We are off to do Box Canyon today. We have heard since we arrived that it is a lovely place to see and we really must get there before we leave this area. So, today is the day.
We headed towards the trail head and soon came to our first crossing of the wide, sandy Martinez wash. A grader was attempting to plow a path through the wash as this is a very busy crossing for the locals. There are several ranches and homes across this wash and limited access. The sand is quite deep and soft. We passed the grader and "Billy" carried merrily on, not really having any problem with the sand. We made it to the Hassayampa River and headed down its sandy wash - let the fun begin!!
The Hassayampa River is a desert river and although it flows all year round, much of the time it flows underground. This leaves a wide, sandy dry wash on the surface. Because of the recent rains, there was water on the surface although it was shallow. Hogan had a great time playing in the water and chasing stones. What a goof!!
We continued up the river's wash past some pretty incredible scenery. We passed a few choice camping spots, however, one must make sure there is no rain in the forecast because of the risk of flooding. There was plenty of evidence of recent flooding along the trail. There was also the risk of quicksand in the wash and we were to follow existing tire tracks - just to be on the safe side. As it turned out, we encountered none of these hazards and that was GOOD!!
As we continued up the wash, we entered "the box" which is a narrow section of the canyon with high red walls. More incredible scenery. Hopefully the camera does this area justice because it really was beautiful. As we continued further up the river, the water became increasingly deeper and the bottom softer. Remembering about the possibility of quicksand and the fact that there were now no trees to winch to if we got stuck, we decided to turn around and take a safer course out of the river. We were very close to the end of the trail anyway and it is far better to be safe than sorry. We made it back to the start of the trail after traveling through more desert and a small section of shelf trail that offered a wonderful view of the Hassayampa River wash and the town of Wickenburg with Vulture Peak in the background. Once back at Martinez Wash, we had to wait to cross. A truck was stuck in the middle of the "road" and was being extricated from the deep sand. There were several vehicles waiting to cross. Once he was out of the way "Billy" crossed without any trouble. This was great because we had an audience and who wants to get stuck when everyone is watching!! It looked like the grader had given up because the deep sandy "road" was the same as it was when we crossed it the first time!!
We stopped at one of the local watering holes and took the camera in to grab a few pics of the girls. Erika (tall one) and Jana are two of the girls working as waitresses in the Bar Seven Lounge and Restaurant. The fellow at the end of the bar is the owner. Erika and Jana are a couple of the friendliest people we have met. They are full of great information and are loads of fun to be around. They are both hard working girls but are always willing to stop and share a laugh and a smile. It is people like this that truly make a person want to return to this area again next year. Another great day!!!!
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