April 11, 2016, Prescott-
On a day when darkness and intolerance
Tried to rear their ugly heads,
I look to the west,
and see the lowering Sun.
Its message is, “I am constant.
Dismay not, at those who shun
your honesty and earnestness.
The poison in their hearts,
will be their sole reward,
and their plots shall be left undone.
Some days shall be of headaches,
but you must stay the course.
Make yourself invaluable,
be work horse, not show horse.”
April 9, 2016, Prescott- My companions today were about a dozen bicyclists, a few lone hikers, three herds of deer and birds-lots of them. A wild turkey, or two, could be heard gobbling in the woods above Manzanita Creek- about a mile from Copper Basin Road.
With my Saturday afternoon appointment canceled, due to illness, and with a break in the storms, the trail called-loudly. Who am I to turn down Mother Nature?
Choosing to use paved Thumb Butte Road, and one of its turnouts, as a safe place for my car, I opted to start the hike at the end point, and do the entire 10-mile round trip in an afternoon. The jaunt took 4 1/2 hours.
Miller Creek, near Thumb Butte Road
There are several creeks, coming off the Sierra Prieta, in this section of trail. Miller Creek is the northernmost, followed, north to south, by Butte, Aspen and Manzanita- which has the nicest little canyon in the area.
As I made my way up Porter Mountain’s northeast peak, also called Williams Peak, it was telling, just how severe the Indian Fire of 2002 was to this area, itself so close to the Granite Basin, which was later to be ravaged by 2013’s Dolce Fire. These collective memories, compounded by the dire tragedy of Yarnell Hill (which followed Dolce by two weeks), make us here in Prescott that much more grateful for this morning’s rain- and that which is expected to follow, this coming week.
Cloud, reaching up from base cirrus.
As if offering confirmation of my thoughts, a cirrus finger reached up from its base cloud, towards other clouds above.
Granite Mountain, from Williams Peak
Williams Peak offers a fine vantage point for the majesty of Granite Mountain.
A pair of Arizona Woodpeckers hung around, while I was admiring the scenery, so I obliged them with a portrait.
“Stormtrooper” Rock, Butte Creek Valley
As I headed into the Butte Creek watershed, I was watched by a Storm Trooper.
Butte Creek Road, atop Williams Peak, Porter Mountain
The trail follows Butte Creek Road, along the flat ridge of Williams Peak, until one reaches the area known as “Hilltop”, where three trails converge.
Thumb Butte, from Williams Peak
A clearing on Butte Creek Road afforded the best view of Thumb Butte, from the west. It is two miles northeastward, from here.
Butte Creek
Crossing Butte Creek, one heads into slightly more heavily forested, and somewhat more rugged, terrain.
South Ridge, Williams Peak
Manzanita Creek Canyon, near Dugan Camp, Copper Basin
Manzanita Creek Canyon is on my list of “picnic hike” spots, during the second half of June. Dugan Camp, about a half mile southwest, is still an active resting place for trailer campers.
Apparent ruin of miner’s cabin, south of Manzanita Creek
This area has been popular with campers and miners alike, especially during the heyday of Copper Basin, in the early 20th Century.
Heart-shaped granite, near Copper Basin Road
There was another confirmation, waiting for me, close to the turnaround point, near Copper Basin Road.
Stump, from 2002 Indian Fire
This stump stands as a silent sentinel, to warn humans of the lasting effects of careless camping and shooting.
Finally, in the spirit of Asian artists who leave a flaw in each of their works, here is a scene of one of the three herds of deer, who crossed my path on the hike back to Thumb Butte Road.
Deer, the best wild animals for selfie poses.
April 9, 2016, Prescott- Last Sunday, I threw in a 1-mile round trip side trail, to my Prescott Circle jaunt. Quartz Mountain is a unique promontory, in the mostly pine-clad, dry-soil terrain that is prominent in the western half of Prescott Circle. It appears to be the remnant of a volcano, which also makes sense, given that quartz is scattered from White Spar to an area just west of Thumb Butte.
I had the brief company of two men and three children, who had been atop the mountain for an hour or so, studying the quartz and learning of the different colour blends. Most, as you will see, are white quartz, though there is a fair amount of pink, and some two-tone.
East side of Quartz Mountain
I checked out this area, just below the summit, before heading up.
The views from any point near the summit are thrilling.
San Francisco Peaks, from Quartz Mountain
Now, here are several scenes of the summit.
Iron-tinged white and gray quartz, Quartz Mountain summit
Southwestward, from Quartz Mountain, towards Sierra Prieta
View of Quartz Mountain summit crest, from just underneath
Agave and prickly pear cacti, Quartz Mountain summit
As you can see, the desert aspects of Prescott’s status as a transition zone are quite prolific, even at 6,000 feet.
