Desert Hike at Sweetwater Preserve.

We went out west of Tucson to hike a trail in an area that was new to us. Gorgeous Sugharo cactus desert on a grand autumn Saturday morning in Arizona.  The trail was rocky, with elevation gains to amazing vistas overlooking urban Tucson or Tucson mountains.

Found a Crestated Saguaro, an anomaly that is a fun find.

Plus a boarded up old mine that hinted at the history of these hills. 

Halloween in Tucson

It's Halloween season here. People really go all out and decorate for Halloween here. This house in a nearby neighborhood is really over the top! So much that you can't really see all that is in the lawn! 

This shipwreck is just down the road. Perfect desert setting. Our house is not decorated but we are planning to do a "Trunk or Treat" in our church parking lot next Sunday evening.

"The Catwalk"

We hiked the White Water Canyon up to "Catwalk National Recreation Trail" which really is a a series of suspension bridges, catwalks securely attached to the canyon wall high above the--rushing water in the spring--just a stream now. Dates back to mining days in 1893 when they built a pipeline up thru the canyon to bring water for the electrical generators at the mill. You can still see the hardware that held the apparatus to the canyon wall. Then in 1930's the Civilian Conservation Corp rebuilt the Catwalk as a recreation attraction for the Gila National Forest. It's been rebuilt several times after torrential floods in the canyon and in 1978 a mile long section of the historic Catwalk pipeline route was designated a National Recreation Trail.

the largest Sycamore tree ever!! Such a lush canyon. 

caught an American Dipper lunching on bugs and crustation on the stream bed. The only songbird who will purposely dive under water.

Then a stop at the museum on the campus of Northern New Mexico University which holds the most complete exhibit of Mimbres pottery from the 12th century and forward. They were the ancient puebloan peoples who lived in this part of the Southwest.

Silver City and Gila Cliff Dwellings

A stopover in Silver City, NM for a couple of days. Got a late start this morning then drove 50 miles of the "Trail of the Mountain Spirits National Scenic Byway" thru Gila national forest, past a "gi-normous" copper mine that has been in operation since 1909, thru the Mimbres Valley, past a couple of lakes and finally to Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument.

The ancient Cliff dwellings were on a steep 1 mile loop trail up the side of a mountain overlooking the valley below. Ancient Puebloan people lived here about a thousand years ago. 

So incredibly intact. The black ceilings of the cave part is still visible from smoke from cooking and heating fires.

Much of the structure was off limits but we could go inside several connecting rooms.

They certainly had a great vantage point to watch for intruders and to see valley below. The view was stunning--I just wonder how different it looked in the 12th century.

We climbed down a  ladder to get to lower level.

The Gila River has its headwaters near here. Of interest to us as the Gila goes from here west thru Arizona--we know it well--and finally flows into Colorado River. This lifeline for the Ancients is now a dry river most of the year by the time it gets to central Arizona.

Fiesta ends

A few more pictures to wrap up our Fiesta. In the evenings they inflated the Balloons but did not fly them As the sun went down and it got dark the glow from the burners was the show.  They also had sky divers land on the field, leaving a smoke trail on their decent. Most interesting was a Drone Light Show. It was pretty amazing to realize each of those points of light was a Drone --and then of course they moved and mixed up in the sky only to form the next shape--sometimes with moving parts! Beyond me! And ended each night with a fireworks display.

Fiesta over for 2023.  Dropped Lia and Doug off at airport this morning and then we came back and packed up and left. On our way home with a stop in Silver City, NM for 2 days. 

Was so great having Doug and Lia here to enjoy it all with us. Missing them now for sure.

Our last day PLUS the Eclipse

Funnel Cake!!! Yummy 

Horton-- Giant size!!

And then back to campsite to watch the eclipse peak at 10:36am.

That's the total. The Ring of Fire. Best I could do with my camera. With the eclipse glasses it was crisp and clear view.

We're watching!!

Interesting that this is Annular Eclipse, not Total eclipse. The moon is farther away so doesn't completely block out sun. And we were all surprised how light it stayed, the earth did not darken--if you didn't know what was happening you would not have noticed!!

More Fiesta

More Balloon Festival except now Doug and Lia are here to enjoy it with us! We picked them up at the Albuquerque airport late last night. They had a short night because it was up again before dawn so we wouldn't miss anything. So fun to enjoy it all together!

Winds were perfect and skies were clear for a text book launch. It was magical!

Came back in the evening for sky diving show and a Drone Light Show. Didn't know what to expect but it was a great show. Lots of ooooohs and aaaahhs! 

Followed by fireworks!

Lia trying to do homework and I am bugging her!