RV travels with Rich and Judy: Houston Mesa, Tonto National Forest, Payson, AZ April 15-22, 2014

Drive to Camp Verde

[Note: After having used a nice desktop publishing software at work for years, I have been spoiled. I really dislike the way photos are manipulated in this blog software and in the past I've spent lots of time trying to get them to position just where I wanted. I've given up. The photos are now going to be at the end of the blog. Hopefully, it will save enough time and frustration for me to be more current on the posts...]
On the drive up to Payson, we stopped for a quick breakfast at Albierto's and got a huge (and good) breakfast burrito. On the way north, we saw signs warning of ice and elk. Other signs told of Pony Express stops nearby, and towns with names of Santa Clause, Snowflake, Strawberry, Surprise, Monkey's Eyebrow, and Why . One day, we'll be camped near one of these and stop by.

This is a very different landscape than we had been seeing – mountains and pine forests instead of high desert, although there are those nearby as well. The park we are in is beautiful: the sites large and secluded, restrooms clean, and during our visit, peaceful and quiet. We're camped at 6,700 feet and the weather is quite cool – between the altitude and the time of year, it's no wonder. We're getting down to freezing at night but the day warms up into the mid-70's – perfect for wandering around and learning about the area.

During our stay, we drove to Camp Verde, Tonto Natural Bridge, and took a drive through the Tonto National Forest where we were lucky enough to see the warned-of elk!

The drive to Camp Verde was beautiful and we saw huge rock outcroppings as well as high desert on the way. During the Civil War, it was called Fort Verde and acted as a base for General Crook's US Army scouts and soldiers in the 1870's and 1880's and was garrisoned from 1865 to 1891. It is the best-preserved example of an Indian Wars period fort in Arizona, and several buildings still stand. There are interpretive exihibits, period artifacts, and history about the Indian scouts as well as Indian Wars era. We didn't visit, but next time we will, for sure.

Tontto Natural Bridge we did go to and it was fascinating. It is tucked away in a tiny valley surrounded by a forest of pine trees and is “believed to be the largest natural travertine bridge in the world. The bridge stands 183 feet high ovver a 400 foot long tunnel that measures 150 feet at its widest point. The discovery of the small valley between Pine and Payson was documented in 1877 by Davvid Gowan, a prospector who stumbled across the bridge as he was chased by Apaches. He hid for two nights in a cave inside the bridge. On the third day, he left to explore the tunnel and green valley surrounding it. Gowan then claimed squatter's rights. In 1898 he pursuaded his nephew, David Gowan Goodfellow, to bring his family over from Scotland and settle the land permanently. After a week of difficult travel from Flagstaff” (now an easy two hour drive) “the Goodfellows arrived at the edge of the mountain and lowered their possessions down the 500 foot slopes into the valley by ropes and burrows.” (From the Tonto Natural Bridge brochure)

These days, the trip into the valley is easier – there are four trails which take from thirty minutes to an hour to hike around and into the canyon. Since we had Dickens along and he isn't up to hikes these days, we opted for the the four viewing areas – one of which has a spectacular view of the cave.

The geology of the Natural Bridge is complex, as it was originally formed by a lava flow in the form of rhyolite which eroded leaving purple quartz sandstone behind. That rock layers were lithified, tilted, and faulted then the whole thing was covered by sea water, which left a sediment of sand and mud. More volcanic eruptions then covered the rock layers with lava, forming a basalt cap. Eventually, erosion broke down the basalt and after more shifting, Pine Creek Canyon was formed. Rain and snow began seeping underground through fractures and weak points in the rock which resulted in limestone aquifers. Springs emerged and carried the eroding limestone out and deposited calcium carbonate to form a travertine dam. The waters of the Pine Creek then eroded through the travertine and formed the Natural Bridge.

Our next stop is Williams, AZ for a day trip to the Grand Canyon.