Our last day here, laundry, and rain....

Our Location: 

Superstition Mountain BLM, Apache Junction, AZ

A very warm overnight had us sleeping with all vents and windows open. That also allowed us to hear the enthusiastic Off Road Vehicle folks go all night long. Some times close some times further away. When I finally shut my window at 3:45 am this morning I could still hear them racing over the not too distant hills between us and Goldfield. I can honestly say that it's the first time I've heard them go all night long. 

Superstition Mountain in the foggy, hazy this afternoon.

We woke up to an okay morning, nothing spectacular but the sun was shining and the air was warm . We had plans this morning and so I wasn't paying much attention to the outside world. Changing linens, sorting laundry, etc as this is our last full day here at Superstition Mountain BLM I wanted to leave with clean laundry and a full tank of fuel. 

 

A bit closer look at the mountain from our door.

We didn't have our hot drinks before going, instead we had them upon return. By 9 am we were out the door with the Dogsled fully loaded with dirty laundry. A straight line drive down to the corner of Apache Trail and N Apache Trail found us settling in at 'Laundry' with the red front. Not far from the Ace Hardware and the Dollar General. 

That notch in the distance is where we traveled the Apache Trail.

Today we used the most machines we've ever used, 5 at once. There were duvet covers, a duvet, blankets, plus clothes, linens, etc. The machines were all brand new, all front loaders and ranged in size from small loads to massive loads. Clean, friendly, and a place I will return to use when in the area. The only thing I didn't care for was the card system. It's hard to get the cards to work all the time. 

Just layers and layers of mountains.....

 
By 11 am we were finished, washing, drying, folding and putting them in the Dogsled, we took a turn around the Ace Hardware as they were having a sidewalk sale today. We didn't buy a sidewalk nor anything on it as we didn't see anything to catch our fancy. We turned left on Apache Trail finding a Circle K with a diesel drink for the Big Dog. 

The Four Peaks back there in the distant fog...

We were home quickly and while Riley put away some of the laundry I continued the project I had started while in town at the laundromat. We've enjoyed Doug and Yuma's (Miss Adventure Travels) company very much but we had to remove the dog hair in the Dogsled before we put HRH Miss Kitty in there tomorrow or she'll have a heart condition known as a heart attack. I'm surprised Yuma isn't bald the amount of hair he sheds. Even with an extra blanket down on the seats the seat covers were still furry with little hairs. A wet cloth, a lint roller and my fingers, along with the whisk broom all combined to make the dog hair do a mostly disappearing act. I'm sure it's not all gone but most of it is. I'll have to vacuum it well when I get to place that I'm going to be plugging in. No complaints as the Dogsled needed a good cleaning anyway. Haven't done that since we left Saddle Mountain and you know how dusty things get out here. 

 

A bit closer to another part of the mountain....

Riley came outside and we packed up everything that was scattered around the Igloo in preparation for tomorrows departure. Back inside I put away my own laundry, we put both duvet's back together and then sat down to read and have a hot drink. I had about a 30 minute chat with Doug after that before he headed on home and I came inside to make myself a big salad for lunch. I was quite hungry as I'd had no breakfast. It was pushing the hour of 2 pm by this time. No wonder I was hungry. 

That's the area I hiked a few days ago...

After that we cleaned up the dishes, tidied up a few things and I sat down to read some more. I'm enjoying my book, an author I don't know named Edward Stewart, the book is called Jury Double. I'll look for more of his writings in the future.

 

Birds often come to sip from that hole in this once might Saguaro.

By this time the sky had become overcast and soon the pitter patter of rain drops were heard on the roof. The fog or haze has settled over the mountains around us, giving us just a hazy grey last part of the day here. The temperature has dropped at least 10 -12 degrees in the last couple of hours. We went from shorts, t-shirts to long pants and a sweater. Shut all the windows, vents and the door. Of course we've unhooked the heater in preparation for moving tomorrow since we haven't used it for a number of days. Doesn't it always go that way? 

