Tortilla

Today is Wednesday, March 3rd.We left Chris’s this morning and drove to Tortilla Campground in the Tonto National Forest, on the edge of the Superstition Mountains, home of the famous Lost Dutchman Mine. The campsites are huge, with nice views of the canyon and the rocky cliffs. There’s sewer and water at each of the 70 or so campsites, but no electricity. The campground is tiered in three levels, so if feels much smaller and more intimate than it really is. The price is right--$3 a night.

We’re here for a rally with Cuatros Estados, one of the FMCA Rving groups we joined. This is our first outing with them. We got here around noon, and welcome festivities and potluck happy hour didn’t begin until four, so we quickly set up camp and, with directions from John and Mary, the campground hosts, set off for a little hike. We waded across the creek at the edge of the campground and found the trail that eventually led to the tip top of “The Boot”--a big rock formation that towers over the camp. The views from up there were stupendous in every direction. The lake is called Canyon Lake, and it’s about two miles from the campground. Can you pick out the Royal Palms in the campground? We’re in the center tier of campsites, about in the middle.

There are 12 rigs here for the rally. Everyone is very friendly and welcoming. Most of the people are long-term members and know each other pretty well, but there are two other new couples besides us. There are different activities and sightseeing in the area planned most days, but tomorrow is a free day until happy hour and fajita dinner. I’m meeting one of the other women, Edith, at 8:30 a.m. for a birding walk around the campground. She doesn’t claim to be an expert, but others say she is very knowledgeable, and I’m sure I’ll learn a lot. There are lots of birds here; I’ve already spotted several cardinals, which we don’t have in Utah. After that, Steve and I are planning to take another hike, probably from a trailhead we saw as we drove by Canyon Lake this morning.