And that definitely includes Chuck and me!  Yesterday we headed out around three o’clock for our first official day of vacation.  I was actually on my third day, but Chuck has been super busy with work and has been working the night shift trying to get the bank’s computers back on line.

We headed out for Salome Creek and what was promised to be “deep pools that stay chilly year-round.”  I found this destination in an article in Arizona Highways titled “9 Top Swimming Holes.”  The first excitement occurred when we had to drive 12 miles down a dirt round in a car that has 200+K miles on her and no shocks to speak of.   Whew!  What a ride.  

We were about to miss the trail head completely when I noticed a snake on the side of the road.  Chuck was excited and stopped to look at it, but alas it had slithered into one of the many cattle guards.  While we were stopped, a woman and her Australian Shepherd came driving up in what I can only describe as a four wheeling golf cart.  Chuck asked her about Salome Creek and she said we needed to go further up the road.  The magazine’s directions were wrong and it was actually 15 miles on the dirt road versus 12.  We finally found the trailhead and prepared ourselves for the two mile hike into the Salome Wilderness Area along Jug Trail.  I thew 2 bottles of water and a Gatorade into my pack along with sunscreen, towels, my Tevas, some Rainier cherries and a flashlight.  Chuck brought his camera and the GPS and we were off.  

While the article said the trail was “moderately strenuous,” I found it to be a quick and easy walk.  Chuck did some calculations on the GPS and we discovered that sunset would be in about an hour.  The time was already 6:18 and sunset was scheduled for 7:30.   And just our luck, there was a new moon.  We decided that we would use the flashlight to get back and we would enjoy the water until it got dark.

Here are a few pics Chuck took along the way.

Can you see the rainbow?

As we got nearer to the creek bed, I noticed there was no sign of water.  I was beginning to get super worried that this whole trip had been for naught.  When we came to the two mile marker there was nothing but a small puddle at the bottom of this canyon like ravine.  I was pissed!!  Chuck tried to calm me down but I was hearing nothing of it.  It had taken us almost four hours to reach this desolate place and there was no water!  GRRRRRR!

Chuck suggested that we walk a little farther up and so grudgingly I followed muttering the whole way about false advertising and wanting to write the editors of Arizona Highways.  After another 1/2 mile, Chuck stopped, looked at me and began to smile.  Sure enough, here in the desert, where the temperatures are hovering around 100 degrees, were pools of water between massive granite outcroppings.  Too weird!!  This is what they looked like:

We scrambled down into the mini canyon and enjoyed the cool water.  Despite the algae, grass, fish, snakes and the occasional bat that would buzz us, it was amazing.  I stayed far away from the grass (I hate feeling stuff when I swim) and traveled up and down this one stretch of water.  There were places it was way above our heads and I imagined that the canyon was infinite below us.  We enjoyed sitting on the under-water boulders, talking and watching the bats fly above us.  At one point Chuck made the observation that the pool was similar to one we had played in while on St. Lucia — minus of course the whole desert feel.

When the sun finally set, we decided it was time to head back.  Scrambling back up the rocks, we were both out of breath when we reached the top.  Alas, we only had half of a water bottle left — mistake number one.
As we started the journey back home, it got dark really quickly — mistake number two.  I was amazed at how disoriented I was in the dark despite knowing the trail in the day light.  Thank God for the GPS.  

After walking about 1/2 mile, the flashlight bulb burned out.  Chuck used the light from the GPS to change the bulb.  While changing it, he dropped the good bulb in the dirt and we spent a while searching for it.  He finally found it, changed the bulb and on our way we went.  Alas, I was a bit of a klutz and fell in the dirt and gravel.  I was wearing a dress, so my legs were pretty torn up — mistake number three.  Blood everywhere and for a minute I felt 10 years old again — I always had scabs on my knees as a kid.  

But we continued.  By this time I am DYING of thrist and I am cursing myself for not bringing more water.  All I can think about is the cooler filled with yummylicious beverages in the back of our car.  I begin to notice Chuck shining the flashlight off the trail.  I don’t want to ask him what it is because I’ve seen enough scary movies to know what lurks in the dark.  I do mention that we should probably make some noise so that we don’t sneak up on any animals bigger than us.  About half way out, he stops and starts shouting and throwing rocks into the wild.  I don’t know what it is but I start shouting too.  I grab some rocks for good measure and off we go again.  Chuck says that he thinks an animal is walking along side of us.  At this point I get cranky.  I really don’t want to get eaten by a coyote despite the whole “circle of life” thing.  To top it off, it begins to thunder and lightening and I know that I will never do this again (walk back in the dark.) 

Now for those of you that don’t live in the desert, a rainstorm may or may not be an every day occurence.  However for those of us who live in hell, rainstorms are slim to none.  When we have rain, it’s mostly a trickle.  However last night, Chuck and I experienced a deluge.  And I do mean a deluge — soaked to the bone, water dripping off the nose, backpack drenched deluge.  It was actually quite refreshing and I’m convinced that the thunder and lightening kept some of the animals at bay.  I said a little prayer about keeping us from the lightening and on we traveled.  

Mistake number 4 came when we didn’t program into the GPS where the parking lot was.  It seemed like we were making endless turns and walking for miles before we finally made it back to Hecate (my trustworthy auto.)  Roundtrip we walked about 5 miles.  Mind you we still had to drive another 15 miles on the crazy-ass dirt road and be mindful of flash flooding.  Did I mention that our windshield wipers broke and were having an epileptic fit?  Chuck pulled over to fix them and let a series of expletives fly that I didn’t even think he knew.  Despite all this, we made it home without incident and after bandaging my wounds, I passed out.

Today we are headed to Utah on the bike and I hope it is less eventful.  Wish us luck!