Last Sunday we loaded up the 5th wheel with enough gear, food and clothing to last 5 days and headed back to the mountains north of Phoenix, AZ. When we came west thru that area on the I-40 in late April there was snow on all sides of the road and a snowstorm hit us a few miles past Flagstaff. We were determined to make the trip in order to join our good friends, Amelia and Tony, for a few days in the wilderness but were a little leery of cold weather.
Tony and Amelia had been set up at their campsite near Happy Jack, AZ for a few days when we arrived on Sunday late afternoon. The RV camp was truly remote and we had a good view of the trees from our site. Luckily there was no snow to be seen. We greeted Amelia, Tony and Rico (their dog) after our set-up and that night we enjoyed a campfire under the stars.
Fishing was the activity of the day for Monday. We headed out with fishing poles and both dogs (Dude and Rico) in the trucks to Mary Lake. The first spot we chose was a bit windy but we persevered and threw our lines in. After about an hour of no luck, we asked about choice of bait from some lucky fisherman down the way and they said anchovies were what the fish were hitting on. I volunteered to make the anchovy run and after two stops, found a couple bags to bring back to the windblown fishermen. The anchovies still didn't produce any significant hits on our lines so we decided to make a move.
We moved a little further up Mary Lake to a spot that was a little less windblown. We had to haul our gear down a bit of a hill to the lake's edge. That spot proved to be a little better at producing fish. Amelia and Tony both caught two fish each with Amelia's fish being the longest and biggest. Ed and Amelia both captured really ugly crawfish which we set free after taking numerous pictures. It turns out (according to a sign we read later) that crawfish are nuisance animals because they feed on fish eggs and we should have put them out of their misery instead of throwing them back. Well, we'll know better next time!!
That night back at camp we feasted!! We had steak, baked potato, roasted ears of corn, salad and fish! After the buttered, seasoned fish had cooked sufficiently in the wrapped foil over the coals, we sat at the table, pulled the yummy flesh from the carcasses and ate until we were stuffed!
Our second full day at our Happy Jack camp we made the trek into Flagstaff to do some shopping and beer-tasting. We had a wonderful lunch with eggrolls, chili-smothered fries as appetizers and a sampler of 12 beers (which we shared). Oooh, it was all so tasty!! After that we needed to walk it all off so we visited stores. There are a lot of unique stores in Flagstaff but I enjoyed Late For The Train Roastery because that was where Amelia bought me an early birthday present of Fireman's Hot Cocoa. It's a mix of cocoa, vanilla, almonds and hot New Mexico chilis. Hot Cocoa with a bite!!! Yummmmm! Thanks again, Amelia, I really am enjoying a couple spoonfuls in my coffee every morning! On the way home from Flagstaff we saw lots of elk and Amelia had to keep a sharp eye out so that she wouldn't hit one if it was in the road.
Our third day we all headed to a different lake for another fishing expedition. It was a fairly windless, really neat spot and I was hoping for the best. We set up our fishing poles, got out the magazines and settled in to wait for the fish to bite. Well, it never happened, I guess I'm just not a very good fisherman but it was fun trying. Ed and I headed back to camp to rest and relax while Amelia and Tony ventured back to Mary Lake for another try at fishing. On the way back to camp, we stopped at the turnout for Mormon Lake and watched a bird swooping and diving after its prey. We couldn't figure out the type of bird but it was sure interesting to watch!
All too soon, it was Thursday and time to head home. It's amazing the temperature change between Happy Jack and Phoenix as we drove home. In Happy Jack it was a pleasant 68-72 degrees each day but as we dropped lower into the Phoenix area, the temperature creeped upwards toward 100 degrees. It finally topped out just below 100 at 98 but that was hot enough. Luckily in San Jacinto today it was in the mid-70s and for our Relay For Life walk tomorrow it should be cool and cloudy. I could walk all day in cool and cloudy!!!!