 I played golf on Friday with someone who is a member at Arizona National. I've always wanted to see the course and it is a beautiful layout on the east side. I approach a round of golf with much trepidation. For whatever reason, I become very frustrated while playing even though there should be 0 expectation to play well. I play 1-2 times a year and almost always only 9 holes. But, I once had a 2 handicap so standing over the ball now and having no idea where it may go and then watching errant shots, I just have never been able to reconcile the past me with the current me. So, so frustrating. It's best if I never pick up a golf club again.  But then!!!! Back to what I enjoy. Since I was never all that great at cycling, I don't have a past to haunt me, lol. Amy and I visited Tortolita Preserve which has a 9 mile, single track loop. Nine miles doesn't seem like much but it is an extremely serpentine course that requires constant attention. The Preserve.....  ....also has the largest saguaro I have seen. Looking at it I told Amy, "Something could hide in there and you'd never see it." Just then, a huge owl flew out of it. Circling to the other side....  ....I caught this image of a sun halo, around the cactus.
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 Amy and I were invited to hike with some of our favorite hiking buddies, starting at the Cochise Stronghold campground in the Dragoons. Our loop would take us up the Cochise Trail then onto a social trail for the return. As we ascended, the views became very nice.  Many interesting rock formations. After 3 miles of ascending at a moderate grade of 6.8%, we reached....  ....the Stronghold Divide. We continued on the trail for about 1/4 mile before finding a cairn that marked the off ramp and a descent....  ....into a ravine where we follow an obvious, social trail, up to a jumble of boulders where we took a lunch break and enjoyed....  ....awesome views.  Monoliths soared around us including one called, Rockefellow Dome. Some of these are favorites of the rock climbers, who we would encounter later.  Check out the colors on this Rainbow Hedgehog.  Note the rock ball that has fallen between the two vertical slabs, above.  Wow! Check out that view! Lorna wanted to explore a route to a nearby saddle but this modern day "Daniel Boone" explorer had to turn around, thwarted by bushy plants. We got back on the social trail and began the most interesting part of our hike that began with....  ....walking beneath these two boulders and soon.....  ....pausing beneath a rock that appeared to be poised to slide at any time. Amy on the left, Kathryn on the right.  The trail was well marked with cairns, some of which were creatively displayed in a notch.  Bill B, a very knowledgeable guide, reached a point that gave him a good vantage of what was a very, very steep descent. There is more than one route down and we chose the right side of the canyon which followed the base of a wall for a good distance. Meantime, to our left....  ....we watched two climbers ascend, with ropes. That looks like fun, with ropes, of course.  We continued our descent, steeply, finally reaching the road below and then a short walk to our vehicles. We finished with 6 miles and 1500' of climbing. We shared a drink in the parking lot before starting a 2 hour drive home which included.....  ....passing a field having at least a dozen, almost life-size, dinosaurs. The location is known as "Rattlesnake Ranch" and there was a "Welcome" sign out front but our day was already a long one with a ways to go. In AZ, around every corner, you never know what you will see.
 Driving south on Oracle Road, we spotted a cyclist, fixing a flat in the north bound lane. We had a floor pump with us so turned around and offered help. Nice guy from Canada but he ruined his spare tube while installing it and then did the same to one I offered. So, we gave he and his bike a ride to where he was staying. Then....  ....we headed to a wine festival in Oro Valley at the Steampump Ranch. The crowd was huge as the organizer had sold out all available tickets. We arrived at 4pm and stayed for about 90 minutes, visiting the vendors before.....  ....sitting for awhile to chat with hiking buddies Kathryn and Karen. Fun day but back to hiking as another weather system churns our way, making it too windy for riding.
 Willow Springs Road is usually a quiet place to go for a gravel ride but not today. We were passed by dozens of vehicles on their way to "24 Hours at the Old Pueblo" race. Thankfully, a strong wind out of the north blew the dust away from us as each vehicle passed. After riding about 10 miles, we made a left turn and came upon.....  .....this. Participants were in a long line, waiting for the start, which included running 400 yards to their bikes. How fortunate to arrive 15 minutes before the gun sounded as meantime, 6 drones hovered overhead.  A "town" had sprung up to support the race, riders, family & friends. Participants numbered 2000 so at least another 1000 people were there.  There were many encampments scattered in every direction but most were clustered around the food/retail area.  The gun sounds and they're off. Those at the front, run, those at the rear, walk. In the group are solo riders or those who are doing the first 16 mile loop as part of a team. Later I saw the winner of the team event did 24 laps, the solo male did 21 and solo female did 17. While riders were on the course, their teammates, family and friends were.....  ....in town and the celebrating had an early start. The night scene must be especially wild.  We thought this outfit was especially interesting.  Amy posed in front of a metal saguaro.  People checking out the participant list.  Many food and drink options. The line in front of this place was especially long. A pizza business had a trailer with a real, wood fired oven going. It was a lot of fun to walk around but eventually, we got back on our bikes and headed back, finishing with 23 miles.
