A wonderful hike today.....

Our Location: Near Tonopah, Arizona

 

A quiet night but I didn't sleep well and truly didn't feel like getting up this morning. Although when my feet hit the floor and I started moving I felt more awake and ready to start the day. It started with me outside in my jammies changing the tank valve and switching to a new propane bottle. I knew the other one was getting low but of course they only run out in the middle wee hours of the night. 

 

Some fog playing around the mountain tops this morning.

Just a beautiful view.

This morning after catching up with friends on line I started pulling out ingredients to make stuffed peppers for lunch, but changed my mind as I worked and instead we had a simple casserole with pretty much the same ingredients but not stuffed into a pepper. I'll do the peppers another time. 

 

I want to know what's behind that peak in the middle.

 

How would you like to camp here for a while?

Riley was out the door for her walk while I worked on lunch and as soon as I was finished and had it tucked into the fridge I donned my hiking boots and grabbed a walking stick from the Dogsled. I looked around, lifting the seats and checking but I think we somehow lost the package with a couple of items in it. Not a big deal just annoying. 

 

I love the colour.

 

Now doesn't that make you want to get closer and see over the top?

 

I headed off on my walk shortly after 10 AM. I once again followed the road along the power lines but today I was determined I was determined to walk it much further and so I kept my feet on the gravel and marched onward. I managed to get behind the mountains we can see out our window and even past where I managed to climb around through the hills a few days ago. The road kept on going and going and going. I wasn't too far into the valley behind the mountains when my phone rang and I answered it only to hear my dad say Hello and then nothing. It was here I noticed I had no cell service. So I headed back along the road until I had 3 bars and returned the call. 

 

The washes can get pretty deep here. You can see that hole in the rock over the lip of the arroyo, some day I'm going to get there, but not today.

 

So inviting to me.

 Snow and snow and more snow, as we chatted he informed me of the blizzard they were having yet again today. They received approximately another foot of snow yesterday and it was still coming down today. I'm soooo glad I am not there. Sister in law Barb made it home safe and sound from the DR. Their flight was delayed numerous times due to snow conditions in Kitchener where they were to land and pass through customs. From there they were to head on to Sudbury where Jason would pick them up. According to Dad she arrived home on the island the next day and all is well. When I hung up chatting with him I turned around and headed back in the direction I'd come but more cross country in a straight line aiming for something that caught my eye. 

 

This little guy was in a hurry but stopped to pose!

 

Don't you wonder what's on the other side of the notch? I do.

I climbed around and around, over, and under and you get the idea until I was finally able to see around the last bend or at least the last one that raised my curiousity today.  I was happy I had made the effort. A beautiful view awaited me and I think next time I may follow the path a bit further to see where it comes out. I have a pretty good idea but I'm not certain. Maybe not this year, but at some point I hope to try it. 

 

Looks like a pig doesn't it?

So very pretty to look at.

 

I turned around and headed back home. It was a long walk and I only followed the road for a while, then I headed cross country without being able to see the Igloo but knowing I was heading in the right general direction. I can tell you that I was right on when I caught my first glimpse of the Igloo through the distant green. I couldn't have been going in a straighter line if I could have seen it the whole time. Wasn't long until I was climbing over the fence and Hello'ing the Igloo around the 12:30 pm mark. 

 

It was around this point that I turned and headed for home.  Almost the same photo as below but look at the difference the sunshine makes.

I walked along that long straight ridge line back down to the road way and hoofed it home from there.

 

Riley had made our salads and so we enjoyed those as a bit of rest before getting lunch in to the oven. By the time we'd eaten and cleaned up it was already 3:30 pm. The time does fly doesn't it? The rest of the day was spent just relaxing and reading while watching out the window. A good way to spend the afternoon. 

 

Lots of arroyos criss crossing the landscape, some are very deep and hard to cross.

Heading home along this gravel path you can see in the bottom of the photo.

 My hike today took me round trip a little over 6 miles. I was away from the Igloo about 2 1/2 hours and I can tell you I was happy to reach home. I think I pushed a bit too far today but oh well, I enjoyed it. My last two hikes have me walking just around the 10 mile mark when added together, not too shabby for me and I enjoyed the views greatly. 

 

They don't look nearly as tall from a distance.

 

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

 

 

It's not the yellow brick road but I followed it anyway.

 

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

 

Deb