THE TONTO TRAIL

I thought I would show you the Tonto Trail because I like it so much. It is usually a day trip beginning in Apache Junction which is east of Mesa.

First you pass Canyon Lake and sometimes stop, but for just a few minutes. It is very beautiful and another day trip to go out on the lake and explore the canyons. When Smitty had his boat we used to go out almost every weekend. He has since sold the boat and I don't make it out there as much as I used to. They have a beach for swimming also and if you go out by boat through the canyon there is another party beach.

Then you come upon Apache Lake which is long and thin and hardly looks like a lake. We used go camping there quit a bit and I remember I decided to quit camping the year they found about 4 rattle snakes at the camping area. I think I had a very young Stephanie with me that year and that was pretty scary.

The next stop is Roosevelt Lake. When they built the dam it formed the lake and it's one of the main water reservoirs for the valley now. We depend a lot on the runoff from the snow in the mountains to keep it full. This year it is down quite a bit because of lack of rain and snow. Hopefully enough to get us through the summer. They used mules and wagons when this dam was built. I can't imagine them going down some of those steep roads with mules and wagons.

After many steep winding mountain roads you go down a treacherous incline (Fishcreek Hill) where most places you have to pull over to let another car pass going up, and descend into Tortilla Flats (named after stacks of rock that look like tortillas). It burned down and since then has been rebuilt, but its never as good as the original. We would stop here for lunch and to look at all the dollar bills pinned all over the walls and ceiling. It started out as business cards and somehow turned into dollar bills. That all burned down. You can see the mailbox in the lower left corner of the rubble. It was fun to mail stuff from this postal address. I don't know if they still do that.

Then you can either turn around and come back the same way or keep going along the back side of Four Peaks, stop at Punkin Center for a drink and wind up at the Beeline Highway returning to Mesa. Like I said, it's an all day trip, but well worth it. Times like these I wish I was talented enough to paint some of the scenery you get along the way.

Backside of Four Peaks close to dusk, which it usually is by the time you get to the end of the trail.

Well, I hope you've enjoyed the little tour and stop by for more later.