Last Hike of the Year

One last trip up into the Superstitions. Mercury is on the rise and I have much to do. Can't wait to get back in there!

At one point it felt like a twisted version of a Disney movie. Walked from a beautiful creek hidden under sycamore and cottonwood with huge boulders in the bottom of the canyon out on to a dry creek bed. Field of ankle turners, blazing sun, a red tale hawk over head calls out and soars between canyon walls.

A road runner takes a perch, and a cardinal and goldfinch flutter from huge isolated cottonwoods singing all the way. I just stood there and soaked it in. Finally decided to walk. Picked up a foot and looked down to my right before planting it. My eyes lock on to a coral snake and I jump to the left and it seems to literally leap into a small pile of rocks. I laugh, highly amused at us scaring the shit out of each other.

I kept walking but much more careful in my footsteps. I stopped to look through the binoculars at a rock formation and then spun my head on my shoulders like an owl at the sound of something large coming out of the brush. And suddenly appeared a large orange and black lizard (gila monster) I named Winston.

He just wandered right up and stared at me maybe a foot away. Just like a little welcome committee. He looked down the creek and back up at me kind of like "OK, let's go.", and then he started to mosey. So I followed and Winston lead me right to a perfect shady little grotto for lunch before he sauntered back into the brush.

Love this place! A few new photos to come!