Took a little hike to Usery Mountain Regional Park last night to take in the sunset. Turned out to be a great evening for a photo excursion.
We took a trail to the top of hill and from the ridge we could see the Superstition Mountains to the east and the sunset to the west.
Last September we visited Banff and were greeted with grey smokey skies. Thick smoke from fires in BC hung over the mountains. Thankfully the wind shifted and most of the rest of the trip was free of smoke and only a little rain.
We may be making a return trip to the Rockies this September as I have registered for a Night Photography Workshop at Pigeon Lake, Ab which is a short drive from Jasper.
Thursday started off as a cool but sunny morning. By noon the wind had picked up. By 3:00 the dust storm, called a Haboob, had obliterated the view of the mountain less than 2 miles from our house. Then the thunder started and the rains came down. Finally the clouds parted in the west just before sunset providing us with a beautiful view of the Superstition Mountains with a rainbow for added effect.
Later that night, around midnight, I was standing on the golf course taking shots of the Blood Moon eclipse.
Earlier this year we went to Picket Post mountain for a hike. Here are a few shots.
On Jan 20 we took a drive down the Apache Trail. It is a scenic drive that winds through the Superstition Mountains and Tonto National Forest. The trail was originally used by Apache Indians to migrate through the mountains and later was a stage coach route.
We had been down the trail a few years ago but it has been closed since 2019 when rains washed out part of the road. The road is gravel and dirt with some washboard and single lane sections. The scenery is definitely worth it.
On the way back from Roosevelt Dam we stopped at the Tonto National Monument. It's a short steep climb to the cliff dwellings but the trail is paved and the views are great.
We took our friends, Walter and Nancy, for a bit of a road trip to Tonto National Monument and Roosevelt Dam. The Dam isn't too exciting but I am always entranced by the structure of the bridge.
Our Monte Vista Photo Club took a trip to the Superstition Mountain Museum. Unfortunately the model train village was closed however we did see the church that was part of the Elvis Presley movie, Charro.
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| The Elvis church |
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| Part of the model train village |
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| Superstition mountains provide a great backdrop |
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| More of the train village |