 I drove to Casa Grande to make my first visit at the CGMP. I took Africa Road to a broad parking lot and began the Spine Trail/Ridge Trail Loop, which was supposed to be 7.5 miles.  The first couple of miles parallels either 1-10 or I-8 so views aren't all that great and the trail is kind of flat and boring. Odd is that twice I encountered a three way trail junction and each of the three incoming trails were named "Spine Trail". I didn't have a gpx track to follow so used my unsound intuition. Eventually....  ....I got on the Ridge Trail which is labeled as "Difficult" but by our standards, the trail would struggle to meet the "Moderate" standard. Also strange, the Ridge trail never came close to the ridge. I wondered why it wasn't named "Foothills Trail".  Mentioning what is an officially difficult hike, Newmann Peak in the distance, on the left, across from Picacho Peak. I must have missed a loop as I returned to the parking lot with only 3.25 miles. All in all, quite lame.  We had some rain move through and behind it the clouds have lingered. Above, the Wilderness and Leviathan domes. I've always wanted to at least hike to the base of them but not yet done that.
 You know it's going to be a scenic hike to a peak when the views are already fabulous at the start. Ok, about the start.... groan. I had simple written directions of drive 7 miles from I19, hang a left on FS39 and 4 miles, we're there. We drove 9 miles, no road, no internet so turned around, drove back to I19 to pick up service and discovered, #39 was at 9.5 miles from I19!!!! We had just missed it.  We (Amy, Marcia and I) arrived about 30 minutes late. Of course the gang had already departed as was the correct choice, at 10 minutes after the appointed time. I was glad that two of the group, Lorna and Marc, had previously hiked the trail so the group would be in good hands.  As we climbed, we gained cell phone service and made contact with the group. They were somewhere around the base of that blocky structure on the left. To the right of that, just peering over a ridge is Atascosa Lookout, our destination.  The average grade of the ascent is 6.5% which isn't much but that is skewed by several "flatish" sections, one of which travels the length of the blocky structure.  The views of course are awesome as we can see well into Mexico. When last I was here, a large trash dump just across the border was burning, obscuring too much of the view but....  ....not today.  We round the afore mentioned structure and begin climbing again. We reach a saddle to begin the final ascent to the Lookout and hey! The gang had been waiting occasionally and we finally caught them.  We all made it. We sat on the foundation of a fire lookout tower that burned in the Murphy fire of 2011. And then, a discussion ensued about....  ....Atascosa Peak, 1 mile distant with about 1000' of additional climbing. I can't say I was all that enthusiastic about hiking to it as the last time I did it....  ....my arms were shredded from shoving through acres of catclaw. Lorna, Marc, Jeff and Dee planned to go and I gave them rudimentary directions which basically is, "Stay on the ridge and climb the cliff bands directly in front of you."  They headed steeply off the corner of the Lookout but Dee soon came back, as did Jeff as he thought the round trip effort would make him late for an obligation later in the day. To Lorna and Marc's credit, they made it and shared that the bushwhacking wasn't bad. On my prior visit, I must have taken a bad line.  Those that remained, lingered a bit longer, admiring the incredible colors and views.  Then, we began the 2.5 mile descent. The trail is easy to follow and soon I found myself out in front, separated from the group. I enjoy the sounds of being in the wilderness so kept out front, pausing occasionally to make sure I could see the others. I can't claim to be a hike leader today, having missed the ascent and everyone could follow the obvious trail on the descent but it was a great hike that I organized, lol.  Bottom left of the image above is a cow pond, currently empty. The cow pond signals I am near to rounding a corner and.....  ....coming into view of the remainder of the hike. Ended with 5.4 miles and 1500' of climbing. Too bad it's a 1:40 drive from home or else I'd schedule the hike again, soon and do the peak. Maybe in a month or two.
 That is a very ominous sight, smoke hanging over the Catalinas. Fortunately, rather than a spreading fire, it was a prescribed burn of wood piles.  Our group of 10, descend from Reddington Road to Tanque Verde canyon. The plan was to go up canyon to a beautiful falls and visit the famous Nudist Beach above the falls. Then we would reverse course. These boulder hopping "hikes" are always great fun. The challenge is not the distance but the route finding and navigating around, under and over boulders and walls that fill the canyon.  We pass the signage that alerts us of what is to come. The morning though is way too cold for naked people to be sunning themselves on the beach.  We reach the falls but the water flow is way down, signaling the snow pack above is almost gone.  To reach the top of the falls a wall on the right side must be climbed. It's a challenge for most, including me. In these situations, I'm always glad I was gifted with long arms and legs.  We reach the beach but part of our party stay on the opposite side, fruitlessly looking for an alternative crossing. Note the size of the boulders. Would hate to be in here during a seismic event! Eventually we regroup and decide to explore a bit farther up canyon. I've never pursued this option, always turning around at the beach.  I was surprised at how much more of the canyon is available for hiking. Eventually we decided to turn around but I'll come back soon and find out how far one can go. The texture and colors of the rock are amazing.  Occasionally we'd encounter small patches of sand but that was rare. Once back at the nudist beach, we discovered....  ....a couple of hula hoops. Lorna, on the left, lacked the moves to keep her hoop above her waist while Hillary was capable. Then it was back to the previously climbed wall for....  ....the descent. When down climbing, we could not see the small ledge nor know how far we have to stretch to reach it. One of my many, many good qualities is caring for my fellow hikers so I was quick to assist anyone who needed help. Yes, if one was to give me a nickname, I certainly qualify for "Mr Considerate." :).  We reached the point where we entered the canyon but continued down canyon as far as we could. First timer, Gina on the right, pointing to some feature. I usually pluck one or two newbies from our wait list to give them the opportunity to check us out. We've found some really enjoyable personalities....ok, a couple of really odd ones too but not many.  We couldn't quite reach the point where the water tumbles over a cliff, creating the Lower Falls, which we visited a few weeks ago. We ran into a guy who told us about a route that bypasses this section and will bring you to the point directly above the falls. That too must be checked out in the future. Finished with 2.4 miles and 500' of climbing. Fun day with a good group.
