Steve and I set out to find a couple places on the San Carlos Indian Reservation this weekend. We bought our permits and headed out into the middle of nowhere.

You really feel completely alone out there and most of it has a desolate look to boot. We hiked in 2.5mi on soft almost sandy dirt and rock obstacles to our first location. From there we had to scramble down 700ft to the water below. This spot had at least four waterfalls and huge deep pools to swim. I didn't stay down too long because we weren't sure about the rain situation but I could have stayed down there for a while.

Back at the vehicle we drove on and found a camp spot in a large shady area and set up for the night. We made a lean-to with the tarp just in case it rained overnight. We did hear a short but fierce downpour for a little bit but that was the only real rain that fell on us all weekend.

The next morning we headed out to our 2nd destination. The brush was exceptionally thick and we got pretty scratched up but the payoff was great again. Another waterfall stood before us and we found our way down and swam.


IMG_4260 by Skatchkins, on Flickr


IMG_4262 by Skatchkins, on Flickr

Just a small drop in. There is no trail here. Just ledges and cactus obstacles.


Worth it?

IMG_4299 by Skatchkins, on Flickr


IMG_4315 by Skatchkins, on Flickr

I believe so

IMG_4321 by Skatchkins, on Flickr

Now this is happening

IMG_4385 by Skatchkins, on Flickr

Hiking out by cloud pillar

IMG_4626 by Skatchkins, on Flickr

Threatening

IMG_4633 by Skatchkins, on Flickr

Steve almost stepped on this guy. Easily 4ft long and thick.

IMG_4648 by Skatchkins, on Flickr

Scenery change


Trail to camp






I told Steve about the bear prints I saw 100yds from camp that evening. In the morning he walked out and came back and told me he saw the three I was talking about. "Three?" I said. "There were only two last night." The middle print is new.


Deep pool. We found a way around it


In the thick of it




Jackpot!

IMG_4705 by Skatchkins, on Flickr


IMG_4738 by Skatchkins, on Flickr

IMG_4757 by Skatchkins, on Flickr

Ahem



IMG_4765 by Skatchkins, on Flickr

Looks like a great time. Sorry I missed it.

Beautiful photos Mike, Love seeing the hidden parts of AZ..

Thanks.
It missed you too Bob :)

how many turkeys did you see?

looks like fun. Maybe you should watch more curious george with Emma. She knows all about poison ivy from it, leaves it 3 let it be

enjoy your itch ;)

offroadaz wrote:how many turkeys did you see?

looks like fun. Maybe you should watch more Curious George with Emma. She knows all about poison ivy from it, leaves it 3 let it be

enjoy your itch ;)

Lots of Turkeys. They told me to tell Bob to "Stop calling them, they'll never be drunk enough," whatever that means.

We saw the Poison Ivy but knew it'd be worth it. There was no trail so you had to figure out a way through the briars and brush (you'd have been great at it, Kool-Aid), but it was neat because I know of only one other person that's been back there. Plus, added bonus, I didn't get any on my poop deck or my puff-n-stuff like I usually somehow do, so that's refreshing.

Oh and fun camp story:

Due to the bear poop and tracks near camp, Steve was on edge about them getting us while we were sleeping. He wanted to sleep outside so we made a tarp lean-to off the Xterra rack. He then set up the chairs and table and stuff to block off the triangle openings, theorizing that if we heard something we could jump up and into the X before the bear got us...

We joked as we went to sleep about which one of us would get eaten first. I maintained it was him because while he wasn't looking, I painted his sleeping bag to look like a tortilla and said the last thing he ever heard was going to be the bear saying, "Mmmm this burrito is delicious, but it is filling!"

Well anyway, at some point late in the night I ended up on my back and completely lost my bearings and awoke to a loud rustling on what I believed to be the open side of the shelter just inches from my head, so I yelled as loudly as I could, "HEY!!!!!!!"

Turns out it was just Steve rolling around in his sleeping bag I was yelling face first at, I just got mentally turned around on my North and South. He awoke with a start and did a, "Mike, Mike, it's okay, you're okay!" dad-thing and immediately started snoring again.

Of course it took me a little longer to go back to sleep.

I just laughed out loud on that one.

LOL that gave me a good laugh. Thankyou for that story.

Yeah Steve keeps saying, "It's a good thing you didn't have something like a hatchet next to you!"
Maybe I just thought Bob was trying to Moab wake me up again.