Cholla Campground Near Roosevelt, Arizona

Wednesday, March 10, 2015

Today, my plan is to move 28 miles south to Cholla Campground.  Thanks to RVSue, I knew I could get a daily pass for $3 to stay at any of the campgrounds in the Tonto National Park area.  With this $3, I will get water and hot showers.  It has been awhile since I have had a real hot shower, so it is worth the money.

We left our private little camp around 10 am.  I found out this morning that this part of Arizona does not change to Daylight Savings Time, so it is really 9 am when we go down the dirt road, across the wash and stop at the stop sign right across from Jakes Corner Bar.  Wanted to walk down there last night, but couldn’t get up the oomph to do it.  Maybe next time.

Last night, the lady behind the counter told me they were out of the daily passes, but I could pick them up at Butcher Hook on my way to the campground, so we headed south on hwy 188 for about 12 miles down into Tonto Basin and stopped at Butcher Hook where I picked up $9 worth of passes.  That will last me three days and then I will decide what to do for the weekend.

Soon, we spotted Roosevelt Lake off to our left.  The lake is in a large valley with mountains all around.  It is a beautiful recreational area.

We arrive at Cholla Campground to find it is very crowded.  Somebody mentioned this was spring break, so maybe that’s why.  We drive around the upper area looking for a camp.  I know the lower area near the lake will be more crowded.  We find a loop that is fairly vacant and pulled in.

The campground is on the east side of the Four Peaks.  Don’t look as distinct from this side.

After setting up camp, Yuma and I laid around and rested and then I went down and got a hot shower.  The hot water is supplied by solar panels, so lots of hot water.  Loved my shower and made me feel so relaxed.  We laid around some more after my shower and lunch.

Around 4:30 pm, we decided to drive south a few miles to take more photos of the lake.  Saw this raven sitting on top of a large saguaro cactus.

As I was looking south along the lake, I saw this beautiful bridge and the sun was hitting it from the west.  Yuma and I decided to drive to the bridge and see if we could get a photo from the west side of it with the sun hitting it.

As we were driving south on hwy 188, I saw a lizard in the road.  I don’t know what there is about lizards and me; but this one was a young Gila Monster, crossing the road.

Of course I stopped and got out with camera in hand.  I protected him until he was safely in the grass on the side of the road.  He looked to be about 9 or 10 inches long and quite fat.  He has eaten well and blends in well with the asphalt.

I am glad it was me that came along and saw him in the roadway.  It would have been sad to see him get run over.  They are a threatened species.

We went on and rounded a corner, and there was the beautiful Roosevelt Bridge.

Hwy 88 intersects with hwy 188 at the south end of the bridge, so that is where we went to get this photo from the west side as the sun is setting through the ravine.

The Roosevelt Dam is just west of the bridge, so got a photo of it as well.

Not much water to hold back.

Sun is setting and time to call it a day.

See you later.