 A 2 hour drive but it took me north of the Superstitions into an area I had not previously visited. I went through Mesa, got on Bush Highway then St. Rt. 87 and arrived at...  ...a very small parking area in a very remote location. Oh well, I geared up and....  ....began the hike on FS27.  There has been a lot of mining in the area and several remnants of it exist.  The fire of 2020 must have been especially intense in this area as all trees are mere skeletons now.  The road is easy to follow but lots of evidence of erosion from run-off.  At some point, someone maintained the road but at mile 2.6....  ....I ran into this. Too wide to jump and the ditch was much deeper than I am tall. I walked back and forth, plotting, examining and saw there was a way out going forward but the way back was a wall of loose dirt. I looked down canyon and it appeared I could exit the canyon eventually if I got stuck and...  ....looking to the hill above the trench, more loose dirt and really steep. I got about 3/4 of the way up but nothing to grab to pull myself farther. I walked down the road to see another approach and then, checking the time, decided I ought to turn around. OK, could I have found a way up, bushwhacked beyond the trench, probably but it would add too much time.  Looking to the north, I could make out the Mongolian Rim. Bummed I did not arrive at the peak but am aware of an alternative and will be back soon.  Walking back, I noticed several other trenches being formed by water run-off which will soon create obstacles that may not be passable in time. I doubt this road will ever receive the attention it deserves.  The drive allowed me a good look at the Four Peak Wilderness. Beautiful.
 We needed to drive back to Miami to stay at an airport hotel but no reason to arrive early so jumped on the 10am hotel shuttle and headed back to Key West.  A short pier with a lot of birds. Of course, everyone who visits the area just has to....  ...pose at the Southernmost Point in the US!  It seems every block has some point of interest and always....  ...a lot of funky looking people.  At last, it was time to head north but not before Amy drank from a coconut.....our final drink of our visit.
 We visited a park and despite signs stating not to climb on the rocks, we just had to as it reminded us of some boulder fields we have crossed when hiking in AZ.  Miami, of course, has some great restaurants and before visiting one, we posed. Then....  ....we picked up a rental car, got on the "1" and headed south, stopping somewhere for lunch. We arrived....  ....in Key West just as the sun was setting. If you ever thought driving from Miami through the Keys to Key West....DON'T DO IT!!! Brutal drive, bumper to bumper with few places to pass. Just fly into the Key West airport...trust me.  We ate oysters at one restaurant and began walking, stopping in at the very entertaining Sloppy Joes where we.....  ....had another picture taken of us. Yes, we were having a good time. To be clear, I am not drunk despite my appearance. Next morning we....  ....walked miles through Key West and stopped....  ....for lunch. Lots of roosters throughout the city. Our walk included....  ...passing a cruise ship the height of which far exceeds the tallest point in Key West. There were a couple hundred protestors out, protesting the arrival of each of these ships when they arrive. Thousands of passengers disembark, don't stop in restaurants as they eat/drink on board, visit a few retail shops close to the ship but otherwise considered a nuisance. The water depth is only 40' so the ships scrape the bottom. Several liners no longer visit Key West and the locals are working to make them all avoid.  We visited the Hemingway House, the Truman "southern" White House and a variety of other places. We stopped in a few art galleries and then....  ....this caught my eye. It was expensive enough that we were escorted to a room, given wine to drink and I decided I needed it for my wall at home. Can't wait to hang it. More to come but also very glad to say, we have already returned to our beloved, southern AZ and am hiking on Monday. A new destination!
 We arrived in South Miami Beach where my daughter is a big wig at the Royal Palm, an Art Deco type hotel. We had a nice room with good views of the Atlantic. A short walk took us to....  ...the beach! Soon....  ....my daughter picked us up and took us to Key Biscayne while passing one of the many docked cruise ships. We had a fun evening and returned to our hotel....  ...which had nice views of the city, after sunset. Next day, we did some more touring....  ....which included an iguana sighting and a...  ....visit to a light house.  Like both nights, we had a good meal at an upscale restaurant. Well, now for the drive to Key West.
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