HiFiDave
Singin round the campfire
- Feb 1, 2012
- 1,069
The wife and I made a spur of the moment decision to take off Thursday afternoon and head out to camp. It had been a long time since we were at the sky island of Mt Graham so we got on line to explore camp sites. Wow! Camp sites galore folks. We thought that maybe Shannon campground would be a winner for us so we headed out.
Coming off the 191 to Safford you turn on 366 (Swift Trail) Swift Trail is 21 miles of paved road and then 14 miles of graded dirt road. The last 9 miles or so start to get rather rough but not so much that a passenger car can't go if they take it slow. If your camper is over 26 feet they don't recommend you try it.
Just as you turn onto Swift Trail and you travel .4 miles is your last chance for food and gas at a kewl lil market. Worth stopping in at. I had the nice lady behind the deli counter make me an awesome club sandwich on rye. YUMMOOO
(See the new blazing, bright white paint job on the ole Dodge Ram? 2 base coats, 3 clear coats. I'll paint the rims, run the pin stripe down it and taadaaa, just like new LOL)
The road is rather winding with many switch backs. As you get higher in elevation you will be treated to views that are simply outstanding. This view is looking out towards the old Fort Grant.
We kept going and going until we finally got to the Shannon campground towards the end of the paved road. Pulled in there and wouldn't you know it?! On a Thursday night people had already taken up any of the camper style spaces! GRRRRRRR Ok so now we were winging it. Drive on to the dirt road and lets see what shakes out. We pulled in here, we pulled in there hmmmmmm just wasn't what we wanted.
It was getting late, the dirt road was kicking my butt and we really wanted to call it quits. Finally pulled into a side road that wasn't a listed campground. We drove in, turned left and came to a dead end in a PERFECT dispersed camping area! Who'da thunk it!? WOOOHOOOO no one else there, trees, trees, fields of glistening greens, flowing flowers and even a babbling brook! It could not have been better! We positioned the pup by this lil patch of grass near an existing rock fire pit and set up. Ahhhhh no screamin ankle biters, no yapping dogs, no drunkin fools flapping their jaws, no damn generators...yup, perfect!
The weekend was very quiet. A few people came down our road but quickly turned around and left when they saw that we had "the spot"! Sorry folks, I was in your shoes many times.
We explored our camp area on Friday taking pictures and just enjoying the beauty. Wow, wow, wow! I walked a ways out and ripped off a few rounds at a tin can from my Colt Gold Cup. My wife is a bird nut so she had the long lens out catching that special shot. We booth like to shoot LOL
Saturday we drove the truck the rest of the way up the dirt road to Riggs Flat lake. Been many years since we had been there and while beautiful, it was painful to see how low the water was. Seems the recent fire and the buckets upon buckets of water which was removed to fight it took a toll. The lake has not recovered and it's more like a pond than a lake. True, it was never very big before but it's just real small now and I'm afraid not long from being gone.
There were many fields by the lake though that were just so beautiful.
Saturday night, funniest thing happened to us. Ok so, the heritage of the native American there is strong. The evening was just calm, beautiful and the slow transition to dark took a long time. I said to my wife, "hey, let's build a wood fire for a change". We always use the propane fire pit and this might be fun I thought. So...I build this real nice fire and my wife comes up to me and says..."let's dance". In the background playing on the pup stereo we have original native American dance songs going. You know they type as they dance and hoot around the fire? Well, that's what we did LOL And wouldn't you know it...my wife looks to the east and says "don't those clouds look bad"? I thought it was just the night sky and the typical clouds but in another minute...it starts pouring rain! OMG I blamed her for the rain making me dance around a fire to such music. Was it a rain dance? Sure was damn strange I tell ya...we are still laughing about that one!
Mt. Graham is one of the best and secluded sky islands in southern Arizona with much to do and enjoy. If you can, get all the way up to the Columbine Visitor center and see Jim, great guy and the center has all the awesome history and pictures of this mountain. These pics here are just tablet shots so when my wife sorts through the pics from the DSLR and L glass I'll post some more.
