Lazy Day

Sunday, March 6, 2016

A front came in this morning, bringing clouds and wind.  As the day wore on, the clouds dissipated to a large degree bringing on the sunshine.  The winds, however remained all day.  Temperature got to a beautiful 77 degrees today.  Nice to get rid of the high 80’s for now. 

Just heard on the TV it was the hottest February on record in Phoenix.  They said the same thing in San Diego when we were in that area.

We stayed at the MH all day, taking walks with the dogs and that was it.  I did walk down to the entrance sign and got a photo of that.  My two mile walk for the day is over.  You can just barely see our MH under the word Saddle way off in the distance.

This was my view for most of the day.

See you later.

Climbing Mountains Again

Saturday, March 5, 2016

On Thursday, after my long hike into the canyon, I looked up and saw what I called “The Alien” because of the strange face at the top.

I decided to end my day with one last mountain climb  Not too high.  My goal was the cave at the lower right.  It was the only one I couldn’t see completely.

When I climbed inside, guess who was waiting for me?  A tired and thirsty Yuma.

We rested for awhile.

Looking straight out, I could see the jeep down below in the center.

Looking to the east, I could see Saddle Mountain.

We were tired, so off we went for home. 

About an hour after I got home, Dolly asked me where Fergie’s little pink rubber water dish was.  I looked everywhere around the RV and in the jeep, but no pink rubber dish.  Dolly lets me use it to give Yuma water on my hikes.

My feet and ankles were so tired, I couldn’t go back to retrieve it.  I had a feeling I left it in the cave.  Dolly said that we could just get another one at Walmart next week, but you know me.  I just can’t let things go.

Took two days, but today, Yuma and I made another jeep trip to “The Alien”.  This time, he was looking down and laughing at me.

When I peered inside, there was Yuma waiting for me to fill the pink rubber water dish.  The black stuff you see is sheep dung.  They must come in here often because it is fresh.

My feet are fresher today, so we walked walked around the mountain.

    

We made it down with “The Alien” watching me all the way down.

See you later.

Day of Rest

Friday, March 4, 2016

This morning I could tell my feet and ankles were not going hiking or climbing montains today.  I am taking a day off and rest them.

  

All I did today was to take Yuma and Fergie for walks around camp and that was it.  The rest of the day, I just propped my feet up in my lounge chair and enjoyed the beautiful day.

My heart stopped for a second when I looked down and saw this.  My first root snake.

Bone pile.  Hope they aren’t human.

Another beautiful sunset on Saddle Mountain.  I can’t believe we live here.

See you later.

Another Day of Hiking in Saddle Mountain

Thursday, March 3, 2016
Woke up this morning to a balloon floating over our camp.  Yuma barked and barked at this strange thing in the sky.  And, of course, Fergie had to bark at Yuma because he was barking.  That’s Fergie watching the balloon.

Later in the morning, Yuma and I jeeped back into the canyon to finish our hike from yesterday.  As I was driving by the cave I thought I saw yesterday, I figured out what I thought was a cave.  It is actually a round rock formation that was so black, I thought it was a cave.  The sun was a much brighter yesterday and the black surrounded by by the white rock fooled me.

Unfortunately, the hike today was not too exciting.  It was very difficult walking through the wash going back into the canyon,  And it didn’t go any further than what I saw yesterday.

      
       

You can tell I am hot and exhausted.  Poor Yuma was lying down out of sight next to me.

Time to call it a day and go back to camp and rest.
Another beautiful sunset tonight.

See you later.

Climbing Saddle Mountain

Wednesday, March 2, 2016

After breakfast, Yuma and I planned to hike further into the canyons inside Saddle Mountain.  But our plans changed.

I drove the jeep into the same canyon as yesterday, but as I was driving up the canyon, it appeared there was a cave high up the mountainside.  I couldn’t resist.  We stopped the jeep and started up the mountain.

Unfortunately, I didn’t take a photo of the black hole I saw up there, but it was behind the mountain on the right in the white area.  I took this photo yesterday when we were here.

Poor Yuma had to follow his foolhardy Dad all the way to the top.  Of course, it was getting hot.  Heat records are being broken everyday in the southwest.  It will be 90 degrees today.  Way too hot for an old man to be climbing mountains. 

I need to be on the lookout for rattlesnakes.  It is warm enough for them to be out of hibernation.  Would hate for Yuma to get bit up here.

The jeep is between the wash and the road on the left center of the photo below.

After all the climbing, when we got to the top of the white area, I found it was just a shadow in a recessed area of the mountain and not a cave.  What a bummer.

I didn’t see it yesterday, because we came later in the day and the shadow was no longer there.

The only good thing was the beautiful scenery up here.  Yuma got close to the edge, but I have a fear of heights, so I stayed back from the edge.

 

I see why it is called Saddle Mountain.

After the climb, my feet hurt and my legs were rubber, so we decided to call it a day.  Tomorrow is another day and tomorrow we will stay on track and explore the canyons inside Saddle Mountain.

See you later.

Hike on Saddle Mountain

Tuesday, March 1, 2016

Yuma and I took the jeep and drove into the heart of Saddle Mountain.  And was it beautiful deep inside the canyons.  This area looks like Arizona in the brochures.

Beautiful sunset.

See you later.