Our Location: Near Tonopah, Arizona
A wonderfully warm day, bordering on hot. It followed a wonderfully warm night with over night temps hovering in high 50’s / 14+ C. No complaints from us about that.
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| We are way over there by the power lines. |
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| I'm still moving away, you can see the power lines but not us. |
We both decided to head out before it got too warm and we went in similar directions but not together. Riley followed the road and once again climbed to the top of the plateau and enjoyed the view while I headed off back to the box canyon where I walked when we first arrived in the area. I thought there would be lots of blooms but alas there was none. It was a very long hike for me but I enjoyed it.
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| The power lines are off, about 3.5 miles in fact. Here the road divides and I go the right of the picture. |
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| This what I see when I turn this direction. |
I walked cross country until I arrived where Michael and his friends had parked and then I stuck to the road from there. I walked long past where the trail ended and kept going, at one point I thought of trying to find a way through but then realized I’d have a very long walk back home and so just turned myself around and started back.
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| Lots of yellow in the photos today. |
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| I eventually ended up at the bottom of that green wedge looking for a way up and over but changed my mind. |
I met up with a few semi locals from the Bouse area where they live 6 months of the year, the other 6 they live in Oregon. I forget where he said. No names, just some friendly fellas. We chatted and discussed numerous thing before parting ways but not until I learned the fly issue is new since last November and everyone is blaming a chicken farm that recently opened. I think they may be right. Even a Buckeye suburb lodged over 35 complaints last November about the flies. So I’m not the only one thinking they are terrible.
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| No blooms, this was as close I found. |
Ironically Riley met with the same four fellas after they left me and headed over this way. I also managed to see them on my homeward walk and chatted some more with them. Nice fellas with a big golden Labradoodle named Yuma. Not all like Doug's Yuma but friendly like him. I also chatted with a fellow Ontarian for a few minutes as we too compared notes on a few things.
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| Amazing to see that break completely around the Saguaro. |
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| I'm getting closer. |
I was hurrying to get home as the sun was getting pretty warm and I could feel myself getting pretty hot on the back of my neck and my shoulders. Yep, sure enough I have a sun burn, I forgot to put sunscreen on the back of my neck but I’ll keep rubbing on the moisturizing cream and that should stop the soreness from coming on.
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| Yellow, yellow, yellow. |
It was a much longer walk than I expected it would be and much hotter than I expected as I was gone longer. I walked just under 8.5 miles and was gone about 3 1/2 hours. Some of that time was spent chatting with a few fellas so I think I walked a little less than 3 hours.
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| I walked along this arroyo for a long ways. |
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| Looking ahead in the same arroyo. |
I chatted with daughter Courtney tonight for a half hour or so, catching up on the latest news. Lots of snow in Toronto, she’s ready for winter to be over. Cold and sunny or warmer and snowy. Not a whole lot of good choices there. I tried my dad but his line was busy. Maybe I’ll try again later.
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| Taken from the arroyo. |
So that was our day, pretty warm, pretty enjoyable and I am certain we will both sleep well tonight. Thanks for stopping, I hope you had a wonderful day.
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| I'm heading out to that hill in the middle and then I'll turn to the right and head on a straight path home. |
Until next time… take care, be safe,
Deb
Nice that you got out and about . Chatted with a few people and enjoyed the day. I try to get most of my walkabouts done in the early mornings to avoid the heat of the day. Enjoy your travels wherever you may got to avid the flies .
ReplyDeleteI tried to get out early too but some times the time slips away and before you know it you're caught out in the heat. However I will be much more aware of this in the future. Thanks George. I'm not sure if the breeze, the heat or just luck has seemed to make them less abundant over the evening hours or just what it is but they seem to have lessened a bit.
DeleteTake care, be safe,
Deb
Beautiful pictures! I love how the yellow is climbing up the sides of the mountains. Thought of you two as we made the trip to and from Phoenix airport. I could see the greens and yellows in the distance on our way home Tuesday.
ReplyDeleteWhen we stayed in Tonapah 3 years ago as soon as it started to get warm the flies started and that was before they expanded the egg/chicken "factory". Everyone in the area had signs out against the expansion. You are experiencing what they were concerned about plus the smell. We wondered about it but then forgot to ask you when we visited with you. I do not recall either you or Doug mentioning it last year. It is really sad because it is a beautiful area and the park we stayed at was really nice.
Take care.
You and Tom should have stopped in for a visit on your way by. The flies have pretty much gone away and I think it's due to the heat and the wind. We haven't experienced any smells but a few really ugly days with flies everywhere. I don't recall them last year but we did have them in Superstition Mountain BLM, however that may have been due to the proximity of the horses and the horse trails I'm not sure.
DeleteIt is a beautiful area and I think as long as the weather is just right you won't be bothered by the flies too badly. It's the coolish nights and the warm but not hot days that seem to attract them. Daytime highs in the mid 50's, low 60's and night time lows around the mid to hi 40's seem to be when they were the worst. Since the days are much warmer and the nights too, we haven't had too many at all.
Take care, be safe,
Deb
Those flies sound awful! It's so beautiful where you are, it seems to change daily! Love the yellow going up the mountain too!
ReplyDeleteThe flies were awful for a few days but have since pretty much disappeared. I think it's the heat that has driven them away. The yellow is everywhere, it's absolutely amazing, you can see it for a long, long way.
DeleteTake care, be safe,
Deb