2023 March Creamcups off Redington Road. Charles Miles. 3/28/2023.Large Patch of Evening Primrose. Charles Miles. 5/8/2023.Cliffrose Above the Verde River. Charles Miles. 5/8/2023.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!
Indigobush and Bee 02. Charles Miles. 3/26/2023.Desert Blister Beetle. Charles Miles. 3/30/2023.Iron Cross Blister Beetle 03. Charles Miles. 5/15/2023.In the Shade. Charles Miles. 5/28/2023.
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.Verde River 02. Charles Miles. 5/8/2023.Green Trees and Water in the Agua Fria River near the end of the Badger Springs Trail. Charles Miles. 4/30/2023.
Looking Back Toward the Mount Bruce on the way to North West Dome. Charles Miles. 2/27/2023.Mining. Charles Miles. 5/2/2023.Looking over Sycamore Canyon to Casner Mountain with the San Francisco Peaks in the Background. Charles Miles. 5/7/2023.Late In the Day Near the Arizona Trail Pistol Hill Trailhead. Charles Miles. 6/4/2023.Palo Verde Sunset. Charles Miles. 5/15/2023.The Sun Near Home. Charles Miles. 2/6/2023.
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!
Foothills Stream. Charles Miles. 2/14/2023.Colts Carpet Cleaning - We Don't Horse Around... Charles Miles. 1/31/2023.Red Canyon Walls. Charles Miles. 1/31/2023.Reflected Saguaros. Charles Miles. 1/24/2023.Ice. Charles Miles. 1/24/2023.Desert Stream 01. Charles Miles. 1/24/2023.Rincon Peak in the Distance. Charles Miles. 1/31/2023.Reflection. Charles Miles. 1/10/2023.Orange Beast. Charles Miles. 1/2/2023.Hail Accumulating in a small Wash. Charles Miles. 1/2/2023.
Created and Updated by Charles Miles on 12/20/2022.
Forked Saguaro and Canyon. Charles Miles. 12/19/2022.In an Small Canyon. Charles Miles. 12/5/2022.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.
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.Desert Cotton Seeds. Charles Miles. 12/5/2022.Desert Cotton Bug 02. Charles Miles. 12/19/2022.Desert Cotton. Charles Miles. 12/5/2022.Against a Fading Sky. Charles Miles. 12/10/2022.Winter Water 01. Charles Miles. 12/6/2022.Peering into Winter Water. Charles Miles. 12/19/2022.
Created and Updated by Charles Miles on 9/20/2022.
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...
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.
The Mogolllon Monster. Charles Miles. 9/10/2022.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.
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!
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.
Climbing the Silver Bell Route back to the Rim of the Grand Canyon. Charles Miles. 9/13/2022.Solomon Temple. Charles Miles. 9/13/2022.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.
Rain in the Grand Canyon pushed us south to Sedona a day earlier than expected. Charles Miles. 9/14/2022.Sunset on Capitol Butte from Doe Mountain. Charles Miles. 9/14/2022.After Sunset on the Doe Mountain Trail. Charles Miles. 9/14/2022.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!