Trifecta

Of course the day will be fantastic after the pampered breakfast we received at Hassinger Daniels Mansion? We depart the grand mansion reluctantly and head to a local golf course, Roebuck Municipal Golf Course. 

The website states they affectionately refer to themselves as "Roegusta," a reference to the famous Augusta National almost 400 miles away in Augusta, Georgia, home to The Master's Golf Tournament. It felt good to be outside on a beautiful day, playing one of our favorite, and admittedly frustrating, activites: golf. 

After golf, we're ready to spend some time in the car. That's good because we have an hour-and-a-half drive northwest to Fort Payne, a lush wooded area of Alabama. Time for our second and third favorite activities combined: a hike with waterfalls along the trail. Does it get any better? 

Little River Canyon overlook provided a great view of the falls. We looked at the map, scanned the area around us, and opted to hike the Bridge Trail. The narrow trail snaked through tall trees. The sound of the waterfall motivated us to keep searching for the source. We crossed under the highway bridge on a wood walking bridge. The trail took us up and across on a path along the highway bridge where we could look down on the families enjoying a sunny afternoon in the water at the top of the falls. What a relaxing, serene afternoon.

Time to head to the first of the major stop of this road trip; the reason we put the trip together. We are going to visit a newly constructed log cabin located in the wooded north Georgia countryside in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains and, most importantly, the talented inhabitants of that cabin.

A Walk in the Park

After a couple days of touring and sight-seeing, it's time to return to nature as we meander eastward. Today we had a beautiful and unusual hike, the Lower Dogwood Trail in Hot Springs National Park. It is an easy hike just under two miles. To get to the loop, however, we had to access the Arlington Trail, which is located behind the Arlington Hotel and Spa. The historic hotel is huge with over 500 rooms. The staff are incredibly kind and accommodating. I spoke with someone via phone a couple weeks ago and couldn’t believe their instructions to do this hike, but it was as they described. 

First, we drove into their parking garage and received valet parking for $5. “Park as long as you need. Enjoy your hike.” Ok, when have you ever had valet parking for a hike? 

Second, this is our first hike where we started on the sixth floor of the hotel. Yes, that's right. We went inside the hotel, took their elevator to the sixth floor and exited to the Arlington trailhead, which is right by their outdoor pool and spa. See the black railing in the far middle on the photo where we exited the 6th floor, then walked around the pool and through two gates to find the trailhead by the spa. A sixty-foot elevation gain when hiking has never been so easy.

We capped off a great day with a wonderful dinner at Fisherman's Wharf (no not in San Francisco). This restaurant has been around for years and is still popular. It has a large outdoor seating area that extends over the water, allowing boats and wildlife on Lake Hamilton to come right up to the edge. Locals drive up to the restaurant in their boat and dock. How fun. I wish we could have stayed until sunset. It’s a beautiful place and the food is good too!

This is our first visit to Hot Springs. I was impressed. Lots of hiking and boating options. Beautiful area. Restaurants. Great summer playground!

Roll With It

We have hiked, toured, and relaxed by a waterfall. All great trip stops for us. Today, golf. Well…the overnight rain made it unlikely and over-sleeping definitely knocked that possibility off our schedule. It worked out perfectly, as most hiccups usually do! Just roll with it!

Papa and I had a leisurely morning before loading up the car. We head to Texas today. More driving than activity so a good audio book helps. Lake Wobegon Days by Garrison Keillor has us laughing for a couple hours. It was cloudy and misting on-and-off as we drove, but pure sunshine inside our car. Oh his childhood stories are relatable and hilarious. And he even included the Golfer’s Psalm in his book (scroll to bottom of post). So we got a little golf in today🤣

Of course, the break at Tin Bucks Coffee to grab a caffeine pick-me-up was appreciated by both of us, too. Stretch those legs! We had an interesting conversation with the coffee shop owner. Just the three of us in the shop. We learned about their move from the Dallas area to Lemesa, about the town. It was a great stop!

Coffee and laughs: great way to start the day. An easy hike was a perfect ending. Comanche City Park has tall shade trees, people out walking and enjoying the evening. We watched a herd of deer meander through the park. We reminisced about the older classic playground equipment. Nice small town atmosphere. Perfect day. 

A Golfer’s Psalm

The LORD is my caddie; I shall not whiff.

He maketh me to drive straight down green fairways:

He leadeth me over the still waters.

He restoreth my swing:

He leadeth me in the paths of truthfulness for the game's sake.

Yea, though I pitch through the valley of the shadow of the woods,

I will fear no bunkers: for thou art with me;

Thy wedge and thy putter they comfort me.

Thou preparest a line before me in the presence of mind hazards:

Thou anointest my stroke with confidence; the cup will not be runneth over.

