Usery Mountain Regional Park

LuAnn

The human spirit needs places where nature has not been rearranged by the hand of man.  ~ Author Unknown

I spent roughly 20 years in the Phoenix/Scottsdale area but never was very familiar with the east valley so it was exciting to me that Terry chose Usery Mountain Regional Park for our 2-week stay.  Located in east Mesa, Usery Mountain Regional Park is a 3700 acre desert delight located at the western end of the Goldfield Mountains, abutting Tonto National Forest.  What awaited us was 29 miles of trails devoted to hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding and some spectacular views from our RV site.

Pass Mountain, the geologic focal point of the park, is the view from our rear window.  A landscape studded with stately saguaros, that house owls and many other bird species within their skeletons, as well as ocotillo, barrel cacti, and teddy bear chollas, dotted the desert floor.

Our side yard

Wind Cave Trail is the most popular trail within the park, a 3.2 mile trek up the face of Pass Mountain, with an elevation gain of 800 feet.  This was a good first hike for us, a nice little leg workout with some great views of the valley from the top.

Given the precipitation that Arizona has had the past couple of months, the desert is bursting with life, full of color, so green.  We are already planning more hikes, both in Usery Mountain Park and the Superstition Mountains.

Hiking in Red Rock Splendor

LuAnn

We set aside a good deal of time while in Sedona to catch up on tune-ups for our vehicles, tune-ups for ourselves (doctor appointments), and catching up with friends.  We did manage to squeeze in a few hikes, which we would have sorely regretted if we had not taken the time.

Sedona has such a network of hiking trails.  I won’t even venture to guess how many; the list goes on and on, with many taking on the names of their beloved namesake rock formations; i.e.  Rabbit Ears, Coffepot Rock, Cowpies (no kidding), and Bell Rock, just to name a few.

Rabbit Ears
Coffeepot Rock

The hike we decided upon was a combination of three connecting trails, Teacup, Soldiers’ Pass and ending on Brins Mesa, with some absolutely stunning views throughout.  The hike totaled 8 miles with the added bonus of most of it being downhill on the way back.  It is one thing to see the red rocks as you head into Sedona by way of a vehicle but to get out into this wilderness and explore adds another dimension of beauty.

Can you see the priest and 3 nuns in the background to the right?

For those who do not enjoy hiking but would like to get out and see some of the spectacular views and learn a little more about the history of this part of Arizona, many of the better known rock formations can be seen from the road and there are numerous Native American ruins in the area, two of which I have included photos of below.

Montezuma Castle
Tuzigoot

It is time to say goodbye to our Sedona friends.  From here we are heading to Mesa to the Usery Mountain Regional Park where we plan to soak up the sun and enjoy more desert hikes.

Raven silouette captured while hiking

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Ringing in 2012

LuAnn

“What you are is what you have been. What you’ll be is what you do now.” ~ Buddha

Many of us are sitting back right about now reflecting on our lives, perhaps having some regrets, or maybe even wondering what the heck we should be doing with the rest of our lives.  What is our purpose?

I have always admired people who seemed to know, from a very early age, what they wanted out of life, who they wanted to be when they grew up.  I was not one of the rare few who had these laser-focused goals.  As I have grown older and encountered more people along life’s journey, I believe that many (maybe most) of us have had more “fluid” lives, changing course along the way.  Job changes, loss of a significant person in our lives, health issues, financial struggles, etc. create hardships that tend to derail the best of us.  Perhaps more tragic yet is not being true to who we are, out of fear of failure or fear of ridicule.

My hope for all of us as we ring in 2012 is that we are true to ourselves, for that is where the courage lies.  Let’s find out what it is that makes us come alive and go out and do it.  Let’s paint our landscape, creating the life that will fulfill us!

Happy New Year Everyone!

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most importantly, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”  ~  Steve Jobs

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Red Rock Beauty

LuAnn

We plan to spend the next couple of weeks in Sedona, where we previously owned a home.  No matter how long you live in this area, it is difficult not to have a jaw-dropping experience when you turn off the highway and get your first peek at the red rocks.  There is a real beauty here and some would say it goes beyond the physical, if you read any number of articles/books written about the vortices and paranormal activity that some feel is pervasive here.  Whatever resonates with you, I don’t think anyone can come here and not feel the magic that has been bestowed on this area in the way of nature.

We spent Christmas day with our good friends Rosie and Jim, taking a hike into the Sycamore Canyon Wilderness area, 56,000 acres of spectacular red, orange, and cream-colored sandstone cliffs, dotted with pinion, juniper, and cypress trees.  The glassy, Verde river snaked through the canyon, and although something we would not entertain in December, swimming holes found here would be a welcome respite during the heat of the summer.

In prehistoric times, the canyon accommodated the Sinagua Indians and as you descend further into the quiet of the canyon, you can almost hear the whispers of these ancient peoples as the wind weaves its way through this vast wilderness.  Or perhaps, as some believe, it is a transdimensional being that has descended from a UFO, or Bigfoot moving through the shadows.

One Sedona author, Tom Dongo, finds Sycamore Canyon to be “just a flat-out weird place”, stating that he “wouldn’t spend the night there by myself”.  Dongo says that “people from Sedona often see things going in and out of the canyon.  I’ve seen UFO’s many times.  There seems to be an alien/government tunnel system there, too.”  Whatever you believe, Sycamore Canyon, in the light of day, is an amazing slice of wilderness but alas, we did not sense any unseen beings walking next to us.

Golden shrubs against a backdrop of verdant willows
Red rock reflections

A Holiday Message

LuAnn

And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so?  It came without ribbons.  It came without tags.  It came without packages, boxes or bags.  And he puzzled and puzzled ’till his puzzler was sore.  Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store.  What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.  ~Dr Seuss


Well, it is that time of year again when the commercialism of the season besieges our senses.  My prayer for all of you is that you can take a little quiet time for yourselves and reflect upon your blessings.  It is so much easier it seems to look at what is wrong with our lives instead of everything we have to be grateful for.  So many of us are struggling with work, family, health, etc., etc., etc.

Loss is something that has weighed on me this year, as I lost my most precious friend Barbara, my anam cara (soul friend).  Although I feel the pain of her absence daily, I am determined to celebrate and give gratitude for the time I had with her and the profound impact she made on my life.  I feel blessed to have had a friend in my life whose energy, when I was near her, filled me up.  May we all have someone in our lives who blankets up with their love and may we do the same for others.

I came across this quote some time ago, and it seems fitting for all of us to reflect upon as we head into 2012:

Faith makes all things possible; hope makes all things work; love makes all things beautiful!

Happy Holidays Everyone!

Barb’s Amazing Nutcracker Collection