Lower Salt River AZ (3/4/2019)

Hopefully you noticed that I've been off the air for a couple weeks.  It's not that I've gotten lazy (well maybe a little), but my computer contracted a sudden illness and had to be sent away for repair.  The actual repair was probably a fifteen minute job, but with all the shipping and waiting its turn at every step, it was gone for fifteen days.  Oh well, I'm back in business with more than a thousand photos to sort through as I get time.

The Lower Salt River Recreation Area actually has about ten different areas for public use, along with wildlife, including wild horses.  On this trip, I did not see any horses, but did see some good scenery and a few birds.  My route to the rec area took me over Usery Pass and through some nice neighborhoods.  I pulled off to check out the Trinity Christian school because of its architecture.

Usery Mountain Park has nice views and good hiking trails, but I didn't have time for hiking on this day.

One small mountain had a bit of directional info, presumably for pilots. Commercial pilots wouldn't need such help, but in an area with so many mountains that look alike, pilots of planes without GPS might find this helpful.

One homeowner situated on a hilltop has taken a very creative approach to advertising his house for sale.  Looks like a pretty nice home, too.

The first section of the recreation area I went to was Coon Bluff, always a good place for spotting birds.  However, the first "bird" I saw was this drone being flown by a young man on the river bank.

 Then a few real birds began showing up.

Greater Yellowlegs

Vermilion Flycatcher

Phainopepla

On my way to Saguaro Lake, I snapped a few of the rock formations along the highway.

Saguaro Lake is one of the four reservoirs in the Salt River that provide drinking water to the residents in the Phoenix area.  It's larger than Canyon Lake, but smaller than the other two.  (More about them later.)

In the past, I've seen lots of waterfowl in the lake, but this time there were only a few near shore.  The lake is large enough that lots of ducks could be in a distant cove.  This Lesser Scaup is the only duck photo I took.

By this time, it was nearing sunset so I stopped a few times on the way back to camp to get a few photos of the color.

Apache Trail, AZ (3/3/2019)

The Apache Trail is the main reason I wanted to spend time in and around the town of Apache Junction.  The "trail" begins a short distance from my RV park and travels about 44 miles through the Superstition Mountains,

Every web site describing the trail recommends against driving a large vehicle, such as a motor home, because of the steep, twisting, unpaved road with sharp drop-offs into deep canyons. However, such warnings should be unnecessary, as only a true nutcase would attempt it.  Here's what one site has to say about the Apache Trail:

"Named after the Apache Indians who once used the route, the Apache Trail, or AZ 88 as it is          officially known, links Apache Junction at the edge of the Greater Phoenix area with Theodore Roosevelt Lake, through the Superstition Mountains and the Tonto National Forest; 40 miles of steep, winding and mostly unpaved road past magnificent scenery of twisted igneous mountains with dense forests of saguaro and ferocactus, and several deep blue lakes. Past the lakes, the original route continues in more traditional fashion to the former copper mining town of Globe (via Hwy 188), but it is the western half which is the most scenic and well-known, however caution is required when driving and it is not recommended for large RVs or caravans; the largest RV rental company in the US (Cruise America) does not allow their vehicles do be taken on this route."

When I first drove the trail in 2006, it was part of a large loop that took the entire day.  Some of the time was spent at various stops and overlooks, but it did not allow much time for hiking or exploring side roads.  By staying here a month, I plan to fully explore all I can, although I have to admit I am no longer able to do some of the more strenuous hikes.

Here is a map of the trail that shows some of the popular stops, such as the "ghost town" of Goldfield.

Driving the trail on a beautiful Sunday in March, one has to expect lots of traffic.  This is a VERY popular activity, especially for people on motorcycles (who only drive the paved part).  Accordingly, I did not visit Goldfield, the Superstition Mountain Museum or the restaurant at Tortilla Flat, all of which would be too crowded for my taste.  Instead, I'll come back to them some time during the week, when crowds should be much smaller.  Also, I only went about half way this time, allowing for plenty of stops and a little hiking.

The geology along the trail is simply incredible, with colorful formations and spectacular canyons.  At this time of year, wildflowers add to the beauty always present in the desert for me.

The Phoenix area gets much of its water supply from a series of four reservoirs in the Salt river, three of which are accessed via the Apache Trail.  Canyon Lake is the smallest, but is large enough to attract lots of boaters and fishermen.

The lakes also attract migrating waterfowl, such as this Ruddy Duck.

Near the end of the paved section, the "town" of Tortilla Flat (six residents) is home to a popular saloon/restaurant/museum and general party place.  This is where the motorcycle riders stop for lunch, then head back toward Apache Junction and points beyond.  Forget the Lost Dutchman Mine, this is the real modern-day gold mine in the Superstitions.

This is also where Tortilla Creek passes over the paved road, giving everyone a chance to ford the stream.  I've never seen a motorcycle cross it.

Apache Junction, AZ (3/2/2019)

Well, I finally made it to Apache Junction, where I wanted to be six weeks ago when I first arrived in Arizona.  This area is so popular with snowbirds, all the RV parks (and there are many of them) were full at that time.  Apparently a few of the snowbirds start home around March 1, opening a few vacancies and I was able to snag one.  Now I'm settled in for a month, after which I'll start gradually moving toward Colorado.

The main attraction for me here is the Superstition Mountain range and the Apache Trail that runs through it.  I spent a day driving the Apache Trail back in 2006, but always felt there was much more to see when I had the time.  A month should give me plenty of time to explore the Superstitions, as well as visit some of the wildlife preserves in the greater Phoenix area.

Saturday started out with heavy overcast conditions, not a good time for photography.  I hung out in camp and watched golf and basketball on TV.  Late in the afternoon, the clouds started breaking up and the sun peeked out.  I decided it might be a good sunset evening, so headed out toward the Apache Trail.

The start of the Trail is marked by a small park and monument in honor of the Lost Dutchman Mine.  Most people have heard the legend of a German prospector who told a death-bed story about a gold mine he had found in the Superstition Mountains.  Since then, many people have searched in vain for the "Lost Dutchman's Gold Mine".  Starting in 1892, thousands of people have pieced together clues and thought they can find it.  Many have died trying. 

Here the desert has a nice carpet of green ground cover, not just the rocks and dirt found farther south.  Driving here from Tucson, I saw quite a few wildflowers blooming, so I'm hoping there will be more of these as I travel about.

As the sun gets lower, it puts a spotlight on Superstition Mountain.

I stopped briefly at Superstition Mountain Museum, but it was too late to go inside.  I'll make a point of visiting it when there's more time.

Turning onto a side road, I headed directly toward the mountain.  It was a shock to see so many homes in this area, most built since my last visit.  And these were not small, run-of-the-mill houses like you might expect to find in the desert.  These were mostly very large and very nice homes with beautiful desert landscaping.  This would be a great place to live.

One residence had its garage door painted with a scene that included two riders on horseback  going toward Superstition Mountain.

After cruising the neighborhood, I turned my attention once again to the sunset, which was starting to look good.