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The Salt River in Tonto National Forest
Our time in Scottsdale starts with rain! This is a first for us! We remember a light mist falling on Valentine's Day in 2012, but this is an outright gully washer. And we are taking our morning constitutional...coming in soaked and throwing everything in the dryer. Happy to be in the back yard at hubby's daughter's home in this unusual Arizona weather.
We decide to explore a regional park, McDowell, that's much closer to town. Circling the campground and the overflow area, we find the fees to be a bit higher than we care to pay....$30 per night. But the desert is beautiful and we take a short walk enjoying the calm emanating from the landscape.
Nearby is the town of Fountain Hills with a huge fountain that gushes hourly into the desert sky. We play tourist and stroll the park.
After another day of being spoiled with good food and lots of family time, it's time to head back to the boonies. Our refrigerator has been on the blink with no cooling while using propane. There's no problem on the electric setting. We have an appointment early Thursday morning in Apache Junction with Apache RV Supplies and Service.
On a previous scouting trip, we find Phon D Sutton Recreation Area in the Tonto National Forest. We stop at the local Chevron to dump and buy three $3 passes for the Tonto. It's a big parking lot with several pit toilets and a few picnic tables. While setting up, we notice fly fisherman unloading their gear. Huh? Must be a river around here!
The recreation area is located where the Verde River rushes into the calm Salt River. There are numerous birds including eagles coming to fish in the early morning...(we did not see the eagles).
Also there are horse droppings around the riverbank and in the parking lot. The camp host, a very friendly guy, tells us there are wild horses who come down from the hills to drink from the river each evening.
Needing the exercise, we decide to climb the hill next to the parking lot. Not really expecting to find wild horses, we scan the vistas. And this guy, with his two mares, appears a few hundred feet away!
He must have told the mares to vamoose as we barely get a glimpse of them. Having never been around a wild horse, we are a bit intimidated as he begins to walk straight to us. But he's only checking out the threat level and stops to continue to graze. (I had already located the tallest palo verde...where I was heading if he got any closer!)
The photos above have the Four Peaks Wilderness in the background.
Need to wind this up!! Our refrigerator is working, finally, after two days of dragging the camper down the mountain for service in town. Needed more pressure.
We are currently back in Scottsdale for a final visit before heading west to Quartzsite and other boonie places. This is the end of our third week...time is flying!
