Highway 87 from Payson to Willcox is a very scenic drive. Once again the climb is often steep and winding as you pass through a portion of the Tonto National Forest. Dense pine mixed with oak, rocky outcroppings and a deep blue sky create a pleasing sight as we motor toward our destination near Flagstaff. There we plan on spending a couple of days before heading to the Grand Canyon and Ermine’s destiny—a mule ride into and out of the Grand Canyon. We head north on Lake Mary Road just outside the small community of Cliff Wells. Now we are above 7,000 feet again and Ponderosa Pines dominate the landscape. Today's entire drive is less than 100 miles. We veer off Lake Mary Road for a swing through the community of Mormon Lake. At one time this was a massive lake settled by Mormon pioneers in the 19th century from nearby Utah. Today it is mostly a meadow, except I am told in the early spring when the snow melts and it is again a lake. From all of the RV parks along the road it is clearly a summer destination for those seeking relief from the desert heat of Phoenix. I don’t recommend the campground we chose to camp for these two days, Asbury Lake. If you do be sure to go to your dentist before attempting the four mile drive into the campground. The washboard road will shake every filling in your head. This forest service campground is rustic, set on one of the lakes in this region that hold water year round, is a favorite of fishermen who come to fish in the lake stocked with trout, and is outside the adjacent dense Ponderosa Pine forest. It is more attune to a high desert landscape supporting some Ponderosa Pine, but primarily One Seed and Utah Juniper. Our camp host tells us that the best fishermen in this area are the numerous Ospreys who make this lake their summer home. At almost any time one can see them circling over the lake looking for their daily repast. I was just lazy and failed to take any pictures of them, as I already have several good photos of Osprey. However, I took the occasion of putting out the hummingbird feeder and in no time a female Rufous Hummingbird staked her claim, defending her captive "flower" from Broad-tailed and Black-chinned Hummingbirds that dared approach. Ultimately her claim was jumped by a male of her species who drove her off. And he was very cooperative, allowing me to take numerous photos over the next two days.
I took two early morning walks looking for birds while at Asbury Lake which produced the following species—Mountain Chickadee, Lesser Goldfinch, Great Blue Heron, Western Tanager (one of my favorites), Black-crowned Night Heron, of course Osprey, Chipping Sparrows and a Western Wood Pewee. We did take the opportunity to visit Flagstaff, a very nice city with a vibrant downtown filled, of course, with shops dedicated to tourist which provides major economic support for the community. I thought Flagstaff a very nice place to visit. Ermine did some looking and shopping while I took the opportunity to get a haircut.
Thursday we broke camp early and headed for the Grand Canyon. On the way we checked out the newly re-opened Kaibab Lake Campground near Williams, AZ and decided that we would return there after our Grand Canyon stay. Another hour and we were at Trailer Village in the National Park, our home for the next three days. Ermine had to check in with the mule ride people for her Friday morning departure. There are several requirements which one must meet—you cannot weight more than 200 pounds including your gear, you must be in good health and speak English. They provide you with a wine skin bag to tote your water in (and they provide you with instruction of how to prepare it-- fill it with water and the provided lemon juice and let it soak overnight), a rain slicker, and a small plastic bag into which you must place all items you are going to take on the trip. And they don't allow much. They then instruct you to go home and return to the corral no later than 6:50 AM in the morning.
Up at 5:00 A M, some coffee, final check of necessary gear and we are off to the corral and Ermine’s long awaited ride into the canyon. Following a lecture on the rules of the trail and instructions on how to handle their mule, each of the participants is assisted onto their companion animal for the trip.
The trip will take approximately 5 hours to reach the camp at the bottom of the canyon. I take pictures of Ermine as she leaves the corral and wish her luck. She will return around noon tomorrow.
I then head to the Little Colorado Overlook some 45 miles east, stopping along the way at various canyon overlooks for photo ops. The landscape changes dramatically as I make the drive, from dense Ponderosa Pine forest to arid, desolate desert of the Navaho Reservation. I will attach several pictures of the canyon landscape below. The Grand Canyon is one of the most photographed areas in the world and has been documented by some of the greatest landscape photographers, so what I can add will be of minimal consequence. However, the canyon is a spectacular scene and one that everyone should visit. From the South Rim to the North Rim of the canyon it is only 10 miles across but to get from one side to the other it is over a 150 mile drive and takes several hours.
I am sure you get the idea. One of the points of interest along my drive is Desert View, an area that offers a very panoramic view of the canyon. There one can climb into the observation tower for a grand look out over the landscape and be joined by the hundreds of people, speaking a multitude of languages. I think English is definitely a minor language heard here as international visitors seem to dominate the crowds—and there are very large crowds everywhere you go. I also had the opportunity to do a little jewelry shopping. Every scenic overlook on the Navaho Reservation supports numerous stalls where Native Americans offered their wares for sale.
I only did a little birding while here. A family of California Condors have established a residence below Bright Angle Lodge in the park. They are frequently seen in the late afternoon riding thermals over the canyon. I only got one distant look at a condor as it soared over the canyon and out of sight.
I did, however, get to photograph a Pinion Jay and dark phase Red-tail Hawk, along with a very distant shot of the California Condor.
I would say that this part of the trip was more about scenery than wildlife. And Ermine returned from her decent into the canyon, a bit sore and tired, but very satisfied with her experience.
I will let her write her tale of her trip and post it to the blog later. Now it is off to Williams where we will camp and make day trips to Sedona and Slide Rock State Park-- supposedly one to the 10 best swimming holes in the US. I will close this episode with a shot of sunset on San Francisco Peak I shot while at Asbury Lake.
The sunsets here in Arizona are really beautiful.
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