Weaver's Needle Vista Viewpoint

It seems repetitive, but that's what the sign says. Several years ago, I had gone to the end of the paved trail there and continued on the dirt trail for a while. It's been long ago enough that I had no recollection of what I saw out there, so it was time to go again.

The paved trail takes you to this spot. The view of Weaver's Needle is mostly obstructed from here, though.

The further you go along the unpaved portion of the trail, the better the view of the Superstition Mountains.

It was a little warm out there, especially with the sun on my very dark blue jeans. There were some gnats, too. Most of them just flew around the brim of my hat. I also seem to have gotten a couple of mosquito bites while out there. They would be my seventh and eighth mosquito bites since moving to Arizona over 9 years ago. I can't figure out how people manage to get West Nile in this state.

I like the way this turned out. Can you tell what's different between it and the last 40,000 or so pictures I've taken?

I finally got to an unobstructed view of Weaver's Needle, about a mile from the trailhead. Shortly after that I came to the overflow parking lot for the First Water trailhead. Since I've seen that area recently, it was time to turn back.

View of Weaver's Needle.

I wasn't on an official trail. There are random trails wandering all over the place out there. I decided to take a different one on the way back, thinking it would re-connect with the trail I had been on before. It quickly became obvious it wasn't going to work like that, though. I was headed well south of where I had been before. I had plenty of water and was in an area where it would be darn difficult to get lost and I could always get to Apache Trail to escape.

I was almost to Apache Trail when I decided to cut across some hills to get back to the truck. I was doing a lot of pointless ups and downs but there was some interesting scenery along the way.

One of many mining claim markers in the area. These guys aren't Hispanic, or can't spell, or both.

I spotted the truck and was about to descend to a wash when something on the side of the hill up ahead caught my eye. I was tired and it was getting late, but I couldn't resist going to see what it was.

What are those white and black squares all about?

It didn't take much more clambering around to get to it. Turns out it was an old mine shaft, going straight down for 20 or 30 feet.

I hear that there are thousands of these all over Arizona. More numerous than mosquitoes, apparently.

Click below to see all of the pictures.

2012_09_16

A stroll in Bulldog Canyon

It felt a little cooler yesterday so I decided to go for a short hike. I didn't want to do a lot of climbing so I figured I would wander around a "flat" area in Bulldog Canyon, and maybe climb a small hill.

I've been in that area several times before but I had forgotten lots of details, so it wasn't as boring as I was afraid it might be. It felt like the humidity was still kind of high. There were very few tracks in the washes since they had been wiped clean by recent rains. Termites had covered many sticks on the ground with dirt (to keep them from dehydrating as they munch on the wood).

The ocotillos have fresh green leaves.

Termites at work.

I climbed a small hill. I'm pretty sure I've been on it before. I don't seem to have any pictures there on Panoramio or Google Street View, so maybe it was a different hill. I need to get busy and fill that area with pictures. Click below to see all of this hike's pictures.

2012_09_15