Gates Pass Scenic Lookout

We've been going pretty hard so we take it easy today reading and working on little projects. The plan is to head over to Gates Pass Scenic Lookout about 5 pm so we get parked and find a spot to watch the sunset before the crowds arrive. With a nice G&T in hand, we find ourselves a great spot and enjoy the view. 

Nice spot to enjoy our G&T's.

Chris enjoying the view.

Sun down...that's a wrap.

Arizona Sonoran Desert Museum plus a hike through Saguaro National Park - King Canyon Trail

The Desert Museum has been on our list to get back to since the last time we were here and ran out of time to see it. It is a lovely place to explore and see local wildlife and plants. Timing is everything though and last time we were here much later in the season and much more was in bloom. Still very nice. 

Cowboy Whiskers Prickly Pear

Beautiful illuminated wall. 

Apparently this mountain lion was brought to the Desert Museum when he was 5 months old after being found sitting on a stone fence in southern California. It is thought his mother and sibling were hit by a car and he was waiting for mommy to return. He is now 12 years old and has lived a pretty good life in captivity. 

Cruz the 12 year old mountain lion / cougar.

After the Desert Museum we head to the Saguaro National Park and hike the King Canyon trail. The Saguaro's grow on the mountains like our forests of trees do back home. It is mind boggling how many grow here. Must be perfect growing conditions. 

Rocky trail up to a mine shaft. 

Saguaro's are plentiful

Return route via a wash.

Views out of the wash trail. 

Gilbert Ray Campground - Tucsan, AZ

 We love coming back to this campground for the access to Tucson and all the hiking/biking there area has to offer. We arrive later in the afternoon just before a good dump of rain. The desert smells out of this world after a rain. Wish I could bottle it.

Ocotillo cactus about to get rain.

Site A63 in Gilbert Ray campground

Bike ride through the Golder Ranch area at the base of the Catalina Mountains.

 We head out on the 50 Year Trail, which winds it's way through the base of the Catalina Mountains. It is used for hiking, biking and horseback riding. The area is so beautiful and unique. 10 kms of the 13 kms were amazing. For the other 3 we ended up on a gnarly, narrow, rocky path to get us over a smallish mountain. It was definitely for younger folks than us....the rest was stunning. I liken this kind of riding to skiing as you swoop through the curves.  

Yucca succulent with last years spike still in tact. 

One massive Saguaro cactus

Chris rips up the 50 Year trail

The trail gets all sorts of folks out. 

Catalina Mountains, AZ

We head south and stop in Globe for groceries and fuel. We continue on the scenic highway AZ-77 south and head into the state trust lands on Golder Ranch Road. We have beautiful views of the Catalina Mountains and tons of hiking/biking trails. 

Catalina Mountains

Dead Cholla Cactus at sunset

Sun setting on our rig.

Kayaking the Salt River from the Burnt Corral Campground

 We head back up the Apache Trail to the Burnt Corral Campground and put the kayaks in. We head down-stream for about 45 minutes and then paddle back up past our truck and then upstream to a beautiful beach and have lunch. Chris said we needed to be off the water by 2pm as winds were going to pick up and he was right. The last 15 minutes back to the truck were super windy right on the nose...touch paddling. Still an excellent day. 

Views from the road into the campground.

Gorgeous kayaking. 

Paddling downstream.

Lunch on a great beach. 

Our lunch beach.

Winds are strong paddling back to the truck. 

We stop at the downstream end of the Theodore Roosevelt Dam on our way back to our trailer. This is one big spillway that can release a lot of water from the lake when needed. 

We cross the Lake Roosevelt Dam bridge along highway 188 to get back to our trailer. It is an iconic bridge, second to none other in the Americas. 

Longest two-lane, single-span steel arch bridge in the North America. 

Later in the afternoon, Mary and Gille Strasbourg (friends from Alberta) invite us to the Airbnb they are at for the next month. It's a cute little acreage on the outskirts of Tonto Basin with goats and chickens. Mary makes us 7 Can Soup...delicious. 

