Phoenix trip--day 2

Tuesday, March 19, 2019

                Watched the sun rise over the mountains from our bed. What a delightful way to start the day!

I brought some of my breakfast to feed my pigeon friends.  There was one who was missing a foot, limping around on his leathery stump, and the others bullied him so badly.  Sad that every species picks on those who are different.

Decided to hike Mormon Trail at South Mountain.  Before I left, I was thinking, "I hope dogs are allowed on the trails. I want to see some dogs." When the Uber driver (Chris) arrived, he had his little dog (Gordo) with him, who reminded me of my buddy Jack back home. He was super cute in his little boots and vest, very sweet and friendly. Chris and I got into a nice discussion about adoption too. I'm convinced that God uses Uber to send just the right driver at the right time. 

It was hot.  I drank a lot of water.

I've never hiked terrain like this before: hot, dry, dead. Interesting, but I prefer the woods.

A rare smooth part in the trail. It was very rugged, rocky, uneven.  Difficult and slow going.

Got my wish to see real live cacti.  Lots of them, all shapes and sizes.

This is a cactus, but almost every plant out here is sharp and prickly.

Trying to catch a breeze.

 Fat Man’s Pass, which is an extremely narrow rock tunnel. I took off my pack and barely squeezed through.

I found some shade from the relentless sun in this rock cove and ate some snacks before heading back down the mountain.  I was expecting to be home in time for lunch, but this hike took double the time I thought it would.  Good thing I always pack food.  I had an orange, apple, sunflower seeds, and fava beans.

I was all fueled up for the trip back down, but my legs, feet, ankles were tired. I had tweaked both ankles and was leaning heavily on my walking stick, when some young men scampered past me. I felt super old and said to them, "Enjoy your youth." The last one called back over his shoulder, "We will! Enjoy your wisdom!"