Won't Get Fooled Again ???

Some fellow travel hounds in Sedona recommended a magnificent RV park they had recently visited on the east side of the Salton Sea (1 hour east of Palm Springs), called the Fountain of Youth Spa RV Resort. After verifying (through Google) that the resort indeed had natural artesian mineral water filling it's 6 pools, providing therapeutic healing effects, I decided to add it to my itinerary since I was headed to Palm Springs anyway, to meet up with my VCR sister and her husband Doug who were there on a home exchange which they do quite often on their world travels. While the hot pools felt wonderful, especially for my over-worked hiking legs, I don't feel any younger and am quite certain that my next mountain hike will remind me that I am in my mid-60's. Upon checking in at the resort, when questioned by the two ladies behind the reception desk as to how long I wanted a site for, I asked them how long I would need to stay in order to feel like I was 25 again. They looked at me and responded "more than a month". Then I asked how long until I felt like I was 50 again? They repeated "more than a month". Being wise enough to not ask how long until I felt like I was 63 again (2 weeks ago), I decided to only spend one day in the mineral springs. My world-wide search for the 'real' Fountain of Youth continues.

For those of you who have not yet had the experience of visiting the Salton Sea, don't add it to your 'must do' list. The Sea has been dying since water from the Colorado River was diverted to satisfy other California aqua needs. It lies directly over the San Andreus fault, 235 feet below sea level, and the salinity has killed almost all of the fish that used to live there along with adding a sour smell to the air. It is really sad to drive through the former burgeoning seaside towns which are also dying with more than half the homes abandoned and decaying rapidly.

Prior to this recent experience, I spent 3 more days hiking in Sabino Canyon, a wonderful destination for hikers of all levels. While I did some of the more strenuous hikes, all between 10-15 km's.....Esperero Trail (last posting), Bear Canyon to Seven Falls (7 creek crossings, some up to knee level with the impressive falls at the end of the trail), Blackett's Ridge (steady uphill with steep drop-offs on either side near the summit) and the Phoneline Trail (along the upper side of Sabino Canyon)......there are both shorter trails available and a shuttle that goes well into Sabino Canyon, offering great views for those that are not able to hike and shortens trails for those who desire that option. My only impediment turned out to be a dead van battery in the parking lot on one of those days but a park ranger lent me his phone to call AAA and I was back on the road, with a new battery, 45 minutes later while enjoying an adult beverage in my camping chair beside the van while I waited.

Following 5 straight days of solid hikes, I departed Tucson and drove to the Rancho Mirage community in Palm Springs for a visit with my sister and her husband in their luxurious home exchange property which they also shared with some Vancouver friends of theirs, Donald and Ruth. We enjoyed the backyard pool and hot tub, and spent a day visiting the busy College of the Desert Market and then took in a polo match later which was more entertaining than I anticipated partially due to the various tail gate parties along the sidelines which are encouraged by the Empire Polo Club. Another day we did several short hikes into Indian Canyons which ended a bit sooner than expected when the park rangers asked everyone to get off of the trails. No reason was given but we suspected (since confirmed on the internet) that there was a fresh mountain lion sighting / kill (non human) along one nearby trail and there was concern that the lion was still in the vicinity. Everyone was happy to return to the comfort and safety of our backyard pool.

I have now arrived back in Phoenix where I will spend several days hiking in the Superstition Mountains (near my site in Apache Junction). Only 5 days until Pocahontas joins me following her successful and injury-free expanded ski season. Looking forward to our re-union.

Tucson's Sabino Canyon - 7th Bear Creek crossing on my way to Seven Falls. This one was only calf-deep.

Seven Falls at the end of Bear Canyon. The pool at the bottom would have been wonderful to swim in if the water temperature had been quite a bit warmer.

Blacketts Ridge view into Sabino Canyon. The Phoneline Trail (next day hike, longer) is visible along the right side.

Our Rancho Mirage backyard resort - with my sister leading the way.

Empire Polo Club match near our sideline. VIP seats on the other side.

Non VIP attendees are encouraged to create their own tailgate parties....next time we will be better prepared.

Indian Canyons - Andreas Canyon walk with massive palms and lovely rock formations along the creek.

Roadside view of Glamis Dunes along highway 78 on my way back to Arizona - heaven for ATV and motorbike enthusiasts.

Hiking up a Storm

Still filling my days with hikes as I move around Arizona finding both suitable hikes and supporting weather. While in Sedona I hiked Bear Mountain, only 8 km's but pretty much straight up and down with a 2,000 foot elevation change (summit at 6,500 feet) over difficult terrain, with wonderful 360 degree views at the peak. The next couple of days I upped the stakes with two hikes a day including Soldier's Pass (10 km's including a few other trail extensions). Cathedral Rock (moderate, scramble), Broken Arrow to Chicken Point (6 km) and the Bell Rock Courthouse Butte Loop (8 km).

Although there were plenty more challenging hikes to do in the Sedona area I decided it was time to move on after spending a week there and headed west to Prescott via Cottonwood (short stop at the Native American Tuzigoot ruins, mostly reconstructed), settling at the Point of Rocks RV park with the gorgeous Granite Dells right behind my site. Beyond strolling thru the smooth, round rock Dells, I hiked the Thumb Butte Trail plus portions of 4 other trails to create a 12 km loop route, finding some snow and icy path spots which told me it was time to head further south.

My next stop was in Eloy, about an hour south of Phoenix, where good friends of ours (Lorne & Sue) are enjoying their recent winter home purchase. They were wonderful hosts and Lorne even let me win our golf game which was on the Robson Ranch property. We will get together again when Pocahontas arrives later this month.

