Camping in the Usery Mountains

We couldn't have timed our 5 days of camping better! We had record high temperatures for January, at least 10 degrees higher than normal and we sure appreciated it. The regional park sits just above Mesa/Phoenix in the Usery Mountains and has a beautiful view over the Sonoran desert and at night, the lights from the whole valley. We also lucked out on our camp spot! When I originally went online to book our site, the one we got was the only one open for a 5 night stretch for the next three months! It is a very popular camp ground with winter visitors who book their sites 6 months in advance so I figure someone must of canceled this spot just before I went on line as the site we got is arguably one of the nicest spots in the park!

 This is the view from our camp spot, just looking in one direction

 Doug is not a sun lover so he found his niche under the trees in the shade

 Doug calls this my Arizona beach site! It was just too darn hot in the sun and even with sunscreen I was burned so he erected our beach umbrella for me. I spend a fair amount of time under the umbrella getting caught up on my reading

 Our little resident chipmunk: at one point I thought he was going to join me on my lap as I was eating my bran muffin, but he agreed to wait until I sprinkled some crumbs onto the ground for him

 I am afraid you are going to see a lot of sun set and sunrise pictures because everyday but one was spectacular. This is looking straight down our camp spot towards Mesa

 This is another view of the beginning sunset

 It was so lovely to have a campfire every evening and listen to the owls hooting and the coyotes howling. This burn barrel has done us well. Doug got this barrel from the dump in Yellowknife at least 5 years ago

 There were 3 white tailed hawks that spent their days all around us, you can see one sitting on top of the saguaro cacti

 I brought a bunch of oranges from our trees at home and cut them and put them on the cactus for the birds. This orange is on a small saguaro and there is a woodpecker eating at it. Doug was a little upset that I was sharing his oranges with the birds!

 I thought this was such a pretty picture with the sky and mountains in the background

 We brought a quail block up with us and put it out in the desert beside our site and the rabbits seemed to like it as much as the birds did!

 I wish I could have got a better picture of this love bird but the sun was shining right into the camera so you can't see the bird's beautiful, teal, lime green and peach colours

 Same position, different day, different shirt! No beach umbrella yet so it must be early in the day

 Another beautiful sunset

 This was a sunrise, just as pretty

 I think one of our more spectacular sunset pictures, you just can't appreciate them until you are here in person!

 The hawk was sitting in quite close to us this day. I think he was hoping the quail block might entice him a good lunch!

 The hawk flying near our site

 Loved watching these birds

 This mountain is called Scarface for obvious reasons and the campground sits at its base. The colours change as the sun sets

 Another beautiful sunset

 The sun setting through the ocotillo bush

 A curved bill thrasher. Called the "mock" mockingbird as it can mimic any birds call. Can sing beautifully and tends to do that as the sun is setting

 A pair of woodpeckers at the orange half. The male has the red streak on his head

 How they can stand right on the cacti thorns is beyond me!

 The orange wasn't enough for the woodpecker! Here he is trying to figure out how to get onto the bird feeder

 A lunging attempt that was not too successful

 The Gamble's quail have arrived at the feeding block

 The male woodpecker is back on the block

 The incredible view of the Superstition Mountains from our camp spot. That was what I was looking at when I sat out in my chair reading. Nothing can beat it!

 More sunset pictures, this was about the third night we were there

 The sunsets never ceased to amaze us

 Sunrise the next morning

 Sunset again......

 The clouds and colour prior to sunset

 These are almost minute by minute as the sun set

 The sun is finally down for the night

 The pair of white tailed hawks right by our campsite

 Common finch at the bird feeder

 Female finch taking her turn with the orange on top of a barrel cacti

 We even had large gophers visiting the quail block

 Our last day of camping we invited friends to join us for a wiener roast. It was a gorgeous sunny day and we had good fun, good food and a good fire!. This is earlier in the afternoon before we lit the fire

Fire is burning and everyone is eating!

Hard to believe this is the end of January and we are sitting out as though it is summer.

We had a wonderful 5 days of camping, it was good to get away and just relax and enjoy the outdoors!