Pointless Waymarks

Ramblings, Questionable Geographics, Photographic Half-truths

Created by Charles Miles on 6/8/2023.

2023 March Creamcups off Redington Road
2023 March Creamcups off Redington Road. Charles Miles. 3/28/2023.
2023 May Large Patch of Evening Primrose
Large Patch of Evening Primrose. Charles Miles. 5/8/2023.
2023 May Cliffrose Above the Verde River
Cliffrose Above the Verde River. Charles Miles. 5/8/2023.
2023 May Prickly Poppies
We have seen these many more times along roads and highways than on our hikes - nice to find them somewhere peaceful! Charles Miles. 5/15/2023.

Spring and Early Summer - wandering daze I guess - local hikes, travel north and days where I hope we were lazy and happy... There isn't a theme that joins the photography from the last few months, but some familiar subjects emerge: beautiful spring flowers, blister beetles and other insects, water+green, travels, strangeness and sunset. I miss the spring flowers already but it is time to move on into the true summer's relentless heat and endless light!

2023 March Indigobush and Bee 02
Indigobush and Bee 02. Charles Miles. 3/26/2023.
2023 March Desert Blister Beetle
Desert Blister Beetle. Charles Miles. 3/30/2023.
2023 May Iron Cross Blister Beetle 03
Iron Cross Blister Beetle 03. Charles Miles. 5/15/2023.
2023 May In the Shade
In the Shade. Charles Miles. 5/28/2023.


2023 April Green Patch Beside Rincon Creek
An interesting spot where it looks like rock forces water towards the surface and turns this area green - just a few feet away, across an outcropping of rock, the vegetation above the creek was brown... Charles Miles. 4/11/2023.
2023 May Verde River 02
Verde River 02. Charles Miles. 5/8/2023.
2023 April Green Trees and Water in the Agua Fria River near the end of the Badger Springs Trail
Green Trees and Water in the Agua Fria River near the end of the Badger Springs Trail. Charles Miles. 4/30/2023.


2023 February Looking Back Toward the Mount Bruce on the way to North West Dome
Looking Back Toward the Mount Bruce on the way to North West Dome. Charles Miles. 2/27/2023.
2023 May Mining
Mining. Charles Miles. 5/2/2023.
2023 May Looking over Sycamore Canyon to Casner Mountain with the San Francisco Peaks in the Background
Looking over Sycamore Canyon to Casner Mountain with the San Francisco Peaks in the Background. Charles Miles. 5/7/2023.
2023 June Late In the Day Near the Arizona Trail Pistol Hill Trailhead
Late In the Day Near the Arizona Trail Pistol Hill Trailhead. Charles Miles. 6/4/2023.
2023 May Palo Verde Sunset
Palo Verde Sunset. Charles Miles. 5/15/2023.
2023 February The Sun Near Home
The Sun Near Home. Charles Miles. 2/6/2023.

Created by Charles Miles on 2/19/2023.

2023 February Stone Swimmer
Stone Swimmer. Charles Miles. 2/14/2023.

Streamside thru the winter - often beautiful ribbons of sand and fading pools, on the luckiest of days water spilling over rock, and, of course, on the unlucky days good-idea-interesting-small-side-canyons narrow until the cat's claw grabs you from all sides.

I know that the water comes and goes every year, each season, again and again, sometimes more and sometimes less - regardless, it feels like a gift, a celebration, whenever, wherever, we find it!

2023 February Foothills Stream
Foothills Stream. Charles Miles. 2/14/2023.
2023 January Carpet Cleaning
Colts Carpet Cleaning - We Don't Horse Around... Charles Miles. 1/31/2023.
2023 January Red Canyon Walls
Red Canyon Walls. Charles Miles. 1/31/2023.
2023 January Reflected Saguaros
Reflected Saguaros. Charles Miles. 1/24/2023.
2023 January Ice
Ice. Charles Miles. 1/24/2023.
2023 January Desert Stream 01
Desert Stream 01. Charles Miles. 1/24/2023.
2023 January Rincon Peak in the Distance
Rincon Peak in the Distance. Charles Miles. 1/31/2023.
2023 January Reflection
Reflection. Charles Miles. 1/10/2023.
2023 January Orange Beast
Orange Beast. Charles Miles. 1/2/2023.
2023 January Hail Accumulating in a small Wash
Hail Accumulating in a small Wash. Charles Miles. 1/2/2023.

Created and Updated by Charles Miles on 12/20/2022.

2022 December Forked Saguaro and Canyon
Forked Saguaro and Canyon. Charles Miles. 12/19/2022.
2022 December In an Small Canyon
In an Small Canyon. Charles Miles. 12/5/2022.
2022 December A Swatch of Red
An old board lays in the canyon bottom with a spot of red strangely close to the fading desert cotton. Charles Miles. 12/5/2022.

I've ended 2022 exploring smaller places close to home. There are no names here - no formal trails and too little long term protection for the land.

Fences, dirt roads and an occasional water tank are left behind from 20th century ranching - but history seems largely to have happened elsewhere.

The scenes here may be more personal documentation than art - I'm not sure, but it is certainly a joy to end the year trying to discern the sign language of the giant Saguaros, watch with concern as the winter water fades and try to find one more sandy path that doesn't close off with the cat claw's sharp embrace.

