Prescott, AZ or is it "Preskitt" as the locals say

We had wanted to visit Prescott for quite some time. Last fall, we had cancelled our reservations for Point of the Rocks Campground and decided to give it another try. A hiking path connected Watson Lake hiking trails and the campground. The Granite Dells around Watson Lake and Willow Lake are enchanting whether we were hiking biking or kayaking.

Prescott Peavine and Iron King trails were rails to trails that get plenty of use by the locals. We rode out from the campground to these trails without a problem other that the huge sticker patch we ended up in on our first ride. Fortunately, the no tubes in our tires did their job pretty well.

The 5.2-mile Peavine Trail begins just south of Watson Lake at the gravel parking lot by the lush Watson Woods Riparian Preserve.

All along this route, water leaches from cracks in the rock walls and hearty flowers—red and yellow—pop from the crevasses.

There was plenty of water fowl and turtles as we rounded the preserve.

The trail follows the former Santa Fe, Prescott & Phoenix Railway corridor that fed into Prescott, once the territorial capital of Arizona and famous for its copper mining. Wooden decking and railroad ties lie scattered along the trail. At Mile 3 and the "Point of Rocks," is the railroad's ghost . Here the trail passes through a cut made for trains in a tall, sheer rock cluster. A trailside historical marker shows the identical view, some 100 years prior. In the photo a hulking engine chugs through the same pass. It's a humbling reminder of how, in some places, time does stand still.

A visit to the historical old town section was up next. After walking around the town, we stopped in The Palace Saloon which is basically a museum. While waiting for our snack, we took some time to check out the place. Not much had changed from the old pictures on the walls.

This looks just like Watson Lake but is Willow Lake across the road from us. 

Prescott Pow Wow and Gourd Dance were happening in the park. We passed on the Fry Bread this time.

Lynx Lake

Escaping the heat

Temperatures in Phoenix continue to rise every year with new highs due to the daytime heat being held by the steel in the buildings and black asphalt as the city and surrounding areas continue to grow. The average temps are usually 88 degrees in October and we were in the upper 90s. The city is looking at using baby blue paint to reduce the heat absorption and temperatures  Listening to the air conditioner all day can be wearing. A few days were cool enough for an early morning bike ride or game of pickeball.

After finishing my online learning requirements to return to work, my required four shifts at the hospital for the month and taken care of our appointments, we headed for the cooler temps in the hills. The campgrounds in the national forest close at the end of the month. Lynx Lake near Prescott had one site open over the weekend and figured what the heck and booked it.

 We had spent a little time in the Prescott area but had not been to Lynx Lake. Each loop in the campground is small with only four sites but  plenty of room for privacy. The trail around the lake was an easy 3.5 miles and so many other trails to choose from that are mostly moderate.

Our previous visits, we enjoyed the Granit Dells areas including Watson and Willow Lakes. You can read about those visits by clicking here.

The trail to the  Nature Conservancy that has a large area protected for the migrating butterflies was another morning walk that had plenty to enjoy.

The air felt like fall and leaves were changing at 5000 feet above sea level. We could sit outside after the sun went down next to our little fire and look at the stars. The nights got into the 30s but our solar panel kept the battery fully charged.

One evening Mike was sitting by the fire and he saw something move out of the corner of his eye. He soon realized that it was a skunk. Mike stood up and the skunk turned around and raised his tail. Fortunately, they called détente and both walked away from each other. Mike moved faster and stumbled up the steps unscathed.

Our last morning we walked 1 1/2 miles to the Ruins Trailhead. The round trip to the ruins was 1 1/2 miles but along the way, I realized that I  took a wrong turn when my pedometer said we had walked 1 1/2 miles since the trailhead and we hadn't reached the ruins. Oops!

Looks like Halloween now that the tarantulas are out.

We were so glad to spend the time in the mountains but were not ready to return home yet.