Spook Mtn and Bulldog Canyon-AZ

Max and I have been trying to do at least 1 good hike a week, as well as walking 3 miles every morning. What Max calls Spook Mtn is found near the corner of Ellsworth and Brown in Mesa, and is one of the places we enjoy hiking. It is about 300-350 ft elevation and about 1/2 mile to the top. We take Fancy with us so she can get her exercise too. Two trips up and down and I'm ready for breakfast.

Spook Mtn is so called because livestock will not go near this area. No one knows why.

On Sunday some of us went off-roading through Bulldog Canyon. Here is a shot of 4 peaks in the distance.

Although this road seems to end, we are in the bottom of the canyon and it just winds around through the mountains.

The flowers weren't blooming but the desert was very green. Even the mountains looked green because of the lichen growing on the rocks.

 

 

Our small off-roading group.

I got this great shot of a butterfly on a small bloom. The butterfly was only about an inch long.

We stopped to watch some serious 4-wheelers rock crawl up this hill. They all made it up and down.

She was watching her friends crawl up the hill. We decided she was making a fashion statement with her plaid boot high tennis shoes, hose and short skirt out in the middle of the desert, 4-wheeling. We just weren't sure what that fashion statement was....

This hummingbird was sitting on top of a cactus.

Here it turned and you can see its ruby throat.

The flowers weren't blooming yet, but the chain-fruit cholla was sure pretty.

This group was out enjoying the day too.

Max caught sight of this hawk swooping down across in front of us. He had the prettiest orange back like I had not seen before. If anyone knows what it is, please let me know.

Almost to the end of the ride, which was about 15 miles of dirt, I caught this shot of Weaver's Needle in the Superstition Mountains.

Bulldog Canyon requires a permit from the Tonto Forest District Office. All entrances are locked and the only way to get the combo is by obtaining the permit.

We finished the day by stopping at Filly's Restaurant on Rt. 88. They have live music and dancing on weekend afternoons. It was so crowded, couldn't find a table and since none of us were eating, we didn't stay today.