A nice hike, cooler weather and a lazy afternoon.....

Our Location: 

Superstition Mountain BLM, Apache Junction, AZ

Up this morning just as the sun peaked over the ridge and so my room was bathed in sparkling rays of yellow light. A pretty sight to behold. Temps were warm as well, especially after I closed the vent at 2 am this morning. 

We are heading for that whitish/green/yellow area in the middle....

 

Up, dressed, downstairs, water on for a hot drink and starting to read posts, comments, etc by 7:30 am. Riley came out around that very time and we chatted about what we were each going to do today. Riley opted to stay home, make some salads, do the dishes and just hang out while I went hiking today. I offered to help before I left but she was happy to do it all by herself. Such a sweet young lady. 

We're closer. That's an old pit of some kind, the newer one being used is further to the left, it's directly across from the rigs. That hole is actually very deep with lots of mini washes where rain has taken gouges out of the sides. The old wooden sign is just plain, nothing written on it, its all worn away.

Around 10 am Doug, Yuma and I headed out for  a hike in the general neighbourhood. Not really sure where we were going, we spun along in the jeep until we reached the dead end, parked and managed to get some good information from a nice young man riding his quad. His buddy and buddy's girlfriend had already loaded their toys into the back of the truck.

You can see by the rocks we are already there, that's looking off toward the south. See the rain has been wearing a groove in the middle of the rocks. I wonder how many centuries before that will be a large chasm.

We started off in an westerly direction and eventually began aiming for some smooth white looking clusters of boulders off in the distance. Sandwiched between two much darker looking mountains, the yellow/whitish colour was an instant draw. It looked much more inviting than did the darker ones. The hike wasn't difficult, but some hills and washes made it seem much more labour intensive than it truly was. Some of the downward areas looked pretty steep but once we got started it was all good. Same with going up, once getting started it wasn't too bad at all. 

Just awesome, isn't it?

We managed to climb upwards without too much trouble, and continued all the way to the top. The views were absolutely awesome. We could look out over Apache Junction, Mesa and off in the distance I'm certain we could see the shimmering lines of more distant cities. As far as the eye could see there was layer after layer after layer of mountains. Dark blue, wrapped in haze they looked magical and mystical. Something from a fairy tale. We encountered two hikers, probably father and daughter as they too strolled along the top ridges of the boulder like mountains taking in the breath taking scenes below. Behind us was a more traditional desertscape with cacti, bushes, rolling hills and washes. Backdropped by towering mountains whose head wreathed in a low cloud only the shoulders and downward visible. To the east was the majestic Saddle Mountain, wrapped in myth and mystery. It's craggy appearance covered in a greenish tint reminding me of the famed Fanghorn Forest in Lord of the Rings. Centuries old, mysterious, mythical, magical and just a bit scary.

Out on those rocks we walked and looked down into the valley.....we could see for miles and miles...

We climbed to the peak of the nearby mountain on the north side the whitish boulders to see another spectacular view below us. On all sides we were battered with views of exquisite beauty, colours, shapes, sizes, tones, hues, slopes, slants, washes, gullies, some vast, some minor, all varying. And always off in the distance the ever present mountains. The once cloudless blue sky was now becoming more cloud filled, drifting and obscuring the sunlight at times, causing the already cool breeze to be a bit more sharp as we stood or climbed near the tops of the mountain. 

Various views today....

The path downwards was a bit more effort exerting as it never looks quite the same going the other direction. However, with no falls we made it safely back down. We debated about which direction the Jeep might be and the rigs as well. Finally we agreed on a direction, off we went. Mr Yuma always leading the way. He had no idea where we were going, only that he wanted to get there first. As it turned out the walk back to the jeep was much quicker than the walk out. We didn't have near the hills and valleys on the way back once we were down to the bottom. 

Interesting face, wouldn't you say?

Safely back in the dead end, Doug & Yuma climbed into the Jeep and I headed off down the road walking. We weren't far from our rigs and I felt a nice flat walk would do me good. We reached home pretty much at the same time. Said our see ya later and parted company. 

Looking over the edge of the bluff .....Apache Junction, maybe a bit of Mesa as well...and who knows what else those places may be over there...

Inside I chatted with Riley while making up a plate of salads, potato, mac, bean, and green, along with some dressing, taking it all over to Doug for his lunch. Back home I settled into my chair with my book, enjoying my salads, reading and just resting. I tried to nap after that but it just wasn't going to happen and so I ended up once more back in my chair but this time editing all 204 pictures from today's hike. Not to worry I won't put more half in this post. Just kidding, I promise not to put in too many. I also started writing this post and hopefully when night time comes I'll have it pretty much complete and can have a nice relaxing evening. 

 

More views off to the southeast....can you see the path down on the other side of the crevice? That rock over there almost looks like the back end of a turtle, don't you think?

Doug & Yuma came over to return the lunch dishes and have a chat. We moved outside and enjoyed the last few rays of sunshine but the wind was definitely chilly. We didn't make it until sunset before we all headed off toward our own rigs. We did however make plans for tomorrow. A driving day, not as long as the last one but a bit of a tour. 

Bright blue skies, great views, nice temperatures, what else could one ask for?

Back inside I called my other two daughters, Courtney and Bradey to chat for a bit. I haven't talked to them in a couple of weeks. They both survived the storm of a few days ago and both said neither of their cities were hit terribly hard anyway. They had balmy temps last week and except for the huge snow piles where it's been piled from driveways, roadways, etc there is no snow left on the ground. So I think it's safe to assume winter is pretty much over there. They can still get some snow but it won't last long even if they do. 

Amazing views no matter which way we turned.

After a chat with both of them I finally had a chance to finish this post. Although the time is now 8:46 pm and I still haven't posted this yet. So I guess I am not going to have an early evening. Somehow that never works out, does it? Hahaha...

I think they are either brothers or at least cousins....

I didn't get any sunset pictures as I was talking to my girls but there didn't appear to be much in the way of clouds anyway, so I'm sure it wasn't a spectacular sight. 

Top two pictures are crevices, look how deep they are! Bottom left is a picture of Doug taking a picture of me, as I climbed up one of the boulders to have a look. Bottom right is the boulder I climbed to take the left picture.

So there you have it, our Sunday here at Superstition Mountain BLM. Quiet, enjoyable, each in our own way. I truly enjoyed the hike, it was nice to have someone to hike with, and to share the views. 

Looking back the way we came, Superstition Mountain over there too. See all that light brown dirt, that's the road way we drove in on. The darker brown is the pit across the roadway from us. The brown in the middle is the oldest part of the pit they no longer use. 

If you look along that patch of green to the left you'll see a small white reflection, to the extreme left, almost out of the picture....

That's us...... Doug's MH on the left, and the Igloo with the Dogsled on the right. I'm sure I can see Riley waving at us, can't you?

Thanks for stopping by today. I hope you enjoyed your visit, and the hike. Where ever you are, and whatever you were doing this wonderful Sunday I hope you enjoyed it and had a fantastic day. Feel free to leave a comment. 

Can you see Doug resting on the rock?

Not sure what that yellowy type of grass is but it sure is pretty.

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

I don't know the name of the mountain but it sure is pretty with the cloud covering....

Superstition mountain also under cloud cover but it quickly blew away and we had bright blue skies again...

Deb