Day of rest in preparation

Tuesday, February 27, 2018 – Location:  Superstition Mountains near Apache Junction, Arizona

I decided to take a day to rest up in preparation for my attack on the Superstition Mountains.  I did a little reading this morning while laying in my lounge chair soaking up this beautiful weather.  They are calling for winds and rain later today and this evening. 

I found that the first place I need to go is to the Lost Dutchman State Park.  Many of the trailheads originate from there and they also have information on what to do in the Superstition Mountains.  These mountains are massive and I don’t want to waste energy hiking in areas that are not interesting and relative. 

Around noon, Yuma and I jumped in the Jeep and drove the five miles into Apache Junction and bought gas for the Jeep and eight gallons of drinking water.  I am now all set for anything.

Got back to the RV and Deb and Riley had a wonderful lunch prepared and invited me over.  I’m getting spoiled! 

As we ate, a trolley car of tourists drove up through our campsite.  I just wonder what the driver is telling the tourists about us.  I believe he is showing them all the many cactus that grow in this area.

Earlier, this morning I walked a short distance and couldn’t believe all the different kinds there are just in our campsite.

I walked up that brown dirt berm you see in the above picture to see what was there.  To my surprise, there is a large open pit mine.  Maybe digging for gold.  Not sure.  Lot of No Trespassing signs stuck in the berm, so didn’t go any further.

Saw this bird on a tree limb as I was walking.  Wonder what it is.  I thought I saw red coloring, but don’t see it in the photo.  The guy on the cactus is a Cactus Wren, so I got one out of two identified.

A little later a beautiful horse came by.  The horse was making loud whiny sounds as he trotted up the road.  Looked so proud, I think he wanted everyone to know he was coming through and to move aside.  Never heard a horse make so much noise.

As we broke up after lunch the winds picked up and so did the dust.  The temperature dropped quickly from 69 to around 60 degrees.

Before the winds got too bad, I put up my local TV antenna in hopes to get CBS for tomorrow night’s “Survivor”.  Did the channel scan and came back with 54 channels.  Yeah!  I thought.  Clicked through the channels and got Fox, NBC and ABC and 51 other channels; but no CBS!!!  Couldn’t believe it!

Decided to run the antenna another two feet higher and try again.  This time I got 118 channels.  I was hopeful!.  Sure enough, CBS came in loud and clear.  I am now ready for “Survivor”, if the antenna doesn’t blow down.

I even watched the news this evening and the weather announcers are so excited about the rain tonight and the snow they will get near Flagstaff.  Been a very warm and dry winter and Arizonians are worried about drought this coming summer because of no snow run-off.

Had a pleasant day of rest.  My body is ready to take on a day of hiking tomorrow, weather permitting.  My back-up plan is to drive the Apache Trail if everything is wet and muddy on the trails.  Either way, it will be a good day.

The sun was hazy with dust as it went behind a large cloud bank coming out of the southwest and soon we had dark foreboding clouds.   As I finish this blog I can hear the pitter patter of rain.

See you later.