Surely birdies and eagles shall follow me all the rounds of my life:

and I will dwell in the clubhouse for ever.1

Forest and Falls

If you're like me, New Mexico seems like a desert wasteland. Truth or Consequences? What a name for a town. Of course, Albuquerque and the hot air balloon festival are well-known. In 2022, we went to Carlsbad Caverns, which are absolutely the biggest cave(s) we have seen. Outside of that, we have driven through the state a few times on our eastward adventures but haven't taken much time to explore it. This trip is different.

So far we spent time at White Sand National Park. Next up: Lincoln National Forest. First stop is a picnic lunch at the Trestle Recreation Area near Cloudcraft. 

What a peaceful, relaxed place for lunch with perfect fall weather. Ideal break before we drive onward. The skies were crystal blue, the mountain fresh air. Lovely. Lincoln National Forest is beautiful. And large! 

We drove through a captivating village called Cloudcraft. It is the highest point in New Mexico at just over 8300 feet. I could return here…in the summer. 

From Cloudcraft we were searching for Hope. We found it. Barely. Hope, New Mexico is so small you will miss it if you blink! Wouldn't it be fun to say, "I live in Hope."

On a road trip, there are a few places I like to find: Spanish missions, lighthouses, waterfalls to name a few. Papa and I both like to hike and golf when we can. Today, we combined two of those activities and hiked to our first waterfall within the Lincoln National Forest. Sitting Bull Falls, located outside Carlsbad, is an easy mile-long hike to the falls on a well-maintained sidewalk trail. To really explore the pools and caves, there are several steps to go down near the end of the trail, then traversing some slippery rocks, but totally worth it. Like visiting the ocean, there is something uplifting and restorative about the sound of the water cascading down a waterfall.

Source: https://youtu.be/6LiHNtKEE_4?feature=shared

The General

Our drive took a very different look today. So far we have driven through the Mohave Desert and skirted Death Valley. Temperatures hover around 110 degrees. Today the landscape changed. We headed up Highway 99 through central California, with almond trees lining the roadway. Fortunately they weren't blooming. When we went through a couple years ago they were and I could barely see to drive as allergies hit. 

We turned off the highway and took country roads through the diverse farming area. Crops ranged from grape vines to corn, lettuces and other leafy vegetables, and citrus trees. Group of cattle and other livestock was scattered between farmlands. So much diversity! Our vision of California is beaches and southern cities. This is definitely a different vibe.

Our destination today is Sequoia National Park. Due to winter storms and snow melt, we must enter from the north. The more direct, southern entrance road is washed out. The northern route worked out for us since we have to go north anyway. It also allowed us to drive through part of Kings Canyon National Park on our way to Sequoia.

The drive was filled with curvy, steep mountain roads, but it was fascinating. The mountainsides

Hot Shots Memorial Hike

May 7 is National Fallen Fire Fighters Day. Papa and I honored the day by hiking the Granite Mountain Hot Shots Memorial Trail in Yarnell. Weather was absolutely perfect with sunshine, temps in the 60s, and a refreshing breeze.

We arrived around 8:30 am, easily found a spot in the limited parking lot along Highway 89. Top photo: our car, Betsy, in the parking lot when starting the hike. 2nd photo: The parking lot far below; we are only about a quarter mile up.

The trail wasn't crowded yet enough people

Almost

Had to check out Butcher Jones trail to see if wildflowers were in bloom. There were a few and the Saquaros looked like they wore white caps as their blooms were starting to emerge. This should be an amazing wildflower season in the desert. 

Boyce Thompson

A little early for spring blooms at Boyce Thompson in Superior but we did spot a couple Cardinals flitting about. With heavy rain two days before, we were unsure of the trail conditions. They were fine. The easy hike around the grounds was beautiful under partly cloudy skies. Groups of school children were almost as fun to watch as the birds. We are so fortunate to have wonderful spaces like this to enjoy the beauty of nature and learn about our desert. 

Superbloom

Spring has sprung. It has been such a cold, rainy winter. We have experienced more frost delays, witnessed more snow events, and snow at lower elevation, than in the previous 20 years. Thankfully, warmer temperatures are here resulting in a widespread “superbloom.”  The poppies are popping. Lupine. Fairy dusters. The desert is beautiful. 

After a recent hike, we witnessed the beautiful floral coverage along the roadway, and spotted a few of the Salt River wild horses in the distance. Just a short drive yet an uplifting plunge into the beauty of nature. 

Butcher Jones

This is a hidden gem. OK, not so hidden. Quite popular in fact. We have lived in this area for years and didn't know about Butcher Jones until a friend took me there. Now, it is a favorite hike. 

Butcher Jones is a moderate hike, and around four-to-five miles but scalable. If you only want a couple miles, it works. If you want to increase length, just explore some of the off-shoot trails down to the water. 