Can you see the squashed arm on the bottom? This one on the top has come off the top side of the giant.

It's rained off and on a bit all afternoon, still hear a few of the more hardy Off Road Vehicles moving around, but not as many as if the sun were shining. However the desert can use a drink and I'm happy to hear the rain and am enjoying the sounds on the roof. 

Just kind of toppled over, not a lot of debris around for such a mighty fallen giant......

Tomorrow we shall part company with Doug and Yuma. They will be heading out in a different direction than we are taking. It's been a fun two weeks getting to know them and enjoying their company. We have had a great time here at Superstition Mountain BLM, enjoying adventures, rides, hikes and just chatting.  We wish you the safest of journeys and the happiest of trails as you head out tomorrow Doug. It is our sincere wish that perhaps we shall cross paths again at some point in the future and once again see that tail wagging, high jumping pup and the handsome fella with the ready smile and a little silver jeep. Safe travels Doug! 

See the different colours?

So there you have it, our busy last day here at the BLM within sight of the Superstition Mountains. Will we come back? I'm certain we will, although I can't say so with 100% certainty. There is an abundance of places to hike, and things to see, both in and out of the town limits. The BLM land has some good points and some draw backs but over all, it's a great place to stay for a while.  The mountain offers a draw that I can't quite explain,and it is with some sorrow that I leave tomorrow, and again I can't really say why.  The attachment I feel is an odd feeling for me, one I've not experienced before. It is comforting to see the massive mountain as it watches over the land for many, many miles. It is also comforting to wander in the shadows of or even just in the sight of the mountain, and again I can't explain why I have that feeling.  I have often felt a sorrow or a sadness when leaving other places but not like this. I have enjoyed other places but again, it was different. This one is different, and for that reason I am hopeful we will have a chance to return.  

 

Can you see the fence, it's toward the front of the picture from the brown trail, it's a single top rail with a few posts welded on to the bottom and stuck into the ground. It's very hard to see. They've been working on that since we arrived almost two weeks ago. The worker and equipment left on Friday.

A huge Saguaro lays just outside our door, it's life has been spent and it still gives back to Mother Earth as birds come often to sip from a couple of holes in the drying skin that slowly gives off it's moisture turning from bright green to a sickly yellow and falling into decay. It has been down for a while by the looks of it, not months but weeks, a spec of time in it's long life I'm sure. It crashed heavily when it fell, breaking off an arm on the underside and at least one on the top as well. This once living giant has witnessed many things I am certain including the passage of time that would have brought plodding explorers, gold hunters, horses, other farm animals such as cattle, sheep, and perhaps even goats. From horse back riders, covered wagons, buckboards to crank start cars, and on to modern off road vehicles, air crafts of all kinds, single engine, twin engine, gliders, paragliders/sailers, parachutes, and massive planes that carry hundreds of people at a time, two, four, and six or more wheeled vehicles carting around a variety of people. Imagine what this once stately guardian has seen in it's life span, the birth, death and rebirth of the area, returning again is the walkers, horseback riders, and yet with a more modern twist than in generations past. The animals and birds that have scurried, hurried, crawled, slithered, sneaked, flew, fled and stalked near it's feet must have been in the hundreds of thousands. The death and life this giant old cactus must have witnessed would leave one speechless if we only knew. If it could have talked to us while we were here, the stories would be horrific, terrifying, fascinating, hopeful, beautiful, uplifting, and the list would go on I am sure. According to Mr. Red Horse at Goldfield the average age of a Saguaro is 350 years. What a movie that life would make!

We are living among the Teddy Bear Cholla's here at our location.

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you enjoyed your visit. I have no idea if I will be posting tomorrow night as I have no idea where we will be and so wifi may not be available, but we will have to wait and see. Feel free to leave a comment, I enjoy reading them all. 

The Four Peaks are still back there in the fog...

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

The very top of Superstition Mountain. What a view I'll bet you have up there.....

Deb