A Thousand Words

Here, are some pics from one of my desert drives!! Did, I hear no…not again?? :p:p

I’ve kept the blog essentially as a photo blog…would let the pics do all the talking, and would just whisper from the back about where the pic was taken….deal? :-) Ok, here I go....

These pictures are from my trip to the Apache Scenic Trail. A little bit of history on the trail itself. The 48 mile trail, was built essentially as a road to get building material through the Superstition Mountains, to the construction site of the now towering 300 ft tall Roosevelt dam. For most part of the trip, the terrain is rugged and steeping, and just 15 or so miles into the trail, the road pavement ends. For the rest of the trip, the road is narrow, making room for just one car at a time......and at so many such hair pin turns along the trail, you have to stop and make way for the cars trying to pass from the other side......

Our trip, started on a beautiful Sunday morning, from Phoenix, following the signs for AZ 88. I had all my information in place - the directions, the distances, the stop overs - had almost remembered everything by heart before I even began the trip! :-) A couple of miles onto AZ 88, I noticed a bunch of mountains towering onto my right – they had to be superstition mountains.....one look at them removed all the doubts I had about their name. They looked so threatening and ominous – dark and disturbing, beneath the blanket of white clouds – that I had to get out of the car and take an inviting shot of their beauty.....

Superstition Mountains

A few miles further into the trail, the road began to bend sharply....and the trail started to become steeper and steeper. Here is, one such shot of the meandering road.

....Just a bend.....


Around 15 or so miles, into the trail.....the beautiful Canyon Lake came to view. Believe me, you don’t want to hear me talk about the mesmerizing blue lake.....for if I start, I'd never stop :-) Here, are a few shots......some in colour, and a few in sepia and black and white.....

Canyon lake - In sepia!

In black 'n' white

In full colour

One of my favourite shots.....notice the contrast

because of different shades of sun on the cliff!

More shots...in sepia!

Can u spot the shadow of the mountains at the back?

This is where, most of the people head back, as the paved road ends.....and the gravel road goes further onto the fish creek canyon - overlooking the Apache lake. It’s a long 18 mile lake, and the road cuts thru the cliffs and the canyons, sharply - at times, sometimes descending, and at other times ascending along the meandering lake. Here is a view when the lake was deep down, and we could see it from the top amidst the adjoining landscape boasting of the Saguaro cactus!

The meandering Apache Lake

The lake again - in sepia!

Here is another view when we were at level (literally!!) with the lake.

Finally - at par with the lake!

Check out how far the road goes uphill !!!!

The next stop, was the astounding Roosevelt Dam.....standing in the middle of the largest of the three lakes along the trail – the Roosevelt Lake! It was a sight – so massive, and so beautiful ....that I’ll carry it’s memory in my heart forever! A huge hemispherical bridge, overlooking the vast lake…the breathtaking mountains at the back, and the looming clouds. It’s like nature and man in harmony with each other – u have a bridge, a road, mountains, skies and waters.....all living peacefully on this one stretch of the world! :-) Here, are some shots of the lake.......

The Roosevelt Lake - just one end!

..That faint streak in the waters.....

The other end of the bridge!

The bridge...in all it's might!

...The road to nowhere....


And here, are some shots of the day dying, in wake of the mountains!

The dying day....



...and the dreamy skies!


And as I left all this behind, that day, I could not but help wonder how I would feel each time that I would think about this trip - about my love for the desert! Those huge mountains standing tall, amidst blue waters and blue skies - and a lone soul, standing by their side, watching them tower above everything - wondering, at the brevity of us - against them! And yet, I would want to come back to their arms, every once in a while - and just enjoy the magic of being there, with them – hearing them whisper to me a lullaby.....

I dream of rain, I dream of gardens in the desert sand
I wake in pain, I dream of love as time runs thru my hand.....
I dream of rain, I lift my gaze to empty skies above
I close my eyes, the rare perfume is the sweet intoxication of love...

P.S: Woohooo…...and u actually got fooled into thinking that I was gonna let u see the pics, without some of my live transmission ;-)