Lower Cliff Dwelling–Tonto National Monument

Saturday, March 12, 2106

This morning, after breakfast, we all jumped in the jeep and headed south on hwy 188 to the Tonto National Monument.  It is only about 10 miles down the highway.

Today was Heritage Days at the monument and they head many activities going on.  Plus it is free to enter this weekend for everyone and everyone is welcome to climb to the Upper Cliff Dwelling.  Normally, this is a reservation only with guide tour.

Today, we climbed the short distance to the Lower Cliff Dwelling with Fergie and Yuma.  They are allowed to go all the way to the entrance; but then Dolly and I had to take turns entering the ruins because the dogs are not allowed in the ruins.

Here are the photos of this hike.

  

  

 

 

The Solado Indians sure had a nice view of the Tonto Valley.  The lake was not there in their day.

Tomorrow, we will climb to the Upper Cliff Dwelling.  It is located in the same canyon, just quite a bit higher up the mountain.

See you later.

Lazy Day

Friday, March 11, 2016

We just stayed around camp today.  Didn’t do anything but take a walk with Yuma a few times.

A few more photos from our jeep trip down Apache Trail yesterday.

Beautiful sunset tonight.

See you later.

Jeeping Down Apache Trail

Thursday, March 10, 2016

This morning, all four of us jumped in the jeep and headed to hwy 88 West, also known as the Apache Trail.  There is a dirt road following the Salt River from the Roosevelt Lake Bridge all the way down to Apache Junction near Phoenix.

The Roosevelt Lake was created when the Roosevelt Dam was built to hold back the Salt River.  The bridge is just on the other side of this dam.

We drove about 35 miles down to Canyon Lake and it took us about five hours to make the round trip.  We stopped a million times to take pictures.  It was beautiful the whole way down.  However, the dirt road was as rough and dusty as it could be. 

The wash board bumps jarred us till we were completely worn out by the time we got back to camp.  There were switchbacks all along the route and in many places there was only a single lane.  I had to be vigilant at all times watching for oncoming traffic.  There was quite a bit of traffic.

  

In fact, we had to wait at one curve until a truck could be pulled out of a ditch.  Evidently, the truck was coming down and around a curve when a truck going in the opposite direction spooked the driver and she pulled over too far and into a deep drop-off.  Luckily, it was on the mountain side and not the cliff side.

Here is Yuma and I at a scenic overlook of the Salt River.

The first lake below the dam is Apache Lake.  There is a small RV Resort along the banks below.

The scenery was just beautiful everywhere we looked.  The canyons reminded me of the Grand Canyon in their heights and the vegetation was green and flowers were blooming everywhere.  I believe we are in the Superstition Mountain range.

We finally reached the tourist western town of Tortilla Flat.   It is an authentic old western town that has become commercialized.  It was quite crowded, but we did stop to walk around.

Our trail ended at Canyon Lake, six miles down from Tortilla Flat.

We pulled into the Lakeside Restaurant and Cantina at Dolly Steamboat to take a photo of the lake.  I must say that place was packed.  This is around 3:30 PM on a Thursday and the whole parking lot was full.

Couldn’t resist taking this photo for Dolly.

Took us about three and a half hours to go 35 miles, and we were bushed.  Only took about an hour and a half to make the return trip.  No stopping for pictures on the way back.

It was a tiring day, but the sights were breathtaking.

See you later.

Hike in the Mountains

Wednesday, March 9, 2016

This morning after breakfast, Yuma and I returned to the dirt road we hiked last year at this time.  Not sure how far the road goes up into the mountains toward the Four Peaks, but we walked about two miles of it.

Looking back at Roosevelt Lake.

Wild flowers are blooming.

There are bushes and cactus all over the place.  The reason I am not letting Yuma off leash is because the weather has been warm and there is a definite threat of rattlesnakes.

The Phoenix news just yesterday had an interview with a man in the hospital that got bitten when he reached under his RV to find out what the rattle was.  This is the honest truth.

As I crested the last hill my feet could handle, I was sure I would be standing at the base of the Four Peaks, but, alas, it was not to be.  Just more hills to crest ahead.

Looking across Roosevelt Lake at the mountains on the other side.  This is a beautiful place.  I sat on a rock with Yuma beside me for a long time just listening to the birds and total silence.

Last year, Yuma and i ran into a beautiful Gila Monster walking along this road, but not this year.

After resting for several hours, all four of us took a walk down to the lake.  Yuma had a great time splashing in the water.

   

See you later.

Roosevelt Lake, Arizona

Tuesday, March 8, 2016

This morning, we left the Sonoran Desert for the mountains. 

We stopped in Buckeye on the outskirts of Phoenix to get gas for the MH and jeep.  We then drove a few more miles down the road to the Walmart.

 

Loaded up with food and we were on our way to fight the Phoenix traffic.

Even with all the technology and gadgets to keep me on the correct road, I managed to miss hwy 202 in Phoenix and we ended up spending a good half hour lost in Glendale, one of the many suburb cities around Phoenix.

One we got back on 202, it was not long before we hit hwy 87 going through the mountains, Tonto National Forest, and on up to the plateau high above Phoenix.

Before we got to the mountains, I stopped and unhooked the jeep so Dolly could drive it.  The mountains east of Phoenix are high.  There are a number of long inclines and 6% and 7% downgrades.  Last year, I thought I was going to lose my brakes going down the mountains with the jeep hooked to the back of the RV. 

Here are the Four Peaks as we drove toward them from the outskirts of Phoenix.

We are going up the mountains and then around to the back of the Four Peaks Mountain to Roosevelt Lake.

All these mountains are the Mazatzal Mountain range.  The Four Peaks are a part of this mountain range.

There was an area that had thousands of Saguaro cactus on the hillsides.

About 40 miles up hwy 87, we turned onto hwy 188 heading into the Tonto National Forest and onto Roosevelt Lake.

Will have to wait till tomorrow to see photos of the area we are staying.  It was getting late and didn’t have time to get anymore.

See you later.