Adventure 111: Kartchner Caverns State Park/Post B

Very Pleasant Spot.

Once again, the fates have given me a chance for victory. I've managed to tie the score with the wily cager who is famous around the globe for counting, "Fifteen two and a pair is eight". And who could forget the infamous crib swap, or the even more infamous  and nefarious wanton peg wiggling, you know sort of like tipping over the chess board just before the king is dead. But no matter, tomorrow morning before we leave this surprisingly lovely place, the fates will decide the victor of the Kartchner Caverns State Park Open. As for the day, it was rather slow for us. The weather front moved in along with cloudy skies and quite cool temperatures. I think the high was in the fifties, but not to worry, and certainly no complaining because tomorrow the regular seventy degree weather returns and is forecast to remain that way through next week. We decided it was warm enough for us to wander the desert for a while. We climbed the nearby mountain (A gain of about 1,000 ft. and about five miles total). At the top, we were afforded a view of the entire area. We could see east across the valley to what they call Chochise's Stronghold,  we could see south into the Whetstone Mountains, and we could see the range that separates us right now from the Tucson valley. Unfortunately, the cloudy skies produced a haze most of us associate with air pollution, which I think is unlikely. Nonetheless, we got our steps in, saw quite a a bit of animal scat (I'm not worried about mountain lions: I'm much faster than Judy), quite a variety of plant life, and enjoyed a warm hike despite the cool day. After a shower, we rested and watched the campground fill up just as the host said it would. It seems the area is quite popular on the weekends. It was fun watching people come, but other than that we didn't do much. Our last outing of the day was to wander down the the visitor center, where we took in the exhibits and watched original head cam footage of the two guys who discovered the cavern. I'm adventurous, but I can't quite imagine crawling on my belly in the pitch black in hopes of finding even darker places. I guess it takes all kinds. We're excited to move on t o Tucson tomorrow, not just for some new exploration, but also because we get to see some old friends (David and Ginny Kral). Ginny used to teach Science at Sacajawea, and more than that we share a very intimate experience (Judy knows everything). Quite some time ago now (1993), we remodeled our kitchen. Judy and I get along pretty well; you could even say we love each other, but I'm sure wallpapering (And ballroom dancing lessons) keeps the marriage counsellors busy. Long story short, Ginny and I were able to wallpaper quite well (She and Judy as well, truth be told). Hanging paper, for those of you who've never had the experience, causes the hanger and the paster to assume positions akin to the game of Twister. Anyway, Ginny was instrumental in helping us finish the wallpapering job in the kitchen. She and David now live in Tucson during the winters. It will be fun to see them. I also got to talk with Steve, Libby, Sarah, and Grandma (Chotsie). They had a nice visit to the cemetery and enjoyed a nice lunch, so once again life is good, especially today. Finally, Happy birthday, Annie. We miss you.

 Almost everything in the desert has a prickly personality. Strangely beautiful as well. 

 I can't imagine this place in the summer. Even at fifty-five degrees we worked up a sweat.

 There goes the Bunny, on her way to the mountain.

 They say we climb them because they are there.

 Our knees kept asking the  John McEnroe question, "Are you serious?"

 The foothills part of the hike was easy, almost freeway like.

 Besides prickly sticker things, the desert flora also boasts some curious twists and turns.

 The final push to the top.

 We added another stone to the cairn. A clear day view would have been amazing.

 We came. We saw. We conquered.

 And we were rewarded with some desert flowers, too.