Coming off the 191 to Safford you turn on 366 (Swift Trail) Swift Trail is 21 miles of paved road and then 14 miles of graded dirt road. The last 9 miles or so start to get rather rough but not so much that a passenger car can't go if they take it slow. If your camper is over 26 feet they don't recommend you try it.
Just as you turn onto Swift Trail and you travel .4 miles is your last chance for food and gas at a kewl lil market. Worth stopping in at. I had the nice lady behind the deli counter make me an awesome club sandwich on rye. YUMMOOO
(See the new blazing, bright white paint job on the ole Dodge Ram? 2 base coats, 3 clear coats. I'll paint the rims, run the pin stripe down it and taadaaa, just like new LOL)
The road is rather winding with many switch backs. As you get higher in elevation you will be treated to views that are simply outstanding. This view is looking out towards the old Fort Grant.
We kept going and going until we finally got to the Shannon campground towards the end of the paved road. Pulled in there and wouldn't you know it?! On a Thursday night people had already taken up any of the camper style spaces! GRRRRRRR Ok so now we were winging it. Drive on to the dirt road and lets see what shakes out. We pulled in here, we pulled in there hmmmmmm just wasn't what we wanted.
It was getting late, the dirt road was kicking my butt and we really wanted to call it quits. Finally pulled into a side road that wasn't a listed campground. We drove in, turned left and came to a dead end in a PERFECT dispersed camping area! Who'da thunk it!? WOOOHOOOO no one else there, trees, trees, fields of glistening greens, flowing flowers and even a babbling brook! It could not have been better! We positioned the pup by this lil patch of grass near an existing rock fire pit and set up. Ahhhhh no screamin ankle biters, no yapping dogs, no drunkin fools flapping their jaws, no damn generators...yup, perfect!
The weekend was very quiet. A few people came down our road but quickly turned around and left when they saw that we had "the spot"! Sorry folks, I was in your shoes many times.
We explored our camp area on Friday taking pictures and just enjoying the beauty. Wow, wow, wow! I walked a ways out and ripped off a few rounds at a tin can from my Colt Gold Cup. My wife is a bird nut so she had the long lens out catching that special shot. We booth like to shoot LOL
Saturday we drove the truck the rest of the way up the dirt road to Riggs Flat lake. Been many years since we had been there and while beautiful, it was painful to see how low the water was. Seems the recent fire and the buckets upon buckets of water which was removed to fight it took a toll. The lake has not recovered and it's more like a pond than a lake. True, it was never very big before but it's just real small now and I'm afraid not long from being gone.
There were many fields by the lake though that were just so beautiful.
Saturday night, funniest thing happened to us. Ok so, the heritage of the native American there is strong. The evening was just calm, beautiful and the slow transition to dark took a long time. I said to my wife, "hey, let's build a wood fire for a change". We always use the propane fire pit and this might be fun I thought. So...I build this real nice fire and my wife comes up to me and says..."let's dance". In the background playing on the pup stereo we have original native American dance songs going. You know they type as they dance and hoot around the fire? Well, that's what we did LOL And wouldn't you know it...my wife looks to the east and says "don't those clouds look bad"? I thought it was just the night sky and the typical clouds but in another minute...it starts pouring rain! OMG I blamed her for the rain making me dance around a fire to such music. Was it a rain dance? Sure was damn strange I tell ya...we are still laughing about that one!
Mt. Graham is one of the best and secluded sky islands in southern Arizona with much to do and enjoy. If you can, get all the way up to the Columbine Visitor center and see Jim, great guy and the center has all the awesome history and pictures of this mountain. These pics here are just tablet shots so when my wife sorts through the pics from the DSLR and L glass I'll post some more.
![[LOL]](/smileys/smile_lol.gif "Laugh Out Loud [LOL]")
Now I'm dying to go camping there.