From there I continued further south to northern Tucson but not before stopping at Picacho Peak for a strenuous but enjoyable hike to the summit. Taking the shorter but more difficult Hunter Trail (3 km straight up) I encountered approx. 10 chains anchored into the rock to assist hikers in the steep uphill climb (not suitable for anyone afraid of heights). It took 2 hours to get to the peak but it was a good challenge and I enjoyed it. I am now somewhat settled in that I have changed RV parks twice in two days and will be searching for a new spot tomorrow due to the spotty internet service (actually terrible) that seems to be pervasive in the Tucson area for some reason. Meanwhile I am hiking in the Sabino Canyon Recreation Area which offers a multitude of moderate to difficult hikes. Today I hiked 11 km's of the Esperero Trail, turning around at Cardiac Ridge (aptly named). There is a shuttle that carries visitors well up into Sabino Canyon but that would be sacrilege to a serious hiker so I will consider it an emergency escape if anything goes wrong on one of my upcoming adventures.

Rain is forecast for the w/e so I will keep my eye on the weather and be prepared to venture on to another 'dry' location if necessary. Adios (since I am close to Mexico).

Sedona - Javelina spotted along Soldier's Pass trail

Bear Mountain - or what I thought. This turned out to be the half way point with the final summit still hidden.

The Devil's Kitchen sinkhole, a former cavern along the Soldier's Pass trail.

Chapel of the Holy Cross in Sedona, built in 1956.

Part of the view along the Broken Point trail in Sedona.

Prescott - the Granite Dells and Watson Lake which were both a short stroll from just behind my campsite.

Picacho Peak south of Eloy - not for the faint hearted.

One of the many cable assisted portions of the Picacho Peak trail.

I never fail, I succeed in finding what doesn't work

Following a shortened camper van trip (minor health issues) to the lovely Paso Robles wine region in the fall, I was keen to start a new adventure in the new year. At the end of January I drove to Kamloops to visit with my 95 year old father who is hanging in there despite some health issues of his own. We had a good visit and hopefully there will be many more. I then headed south towards southern Utah where the plan was to get in as much hiking as possible. Pocahontas meanwhile remained home to get in some more skiing with her girlfriends and to paint a few rooms in the house (a couple of January outings on my snowboard was enough to scratch my itch). She will join up with me in a few weeks, hoping that I will have had my fill of strenuous hiking by then.

I had a few glitches on the drive south, taking a few incorrect routes, a combination of trying to get out of sub-zero temperatures as quickly as possible, the fact that my regular navigator was AWOL (meaning I looked at the map once in the morning and was sure I would remember all the turns I had to make), and being fully engrossed in many interesting Skeptics Guide to the Universe podcasts. When I arrived at Zion National Park (a southern Utah favourite of ours) after 2 full days of driving, there was snow on the ground (not ideal for a warm weather hiker) and the only campground in town was closed for the winter........so I continued on to Kanab near the Arizona border for the night. The next morning I entered the lottery for one of the 10 hiking permits that would be granted for next day hikes to The Wave in Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness Area. If you have not heard of The Wave then you should google it to see the amazing sandstone rock formations to understand why it is a highly desired destination where they limit the daily traffic to better preserve the landscape. I was not one of the lucky winners (30 applicants even though it was a very cold time of the year) and while I had planned to hang around for a few more days to roll the dice again, I changed my mind after attempting to do a couple of nearby hikes during the day (I eventually found the Toadstool hike which was excellent, due to being in a warmer canyon). If the trails were not covered with snow they were muddy from melting snow during the daytime also making some dirt roads to trailheads difficult to access. We were also advised that the 8 mile road into The Wave trailhead was also only passable with a 4X4 at this time of year which would have meant walking an extra 16 miles just to get to the 6 mile trail, or trying to make an arrangement with another lucky winner. I plan to return again, perhaps at the end of this trip on the way home when it is warmer and my hiking partner is with me.

My next stop was the Grand Canyon South Rim. Once again however I encountered a lot of snow at the rim (one foot). While the rim path had been cleared I was concerned that the start of the paths down into the canyon would be icy (since they get enough traffic) and after learning that Phantom Ranch was booked solid I decided to move on rather than entering the dorm lottery the next morning for last minute cancellations, or attempting a one day down and back up hike which I would still like to do some day after having time to spare when I did my trip down to Phantom Ranch 4 years ago.

So at this point I am thinking quite a few things have not gone according to plan on this trip so far (or rather I have been successful in finding what doesn't work). Checking the weather forecast I noticed that Sedona was experiencing mid-teen temperatures during the day (ideal for hiking) and nighttime lows of 7-9C, so no need to worry about freezing pipes. I am now in Sedona, de-winterized the van (now fully functional) and plan to remain here for the next week. Yesterday I hiked the Huckaby Trail (12 km return from my camper van site), an up and down trail with gorgeous red rock views and the roaring Oak Creek. Today I repeated that hike after realizing that I had forgotten to re-pack my camera case in the backpack at the far end of the trail after sitting on a rock to have a snack and enjoy the raging creek. It was still there when I arrived this morning. A pattern seems to be developing here that I am not particularly proud of :-)
As a self-imposed penalty I continued my journey for several more km's with a walk into town to scout out a couple of sports bars to watch the Superbowl tomorrow, and found one that should be a blast (along with being in walking distance).

Adios for now.

My 95 year old father relaxing in a place he loves.

Kanab - old Gunsmoke TV show set

Toadstool hike - only one I discovered without snow

Another toadstool and a good view of the up and down terrain

The Watchtower at the Desert View rim of the Grand Canyon

View from the top of the tower with the Colorado River in the background

Mather Point viewing area - supporting my decision not to take the nearby Bright Angel Trail down into the canyon

Sedona - half way point on the Huckaby Trail which finished at the base of the bridge in the background beside Oak Creek