Socializing and More Hikes

Aside from volunteering and hiking we've been enjoying visits with friends and exploring the area a bit.

One beautiful morning we took a ride down to Apache Junction to visit our friends Curt and Glenda from Camp Lowry. They were up for a visit to the Queen Creek Olive Mill that we've heard about from various friends. It was crazy busy and the wait for a tour was more than we wanted to hang around for.

While Dave and Curt sampled all kinds of olive oil and savory things Glenda and I headed over to the Gelato area and tried a few of their concoctions. Of course we all had to indulge in various flavors, it was a hot day after all. No visit is complete with out taking home cupcakes made with olive oil...just wish I'd gotten a picture of them.

A few beers and a great lunch completed another wonderful visit with these good friends. We made a few future plans and we're looking forward to making those happen. Thanks again for a wonderful day...see you soon.

 Our son David celebrated his 29th birthday earlier in February, he didn't want to go out to dinner instead he wanted brisket and ribs smoked by Dave. Of course no one got cameras out until cake time.

This is what happens when warm cake and frosting meet...sliding layers...didn't affect the taste one bit.

With the warm temps it's always nice to know friends with a boat. Our friends Janell and Mark were spending a few days out at Lake Pleasant and invited us out, we of course said yes. We had a great time out on the water with them seeing all kinds of different boats and rescuing one young couple whose battery died. Thanks for a great afternoon Mark & Janell.

 

 One day we took a ride to check out a few local areas we had heard about. Bartlett Lake is out in the middle of nowhere, 20 miles to the nearest town. Dry camping only, some sites are developed and one area looks like a great boondocking place. Since we were in the area we took a ride to Horseshoe Reservoir, nothing in the camping areas to write home about but the drive along the 9 mile dirt road presented us with a few crested Saguaros. 

If time allows we made head back to Bartlett Lake for a few days of boondocking.

One beautiful AZ winter day we headed down to the Superstition Mountains to hike in another part of the Tonto National Forest. We picked up our friend Curt and headed a few miles out the Peralta Rd in Gold Canyon, to get to the formation know as The Wave you have to hike in about a 1.5 miles with the last .5 miles having an elevation gain of 800'+, a slow and steady pace with some rests and finally I made it to the cave that houses The Wave.

We are headed to the eyebrow

 Our only animal sighting

Interesting colors in the lichen

 Looking out towards Tuscon.

Some folks just have to be entertaining, right Dave.

They say that's Mt Lemon in Tuscon, the high peak back in the distance.

Our friends Val and Denis were in the park once again, their first night here as we were sitting around the fire we were paid a visit by some of the locals.

The next day we showed them our volunteer area, how many folks can say they enjoy going to their office on their days off...we do, while there we saw the other volunteer couple and our ranger...all who also had the day off.

Fairy Duster on the Fairy Duster Trail

Looking off into the Tonto National Forest and down on Cave Creek. 

Dave spent a day changing tires on the rv, he was helped by this critter. Thankfully he decided to head back into the desert.

 The full moon in February,

Until next time...