Kay's Photo Journal - May 2016
5/25/2016 Essence of Tranquility, Swift Trail Junction, AZ - This natural mineral hot springs is located not far from the highway #366 and #191 intersection. It was so worth to soak in after the long Mt Graham hike. They have six different figured tubs and very nice mineral hot water is running, cost $8/hr.
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5/25/2016 Plain Valley Peak, AZ - This is a bonus peak for today. I tried twice for this peak, 1st I went wrong place and came back, 2nd try that was successful. Mountain fire was not too long aga, many dead trees are down on the ground and not easy to hike around, but view was not bad at all especially the Mt Graham.
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5/25/2016 Mt Graham, AZ (10.8 miles for today’s total) - This is one of the AZ P2K, and elevation is 10,720 ft. According to a ranger, the Mt Graham is closed for public to protect rare species of squirrel for last 15 years and still closed. I saw the gate was closed but no sign of indication about it. I was there so I decided to hike up, I was lucky I didn't get caught.
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5/24/2016 Guthrie Peak, AZ (6.5 miles) - This is one of the AZ P2K, and elevation is 6,571 ft. I have hiked on the road to the peak from the open gate, the road condition is pretty good. There are many towers atop of the peak, few towers are just like old TV antennas.
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5/23/2016 Pony Hill, NM - This petroglyphs site is located between the Cookes Peak and town of Deming that southeast of New Mexico. There are quite a number of petroglyphs in two separate areas. Some of are more modern figure than others.
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5/20/2016 Yuma Territorial Prison State Historic Park, AZ - This was actual prison before and a total of 3,069 prisoners lived, currently it is a museum. From the guard tower, we can see not only overlooked the prison, we can see the Colorado River, Yuma Crossing, Ocean-to-Ocean highway bridge, Prison Cemetery and Yuma Wetlands.
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5/20/2016 Quatermaster Depot State Historical Park, Yuma, AZ - It was use to the army supply store station, now a museum. It is located by the river crossing that a man-made canal crossing under the Colorado River for irrigation and drink water. Colorado River water is unpredictable sometimes too much sometimes drought, but water from the dam is stable.
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5/20/2016 Center of the World, Fricity, CA - No scientific explanation of how to determined the center of the world, maybe not necessary, it is created by a rich French man and he became a mayor of his created city. There is a pyramid, granite walls, Church and more. Visit to the site between Thanksgiving and Easter, otherwise self tour only.
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5/20/2016 Imperial Sand Dune, CA - It is large sand dune that mile after miles of continuation of beige color sand dune. It is popular place for the ATVer to enjoy drive up/down the dune. I saw a man-made canal that runs in the middle of the sand dune.
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5/19/2016 Texas Hill, AZ - I was looking for the petroglyphs and found only couple, I was disappointed. Just before leaving there, a field worker came and showed me where to find it, that was unexpected and lucky to find some more. The petroglyphs site is not the Texas Hill self, by the tiny hill.
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5/17/2016 Ski Valley, AZ - The top of the this ski area is located between the Radio Ridge and Pusch Ridge Wildness HP. I don’t ski more than 15 years now but I was ski instructor and ski patrol, I love skiing and I miss it. I couldn’t do it because bunions.
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5/17/2016 Pusch Ridge Wildness High Point, AZ - This is another bonus peak for me. It is another towers on the top peak near the Radio Ridge. Since trees are gone by the mountain fire, view is nice faraway view.
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5/17/2016 Radio Ridge, AZ - A worker at the observatory gave me wrong direction, so that photos include not only the Radio Ridge. This is my bonus peak today and not far from the Mt Lemmon, and towers are seems to barely survived from a month of the 2003 mountain fire. 1st photo - a house on the rock is the Mt Lemmon fire observation house.
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5/17/2016 Mt Lemmon, AZ - We can drive on the scenic Catelina Highway all way up to the near peak. On the peak, Mt Lemmon Observatory, privately owned and not open for the public. A worker in the observatory told me to go around the fence to the peak, sooner fence is down and no more fence and can walkin to the observatory proprety.
