SALOME WILDERNESS AREA

30 March 2011:  Headed across the lake to hike into Salome Wilderness area.  Crossed at A + Bar road which the water was a little deeper than the crossing at the Bar X road yesterday.  Had a great hike and took a lot of pictures.  What a great place to spend the day.  We hiked there last year and knew we would be back.  I would recommend it.  Hiking out was pretty warm because of the elevation gain, and it is a southwest facing slope.  The sun was pretty warm.  On our way back while crossing the river, Connie saved an elderly gentleman when his motorcycle became stuck half way across the river.  She pulled along side, hoped out into the river (she was wearing her chacos on her feet) and pushed the gentleman out of the hole he was in.  She is such a Good Samaritan!  

Click to enlarge any photo - especially the last one.

Just about to leave the trailhead.  Getting the gps set.

There are a lot of desert marigolds on this corner.  We saw more flowers on this hike than any others.

The debate is on as to what this flower is.  We both think it is a lily, but which one?  Sego lily is what we think it is, but it was much taller than any we have seen.  And the sepals are wrong I think.

Our camper is across the lake in the center of the photo.

These strawberry hedgehogs are all over.

Miss saguaro?

This is the narrow part of the Salome and heavy run offs scour the rocks clean.

Not a lot of water in there right now.

The different colors in this canyon will amaze you.

Some very old petroglyphs.

A small hedgehog growing right out of the rocks.

Connie is hiking around pretty good now.

Lots of little waterfalls.

Colors.

Our lunch spot.

Of course Connie had to go wading.  It just makes my feet hurt to watch her walk on the gravel and rocks!

Lots of wild bees getting water in the little seeps.

Okay:  What is this creature?  It is half the size of a paper dollar so it is pretty good sized.  Very skittish and would dart under a rock if you moved very fast.  And it looks like there is a face on the back of the body.