This little gem is one of several good reasons for side hikes, off the main Circle Trail system.
As it happened, today (April 9), was a good day for Segment 3 of the Circle. It’ll be featured in the next post.
April 8, 2016, Prescott-
The feeling
prods me awake
So the day begins
In joyful discipline I work
Not given to fatigue
only meeting needs
through worship.
April 7, 2016, Prescott-
The world saw the last of Merle Haggard, the man, yesterday.
He turned seventy-nine, then he turned and said “Goodbye, all.”
His words to us youth, back in Sixty-Nine and Seventy,
were to never forget the mountain dwellers, the cowboys,
the rednecks and the Blue Collar people, with their lunch pails.
He stood for the veterans, the grunts, the jarheads,
the squids, the flyboys and the weekend warriors.
“Don’t be runnin’ down our country, boys and girls”,
he said, while recounting the blues of the working man.
Then, there was the self-same man calling for an end to war.
There was the singer who stopped to listen, even to those
with a contrary opinion.
The price of that listening was,
you got to see the cowboy, the redneck, the roughneck
as a human being, a child of God, just like you.
He could have named his son Amos Moses,
or Elijah, or Jefferson Davis, or Thomas Jefferson.
He would never have named the boy, “Sue’.
Merle kept on with a Libertarian mind,
Living, and letting live, until he opted for eternity.
April 6, 2016, Prescott- While we were living in Phoenix, in 2002, news came of a horrific wildfire, that was bearing down on Prescott: The Indian Fire. It could easily have swept through Thumb Butte and down Copper Basin, slamming full force into downtown Prescott. That didn’t happen, thanks to the Forest Service, and the fates of Nature. As it was, though, the Indian Fire seared a large area between White Spar and Copper Basin, leaving several square miles of sticks in its wake.
On Sunday afternoon, I walked in some of the same areas affected by the Indian Fire. Wolverton Mountain rises above the trail, though no family named Clowers lives there. Quartz Mountain is reached by a side trail, about 1/2 mile south of Wolverton. Both peaks were singed in 2002.
I began at the Copper Basin end of the segment, starting out on the Aspen Creek Trail. The creek comes down, from the western base of Wolverton Mountain, and flows down towards Granite Creek and downtown Prescott. The creek is barely flowing, and indeed, the ground in this area is badly in need of a soaking.
Trailhead, Aspen Creek Trail
Gray granite, Aspen Creek Trail
I came soon enough to the upper reach of Aspen Creek Canyon.
As the sun was getting a bit lower, I came to the junction with Wolverton Mountain Trail and Quartz Mountain side trail. Walking along the Wolverton, I had several fine views of the high ridge of the Sierra Prieta Range, of which these peaks are an eastern offshoot.
A glimpse of Wolverton Mountain’s practical use was visible from the trail, though the summit itself will be the focus of a future hike.
Summit of Wolverton Mountain, from trail.
Shortly after passing Wolverton’s eastern edge, I came to Quartz Mountain Trail. This unique promontory will be the topic of the next post.
April 5, 2016, Prescott- This past weekend, I was able to break this 6-mile section of juniper pine forest, quartz and gray granite into two hikes. It was prudent, due to a commitment here in town, each day. It also gave me more time to focus on the features of each part of the segment.
Saturday’s jaunt began at White Spar North Trailhead, going 3.5 miles to the junction with Quartz Mountain Trail. The entire segment is Wolverton Mountain Trail, about which more later.
Above, are three scenes at the south end of the trail. Even this close to White Spar, there are many small fragments of pink quartz. The trail is rather flat, for the first 2 miles or so, until past this magnificent view of a local observatory, privately-run, and of the majestic San Francisco Peaks, seventy miles northeast, as the hawk flies. The Granite Dells may be seen, holistically, in the midground.
The East Peak of Quartz Mountain, seen in the next two frames, signals a slightly more rugged terrain.
East Peak, Quartz Mountain
I noticed small wonders along the way, as well, including this white quartz(below) and the upper jaw bone of a hapless raccoon, which I have left out of this gallery.
White quartz, at foot of East Peak, Quartz Mountain
This area was filled with blooming manzanita, another special treat.
Manzanita in bloom, near Quartz Mountain
The stopping point gave me incentive for a Sunday completion of the segment, starting then from Aspen Creek Trailhead, off Copper Basin Road. As this was done after a Sunday brunch, I was grateful for a somewhat more strenuous trail.
Here is the junction with Quartz Mountain Trail.