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5/14/2016 Supernova Petroglyphs, Agua Fria National Monument, AZ (8.8 miles) - I tried before on 4/16/16 and couldn’t find it, at this time I did some homeworks and finally find it. Some petroglyphs are record of Supernova that happened year of 1054. Use to there are many petroglyphs around here but fade out and disappearing.
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5/11/2016 Bisbee, AZ - It is located southeast of AZ not far from Mexico and it was mining booming town and largest town in AZ at one time. It is one of the hippiest towns in AZ. Many houses are side of the mountains, some of are high up and long stairs are everywhere, obesity may not exit in this town. I was expected lot of graffiti art, but only one area.
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5/11/2016 World’s Largest Rosebush, Tombstone, AZ - It is not rosebush, it is a rose tree, its bloom during March, white flowers all over. It is White Lady Banksia Rose tree that planted 1885, 131 years old now, its covered 8,000 sqft, and still growing, it may last least couple hundreds more years.
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5/9/2016 Little Mt Ord, AZ - This is the mountain near by Mt Ord, direct distance from Mt Ord to Little Mt Ord is less than a mile, but I don't want to bushwhacking, so I took long way, and hiked just below the Mt Ord. The view is nice, highway #87 is very closer view, and very nice west side of mountain range view, a helicopter is flying 1st row right most photo.
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5/9/2016 Mt Ord, AZ (14.6 miles total include Littel Mt Ord) - This is one of the AZ P2K. This is not like the Aztec Peak, the peak is visible from any directions, I took first peak photo from the highway 87. At the top, there are many towers and the fire tower is more like 8 or 9th floors high but sign indicates not open for public.
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5/7/2016 Gila River War Relocation Center, AZ - This is a Japanese camp during WWII. 13,348 Japanese people, forced to stay here between 1942-45, which was 4th largest city in AZ at that time. They lost everything, house, car, job and whatever they had, incredible and extraordinary thing was they build life back after WWII that better than before.
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5/7/2016 Huhugam Heritage Center, AZ - 1st Saturday of each month is not only free admission, there are live music band play nice musics, venders and demonstration of the neoglyph that legal graffiti. This place is visible from the highway #347 not far from the highway #10. It is Gila River Indian Community Center that made up of two tribes.
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5/5/2016 Aztec Peak, AZ (6.4 miles) - This is my #17 out of 73 AZ P2K. Funny thing was I don’t know what looks like this peak. I didn't have a chance to take an entire mountain photo from TH and trail. A bonus was young Bracken Fern was ready to pick, it is delicacy and certain way to cook where fresh is poison.
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5/3/2016 Aircraft Boneyard, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Tucson, AZ - There are over 4,000 airplanes store here and cost was $38 Billion out of factory value. It was guided tour and ride a bus, we can't get out from the bus that was sacks. Those airplanes are not dead yet, many of are ready to fly by minor changes or use parts for another airplane like that.
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5/3/2016 Pima Air & Space Museum, Tucson, AZ - They have many airplanes, over 300, display inside and outside of the buildings. Unique and nicer airplanes are display inside, however display outside is protected from the sun damage, coating and sealing. It is fun place to visit, but outside was 93°F today, it was hot.
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5/1/2016 National Trail Lookout, South Mountain Park, AZ - It is on the National Trail and not too far from the end of the Telegraph Pass Trail. It is made by stack up rocks and view is just gorgeous. There is a fireplace inside, I saw a family roasting marshmallows.
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5/1/2016 Gila Lookout, South Mountain Park, AZ - This place is just across from the South Mountain and nice South Mountain view. No hiking trail to get here, hike on the paved road to get here. There is nice size parking lot at the end of the Lookout.
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5/1/2016 South Mountain, AZ - The register is located on the National Trail and about one hundred feet below the summit, 3rd row 2nd from left photo. 20-30 towers are standing on the summit of private property, fence surroundings all over and gates are closed. No way to sneak into the actual summit.
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5/1/2016 Telegraph Pass Trail, South Mountain Park, AZ (8.1 miles for all today’s hike) - I found petroglyphs site way back. There are about couple hundred peaople on the trail, popular place. This trail end at the saddle and merge to the National Trail, which runs 14 miles of end to end of the park.
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