2022 December FK 1925
FK 1925 on the edge of the tank - based on the date and a nearby tank marked X9 1924 I assume that FK is Frederick Knipe. Charles Miles. 12/5/2022.
2022 December Desert Cotton Seeds
Desert Cotton Seeds. Charles Miles. 12/5/2022.
2022 December Desert Cotton Bug 02
Desert Cotton Bug 02. Charles Miles. 12/19/2022.
2022 December Desert Cotton
Desert Cotton. Charles Miles. 12/5/2022.
2022 December Against a Fading Sky
Against a Fading Sky. Charles Miles. 12/10/2022.
2022 December Winter Water 01
Winter Water 01. Charles Miles. 12/6/2022.
2022 December Peering into Winter Water
Peering into Winter Water. Charles Miles. 12/19/2022.

Created and Updated by Charles Miles on 9/20/2022.

2022 September Camped at the Rim Campground
Camped with Aaron before the start of the Mogollon Monster 100. First road trip in over a year! Charles Miles. 9/10/2022.

Sitting with Richard at the Black Mesa Crew Area on the Mogollon Rim Road during the Mogollon Monster 100 we hid from the rain, discussed the current ultimate road trip vehicle (Prius with a rooftop tent maybe?) and cheered the oncoming runners. The Black Mesa Crew Area turned out to be a rather gentle introduction to crewing the Mogollon Monster - easy to find, cell reception, plentiful parking, daylight...

2022 September Aaron Arriving at the Black Mesa Crew Area during the Mogollon Monster 100
Aaron Arriving at the Black Mesa Crew Area during the Mogollon Monster 100. Charles Miles. 9/10/2022.

With Aaron thru the Black Canyon Crew Area in good style I took a break before heading away from the rim to the first of three nighttime meetups - Buck Springs, Pinchot Cabin and General Springs Cabin. During the evening and into the night I kept an eye on a monster, watched a car drive part of the course, stared in wonder at a racer on his way to a 6th finish, sat in the rain, filled water, tried to help when I could, made endless guesses about when Aaron might arrive and slowly started to recognize some of the crews and racers.

2022 September The Mogolllon Monster
The Mogolllon Monster. Charles Miles. 9/10/2022.
2022 September Aaron at Pinchot Cabin
A bit over 50 miles into the race! Charles Miles. 9/10/2022.

Sometime after midnight I drove to Dickerson Flats, slept and waited. With no cell reception Alison helped me - and a number of other crews - via my inReach Mini satellite messenger to watch for runners being recorded on the live tracker at the Donahue Aid Station, about 4-5 miles before Dickerson Flats. In those 4-5 miles the course makes one of its many (many!) steep trips down and up the rim - it took most of the runners an hour or two (or more) to cover the distance.

2022 September Trail Nap at Dickerson Flat
15 minutes of rest and Aaron was up, running and passing other racers on the course. Charles Miles. 9/11/2022.

I made it to the finish line in time to watch Richard finish the 42k and with a little doubt about light and water I met Aaron at the Pine Trailhead for the trip to the finish line!

2022 September Near the end of the Mogollon Monster passing under AZ 87
I hiked over to the Pine Trailhead to meet Aaron for the last 2 miles or so of the race - it was fun to be on the course with him! Charles Miles. 9/20/2022.

The end of a 100 miles race might seem like an obvious ending for the trip - but Aaron's goal is to do the Cocodona 250, so even after his 30+ hour 100 mile effort we kept moving! In Flagstaff we climbed up Elden, in the Grand Canyon we sat alone watching the rain under the ledge at Dripping Springs, saw a sunset from the South Rim, ate pizza at the Maswik Pizza Pub (open again!), and finally escaped a 2nd day of rain by driving south.

2022 September Climbing the Silver Bell Route back to the Rim of the Grand Canyon
Climbing the Silver Bell Route back to the Rim of the Grand Canyon. Charles Miles. 9/13/2022.
2022 September Solomon Temple
Solomon Temple. Charles Miles. 9/13/2022.
2022 September Mather Campground in the Grand Canyon
The first of two nights in Mather - in the middle of the night it started raining - the rain continued off and on for the rest of our time in the Grand Canyon. Charles Miles. 9/12/2022.

In Sedona we hiked some classics, spent the night in Pine Flats and got in one last hike before heading home.

2022 September Bear Mountain Trail
Rain in the Grand Canyon pushed us south to Sedona a day earlier than expected. Charles Miles. 9/14/2022.
2022 September Sunset on Capitol Butte from Doe Mountain
Sunset on Capitol Butte from Doe Mountain. Charles Miles. 9/14/2022.
2022 September After Sunset on the Doe Mountain Trail
After Sunset on the Doe Mountain Trail. Charles Miles. 9/14/2022.
2022 September The Crack
Hiked out with Aaron for a jump in and swim! Charles Miles. 9/15/2022.

At the end I was both happy to be back to my wonderful life at home and sad to be done with this 1000 mile Arizona Classic!


Posts Before:
2022 July Mesquite and Saguaro
2017 June Solstice Sunset from just outside the West Wall of Pueblo Bonito
2022 January Cottonwood Peak in the Distance
2021 April Topaz Canyon and Castor Temple on the way to Walapai Point
2021 April Diana Temple from Mescalero Point in the Sunset
2021 May Ironwood Flowers in the Sun