Campsite
Ready to fly
I enjoyed the time I spent on forest road 525 outside of Sedona, AZ. My campsite was close to a model airplane runway where I could sit outside in the morning and watch the pilots flying the little planes through all sorts of aerobatic maneuvers. One morning I talked with one model pilot that offered to let me try my hand at flying his airplane. Sadly, I left the area before I could try it. Probably just as well that I didn’t learn to fly his plane – I would get hooked and have to buy one!
The temperature in the Phoenix area finally dropped back from the high 90’s to a more tolerable range in the low 80’s. I found a free, dispersed camping area near the Salt River called Bulldog Canyon where I can stay for a few days while I visit Mom.
Campsite
Bulldog Canyon is accessible only by obtaining a combination from the forest service for a locked gate. The locked gate is designed primarily to keep people from trucking their trash out for disposal in the desert and driving where they can damage fragile vegetation. You can never stop all the abuse on public land, but the gates give the forest service a little more control.
This is an area used heavily by OHVs. So far it has been very quiet and dust free, but I imagine that in two more days the weekend warriors will bring their machines out to play and the silence will be broken by the roar of ATVs. I usually try to camp back away from the traffic, noise, and dust, but the only campsites were right along the road.
Mom is still struggling with shoulder pain. She is taking some heavy medications for pain and becomes very confused at times. She stays mostly in her room and sleeps a lot. The Doctors are still not sure what is causing her pain. If we could resolve the issue of her shoulder pain, I’m sure she would return to a more normal life.
I’m not sure how long I will stay here. There is a time limit on how long you can camp in this area, but if the weekend is chaotic with off-road racers, I may have to move out before my time is up.
Seems like an acceptable alternative to Phon D, although just a little farther away.
It is only 4 miles further on the Bush Highway. The only annoying thing is getting through the gate every time. It does keep some of the “riffraf” out though.
Didn’t you, Donna and I hike that road for a ways, looking for Geocaches?
I know we hunted geocaches up there. Don’t remember who, if anyone, was with us.
I can’t remember if it was here. I rode back through the Canyon and it follows the PowerLine for a long way. I don’t remember hunting cashes along a power line but maybe.
Daryl, I remember you, Les, and I went a little further and walked across a river to explore. Was that near here?