It Made My Day (IMMD)

If you haven't visited itmademyday.com, you are really missing something. Every day, people post funny things that they've witnessed or experienced that made their day. Here's an example from today's posts that really cracked me up:

I’ve always hated those stickers on Jeeps that say “it’s a jeep thing, you wouldn’t understand”. Saw a sticker on a Suzuki SUV today that said “I got your Jeep thing, now it stings when I pee”. IMMD

I'm not a big fan of the smug "Jeep thing" sentiment either, so reading this really made my day. :)

What's in a name?

My favorite nickname is of course, Debaru. Why Debaru, you may ask? I'm sure it has something to do with the Subarus I've owned during the past 10 years, and the fact that my first name is Debra. Well, to my surprise, I learned today that the word "Debaru" in Japanese translated in English means: to project, to stand out, to jut out, and to protrude.

Now I like to think that because I drive a Subaru, I tend to stand apart (or stand out) from the crowd. Let's face it, Subarus aren't the most common car on the road. If you ask most people "who drives a Subaru?", you'll probably get "hippies and tree huggers" for a reply. Now, I don't think I fit into either category -- I just happen to like Subarus -- a lot! I'm not trying to make some kind of cosmic statement to the world. So, if you happen to be driving in the Phoenix-metro area and some crazy lady cuts you off in a sage green Subaru Forester with Debaru on the license plate, cut her some slack -- "she's just standing out".

On a clear day...

...from the top of Mt. Ord, you almost can see forever.

I have driven by the Mt. Ord sign while heading toward Payson on Highway 87, and always wondered what the heck was up there. Well, now I know. I knew there were communication towers and a forest service lookout, but I had no idea how beautiful, not to mention lofty this peak is. According to what I found on the Internet, the top of Mt. Ord sits at 11,348 feet above sea level. Amazing, considering it's only 50 miles from my house in Gilbert.

One mile from the summit.

The road takes you as close as one mile from the summit. Since I had hiked pretty hard the previous day, I decided to leave the summit climb for another day. While up there I was treated to some beautiful fall color, with several oak trees in full splendor. I couldn't believe how red the leaves were.

On the way up the mountain you're treated to some really

nice views of Roosevelt Lake and the Tonto Basin.

Backside of Mt. Ord (taken near Jake's Corners heading into the Tonto Basin on Highway 188)

Cheryl and I stopped and ate our lunch at the Roosevelt Lake Vineyard Canyon picnic grounds.

San Tanorama

Cheryl and I took a hike in the San Tan Mountains Regional Park this morning. We traveled the Littleleaf, Goldmine and San Tan trails. The Goldmine trail is definitely the toughest, with an elevation gain of 1000', but the views are worth it. Here's a link to the park map.

Looking northeast across Queen Creek toward the

Superstition Mountains.

Cheryl striking a pose halfway up the Goldmine trail.

On our way to the summit, we had passed a rather large rock that had rolled onto the trail from its previous perch above. I jokingly called it the "Blarney Stone", kissed two of my fingers and pressed them to the rock. Cheryl went so far as to bend over and kiss the rock. Too bad I didn't get a picture of that. :) Therefore, in honor of the "Blarney Stone", we dubbed the Goldmine summit, Blarney Peak.

Deb at the summit (a.k.a. Blarney Peak) of the Goldmine trail.

Someone had left behind a little American flag

commerating their climb to the top.

Cheryl at the Goldmine summit.

Based on the topo map in the ranger's office, I'm guessing this particular summit along the Goldmine trail was approximately 2400'.

No Fat Man Shall Pass

Now before you get your knickers in a knot, I'm not making light of people who have weight issues. I myself am at least 30 pounds overweight.

I took my first hike in South Mountain Park today with the Arizona Travel and Outdoor Club (AOTC). When I learned we would be going through an area known as "Fat Man's Pass", I was wondering whether I would be able to fit through the fabled pass. Well, I did and it was fun.

Fat Man Pass in Hidden Valley, South Mountain Park

The trail leads you through three giant boulders with just enough room to squeeze through. So, calling it Fat Man's Pass is a bit of a misnomer, hence the title of my blog post. :) The views on the way up were spectacular!

Looking northeast from about 500' up the trail.

We couldn't have asked for better weather for our hike. When we started out it was in the low 70's with clouds and a nice breeze. This particular hike reminded me a lot of the East Pinnacles Monument in California, which was one of my favorite places to hike when I lived there (my two daughters called it the "Pig's Knuckles"). Just like the Pinnacles, there's literally tons of granite, with many lying one on top of the other creating small caves and tubes.

Boulders in Hidden Valley

Boulder Tube

I noticed in many places that erosion over the millenia have carved out round hollows in the rock. I'm sure if this area could talk, the stories it could tell of the native peoples who lived here.

This was my second outing related to AOTC, and I must say, they really took good care of me. I haven't hiked much in the past four years, and let me tell you, this hike is not for the faint of heart. It climbs steeply from the get go, so I ended having to take many "sit breaks" to catch my breath. A couple of the hikers from the group (Larry and Jon), came back looking for me and made sure I got down from the mountain without any trouble. I hated slowing them down, but this is why I joined this particular club. I had heard they were a great group of people, and they haven't let me down yet.