Movin' On Into The Tonto National Forest

We move on from the giant crested saguaro (it seems to be waving good-bye to us!) up Arizona Highway 77 through Oracle and Winkelman, through yet another range of mountains and the Needles Eye Wilderness Area toward Globe and Central Heights.  We switch first to Hwy 188 and then onto 288 and into the Salt River Canyon, ever more beautiful, ever more enchanting, staying to the east and following scenic routes...

Again we wonder why folks stay on the Interstates and then come home from vacationing to say, eh, there wasn't much to see...  I also used to tell our sons to use their "vast and vivid imaginations," watch for Indians on the warpath, look for bears and coyote, see if they can find a wagon train or at least a wagon road...

Now this is Arizona!  I think the whole state is beautiful!  On the surface it seems arid and forbidding, but it has a myriad of oasis's, rivers, and underground aquifers.  This is the Salt River which is known for it's wild rafting.  Throughout the 52 miles of river rapids you will find places like Baptism, Kiss n Tell, Maytag, Overboard, Exhibition, Mescal Falls, Black Rock, Quartzite Falls, Rat Trap and Ledges.  You can go for a half day raft trips, or as long as five days in what some refer to as "the other canyon" in Arizona.  I do believe, if I was an unencumbered youngster lookin' for a job, I'd move to Arizona and become a river rafting tour guide!  Do not let this photo fool you!  Some of those rapids are Class III and Class IV rapids.  That means, on the International Scale of River Difficulty: 

Class III: Difficult	Waves numerous, high, irregular; rocks; eddies; rapids with passages clear though narrow, requiring expertise in maneuvering; scouting  usually needed. Requires good operator and boat.
Class IV: Very difficult	Long rapids; waves high, irregular; dangerous rocks; boiling eddies; best passages difficult to scout; scouting mandatory first time; powerful and precise maneuvering required. Demands expert boatman and excellent boat and good quality equipment.

We are greeted at the Roosevelt Diversion Dam by a friendly, albeit prehistoric, lizard as Granpa stops for a potty break. (Personally, I think he just uses potty breaks as another chance for photo ops when we're on these scenic by-ways...)

The lake looks small, but it is a long, long way away from where we're standing on the side of the road.  It has 22,000 surface acres of water and 112 miles of shoreline.  At an elevation of over 2,000 feet above sea level, the temperature is mild even in the summertime.  It's almost 23 miles long and just about 2 miles wide.  So, take the rapids and then chill on the shoreline! 

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