Our First Family Hike

Today, we bit the bullet and took the kids hiking. I'd really been avoiding it because I thought it was going to be a disaster but Danny found our nice carrier backpack (actually meant for hiking) that we've basically NEVER used and we decided to venture out to Usery Mountain.

We left around 8:30 this morning and were on the trail by 9:20 (you know everything takes twice as long when you have kids :)

Tracy and a friend of hers decided to take the hike, too, so we have lots of great photos of all 4 of us!

We took the trail just halfway up, to Wind Cave. Evan hiked all by himself only needing a hand a couple of times. He actually stopped several times to "help" Mom and Aunt Tracy.

Everyone we passed mentioned what a big boy he was and how good he was doing.

We climbed 1.5 miles up, to 2,800 ft elevation (only an 800 foot gain)... it's very pretty up there.

At the trailhead...

On top of the world!

Climbing, climbing, climbing...

At Wind Cave...

Danny and Caitie coming down

Caitlin seemed to really enjoy the hike. Our typically noisy girl didn't make a peep all the way up and fell asleep on the way down!

We toyed with trying for the summit but it's a good thing we decided to let well enough alone because Evan was VERY tired and fell apart on the way back down. He's a TROOPER! We came across the park ranger and when he heard Evan climbed all the way to the cave he gave him a Jr. Park Ranger badge!

Superstition Mountains, The Lost Dutchman Mine, Tortilla Flats and a few Geocaches...

We had a busy day today. I picked up this week's veggie and fruit order from a local food coop (a great way to get quality, organic produce for about half the cost of buying it at the store!) and then we packed up the kids with lunch and headed to the Superstition Mountains.

Danny and I made this same trip when we were here visiting Tracy 4 years ago. Oddly enough it was Sept 22nd of 2004! Just a few days earlier than this time...and of course two kids lighter!

Here is a picture of us then...Sept 22, 2004 

And of Superstition...the same morning

And now...

You'll notice we're not actually in the picture this time! That's what happens when you have kids - it's all or none - either one of us, with child(ren), or just some scenery as we are chasing one of them down!

Our first stop was actually the Goldfield Mine Ghost Town. When were here in 2004 this place was literally a Ghost Town. Today there were quite a few people around.

The Ghost Town is a replica on the site of a mining town that went bust several times in the late 1800's and early 1900's. (Read more)

We explored a bit and took a train ride, which Evan LOVED!

 

The photo above is actually from the train on the back side of the ghost town.

Next we headed to Canyon Lake and Tortilla Flats

Again, here are the photos from 2004

Canyon Lake (above)

Tortilla Flats Restaurant. I'm incriminating myself here but - along with 50k+ other people so...

When you visit the restaurant at Tortilla Flats you have to add a dollar bill to the wall. You can deface it any way you choose and they post them up at the end of each day. We tried to find ours today but it's impossible! We should have taken a photo of the inside.

Today's visit to Canyon Lake

 

Then we headed to find some geocaches (with not much luck). Evan had our only actual find of the day despite a lot of effort!

Danny went out for several but only ended up with cactus needles in his arm and leg! He discovered the legendary "jumping cactus" and now knows why they call it that!

Here I am trying to find one...we discovered later that it's actually in a crack in the rock - you have to crawl down inside the crack and I guess we weren't feeling that adventurous!

While I was climbing around on these rocks a Merchant Marine stopped to ask for a jump for his Harley...we got to be good Samaritans and he was VERY happy to not be leaving his bike on the side of the road.

There were lots of beautiful views along the way. Here just a few...

Danny and the kids at Tortilla Flats in front of the Lost Dutchman Mine (it's not really the mine!)

Danny and Caitlin eating at the restaurant

These are Ocotillos...we live just off Ocotillo Rd. This whole mountain was covered with them

  

We had a great time!

On the way home poor Caitlin was sick to her stomach...I think it was all the windy roads - a little bit carsick!

So, we spent the evening cleaning up the carseats!

Proceed with caution!

Tracy and I got up at 4:30 in the morning, went and picked up Bill and went to Usery Mountain. Summit is around 3100 feet. Spectacular views from no matter where you stand.