Goats waiting to be fed peanuts

Theodore Roosevelt Dam, Apache Trail and the Tonto Basin Monument

 Sheila wakes up at 6:45 and sees this view out our bedroom window. Nice way to start the day. 

Sunrise on Theodore Roosevelt Lake, AZ

We made prior plans with Gille and Mary Strasbourg, friends from Alberta, to spend the day together. First up is a stop at the Theodore Roosevelt Dam on the Salt River, built between 1905 and 1911

Theodore Roosevelt Dam - east end creating the lake.

The Theodore Roosevelt Lake Bridge is the longest two-lane, single-span, steel-arch bridge in North America. It spans 1080 feet across Roosevelt Lake. 

Impressive bridge. 

The addition of the bridge was part of the dam renovation and expansion in the 1990's. The dam height was raised plus prior to the completion of the bridge, traffic travelled directly on top of the dam. 

Sheila and Mary - school buddies from kindergarten to graduation. 

We head off the main highway 188 onto state route 88 known as the Apache Trail. It is a rugged winding road following the Salt River, constructed back in 1904 to provide access to the building of the Theodore Roosevelt Dam. It is super scenic but not for the faint of heart driver. 

Apache Trail along the Salt River. 

We continue down the Apache Trail to the Burnt Corral campground, which is quite literally the first chance we have to get Gille and Mary's truck turned around and head back out to the dam and highway 188. . 

Sheila, Gille, Mary and Chris at Burnt Corral campground.

We continue down highway 188 to the Tonto National Monument, where two cliff dwellings that were occupied from 1300 - 1450 are located. 

Mary at the Monument :)

We hike up to the lower cliff dwelling. It  is easy to see why it was a very strategic location for the cliff dwellers. Great views of the valley to watch for enemies plus total shade for the extreme heat summer would bring. 

Lower cliff dwelling. 

View from the lower cliff dwelling. 

The upper cliff dwelling is only available to see on a booked, guided tour. We are told if we head down the highway another mile to the viewpoint, we'd be able to see the upper dwelling with binoculars. Thankfully Gille and Mary have a couple sets of binoculars and yes...we can see it way up in the mountain in the distance. 

Back to our trailer after a fantastic day of adventure for lasagna. Later than night we head outside to try to see some of the 6 planets that are supposed to be in total alignment today. We think we see 4 of them. 

Cholla Bay camping right on Theodore Roosevelt Lake

Today is a travel day to Payson, AZ to do laundry and pick up a few groceries. We take highway 87N from Usery Mountain Regional park to Payson and it is steep ups and down...7% grades. Truck worked hard going up and brakes worked hard going down.  After Payson we head to Cholla Bay Campground. The Campground host there sees our kayaks and says if you go 1/4 mile farther down the road you will be at Cholla Bay and can camp right on the beach for free. Very kind suggestion. Turns out great. 

We are the trailer farthest to the left  - right on Theodore Roosevelt Lake.

Canyon Lake within the Tonto National Forest, Arizona

The wind forecast today is calm so we decide to make an afternoon trip to Canyon Lake, just north of Apache Junction in the Tonto National Forest. 

State route 88 - aka The Apache Trail is super scenic. 

Entering Tonto National Forest

First views of the lake.

One way bridge across the Salt River

Canyon lake is one of four reservoirs that were formed by the damming of the Salt River in 1925. It is known for its wonderful shorelines along the red rock cliffs. With more than 28 miles of cactus dotted shoreline, it is a kayakers paradise. 

We kayak across the lake and head down an arm.

Aptly named Canyon Lake for its steep canyon walls. 

We go deeper and deeper up the arm

We head up a channel of our arm but it dead ends in about 500 meters. 

One of many Big Horn Sheep calmly grazing. 

Sheila just watching the Big Horn Sheep

Favorite photo of the day - Chris just sitting, enjoying life.

Flock of American Coots.

We are out here for almost 3 hours and the last 45 minutes or so is spent just floating and enjoying the colors and the wildlife. It is absolutely surreal to experience this place. Amazing day!!