Arizona Hiking and Camping

6/24/09

The past two weekends found us hiking in and around ancient ruins during both a day trip to Red House Ruin and Loy Butte Ruin and an overnight camping trip to Sycamore Canyon where we saw the Two Roof Ruin. The ruin sites were really incredible the way they were all perched high up the mountainsides in overhang and cave-type areas. At the ruins in Red House and Loy Butte Ruins we were also able to see some pictographs which were fascinating. I got so many great pictures that I will try and figure out how to put a slideshow of them on this site - but, until then, here are just a few.

I did great with the hiking and the camping parts of the trip but had some trouble during our second day in Sycamore Canyon with my stupid “fear-of-falling” thing and just could not make my mind and body cooperate to get me to two ruin sites that David wanted to show me. These things literally are on the side of a rock face and you have to scramble up loose rock high up on the mountainside to get to them. I was on my way from one to another when I just froze and couldn’t go any further. I guess that’s something I’m going to have to work on. The good part was that it caused us to just sit where we were for a while and the views from that kind of vantage point are wonderful. David was kind and gentle and patient, as always, and managed to get me down from the perch safe and sound despite my lack of confidence in myself that I could ever actually move from that spot.

One of the most amazing things out here is how far you can see in every direction and then how beautiful and changing the view is from one moment to the next. Another amazing thing is how few, if any, people you encounter out in the park areas. A reason for the latter could certainly be the roads you have to take to get to the “really good” spots. We borrowed a 4-wheel drive Land Rover from one of David’s friends to make the trip to Sycamore Canyon and I don’t think we could have made the trip without it. The only other vehicles we saw way out near our camping spot were of the 4-wheel ATV-type and there were only two of them the whole weekend. Not to mention that the main access to even get to the park area was a narrow (used to be a railroad there) gravel road right on the side of the mountains with no guard rail! Lord have mercy. Try that in a jeep that has no doors!

Other than that it has been business as usual here in Jerome. David is busy with his job and home projects and I’ve been busy hacking away at the blackberry vines, trying out different recipes to use all the apricots that are ripening on the trees (the plums are just getting ripe also) and doing my funky painting thing in my own little “studio”. We are due to fly back to FL on Sunday and I can hardly wait to see my sweet baby kitties. I can only hope that they are not going to be too upset with me for leaving them for a month.

I’ve been learning the names of some new-to-me plants and flowers and I think my favorite name to date is a Fairy Feather Duster! Oh, and before I forget, here is a picture of an alligator juniper.

Jerome, AZ

6/9/09

Arizona is beautiful and Jerome is great. There are no pictures that I will be able to take and post on this site that will do the scenery justice. It is just amazing to me how every time you look at the mountains and the valleys here you see a completely different picture depending on the sun, the clouds, the time of day, etc. It is a continually gorgeous changing landscape and it feels as though you can see forever.

Last Saturday evening there was a Gallery Walk in Jerome and I was in art heaven. The incredible thing here is that at least every other store front is a gallery and the variety, intensity, and quality of the art in this town is spectacular. Other than art galleries, eateries and wine bars there is little else here other than houses for the few residents of Jerome. It’s a small place on the side of a mountain that is quite the spot for tourists on the weekends. All in all, a very cool place and it definitely feels like home already.

Last Sunday we took the day to hike around in the Prescott National Forest and, once again, saw some amazing vistas from the various overlooks. I’m also being treated to an entirely different vegetation landscape and was introduced on Sunday to one of the neatest looking trees I have ever seen called an Alligator Juniper. I’ll have to go back sometime soon and try to get some good pictures of these trees to show you. They are stunning in both their graceful beauty and their incredible age. The weather has been spectacular here with lows in the 50’s and highs during the day, depending on whether you are in the mountains or down in the valley, anywhere between the low 80’s and the mid-90’s.

The front porch of David’s house (one of my favorite spots just to sit) overlooks the valley and several mountain ranges and is visited all the time by all types of wonderful birds including constant action from the hummingbirds at the feeder. There are many different kinds of fruit trees on the property including apricot, peach, plumcot, and apple. Some of these trees were being taken over by way-prickly blackberry vines so I have been doing a slow constant battle with the vines and prickers so that we will eventually have a non-invaded orchard-garden space. I’ve also added to my skill set the ability to drill holes in steel plates and I’m now, if you can believe it, driving a big red pickup truck! What’s next is anybody’s guess. I say bring it on. David has set me up a little art studio space in one of his outbuildings and I’m having a great time getting back into paint and clay. And have I told you about David’s fantastic two kitties, Ace Cowboy and Fox Man? I do miss Cocoa and Puddinhead (and have reports that they are doing just great with their Sebastian Foster Mom!) but Ace Cowboy and Fox Man are making me feel right at home.

Here’s an amazing thing about AZ for those of you, like me, that have never lived out this way. The kitchen sink sponge actually gets completely dry between uses! Every time I pick it up I’m amazed. It’s the little things, you know. Here’s another factoid tidbit for the newbies like me – out here they outline the first initial of the town in big white stones up on the mountainside over each town. Here is a picture of Jerome’s “J”.

We are planning to go camping with friends this coming weekend so perhaps I will have some interesting camping-type photos to share in the next post. The real deal will be to see just what kind of a camper I make since I haven’t been camping since I was a girl scout – an even then, I only did it once or twice and don’t remember being very good at any of it. I think all I was good at in girl scouts was selling cookies!