Campsite - Mogollon Rim

I camped here on Old Rim Road 171 about one mile south of the Mogollon Rim Visitor Center. The Mogollon Rim extends over 200 miles across central Arizona. This is the second largest geologic feature in Arizona. The Rim is the geologic boundary between the Colorado Plateau to the north and the Transition Ranges of central Arizona to the south.

 

Pinnacle Peak - Ajo

On my way back from Puerto Peñasco on Friday evening I camped off of Darby Well Road in Ajo. On Saturday morning at 6:53 AM, I climbed up Pinnacle Peak. After walking down the dirt road for 0.73 miles I had reached a nice starting point at the base of Pinnacle Peak. I reached the 2,523-foot summit at 8:00 AM after hiking 1.1 miles. My hike was 2.1 miles round-trip and it took me 2 hours and 11 minutes. I was back at my van at 9:04 AM. The ascent up Pinnacle Peak was 489 feet.

Pinnacle Peak on Friday night.

Pinnacle Peak on Friday night.

Saturday morning at camp.

Ajo Peak

North Ajo Peak

North Ajo Peak

Ajo Peak and North Ajo Peak

North Ajo Peak from the summit.

My 2.1 mile hike.

Darby Well Road - Ajo

I camped off of Darby Well Road the night before driving into Mexico.

North Ajo Peak

My camp and North Ajo Peak.

North Ajo Peak

Mogollon Rim

I camped for one night at the free 9350 Camping Area at site 19. Also, the cell service here is good.

Pump Station BLM - Ironwood Forest National Monument

I camped in the Ironwood Forest National Monument. I'm on my way to Chiricahua Crystal Cave in the Chiricahua Mountains.

Holbrook BLM - Arizona

I camped for 2 nights here. This location is about 5 miles south of Holbrook.

 

Camp at East 96 Ranch Road - Florence, AZ

This was a very quiet place to spend the night at 2,260 feet elevation. It is just south of Florence, and right off of Arizona, State Route 79. It is also known at the Pinal Pioneer Parkway. It is a scenic road of the high desert plain with views of the Santa Catalina and Tortilla Mountains.

Peralta Road Campsite - Superstition Mountains

Sunset at my favorite camping spot just off of Peralta Road.

 

Kaibab National Forest - Tusayan, AZ

I spent two nights here about one mile south of the entrance to Grand Canyon National Park. It's on Long Jim Loop Road off of AZ-64. It's very quiet and clean, and the cell service here is good. In Tusayan, the cell service can be spotty. So nice to be sleeping at 6,600 feet elevation.

Forest Road 222 Campsite - Flagstaff

My campsite in the Coconino National Forest at 7,448 feet elevation. I wanted to acclimate before hiking up Humphrey's Peak the following morning. So nice to be away from the desert heat. This is Forest Road 222 off US180.

 

Dugas Road Campsite - Prescott National Forest

This morning, I had a doctor's appointment in Phoenix, so last night I camped a few miles east of I-17 off Dugas Road in the Prescott National Forest. It's not near any towns so it is rare that anyone else camps here. This semi-desert grassland is in the Lower Mogollon transition zone at 4,000 feet elevation. The Sonoran Desert lies to the south, and the Colorado Plateau is to the north.

That is Estler Peak on the left at 4,252 feet. About a year ago I hiked to the summit. It was pretty easy since the prominence is only 233 feet.

With nobody around for miles, I woke up free of depression. My only distress was that I had to return to work at Walmart the next day. But at least it was in Cottonwood. So far after one month, I like this store better than the one in Peoria. However, I miss my coworkers from Peoria.

Me in the evening.

  

Dugas Road Campsite - Prescott National Forest

I camped in the Prescott National Forest off I-17 on Dugas Road at 3,900 feet elevation. I was heading to Cottonwood and Sedona. I wanted to climb Capitol Butte.

 

Gunsight Wash BLM - Why, Arizona

This is a very nice area for dispersed camping. It's quiet and clean. It also has good 5G cell service. 

Superstition Mountains Campsite

I arrived at my usual campsite just off Peralta Road earlier than I had planned. I was supposed to work at Walmart that evening until 9:30pm, but when I arrived at the store at 4pm it was surrounded by police, and yellow crime scene tape. After talking with an officer I found out that a customer had started a fire in the pet department. Nobody was hurt, and they caught the offender because he got locked out of his car. So the store was closed, and I had the evening off. Thus, I headed to the Superstition Mountains. I took this photo the following morning, and then I was off to hike up Dome Mountain, and Peak 3269 if I had the energy. I always enjoy rising with the sun by the Superstition Mountain. Great way to start my day.

Saddle Mountain BLM Dispersed Camping - Tonopah, AZ

I often camp here when traveling to California on I-10, or when I climb Saddle Mountain. It's a beautiful area at the base of the mountains. However, sometimes the flies can be bad due to the corporate Hickman Chicken Egg Farm that is destroying Tonopah with a bad smell.

Bloody Basin Road - Exit 259, I-17

I wanted to see the big winter storm. So early evening, after work at Walmart I headed up to 3,850 feet elevation and slept in my car at my usual spot in the semi-desert grasslands. At dawn it was 30 degrees, and I could only see out one car window, but I was warm. Snow was still falling, and the blanket of snow that covered my car must have insulated me from the cold. I was in an igloo-car. Still, the first thing I did was start my igloo-car and get the heat going, and then clear my windows. Next was to get my igloo-car moving through 5 inches snow. I was worried about that, but despite getting stuck once I was able to drive to interstate without further problems. Meanwhile, my igloo-car had now become just a car. The traffic was light on the interstate, and I headed north into the high country. It was pure delight sleeping through a snow storm, and waking up to a winter wonderland in the usually arid grasslands. Although, I wouldn't want to do it for more than one night. The fun would drop off very fast.

I wanted to go to Sedona to photograph the snow on the red rock. But I was turned back due to a road closure at the edge of town. So I retreated to lower elevation, and drove to the beautiful and warm Camp Verde Library for the afternoon. The only library I can sit down at a table with my laptop during this pandemic. When I arrived, snow was already melting in Camp Verde, which is about 1,000 feet lower than Sedona.

Gunsight Wash BLM - Why, Arizona

This was a fantastic place in the Sonoran Desert to spend New Years Eve. Although, there were at least 100 RVs, it was very quiet all night. This is what I wanted, and why I left the Valley for 3 days. Plus I was going to hike up Peak 4158 in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument.

 

Gunsight Wash BLM - Why, Arizona

My campsite at Gunsight Wash is just a few miles north of Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. This is a quiet and clean place that can accommodate many campers.

Ironwood Forest National Monument - Arizona

I camped here for one night at the Ironwood Forest National Monument off Pump Station Road. This Monument has one of the richest stands of ironwood in the Sonoran Desert.

Mount Hopkins Road - Amado, Arizona

Camped along Mount Hopkins Road at the base of the Santa Rita Mountains. I'm on the phone with a friend of mine from Illinois. I had 25 years of sobriety in October, and I am speaking with Greg D. from my Wanderer's Group from Alcoholics Anonymous. The Wanderer's are in Illinois, and I miss everyone from our small group. Talking to them keeps me sober. I have known them for more than 20 years.