Prescott, pronounced locally as Prescit, is about 90 miles north-northwest of Phoenix. At just over 5,000 feet elevation, it actually has four seasons, though winter is a breeze with average temperatures ranging from 21F to 50F and 26 inches of snowfall. Prescott is outdoorsy and takes pride in its 400+ miles of trails and fishing, kayaking, and canoeing on the various high-country lakes. We didn’t feel like we were in the desert. We felt like we were in the mountains. It’s our kind of place!
We were comfortable in the campground with all amenities except wi-fi. However, with a strong and reliable 3G cell phone signal, that’s no problem! Our campsite was on a hill with a great view over a valley to the west. Each evening we had front row seats to pretty desert sunsets. Watson Lake, surrounded by amazing rock formations, was just an easy half mile hike. In less than 10 minutes we could be floating on the serene lake, stocked with trout, and inhabited by numerous kinds of birds: bald eagles, grebes, hawks, ducks, cormorants, great blue herons, Canada Geese, etc.
Watson Lake and The Dells
Exploring Watson Lake Great Blue Herron
Speaking of winter, we finally got a dose! After a day of 40mph winds, increasing clouds, and dropping temps, we woke up to an inch of snow and 25 degree temperature….brrrr. Though we have experienced below freezing temps a few times this winter, most memorably in Petaluma and Three Rivers CA, our route and good luck helped us avoid it. We welcomed the snow as a treat! It was cool to see the surrounding mountains coated in a dusting of snow. Additionally, as this is our first winter living in our new home, we like to see what it and we can handle. A few days later we had a low near 20 degrees. We also had 55mph winds. It’s good to ease into these things and we handled it great! The real test will come next winter in Colorado.
Storm clouds on the horizon Our first snow in our new home!
Wrapped up in my snuggie. Thanks Ellen and Arleen for making it!
Fitness goals….Because we let the Vegas area buffets get the best of us, we had a brief setback. So after our last disappointing weigh-in at Lake Mead, we resolved to get back on track. For March, we set a goal to hike 155 miles, or average 5 miles a day. As of 8 March, we’ve hiked 60 miles! That’s 20 miles ahead of schedule. At this point, we can take 4 days off and still be on track! We’ll need those days off to ease the aches, pains, and blisters. Our renewed vigor has had great results. Our most recent weigh-ins were a success…we each lost over 2 pounds in a week! I am happy to report that I have lost a total of 18 pounds and am right where I want to be! Arleen has lost 13 pounds and is nearing her goal!
With our focus to walk 155 miles, we hiked a lot in Prescott. Here are a few of the routes….
Lynx Lake and Salida Gulch loops
Lynx Lake
Thumb Butte
Watson Lake (three times) Willow Lake
Looking for critters in “The Dells” near Watson Lake
Wolverton Peak…a 10 mile day. The temperature was in the mid-30s and winds were 30+mph…brrrr!
Granite Mountain. 2,000 feet of climbing on a tough, rocky trail
A great place for a break on Granite Mountain
I have a soft spot for small mountain lakes and Prescott has 3 or 4 nearby. We explored two: Lynx Lake and Granite Basin Lake.
I made a half-hearted attempt to fish little Granite Basin. It’s a shallow lake and was tough to fish from the bank. I didn’t get any bites, but I really enjoyed watching the numerous, colorful ducks.
We dedicated a few hours one afternoon to kayak and fish Lynx Lake. It was a warm, sunny Sunday and a bunch of other folks were playing around the lake too. The bird life was impressive and we really enjoyed watching a young eagle perched in a tree with sunny blue skies and a bright moon backdrop. I even managed to catch a nice, fat rainbow trout!
We also fished Watson Lake twice and didn’t get any bites.
I wanted to fish the Prescott lakes more, but the wind was too strong 5 or 6 days out of our 12-day stay. We never checked out Goldwater Lake and we could have spent a whole bunch more time floating around Watson and Lynx Lakes. Oh well. Hopefully I will satisfy my lust for small mountain lakes this summer in Colorado.
We have added another plant to our growing list of favorites…the agave. Though they look like cousins of aloe and yucca, they are not closely related. There are roughly 200 kinds of agave. They are nicknamed the “century plant” because it takes them many years to flower. The flower stock rises 10-20 feet and are covered in flowers. After they put all of their energy and nutrients into flowering, they die. Most parts of the plant are edible. The blue agave is used to make tequila. Among many other uses, some people use agave to treat constipation and arthritis. It’s a pretty plant that caught our eye all along the Granite Mountain trail. We continue to learn so much as we trek through this great country!
NOTE: I “borrowed” these pictures from Wikipedia ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agave )
Next we head to Phoenix for two weeks. The t-shirts have been moved to the front of the closet…our winter is over! We will bask in the warm Arizona desert sun, enjoy baseball spring training, and continue our quest to hike 155 miles this month. Hopefully I can hook up with a couple of high school friends. Our parents will even visit…YAY!!
Expect another update in about two weeks…
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