Stopping place for hike on 4/2/2016
April 4, 2016, Prescott- I got my photo loading device on the laptop fixed, this evening, so a hiking post, or two, is in the offing for tomorrow and Wednesday. Today, though, is a time for mentioning something unexpected.
I went to work at our intermediate school, this morning, only to be told my services were not needed there, due to the convoluted situation in which they found themselves. On a whim, I asked the secretary to call HR and see whether they had any other needs for the day. HR asked me to go to Prescott High School, and help in the Resource Center.
It turned out that the lead teacher there thought I was her new assistant, for the rest of the academic year. I said I would be available, about 90 % of the remaining time, given a few “word is my bond” obligations elsewhere. Both the teacher and the office manager seem fine with that, so I did my job today and will work three more days this week, and 4-5 days a week there, the rest of this month and all but five of the school days in May.
Those who wait, with open eyes and ears, can be rewarded.
April 3, 2016, Prescott- This has been a good weekend. I hiked Segment 4, of Prescott Circle Trail, in two segments, owing to two separate events, that occurred in the middle of each day. Unfortunately, the photo loading feature on my laptop has stopped working, so I will post about my hikes, once that issue is resolved. Maybe after work tomorrow, I can get some answers.
The middle of the afternoon, yesterday, featured a nice performance by some friends from Chino Valley. These are long-time friends, who host a Drum Circle on the second Friday of every month, aHnd an Interfaith Devotional, on the fourth Friday. They were gracious enough to come to Prescott and present on “Peace and Love”, for an hour or so, making the brightness outside enter a spacious apartment clubhouse. The Brehmers always light up a room.
Conversing with friends always makes any meal better-so discourse on matters of the spirit lifted my spirit, whether over angle food cake with berry sauce, on Thursday night, Hawaiian bento, on Saturday night, a casserole breakfast this morning, or Brunch items, this afternoon, before my second hike. One man, near our group, regaled us with his experiences in a Plains sweat lodge. Such experiences are all the more reason for each of us to get out of our comfort zones, in whatever way works best for an individual.
Now, to get to the title topic. For each of the years of this present decade, thus far, I learned:
2010- Six years ago, spent each of my days with my blessed soul mate, in her hospital room, then in our bedroom, when not working to earn my own keep. I learned that most of those in our lives were on our side.
2011- Five years ago, said goodbye to the earthly form of my beloved, saw our son off to his adulthood, and the U.S. Navy, and learned that there was plenty of life ahead for me, on my own.
2012-Four years ago, went many places in honour of Abdu’l-Baha’s visit to North America, in 1912 and found that my heart could be at home in any number of locations.
2013-Three years ago, learned that there are subconscious attitudes and feelings that need to be brought to the surface, rooted out and swept away. No simple statement of “spiritual quest” can exorcise these. They must be acknowledged, and then sent away. Lastly, one atones.
2014-Two years ago, learned that it is not so difficult to get around on my own, even in unfamiliar places, far from here. Learned also, that amazing experiences happen daily, and that one can make gaffes, learn good lessons on one’s feet, and go on to more amazing experiences.
2015- One year ago, learned that intense connections exist between people who live a continent away, and am able to share in those connections.
2016- My roots are sinking deeper, in terms of spiritual ties to people both here, and throughout the nation and world. It is a joy to learn deeper meditation, and to trust myself to live closer to the land, both at home and while traveling. Above all, I am trusting myself more, also thanks to the meditation techniques being learned.
April 1, 2016, Prescott- I close my eyes and see her adorable face, times two, engaged in banter- with itself. Such was the life of “identical cousins”, with whom, the snappy theme song promised, “You could lose your mind”. Patty Duke, Hayley Mills, Debbie Watson, and Ann Jillian had my adolescent brain quite engaged, in the days when my female contemporaries were screaming about the Beatles. I enjoyed the lads’ music, along with that of just about every one of their fellow British invaders, and American/Canadian imitators. Until the likes of Marianne Faithfull and Mary Hopkin, though, I found my thrills more on the TV and movie screens, than on vinyl.
Patty Duke had substance, as well, playing one of recent history’s most complicated characters: Helen Keller, in her breakout role. Her range allowed a redo of “The Miracle Worker”, on television, and she made playing Anne Sullivan look easy. I was not allowed to go to see “Valley of the Dolls”, but even at 17, I was discerning enough a movie goer, that I would have passed on it-Patty or no.
Teens grow up, and so Patty became, for a time, Mrs. John Astin- and gave us Sean, of the Rings, and dozens of other film roles. She continued herself, in television, periodically and never quite left our generation’s collective psyche. Now, she is at rest and it is for the boy of long ago to look back, and say “Thanks, my beautiful screen friend. You played your part in a magnificent youth, very, very well. I’m only sorry there was pain attached.”
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