Hiking Tucson Mountain

Still at Gilbert Ray campground at Tucson Mountain today. We should be leaving tomorrow.

Before I get to the camping Gayle insisted that I make note of my latest injury. Yesterday while getting something out of a storage bin I backed butt first into a cactus. Let me suggest this is something you want to avoid. She took great pleasure in plucking them.

On to the hiking. We went to some nearby trails off Gates Pass Rd. It offered some beautiful views.

We are seeing some of the flowers blooming. The Ocotillo which looked like sticks with thorns now have small green leaves all over them and red blooms at the top.

Unfortunately the trails are not well marked and people have made lots of other trails all over the area.  As a result we inadvertently got off the trail some.

Last night I heard on the evening news that rattlesnakes were coming out now that it is getting warmer. To support that we ran across two on the trails today. The first was just at the edge of the trail. I was in the lead at that point and did not see it but heard the rattle. We decided to re-route.

A short time later we were walking in a wash and ran across this one.

He gave no warning and did not move while we were there. He did watch us carefully. Several have been seen and moved in our campground in the last few days.

We have heard the coyotes in the last few days and surprisingly one leisurely crossed the road in front of us today as we drove out of the park and into town to hit Trader Joe’s for more groceries.

This was the first time I had seen the store and now I know why Gayle has fallen in love with it. They have an incredible variety of healthy food and it doesn’t cost a fortune. If we ever put down roots again we want to be near one of these.

We have run into lots of Lazy Daze owners out here. Have met several owners here in this campground from Washington and Colorado.

Last but not least and just for Jimmy. I live in a mobile home and am now losing my teeth. What could be more perfect.