The Verde Valley - Cottonwood, AZ

I photographed these storm clouds over Sedona from where I was spending the night in my mini van.

Blowout Wash - Cottonwood, Arizona

This morning I hiked the 4.4 mile loop trail at Blowout Wash at the base of the Black Hills. It is in the Prescott National Forest, and located at the edge of Cottonwood. It took me 90 minutes. The trail begins at 3,769 feet elevation and rises to 4,161 feet.

Tuzigoot National Monument - Clarkdale, AZ

Tuzigoot (Apache for "crooked water") is the remnant of a Sinagua village built between 1000 and 1400. For 3 centuries they kept adding rooms to it. The original pueblo had 87 ground-floor rooms.

Blowout Wash - Cottonwood, AZ

I hiked a 4.4 mile loop trail at the new Blowout Wash Trails in Cottonwood. The trail wanders among junipers, mesquite, ocotillo, and bear-grass. Among the drainages are spots of cottonwoods and walnut trees.  I need to go hiking as often as possible. It keeps my OCD under control. Without the trails I am lost because the path guides me to a better place.

Blowout Creek

Blowout Creek

Blowout Creek

Blowout Creek

 

Blowout Creek

My 4.4 mile hike.

The Verde Valley - Cottonwood, Arizona

My camp in the Verde Valley near Cottonwood. The Verde Valley lies in the High Desert transition zone between the Sonoran Desert to the south and the Colorado Plateau to the north. It is about 100 miles north of the Phoenix metropolitan area. I'm working at Walmart in Cottonwood now. Summer is too hot in Phoenix so I requested a transfer.

 

Verde Valley Campsite - Cottonwood, Arizona

This is a beautiful place to camp between Cottonwood and Sedona. I have often camped here. It is quiet and the views are amazing.

The Verde Valley - Cottonwood, Arizona

This morning I woke up just before sunrise, so I got my camera out and waited for the golden hour, which is really like the golden 15 minutes. The landscape is so beautiful just before the sun rises and the fifteen minutes after. I usually get up about a half hour after sunrise, but I'll have to change that. The high desert is nice and cool at this hour, but the temperature quickly climbs, and this morning I was treated to a pronghorn antelope running across the grasslands near my campsite. They run so fast, that I could not get a photo. They are often referred to as “antelope,” however, they are not closely related to any African antelope species. The name “pronghorn” is derived from a forward projection or prong on each horn.

The benefits of rising with the sun, are the viewing of wildlife, and my mind doesn't wander toward my OCD. If I sleep too late I surrender to the depression and anxiety. So I get up, and make breakfast, and start planning my day.

Verde Valley Campsite - Cottonwood, Arizona

The nights are peaceful in the Verde Valley, and summer temperatures are often pleasant in the semi-desert grasslands.