroglyphs dating back to 1100.Many showed wildlife in the area, and some seemed to hold spiritual relevance. And some were just a mystery.

Superstitions

I hiked the Hieroglyphic Trail today.

Tahoe was a real trooper considering it was almost 90 degrees.

We boulder hopped up to some old Indian petroglyphs.

Top 20 Hikes around the World

Here's my list of favorite hikes that are not in Arizona. Again, these are all hikes I have done and loved. It was really hard to rank them because they are all so different.

1. Tahoe Rim Trail – Lake Tahoe
2. John Muir Grove – Sequoia
3. Buckskin Gulch / Wire Pass – Paria Canyon
4. Upheaval Dome – Canyonlands
5. Coyote Gulch – Grand Staircase Escalante
6. Damnation Creek – Redwoods
7. Alkali Flat Trail - White Sands
8. Bumpass Hell – Lassen
9. Manuel Antonio – Costa Rica
10. Delicate Arch – Arches
11. Baker Lake / Glacier Loop – Great Basin
12. Cascade Canyon – Grand Tetons
13. Mount Washburn – Yellowstone
14. Half Dome – Yosemite
15. Queen’s Garden – Bryce
16. Sliding Sands Trail – Haleakala
17. Mills Lake – Rocky Mountains
18. The Narrows – Zion
19. Angel Falls - Venezuela
20. Watchman Trail – Crater Lake

Top 20 Arizona Hikes

I had some time to kill on my last camp trip because I ran out of crossword puzzles, so I decided to make a list of my favorite hikes in Arizona. I only included hikes that I have actually done, and they are not necessarily the most famous or popular hikes. I chose ones that are exceptionally beautiful, fun, or unique. Here they are.

1. Highline Trail – Mogollian Rim
2. Grant Cabin Loop – Blue Ridge
3. Bear Mountain - Sedona
4. Thompson Trail – Black River
5. Secret Canyon – Sedona
6. Heart of Rocks – Chiricahua Nat. Monument
7. Salome Canyon – Salome Wilderness
8. White House Ruin – Canyon De Chelley
9. Grant Creek – Blue Range Primitive Area
10. Escudilla Mountain - Escudilla Wilderness
11. Seven Falls - Tucson
12. Brookbank Trail – Flagstaff
13. Peralta Trail - Superstitions
14. Woods Canyon Lake – Payson
15. Lava Flow Trail - Sunset Crater
16. Pass Mountain – Usery Mountains
17. Bull Pasture – Organ Pipe Nat. Monument
18. Antelope Canyon – Page
19. Bluff Spring Loop - Superstitions
20. Palm Canyon – Kofa Mountains

Kitchen Help

Boulder likes the warm oven.

Hey, can you hand me that tupperware bowl?

Salome Creek

The steep, smooth canyon walls require either rappeling or swimming in order to negotiate the entire length of the canyon. Tahoe was against both, so sometimes we had to climb up and go around particularly difficult spots.

I think I saw this frog last year. He's smiling, so he must be glad to see me too.

Tahoe had a blast boulder hopping and splashing through the water.

I found the perfect tent spot on a flat and sandy rock outcropping. At dusk, I fed the fish (they like peas and noodles) and watched two bats flutter through the canyon.

Salome Wilderness

You know it's fall when the ocotillos turn yellow.

It was almost 90 degrees, so I was happy to reach water.

The smooth granite walls were beautiful.

Tahoe and I went for a dip in the clear pools.There were lots of small fish, and I saw one of them eat a wasp which landed on the water.

Roosevelt Lake

A hawk flying over the lake at sunset.

This is the southern view of the Sierra Ancha Wilderness / Experimental Forest. ASU students do a lot of research there regarding wildlife, habitat, wildfire recovery, etc.

Naturally, I camped right on the edge of a large mesa overlooking the lake. You can see all the dry washes leading into it. This lake used to be the Salt River which the Indians used to cultivate crops.

I forgot to bring a can opener, so I had to pry the top off with my knife, and I was also low on fuel, so I warmed it the old fashioned way. Normally, I don't bring cans because it creates cumbersome garbage for me to tote out of the wilderness. Actually, Tahoe carries the garbage out in his backpack, but don't tell him.

Sierra Ancha Wilderness

I have never seen this before. Sharp wooden points protruded on the inside of the log where the branches grew from the tree. It looked like a pine tree, but I'm not sure.

This is the Aztec Peak lookout. I climbed to the top, but it was locked.

Wow! I could live here. Someone put a lot of time into building a gigantic fire pit, two arm chairs with cup holders, a side table, and a picnic table with four benches - all made out of huge boulders.

This is the view from my arm chair. I could see the rugged valleys, ancient channels, and the Pinaleno Mountains in the distance.

Research Park

It's finally cool enough to go to the ASU Park again. Tahoe couldn't wait to reunite with his duck friends.

Red dragonfly.

Wild Weekend

Josh and Cowboy went duck hunting this weekend.

Tahoe got to eat a pear. He loves any type of fruit.

Look at what I found when I came home! Tahoe hasn't done anything like this in a long time, so I think he missed his brother and got bored. The cats assured me they had nothing to do with it.