Gone fishing

Beautiful day 10 Fish 0

September 1, 2016 seemed like the perfect day for a fishing trip. We decided to get up early, pack a picnic lunch and head out to a local park.  The park we chose was Tonto National Forest. The Salt River flows through it and there are plenty of day use lots available. We left around 5:30; we had a certain period of time we wanted to get there and that was at Sunrise. We also decided to drive from our home in the southern end of Phoenix and use the 202 loop to Power Rd. From this, we head north all the way. From the 202 Loop, heading north for about three miles, there is a lot of land used by farmers for various types of agriculture and even with the windows closed, you can figure out what type it is. Homes are developed and shopping centers dot this odiferous landscape. I guess most people become smell blind and just go on their daily lives.

We start noticing the sun coming up and while there is some cloud cover, the sun is creating a magnificent show of orange, red and yellow that only the eye can be in awe of. We pulled over so I can take a picture and even though the image I capture is beautiful, what we are looking at in the sky is an image that was created by a higher power. Soon we go with the hope of catching dinner.

We enter Tonto National Forest and start checking the different areas and at the first stop, we are seeing something many visitors never see. Wild horses are passing us in the parking lot. Wow, how impressive a site this is. There must have been seven or eight horses and they just crossed through the river right past three Red-Headed Vultures. Double Wow, we have not done any fishing yet and the day has already turned into a perfect day. So, on we go checking out more parking lots and we end up at the Marina.  This is a good spot because we can sit under a Ramada and catch a nice breeze. Unfortunately, the boats have little respect for us and cause wakes that you must have sea legs for. It also keeps the fish away and after about an hour of casting out with no hope of catching, we decide to have our picnic. We sit under a Ramada with a table and a view that is so beautiful. This area is full of high cliffs and rolling mountain vistas. The entire park is a spot of great beauty. I never understand people that complain that the desert is just a lump of brown. It is so much more than that. The trees alone have an unnatural spender, they must endure months without rain and live in heat that is really intense. I would guess this park is an oasis in the desert because of the Salt River.  I cannot get over how the cactus grows out of the side of a steep mountain that is rock.

So, on we go to check out more spots and get ideas for the next time we come and visit this wonderland of magical beauty. We turn down a road called Butcher Jones Beach Rd. Just the name alone makes me wonder who lived here and how did they live here.  As we drive down these winding desert passes, the beauty of the Wild West opens up and my imagination starts to think about how they even got here. Then we come to the end and here is another area for fishing. This spot is a Mesquite Bosque with picnic tables, trails for hikers and a beach for swimming. As we, drive around the loop there is entrance for Off Road vehicles. Then all of a sudden, another herd of wild horses crosses our path.  They ignore us as while they feast on the Mesquite tree.

We exit the area and head south so we can check out some other spots, we turn at Phon D Sutton Rd., and I saw another site that normally can only be seen in a certain times. It was the Fountain of Fountain Hills. It is the largest fountain in the world and I saw it shooting water into the sky from the park. Triple Wow, I think I had an amazing day considering it was suppose to be a day of fishing and they were not biting.