We found Picacho Peak State Park. We were expecting friends and this seemed an easy place to meet up as none of us were sure when they’d leave Texas and when they’d arrive. The state park gave us somewhere easy to find and set up – they had big parking spaces and hot showers…what more could we want?

December 19th and 20th.

We arrived late in the day without enough time to go hiking. Linda had read about a couple of trails, The Hunter Trail and the Sunset trail. The hikes would have to wait until tomorrow.

Nice and level at the beginning.

They told us this little grove of Palo Verde trees – about 2 miles into the hike was the beginning of the climb.

You know it gets steep when someone has pounded rods into rock.

Cables and a very steep climb…we decided it was getting too late to attempt to go up and over. Our campground was on the other side of the mountain. Almost directly on the other side.

Looking back from those cables at the desert expanse.

Those rods again on the way back down.

The sun beginning to set and Linda finding a friendly Saguaro. We had to be back in time to make dinner for our friends who would arrive – sometime after 6pm they had said.

Linda really wanted to see the sunrise from the Calloway Trail, so we awoke early the next day and drove out to the trailhead.

Where is it?

Here it comes.

Just a beautiful sunrise.

The shadow of mountains on our campground.

We hiked down and drove to Gila Bend with our friends…then off to the Barry Goldwater Air Force Range….