This picture was actually taken from wind cave on usery mountain which is not quite to the summit. But it is pretty much where the trail ends.

But of course why would we let that stop us. Shall we move on? Yes, I think we shall.

Sitting on top of the world. Well maybe not but it is pretty high.

Danny's Trip Up Camelback!

This is Danny speaking now even though I'm not into the whole "blogging thing". I changed my text color so that you will know that it is me speaking. Anyway.

Last Saturday, Danny got up before the sun (that doesn't happen very often!) (isn't she funny, Ha Ha) to go on a hike with Bill (his co-worker) up Camelback in Scottsdale (north of Phoenix).

This is NOT a hike we would take the family on. It's a bit of a climb and there are times that it's a little treacherous. She is correct, at least to not take our kids at their age up it. Maybe in a few years. There were several times when you are scrambling up a rock ridge and death is taunting you on both sides. But if that doesn't sound like fun to you then you don't know what fun is.

Since he's not into the whole "blogging thing" I'm posting these photos for him. We'll see if I can talk him into writing a little bit about it then. Just a little bit.

This is a mountain just to the north of Camelback but I don't know what the name of it is. If you click on the pictures you can see some of the enormous houses around the area.

This is aiming down the north side.

This (photo above) is facing southeast towards the San Tan Moutains and our house. If you look real hard you can see our house but you really have to want to see it.

This (photo above) is facing southwest towards downtown Phoenix from the summit. Elevation at the summit of Camelback is 2704 feet. It is beautiful and breezy.

And finally this facing the northwest towards mountains that I again do not know the name of.

Dobbins Lookout and Channel 3

Saturday we got up and got ourselves ready fairly early to take a short hike on South Mountain.
South Mountain is (go figure) South of Phoenix and separates the East Valley from the West Valley. We are in the East Valley.

For this particular hike we drove around South Mountain to the west side (about 25 min drive) and then drove up the mountain to Dobbins Lookout.

Here's a little blurb about it: South Mountain Park At over 16,000 acres, South Mountain Park and Preserve often is considered the largest municipal park in the country. There are more than 50 miles of trails for horseback riding, hiking and mountain biking. Dobbins Lookout, at 2,330 feet, is the highest point in the park accessible by trail. If you aren't into hiking, biking or riding, you can simply drive to Dobbins Point to get a fantastic view of the Valley of the Sun. It's just over 5 miles from Central Avenue to Dobbins Lookout.

It was already 95 degrees by 930am (on the Valley floor) but up on Dobbins Lookout it was only about 89. I'll tell you that in Missouri I would have NEVER been out doing anything if it was 95 degrees at 9am! Here it's different, the heat is hot but it's not stifling!

We took some great pictures. It's Monsoon season here which means lots of clouds by the end of the day and it's humid (relative to their 'normal' weather) so it's a bit hazy. We'll go back in the fall when it's clearer and take some additional photos.

NE of the city

Downtown Phoenix

Cute kid we found there :)

It's amazing to us that this is just a short drive away!

While we were there, Danny and Evan took Tracy to find a geocache. Tracy's not really into climbing around on the side of a mountain so kudos to her for being brave and sticking with my two adventurers. Danny and Evan are two peas in a pod! I went on the second one (to the Channel 3 cache) - it was a bit of a hike as well. By this point Evan was hot and tired so he didn't want to be involved much!

Here are some photos of the find!

The 2nd cache was way up at the top of this "hill" - you can see it at the top of the picture.

In with the new...I miss the old though, too!

Tonight I went to my first (of hopefully many) Mom's Nights Out with the Mom's Club here in Chandler. Chandler East to be exact...

In KC there was only one Mom's Club for my area and it covered Blue Springs, Lee's Summit, OG, GV and there were only 56 of us. Here there are 6 groups just in Chandler!

We went to a woman's house to play games and have dessert. It was a lot of fun and we had a great time BUT...I miss my friends back in KC a lot today!

Tomorrow we are going to check out a few thrift stores and then head to South Mountain to hike (or in Caitlin's case toddle) a bit. We'll post some photos of that!

Miss you all!