Preparing for the AZT

as Jeff and I were driving home from the valley on Sunday the 17th, we pretty much talked ourselves into doing the Arizona Trail.  Once we were home we started packing and planning.  On Monday Jeff called Chris to see if he would drop us off at the beginning of the trail.  Not only did he say yes but he  would take the day off to do it!!!  Around 2:30 on Monday we locked up the house, stopped by the post office and let Stuart know we would be gone for awhile.  Then we headed to Kendal and Cory’s house to drop off the rest of our canning and the food that we didn’t want to spoil!  After gaining them a quick lesson on canning... we were off again!!!  We got into mesa around 2000 hours and headed to Walmart neighborhood market to get some more food.  Then to frys and then to Zacks house to put everything together.  We realized we were a few dinners short!  Ugh!  It was already 2100 hrs and we were tired!  But we headed out to Walmart and got some more food.

  Then we were off to bed. Around 0500 the next morning I finally just got up.  I couldn’t sleep and my stomach was In knots.  Chris shows up right on time at 0700 and said , “What’s up crazy bitches!”  He said Christy said “I’m in fear of their mental health”!  I’m sure lots of people are thinking that right about now!!!  Hell I’m thinking it!  Lmao!!???

South Fork to Hay Lake = 7 miles

I've been wanting to do the South Fork trail to Hay Lake for so long!  I want to see where it comes out at Hay Lake!  We were unable to do the entire trail due to severe tree fall and overgrowth.  About 2 miles away from Hay Lake we had to turn around.  Total bummer!
NOTES:
Definitely wear pants due to overgrowth on trail.
Look back often!  Things look different on the way back.  Especially when you can't find the trail!

Apache Trail to Tortilla Flat to Roosevelt Lake

Dutchman to Coffee Flat = 7.66 miles O&B

Yesterday we took a little day hike in the Superstitions.  We headed to the Peralta Trail Head (along with half of the people who live in AZ) for a nice Saturday hike.  There were so many cars that people were parking along the side of the dirt road.  We saw a bunch of cars leaving (since it was almost noon), so we headed to the main parking lot.  We were met by a Park Ranger at the parking lot just before the main parking lot who said the main lot was full.  We got the last parking spot in the secondary lot (which the Park Ranger said was only an 8th of a mile away from the trail head).  We got out and headed to the TH.

 We spoke to the awesome volunteer park ranger and asked him which way everyone was going because we wanted to go the opposite way!  He said everyone is going on Peralta.  He suggested Dutchmans Trail to Coffee Flat.  Which was great because that was the trail that I had actually looked up!  We headed out and nobody was around.  Perfect!

As I was taking a picture, Jeff walked up behind me.  So it's both of our shadows, lol.

As we ascended we could see the mass of cars.  That is the "main" parking lot.  There were several others a ways down the road that were also "full!"

This is a typical trail in Arizona.  I sent Kendal this picture and asked her how many times she's been on this trail.  100's!

Since we had wi-fi pretty much the entire time...we were getting texts from Greg and Beth who are in Idaho looking for a house to buy.  They sent us a selfie so we took one of our own!

The turn off for Coffee Flat.  By this time we passed a few people but they were all going the other way.  We even passed a boy scout troop!

It took us about 2 hours to get here.  We took it slow and took pictures and enjoyed ourselves.

 I sent this picture to Kendal who sends me pictures of the snow and beautiful scenery and Greg & Beth who are sending pictures of beautiful Idaho and said, "Why wouldn't you just want to live here!??"  (Very well knowing the answer- it was definitely rhetorical!)

 Greg mocked me back and sent this picture!  Too funny!

 All while sitting on a log, under a tree, eating a bar.  It took us two hours to get here so we figured we'd get back around 4:00 since a lot of it would be going up hill, ugh!

Jeff, as always, let me set the pace and I set off to motor back as fast as I could!  We passed just a few people.  One was an older couple (older than us but not ancient) that were sitting pretty much in the middle of the trail in some shade (it was the uphill switchbacks).  The woman was dusted.  We motored all the way up and made it back in an hour!  It felt so good to be back on the trail!  We're now planning an overnight backpack trip in the next couple of weeks!

South Fork Trail

South Fork Trail #97. 

6 miles one way.   The trail's northern portion follows the South Fork of the Little Colorado River for 2 miles.  Several grassy meadows open up the scenery offering a change from the steep-sided canyon that dominates most of the lower trail.  

I've been wanting to do this hike but it shows that it is straight up!  I don't like straight up.  I thought we could just explore it for a little ways at least.

We took this little trail first (I'd seen people on it) but it went nowhere.  Weird.  Addie loved this rock because we had just watched V for Vendetta and she thought it looked like it!

On to the real trail.  Addie obviously took this picture and memed it! Lol!

 I'd like to find the Mexican Hay Lake Trail Head and start from there!

This hike wasn't as pretty as the other ones.  A little dry and scrubby but it followed the river and it was a  new adventure.  We only went about a mile and a half before we turned around.

 This was a super cool hollowed out tree!

 As we were heading back, a bicyclist was coming up.  We gave him some room. We had a great dinner and watched Apocalypto that night.  We also finished the first season of Little House on the Prairie (which was awesome!).

 In the morning, Jeff unhooked and we headed home.  Addie said she never wanted to leave this place! She already has so many fond memories here!

 There's that same cloud that is always there.  (space ship?)  Hmmm?

The Queen Creek Tunnel 1952.