Lake Pleasant lived up to its name with a satisfying experience walking and driving through contrasting landscapes in a remote location I need to spend more time exploring.
Joann has been inviting me on outings for months and I usually decline with some unworthy or stupid reason, like I just don’t feel like going out. I’m not a very spontaneous person unless it’s my decision and schedule. Also not the most willing morning person. However, if I know before hand I’m going somewhere and leaving at a specific time, I’m all over it and ready early with excitement. So when she texted me Monday evening about going for a drive to Lake Pleasant the next day and look for flowers, or whatever else we might find, it only took a few minutes for me to respond “Yes!” Picking me up at 10:30am might have been the clincher as mornings are frosty and cold right now.
Let me introduce Joann. Last winter I heard Berta talk about a new gal in town who I should meet, an artist, puppeteer, storyteller, and more. But you know me, not all that sociable, and I never got up to her recently opened store, Station of Imagination, where she displays her art and offers classes about story telling, puppetry, slop painting, and more. I finally met Joann shortly after Berta passed away and we clicked. She’s a hoot and lives for fun.
Our first photo-op stop out of many throughout the day, along US60 just south of Wickenburg for this railroad bridge over the Hassayampa River which still had some water flowing.
With all this winter’s rain the lichen are happy and colorful.
Lake Pleasant Regional Park is about an 1 1/2 hour drive south from Yarnell and only 30 miles north of Phoenix. We turned off State Route 74 and headed north on Castle Hot Springs Road on the west side of the lake, which of course is actually a reservoir. A $7 day use fee allowed access to the water along South Park Road. An annual Maricopa County regional park pass currently costs $85. Almost immediately we saw the first burros but far away.
We parked in a vacant site at Desert Tortoise campground with a water view of Sunset Cove. With reservations, the electric and water sites cost $32/night and no hookups $22/night. All offer shade covered picnic table and dump station nearby. I found it exciting just to be near water even though I never touched it. It was windy making the otherwise sunny day chilly. So glad I dressed in layers and brought a hat.
The landscape screams contrast with a full, blue lake lapping at the base of Sonoran Desert saguaros, cholla, and other desert plants. Plus a low patchy carpet of green grass and the tiniest of flowers thanks to recent rain.
Made a brief visit to the Discovery Center for a map, information, toilet, and of course a Junior Ranger badge. Looks like their Ranger activities happen mostly on weekends. I hadn’t thought about applying for county park ranger jobs.
Back on the paved Castle Hot Springs Road north moves away from the lake offering distant views. A delightfully cloudy day threw patches of light and shadow across the landscape, changing faster than we could take photos.
Flowers were few. Brittlebush wore a spotty crown of yellow daisy-like flowers. Clusters of lupine along the road got us talking about seeing some species only along the road. My theory on that: sometimes those are not native species I believe could have been brought in by our vehicles. I’ve often noticed invasive species growing along roads especially after a fire which means lots of traffic.
We followed good enough for a Toyota car gravel road towards the newly renovated Castle Hot Springs Resort, where we could not possibly afford to stay, before reluctantly turning around.
Seems to be a patchwork of land ownership, county, private, and federal out in the middle of nowhere. My kind of place.
Yet another gravel side road, Cow Creek Road, beckoned exploration taking us once again out of the park and onto BLM (Bureau of Land Management) where we found some accessible boondock sites.
Might have neighbors.
I believe we did as much stopping as driving with one of us spotting a worthy flower or view. We watched hawks surveying the land for hungry rodents taking advantage of the land’s bounty. A coyote crossed the road not far in front of us.
So much contrast, desert and mountains dusted with snow probably a whole lot whiter after the most recent Arizona snowstorm.
I’m thinking that’s what is called Table Mesa, Joann wants to paint the scene from a secret camp spot.
The road kept beckoning. Joann said I’ll turn around after that next hill, curve, mountain, cactus…
Eventually our growling stomachs told us snacks were not enough and once again, we reluctantly turned around.
Once back on pavement, movement caught my eye and sure enough more charming burros watched us pass by while contentedly grazing. Which is what we did for dinner at Anita’s Cocina in Wickenburg. I had a rather good chili rellenos casserole and margarita as I wasn’t driving.
I think we should return in a couple weeks for a camp-out, and maybe more flowers.