Another hike today....

Our Location: Near Tonopah, Arizona

I slept late this morning, not waking until almost 8 AM but still not feeling the quite up to par. Oh well eventually it'll pass. 

Doesn't this look like a great place to call home for a while?

I'm on the southeast side of yesterday's climb. That big top knot is where the hole in the rock is that I was hoping to get to yesterday.

We chatted about things to do and decided not to do any of them today. Who says two women can't make a decision? We also decided we'd put off any decisions until tomorrow about what to do tomorrow. Two executive decisions in one morning is a first for Riley and I. We are on a roll. 

If you look way off to the right of that white looking area you'll see a little white dot. The Igloo is that little dot.

Yep, I've made it around the edge of the hillside and now I'm heading west again.

Around 9:30 AM Riley headed out for her walk, I was a minute or two behind her as I was tying up my hikers when she left. We went in opposite directions naturally. She toward a more easily walked path while I started back toward the green of the hillsides I explored yesterday. There was an area I wanted to check out today. 

It's a long way down there as you can see by the Saguaros.

Amazing view isn't it? Like the ground is off kilter. 

Cross country, I even crossed the fence and kept on moving. I can tell you that the washes or arroyos are much deeper over here on this side of things than where we were before. One must almost hunt down a passage each time through them as they are often steep sided and deep with no discernible trail down or up. I think the wall of water coming down these areas must be much faster and a great deal more forceful. It is the only explanation I can think of for the depth of them. 

The dead end plateau is up there to the left of the rocky top on the left.

  

Can you see the glitter in the eyes of the serpent?

Eventually I passed the side of the hill that I explored yesterday and continued along the until I found a place that looked inviting before I headed up the side of the hill. I wanted to explore the south east side of this spot and so I followed what looked like a path but that I think may be a goat path not a foot path as it looped around the southeast of the hill. It kept going and so did I until it seemed to just stop. Hm....now I wonder where it went? Oh well, I just kept going, making my own pathway as I mountain goated it around the edge of the hillside. Before long I ended up where I wanted to be, on the back side of the front side.

 

It's a very long way down with many dips, humps and bumps between me and the bottom.

I have no hope of even trying to get up any of those slopes.

I found myself looking at the same area that I had looked down at from the dead end plateau. Except I was looking into it instead of out of it. What a difference from this side. There are so many things to see and check out and I think I may actually go back there again another time with another thought in mind. I noticed what looks like a trail that I would like to follow at least for a while, however that's for another day. 

Pretty impressive from this side, don't ya think?

The colours are amazing.

I scrambled up and around a number of places thinking I could crest the top but it was not to be, I seemed to be on an island of rock that didn't offer any easy passage to the crest. Instead I had to scramble back down the same side I'd just climbed and hoof it back along the bottom edge through dips, gullies, washes, arroyos and water ways. 

I would like to get up there but I don't think it'll happen. Too steep.

I noticed this blimp as I was heading home.

I did not see another living soul except a bird, a hawk I think, way up high in the sky circling on the wind currents looking for brunch. Not another living thing moved with in my sight. Although I did hear lots of flies.

 

This gives you an idea of how steep the sides are that I've been climbing the last few days.

 

A family outing.

I hustled back toward the Igloo but once again was slowed by the many detours to find ways through the deeper washes or arroyos before I came up a road way. Now I'd been on this roadway before but I wanted to know where it left the main road along the power lines, so I followed it. Sure enough it came out approximately where I had thought and I simply continued along the road way snapping photos of various Saguaros. 

A side view. The hole from yesterday. I made it to the sitting man's up turned toes on the right. You do see the man and his feet right?

This Saguaro has had it's main trunk broken off and the arms are sprouting around it but you can see how the inside has skinned over the pulp inside to protect it and keep the Saguaro living.

Before long I was crossing the fence line and arriving back at the Igloo. Time was 12:30 PM. My three hour hike hadn't made me feel any worse but I think it may have actually made me feel a bit better. I had more energy and was anxious to be back outside for a while. 

For those that do yoga. This Saguaro is doing the 'downward facing dog' pose.

The green hue of the desert is caused by this. GRASS is growing everywhere.

It was a couple of hours later that I actually managed to get back outside and my errand was the Weber. It was lunch time and I was happy to be doing something that we haven't done for a while. BBQ. A nice ham steak and some grilled potatoes were on the menu today, along with some stuffing. Our salads from shortly after noon thirty were long gone and so it was time to eat. 

Note the hole under the large arm. Wonder what made such a thing?

Reminds me of the gymnasts or cheerleaders that climb up making a pyramid. 

After that I spent some time doing a few putzy things and reading my book before I sat down to edit today's photos and then do this post. The days are seeming to whiz by so fast here. It's amazing how they do that. 

It's hard to believe all this life is supported by ONE trunk.

Don't ya wonder what could have made this guy so beaten and scarred?

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you had a spectacular day where ever you may be and doing what you may have been doing. 

Tall and stately.

Home sweet home.

 

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

 

Deb