HIKING THE WHITE TANKS

Living forever in Kansas meant, as retirement moved closer, that I was hungry for mountains.  Preferably New England mountains, but Colorado mountains would do.  But who in the world would guess that mountains were part of the package when you bought Arizona?  It was pure serendipity.  So, we built our house "here" because the White Tank Mountains were "there" and we could look at them, morning 'til night, day after day.  That was eleven years ago.  Today, we're still "here" and the mountains are still "there" but, unfortunately, they're hidden behind all of the lovely trees our homeowner dues purchased many years ago.  Yes, I love the trees, but I miss the mountains.  Some people are really ticked about it, but we're OK.  Not thrilled.  Just OK.

It makes sense that if you have mountains in your neighborhood, you should learn what they're about.  Located west of Phoenix, the White Tanks are not tall mountains, but they can be rugged.  They shelter javelinas (really huge rodents that resemble pigs), mule deer, mountain lions, birds of all sorts, small reptilian-type creatures, and a generous assortment of poisonous snakes.  Despite that, the White Tanks are beautiful, and the best way to discover their virtues is simply drive in, park, and walk.  There are a number of trails, some just for walkers, others for horses and mountain bikes, but my favorite and the one we take all of our visitors to see is The Waterfall Trail.

The Waterfall Trail is two miles in length--one mile to get to the waterfall, one to come back.  It is wheelchair accessible for the first half mile, until the asphalt gives way to hard-packed dirt and rocks.  Dogs love it, toddlers manage quite well, and everyone says "hi" to everyone else.  I like it because it's a comfortable walk, and it makes me feel some of the wonder the early explorers must have experienced when they visited this uncharted territory.  And, once in a blue moon, there will actually be a waterfall at the end of the trail.

In the meantime, perhaps halfway into the gentle, but definite "up" part of your walk, you'll find all kinds of petroglyphs left by the Hohokam, a mysterious but amazing people who lived in our area from about 100 BCE until their disappearance around 1400 CE.

This spider web type of pattern is fairly common around the world--or so I've read.  Again, no one knows what it means, but I've read it might denote a village or a community of people.  Actually, if you look carefully, you'll find petroglyphs up and down the entire length of the trail.  They're fascinating, but absolutely off limits.  Let me say that again, look but don't touch.  In the decade we've been visiting the park, there has been a surprising amount of damage created by people trying to take just a little bit home.  They've managed to peel the entire face from many of the boulders. These are thousands of years old, people.

The trail is well marked, and describes various plants, shrubs and flowers.  We're all fascinated by the variety of the cactus, and they're everywhere up here.  The park, however, will tell you that you can't drink water directly from any cactus despite all of the movies you've seen, so be sure to bring a water bottle or two when you come.  We don't want you to dehydrate and keel over.

And, here is what you came for.  We've made it to the top of our hike, and we're loving the shade and how cool and damp it feels here. We're at the edge of a tiny pool of water, surrounded on three sides by sheer rock walls.  Sheer is the operative word.  Overhead and out of sight lie two great tanks (natural depressions in the rock), one of which empties into the second after a heavy rain. The second tank, when it fills, empties over its edge right down where we are and fills this area with water.  Today, with no recent rain, we're seeing mere seepage, but a few years ago we did experience the actual waterfall tumbling down these rocks.  Pretty impressive.

What I know about hiking comes primarily from the L.L. Bean catalog, but I have learned to stop, turn around and look behind me periodically as I walk.  Sometimes, there are wonderful views behind (and great photos) that you might otherwise miss.  If the day is clear, you can see across Phoenix from here. Unfortunately, it's generally hazy, so I don't want you to count on it.

Have a great weekend...

Margie
margiestaggs44@gmail.com