You can't get there from here...

 

Our Location:

Saddle Mountain, Tonopah, Arizona

 

A very nice night, we slept with a window or two open simply because we forgot to close them. Lucky for us it was a very balmy 56F/13C at 6 am. It has since warmed up nicely as I start this blog post it is 10:25 AM and it's already 70F/21C. It's going to be a warm one today I think. 

 

Sunrise this morning but this is in the western sky.

Morning sun on the mountains to the northwest. 

 

Yesterdays errands simply wore me out, I have no idea why but it is what it is. This morning I have recovered and opted for a quick breakfast of coffee, toast and eggs. I had a plan today. I left a bit before 8 am and was home less than 2 hours later. I put in just under 10,000 steps and walked a little over 3.5 miles/5.6 km.

 

Morning sun on the southwest mountains.

Can you see the human profile on this mountain?

 

I headed back once again to the area behind us, past where I climbed the other day. I was hoping to see  behind the mountain from on the mountain but well, it just didn't work. I think it would have been too far for me and I would have struggled to make it home. Instead I enjoyed the views and snapped a few photos. I hope you enjoy them. 

 

Another profile, can you see it?

And yet another.

Our friend Doug has been on my mind all morning and so I sent him a quick text just to let him know we are thinking of him. We hope things go well and his luck changes for the better. 

 

The sun changes the mountains appearances through out the day.

As I write this caption those mountains are now dark, with no lightness at all.

One of the things I enjoy about the desert is my ability to walk/hike and see views I don't see back home in Ontario. Oh we have spectacular views as well but somehow they just aren't quite what I see out here. I feel that ability is not what it was and I notice places I would have gone before are now being left unexplored. I've noticed this year my aches are more deeply rooted and the dry air while helping isn't working as well as before. I wonder if that has something to do with the fact that I spent the last two winters in the cold, damp climate of Northern Ontario and maybe my arthritis is just progressing more rapidly because of it, although I think my AS has been progressing much more rapidly than my RA, simply because of where most of the aches and pains are located. What ever the reason, it is what it is. 

 

Cactus nestled at the bottom of a mesquite bush.

Standing in an approx 8' deep arroyo.

 

So with that thought in mind I've come up with a plan for blogging. I'll take enough photos for two blogs on each hike. Now how smart is that? I know, genius!!! I'm glad I thought of it.

 

 

Those banks are steep and no I didn't climb up there, I found an easier pathway.

The water undercuts everything here. 

Riley and I took a drive down Courthouse Road yesterday toward where most people park. It's almost empty, less than a dozen rigs scattered over the entire area and before you could count a dozen rigs all within shouting distance. We also notice 4 dead cattle on the side of the road, which might help explain the odd whiff of foul smell we had the other day. Not over powering just every once in a while a not very pleasant hint to the air for a sec or two before it was gone. It appears they don't clean up road kill here in the Saddle Mountain area. 

 

I walk part way up there last time to the saguaro on the right.

I climbed around on top but couldn't get down to the lower levels.

Yesterday we headed into Buckeye for a few things. We needed a new broom, since I broke the old one. We needed drinking water and a couple little things for the fridge. I had thought of new hiking boots but the nearest Cabela's is way off in Goodyear and I had no desire or need to go that far for a pair. I'll pick up a pair at a later time. 

 

I walked past that saguaro on the middle left but couldn't get down to the lower levels, just the top.

Looks easy but it was anything but easy. 

So that's it, all of the exciting things going on here at the Igloo. I hope you enjoyed your visit, thanks for stopping by.You all know you can leave a comment if you like, I enjoy reading them and I will answer.

 

I climbed up there, very steep, very rocky.

A very thin path along that saguaro up there.

 

Until next time...

 

When it rains the water runs down there leaving scored rocks behind.

From above, the same water chute.

Take care, be safe, 

Love the cactus, what a view it has up here.

That little white spot is the Igloo.

A web in the spines of a saguaro.

 

Deb

A quiet day.

Our Location: Near Tonopah, Arizona

 

Hiking, lunch and Riley baked some cookies today. Other than that not one exciting happened, so I'll leave you with still more photos from a hike I took a few days ago. Today I once again stayed on the desert floor making my way round trip just under 5 miles. I meandered here and there and was home at just about the 2 hour mark. Not a bad way to spend some time. Enjoy the photos. 

 

It's not as smooth as it looks, is it?

An amazing amount of force to break this, I'm guessing it happened when it fell.

 

The broken rock in the above photo is on the left under the flat top area.

The Ocotillo's are getting ready to bloom Deb. 

Such a pretty colour, aren't they?

I can't raise my arms any higher!!!!

It's my favourite mountains over there.

I just can't believe the colours here.

I couldn't get up there to the top, what would I hang on to?

Some folks might try that but not me, I'm a 'lets not fall and break my neck' type of climber.

The views are always interesting.

A good seat if you could trust yourself to sit on it but not me.

Do you see the face?

I like the saguaro you can see at the top of the rock, very far away, appears small but isn't.

I'd love to climb up there but of course it won't happen.

I followed this path.

Very deceptive but it's truly quite steep.

I made it almost to that narrow passage between those two outcroppings but changed my mind.

 

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you enjoyed your visit. 

 

Until next time... take care, be safe,

 

Deb

 

 

 

 

What a beautiful day, a hike and a chat with dad......

Our Location: Near Tonopah, Arizona

 

A wonderful day today, warmish, sunny and blue, blue, blue skies. Riley headed off first for her hike, she headed back toward the dead end plateau but didn't make it all the way, although maybe tomorrow she will or so she said. 

There is indeed snow on that mountain over there.

The stately Native American Indian standing guard.....do you think?

I'm heading for that flat looking ledge in the middle of the photo.

You can see us way off in the distance in the middle of the photo. 

 

Riley and I met on the roadway, she on the way back and me on the way out. We chatted for a minute and then each off in our direction of choice. I hiked just over 3.5 miles today, I was out about an hour and a half.  Similar views as I'm hiking in the same general area. 

That trail leads to the dead end plateau over there. Riley didn't go this far today but maybe tomorrow.

That motorhome way  down there is at the base of the mountain.

That brownish dirt looking area just over that little hump of rock in the lower middle of the photo is where Riley and I climbed the other day.

That's us to the right of middle way off by those short little peaks. The folks with the dog too big to handle is the rig on the left side of the picture.

 

A chat with my dad today had me hearing about more snow coming their way, strong high winds as well (100 KM/60 mph), and as soon as the storm is over the temperatures will drop like a stone from the freezing mark which is where they sit now. 

This was as high as I climbed but I did go further to the north from this location.

From higher up, that's us on the right, a semi truck on Salome Highway  (that long slim white line) and the dog trailer on the left. Way off that line of slim white lines which is transports moving along I-10. Those two paths that you can see in the bottom of the photo are easily walkable but otherwise suited mostly for off roaders.

This is right on top of that flat looking area, which wasn't so flat and filled with small stones that would roll under foot, I stayed way back from the landing and was actually higher up than where it sits. The motor home down there on the brown patch of dirt.

 

Riley and I enjoyed a nice BBQ lunch and tried our new Jack Daniels Kentucky Bourbon BBQ sauce. Oh my, I think we may just put in a glass and drink it. It's very yummy!!!! Thanks for stopping by, I hope you enjoyed your day, we certainly did ours. 

My favourite mountain just over top of that Saguaro. This is looking north, north east.

I followed that hint of a trail which is more likely a water way.

I was up as high as that large black looking rock outcropping on the left and over behind that Saguaro you can see on the flat rock.

 

Until next time... take care, be safe, 

Deb