The amazing views are what set this desert hike apart from most area hikes. Saguaro Lake is beautiful. Kayakers and various boats add visual interest. A variety of wildlife is pleasantly distracting as you pause to take in their activities. Desert plants and marsh cattails provide a interesting melding of desert and water environments, a feast for the eyes. There is even a spot on one of the off-shoot paths that would be a fantastic place to sit in a lawn chair and read a book on a pleasant day.

The pictures above are from a hike with friends back in early November. Papa and I have hiked with other friends and by ourselves a few times since then, but not in the last couple months. It's been a rather cool and rainy time, which means the desert will be blooming soon. Perfect time to hike it again.

“A” Mountain

It is amazing the number of things you don’t do when you live close by. So many places we see and think “someday” but time slips away. Finally I took the hike up “A” Mountain in Tempe. What a easy hike and great views. Downtown Tempe is visible, of course, as well as Tempe Town Lake. Beyond the lake, the buildings of downtown Phoenix are also visible. What a quick, inspiring hike. 

Three Billy Goats

Not so far away is a free, magical place for children of all ages. Carl’s Damaged Pet Warehouse is located in the backyard of a residential home. Obviously there is a large backyard zoned for animals. The property owners take in “damaged” animals and shower them with love. The community spoils them with fresh fruits and vegetables, hand fed to many of the critters. Young and old alike are delighted with the antics of Odi, Patrick and friends. 

Combine the visit with a walk around the Riparian Reserve. The number of birds and water fowl are amazing to watch. Exercise, fresh air and nature abounds. 

Usery Mountains: Pass Mountain-Maricopa Trail

 

When flying into the Phoenix area, the "<Phoenix" white sign in the Usery Mountains points the way to Sky Harbor airport (lower left photo). The Usery Mountains are also a great spot for hiking. This week's hike took our group to the Pass Mountain Loop.

This trail starts with the Maricopa Trail, which branches off to the left shortly

Barnhardt Waterfall Trail

 Payson is a little cooler than the Valley, so why not try a hike there. The Barnhardt Waterfall Trail is rated a moderate trail, 6 miles in/out and an elevation of 1,500 feet.  A good workout. 

The trailhead is approximately four miles off the main road. Reading reviews, it sounded like a jeep or four-wheel drive vehicle was needed

Betsy: Test #3

The new BetsyB. Of course we have to put the car through the paces to make sure she measures up to our beloved Betsy. Her third and final test was distance. So why not combine that with a wonderful, bucket-list hike. Papa and I tried this a few weeks ago and missed the mark. Oh we still had a gorgeous hike in Sedona, but not the destination planned. It is absolutely beautiful scenery. Today, a friend and I tried hiking to Devil's Bridge and found success.

This is an awesome hike. The vast majority of it is pretty easy. The kicker

Oops!

Rock Springs ended up being the highlight of our adventure this week. And it was an adventure. First, about Rock Springs. 

Rock Springs is the oldest continually run cafe in Arizona. The menu is full of comfort food cooked to perfection. Their pies have become so popular, they opened a separate location next door, the Pie Box. Walking into the climate controlled pie shop is overwhelming. So many pies. So many choices. 

Between the buildings housing the Pie Box and the Cafe, a walkway passes a fountain and leads to the natural spring that drew the original settlers. It’s a peaceful setting. Surprised we didn’t notice it during our many previous visits. There are picnic tables and a pavilion. Rock Springs is a frequent stop for us when going north of the Valley on trips. In nicer weather, we will definitely stop by the springs and enjoy our meal or pie break in the tranquil outdoor setting. 

So now the second part of this post. We planned an overnight hiking trip to the High Country. It started out well. We found our trailhead in Sedona without any issues. The trail, however, had a couple turns we missed. The good news is we had a beautiful hike. The bad news is it wasn’t where we intended to go. 

The next hiccup, my phone was almost dead. I thought it was charging in the car during the drive but it didn’t. That meant I avoided taking pictures of the beautiful scenery to save the power needed for map reading. 

We have a history of being fortunate that a solution appears to a problem we're having exactly when it’s needed. That happened again. After three hours of hiking in 90° temperatures, we made it back to a trailhead but not where we parked. Just as my phone died and we lost navigation to our parked car, a nice couple from Texas pulled up. Their SUV navigation found the parking lot and they offered us a ride the quarter mile in their nicely air conditioned SUV, giving us a break from the full sun and 98 degrees. 

Back together with Betsy (car), we head up to our hotel in Flagstaff. Our location was on the east side of Flagstaff so we are closer to our early morning hike, The Grand Falls, or Chocolate Falls. 

This is where we struck out. 

Strike one: I had turned my right ankle toward the end of the Sedona hike. By the time we stepped from the car in Flagstaff, I had a definite, painful hobble. 

