NEW FACES, FAMILIAR FACES - Gold Canyon

Gold Canyon, AZ - March 16-23

WE FOUND GOLD!
Sunday, we waved good-bye to the inmates as we drove past the razor wire enclosed prisons of Florence and continued our trek north to the beautiful Canyon Vista RV Resort in Gold Canyon, AZ.  Gold Canyon is located just south of Apache Junction with about 10,000 residents (not counting Snowbirds), has only 2 RV parks, a couple of championship golf courses, and abuts the Superstition Wilderness Area and Tonto National Forest.  

Canyon Vista RV Resort is truly a Resort with it's 2 pools, spas, tennis courts, pickle ball courts, softball field, library, craft rooms, wood shop, yoga sessions, fitness center, Happy Hours with music, etc.  The guests are a friendly group of active retirees mostly from MN, WI, MI, and Canada.  We loved this place so much that before we left we reserved a spot for the month of March 2015.

You can see our white RV in the background on the left.
This small area of Canyon Vista is for short-term stays.
 Next year our site will be in the long-term section. 

We enjoyed the hospitality of Ford and Karin Marden, new friends we met at Canyon Vista.

SILLY US
The trail head for Silly Mountain was just a couple miles from our new digs.  This is a popular hiking trail with beautiful views of Superstition Mountain, Apache Junction, Gold Canyon, and the undeveloped desert. Going around the back of Silly Mountain we found the Huff and Puff Trail which brought us to the Crest Trail, and then what we thought was the trail to the summit.  As we approached the pinnacle, we saw a young couple carefully picking their way down over the rocks and that was when the debate started.  "I don't like scary heights.  We might fall and crack our heads open or break a hip.  Hum, should we attempt it?"  "Of course we should, let's go!"  Silly us.

"This is a great climb for a Mountain Goat"
At the top of the picture you can see someone starting the dangerous climb down over the rocks.

A view from the top of Silly Mountain; Apache Junction, Mesa, and Phoenix in the background.
After successfully rock climbing to the summit, we discovered there was
an easier, less dangerous, trail we should have taken.  We took that one on the way down.

WEAVERS NEEDLE
I called Heidi Eckstrom, a friend and neighbor from Bass Lake who has a winter home in Carefree, about meeting for a hike and lunch.  She said Tom Conway (also a neighbor on Bass Lake) was staying in Apache Junction and they were planning to hike to Weavers Needle on Friday; would we like to join them?  Yes, we would!  Heidi and Tom met us at our place Friday morning and we rode together to the Peralta Trailhead in the Superstition Wilderness Area for the 4.4 mile hike.  As Jim, Heidi, and Tom studied the trail map, I signed our little group in the hiking register with a start time of 9:55 a.m.  We started the 2 hour round trip hike, excited for this new adventure. 

The stunning scenery starts at the Peralta Trailhead with hoodoos (those magnificent spires of rock).

Heidi capturing a picture of the ever changing scenery in this ancient volcanic caldera.

Tom refueling with water and a snack.

WEAVERS NEEDLE
We did it!

Four and a half hours later our leg muscles were burning, but spotting the Jeep in the parking lot we were like horses heading for the barn after a long ride.  I signed our group out in the hiking register at 2:25 p.m...no need to send a rescue team for us!  Next stop was lunch and a couple of icy cold beers. Oh, and by the way, when I checked my Fitbit it said we had hiked almost 7 miles and climbed 121 floors, no wonder my legs felt like jelly.