Today Glen suggested a hike on Boulder Canyon Trail near Tortilla Flat - about a half hour from our campsite. The morning skies were rosy and the air warmed quickly, making for an enjoyable breakfast before we left for our hike.
Morning dawned mild and pretty in and around our campsite.
The drive from Apache Junction to Canyon Lake via Apache Trail is a little hair-raising, with many hairpin turns and steep drop-offs. I appreciated that Glen drove so I could alternately take photos and grip the overhead grab-bar in the car! It was a busy Sunday down at the marina on the human-made Canyon Lake, where one leaves their car to hop on the Boulder Canyon Trail.
Glen was a careful driver as we descended into Tortilla Flat this morning.
I remember Boulder Canyon Trail being...well....boulder-y and difficult. The first mile is about a thousand-foot gain, but the views are spectacular all around, including the Weaver's Needle and Canyon Lake.
One of three massive dams on Salt River, the Mormon Flat Dam formed Canyon Lake. There are apparently two hydroelectric generating units at the dam, including the dreaded pumped storage type unit.
Desert blooms were many, some of which I was able to capture with my phone. Delicate flowers on slender stems, some of which looked like alliums, formed a carpet here and there amidst the cactus and other vegetation.
I could have spent hours and hours just photographing flowers but with a dog on a leash in one hand and a hiking pole in the other, I just got a few pics.
In all, we hiked about four miles. Glen wished to go further, but I've been having some low back/hip stuff going on, so I didn't want to push it - and it's not like it's an easy stroll.
The dogs cool down in the shade of a palo verde tree, while Glen rock picks.
The hard work of scrambling up the mountain side was balanced out by the stunning view.
Back at the campsite, we made a very late lunch / early supper of some of Glen's reconstituted lentil stew along with some jasmine rice and a side of local greens. All very good.
Tonight Twyla and I are hanging out in the tent while Glen and Nyssa log another mile or so hike, just as they did last night, capturing some nice photos of the setting sun.
Glen spied some lovely sights on his late evening hikes last night and tonight.
The Superstition Mountains sure are purdy. I imagine we will explore more of this beautiful place tomorrow.
Glen only pretending to hike at night. In reality he's paying an Uber driver to meet him at his secret rock stash where he loads them into boxes before the driver takes them to a UPS store for shipment to Greenfield!!
The flowers are amazing, thanks for sharing. Have you tried taking some Naproxin to reduce inflammation?
Today is a beautiful day of bright sun in the high 40's with the birds singing their spring song.
Ah, the wildflowers in bloom....I am so delighted you are there to see them! And thanks for the photos, they are a nice reminder of the beyond amazing sights of them we saw a few years ago in Nevada!
Mary, I hope your hip/back hold out. You're all accumulating a lot of miles...especially Twyla on those little legs!
Again just beautiful sights ,I wish I had the energy you guys have ,it’s great that you get to witness the desert coming to bloom