OUR FRIENDS RANDY AND PEG MADE IT FROM WASHINGTON

Our friends Randy and Peg Diefert made it from Washington. We got out on the trail the next day for a short ride then up to Hackberry Springs from 1st water trail head the next day. 

Our campsite at Goldfield over looking the Superstition mountains. 

Their first sunset 

Second ride with Peg and Randy we trailered to the Gravel pit just past the first water turn off. 

We rode from the gravel pit past the horse staging area at 1st water in the Superstition mountains heading towards "Hackberry Springs". 

This is the creek just before Hackberry in the Hackberry Canyon.

There is a great lunch area at Hackberry.

We meet some people from Canada and they got a photo moment on our horses and mules.

Up the trail back towards the 2nd water parking lot. 

This area always has lots of water. 

Ron on Miss Foxy

Map at the second water parking lot

Heading back to the parking lot

Another super sunset 

SCOTTSDALE'S McDOWELL SONORAN PRESERVE TRAIL SYSTEM

So we are always looking for new adventures and trails in this area.

Lost dog trail head in the McDowell Sonoran preserve trail system  

There was a lot of thought that went into these trail heads. The continue all the way through Scottsdale all the way up to Cave Creek. 

There is a staging area for horses with a covered picnic table water trough and hitching rails. 

They even have restrooms and an Amphitheatre. 

Nice scenic trails a little rocky but easy enough for any rider. 

This is the view over looking West World and parts of Scottsdale. 

Hunter looking over at West World

You can see West World almost in the middle here. 

The second part of the trail was rocky but less busy with hikers and bikers. 

More views 

Here is the loop we did at Lost Dog trail head in the McDowell Sonoran preserve trail system  

Got home in time to get all the smaller animals out so they could watch the sunset. 

Duma says' She loves the sun' .

Sunsetting at camp. 

COON BLUFF AND THE SALT RIVER

We took a trailer ride from Goldfield over to the Bush Highway on the other side of the Bulldog mountains. There are a few trail heads over that way some by the Salt river and Saguaro Lake if you turn right on the Bush highway coming off of Usery Pass road. If you turn left you will see the trail head to Coon's Bluff the parking lot at the end at Coon's Bluff does not allow horses but you will see a dirt trail head on the left and right coming in the one on the left has more room for rigs. 

Below is a picture of the horse trailer parking lot at Coon bluff. 

There are trails in every direction. 

We headed out the back of the parking lot and followed a sand draw then saw a trail sign going right up the bluff behind the parking lot. 

The trail I believe was marked with "A" it took you way up over looking the whole valley below on both sides. 

You head straight towards Red mountain with incredible views. 

We saw a group of what we thought were hikers or climbers gathered above Coon Bluff. 

We watched police, Ambulance and fire trucks come into the trail head then the Choppers came by but left right away. It must be something real bad. We continued on the trail after watching for a while. 

We continued along the top trail as far as it could take us. 

Except for all the commotion down below this was such a lovely ride. 

There were 2 bald eagles on the rocks above us also watching the commotion below. 

At the top there was a "Y" in the trail one trail headed to the river the other more towards Red mountain. We took the trail to the river. Maybe we could find out what was going on below. 

We rode right below Coon Bluff and we almost were the police and Ambulance was but the police turned us around. Now we had to find a way out because we could not go through the park so we kind of bush whacked up the river. 

We finally found the trail out and got back to the trailer. 

Later that night I google Coon Bluff on the news and this is what had happened well we were there. 

 Ron knew when the chopper turned around it had to be something bad because a chopper does not turn around at the scene of an accident. Here is the whole news story 

So tragic and so sad.