Strike two: we didn’t have a reservation. Really? That is the first time EVER I didn’t have a reservation made. 

Strike three: the water level of the falls was going down so the dramatic site I hoped for was likely to be underwhelming. 

I told Papa it was a sign that we should just head home. On the way home, we decided to pick up a couple pies at Rock Springs. We could share the pies with a few friends and bring a positive end to this adventure. And it really was. Always good to share happiness with friends!

We were back near home as the moon appeared. Beautiful sky and, overall a good day with a great hike, beautiful drive and delicious pie with friends.  And 24 hours later, the ankle was better so we enjoyed golf again.

Gardiner

Papa and I have been on-the-road over four weeks. A marathon of travel. It has exceeded our expectations, yes. And we are tired. Like a marathon, we needed to save a little “kick” to get us through the end. Today we started that kick. 

Eastern Montana

This was another driving day but even on driving days we try to get in some activity. Yesterday we met friends for breakfast. Today was to be a hike, but we didn’t find the trailhead. 

We did find the area though: Strawberry Hill Recreation Area. It was rugged and awesome. The road into the area was one lane, had lots of loose gravel and huge drops into ravines/washes. Sweet Betsy struggled to find firm footing by spinning her tires to displace the gravel on the inclines. She was a “4-wheel-off-road-wannabe.”  She got us through!! And was rewarded with a car wash for her hard work!

We did get a short hike in. I think we were more motivated with thoughts of what is to come than pushing it today. 

The Results | GC #3

Admittedly I went into this Canyon hike with reservations. The previous times we really trained and it was still a challenge. This time the decision was made late and then we ran into obstacle after obstacle to get the training in we needed.

Amazingly, we did well. In fact, we stayed pretty close to our time frames and we didn't suffer extreme hiker hobble. We're still puzzled by that.

I wore a HRM this time. The distance on the monitor was 18 miles but this plan says 17.1. Not an exact science I guess.

We stayed very close to plan until close to the end. The challenge, especially the last 1.5 mile, was the melting snow along the canyon causing the trail to be very muddy and challenging, especially as the temperatures dropped. We took our time to be safe. That said, I'm happy with the time.

So, how did the time frames work out? Here's the results vs. the plan.

TRAIL POINT	ELEVATION	DISTANCE	PLAN	ACTUAL
South Kaibab Trail Head	7,260	0 mi.	6:30a	5:55a
Cedar Ridge	6,060	1.5 mi.	7:15a	6:45a
Skeleton Point	5,200	3.0 mi.	8:00a	7:25a
Tonto Trail Junction	4,010	4.4 mi.	8:45a	8:20a
The Tipoff	3,870	4.6 mi.	9:00a	8:30a
South Kaibab Bridge	2,600	6.7 mi.	10:00a	9:40a
Phantom Ranch	2,480	7.6 mi.	10:20a	10:00a
Leave Phantom Ranch	2,480		11:15a	10:50a
Bright Angel Campground	2,480	8.1 mi.	11:30a	11:00a
River Resthouse	2,480	9.6 mi.	1:15p	12:15p
Plateau Pt. (Devil's Corkscrew)	3,760	11.1 mi.	2:45p	1:30p
Indian Garden	3,800	12.2 mi.	3:15p	2:30p
Three Mile House	4,920	14.1 mi.	4:30p	3:50p
Mile and a Half House	5,729	15.6 mi.	5:45p	5:40p
Trailhead	6,860	17.1 mi.	7:00p	7:20p

The Rest of the Journey

A few last tidbits about our journey (back to the bullet list):

• We hiked in distance 18 miles. That's about my normal bike commute home. Hum...
  
  
• We hiked down 4,780 feet.
  Assuming a story of a building is between 9-10 feet, we take that distance down and divide by 9.5, that equals 503 stories down or taking the stairs in the former Sears Tower (now called Willis Tower) in Chicago from top to bottom 3.29 times.
  
  
• The distance up is less, just 4,380 feet or 460 stories.
  This time we only "took the stairs up/down the Sears Tower" a mere 3 times.
  
  
• Calories consumed on this hike: Estimated just over 6,200 per my handy-dandy HRM.
  
  
• For me (yes, I wore a HRM more for curiosity than anything else) my average heart rate over the 13.5 hour journey was 136 with a high of 168. That was better than what I anticipated.
  

Below are a few video clips strung together of our hike down South Kaibab and over the River Trail to the Bright Angel junction at Pipe Creek. Funny how the number of pictures and video drop significantly on the journey up. Perhaps we're focusing on something else?

OK, enough for the sarcasm, forgive me.

One last "thank you" to our hiking companions, Dan & Ron, and to all our friends and family for your prayers and support. We are, truly, very grateful.