A new peak conquered

It was only about 100 this afternoon, so I thought I had better take advantage of the relatively cool weather. I headed towards Canyon Lake but decided to try the gate at the Apache Trail entrance to Bulldog Canyon OHV area. My map of the area is reproduced below.

View Larger Map

I was looking for something to climb that I hadn't climbed before and found a peak that looked like a possibility. It has a "gentle" slope on one side and shear cliffs on another. I was able to drive pretty close to it, but had to park at the cliff end and hike to the other end to start climbing. It wasn't a long climb; about 570 feet. The view from the top was better than I had hoped, though. Unfortunately, it looks like some of my sweat had dripped onto the polarizing filter, so a lot of the pictures are messed up. I didn't notice it until I got home.

As I was walking around on top, taking pictures and enjoying the view and the breeze, there was a bee that kept buzzing around me. They frequently do that when I'm hiking and I used to just ignore them. I read recently, though, that before they attack, killer bees will bump a person as a warning. So I was watching this bee. It didn't seem to be bumping me. It just buzzed around and around. Once, it quit buzzing and I found it on my shirt. I decided to try to ignore it, though. I was walking back and forth getting pictures when I thought my sleeve felt funny and I brushed it. I felt a lump. I was thinking that was odd and wondering if it was a piece of a paloverde I had brushed past on the way up when I realized that I couldn't hear the bee buzzing. Ack! There's a bee in my shirt! I tried to get it out before it stung, but it was too late. When they sting, they release chemicals into the air that signal other bees to attack. I watched and listened nervously for more bees as I got my knife out to scrape the stinger off (if you grab them with your fingers, you will squeeze more of the bee venom into your skin). I had also read recently that many people who die as a result of bee attacks in Arizona, do so as a result of running off a cliff or something like that. Well, I was right next to a killer cliff. Even if I tried to run down the way I came up, it was steep. If I didn't go down exactly the way I came up, I would probably be stopped by another cliff. Well, the story has a happy ending; I didn't fall to my death. No more bees showed up. Whew!

I tried to make a couple of videos looking over the cliff. I couldn't get close enough to the edge, though. Nobody can make fun of me until they go up there and make a better video, though.

That's going to have to be all for now. It's late and I'm tired. I'll put the pictures up tomorrow.