through sweeping turns that carve their way through lush Sonoran Desert landscapes. If you travel from north to south during the golden hour of the setting sun, the massive wall of cliffs by the Blue Point viewing
bald eagles soaring in the af- ternoons and to enjoy happy hour gatherings just above the riverbanks. Snowy egrets and great egrets flock to these riv- ers, too. We watched them fly- ing up and downstream every morning and evening as they commuted between their roost- ing trees near the mountains and their dining areas along the riverbanks. One evening, as we set up our cameras on tripods to capture the beautiful river scene at sunset, we heard the loud crashing and crunching sounds of tree limbs snapping and tall grasses being mowed down on the opposite side of the stream. Friends had told us they had seen wild horses in this exact spot a few nights earlier and we were really ex- cited at the prospect. Surely the heavy footprints we were hearing on the riverbank across from us were those of a wild horse. We swung our cameras around, waiting for the horse to step out of the tall reeds, when the grasses parted and a huge brown cow emerged. We chuckled as we watched it lower its head for a drink. We got lucky with the horses the next day, however. Stop- ping at the Blue Point Overlook along the Bush Highway to admire the lofty cliffs tower- ing above the river, we looked down at the glassy water below us and saw two horses stand- ing side by side at the river’s edge. No one knows the exact origin of these wild horses, but it is thought that their ancestors were owned by residents of the Indian reservation many gener- ations ago. Now there are three herds that roam unimpeded through the National Forest, through the Indian reservation and wherever else they can find open space on the eastern fringes of Phoenix.
They are small horses, per- haps with some mustang blood in their heritage, and we watched them contentedly grazing in the grasses and roll- ing and scratching their backs in the gravel by the riverbank.
A desert marina on the Saguaro Lake, inquisitive chipmunks, and happy horseback riders share the region
area light up in brilliant shades of orange. This drive winds past Sa- guaro Lake, one of the prettiest lakes in greater Phoenix. Driving down to the lake’s main access point from the highway, our jaws dropped as we took in the view of the sparkling blue water backed by distant purple cliffs. Water skiers zoomed across the lake, a kayaker paddled slowly close to shore, and all the boats in the little marina twinkled in the sun. We walked along the shoreline, admiring the views, and then stopped for a bite to eat on the patio of the Lakeshore Restaurant overlook- ing the lake. Boaters came and went on the docks below us, and the Desert Belle paddleboat
As we watched that first pair, a few more horses wandered out of the tall grasses. Two of the adults had very young foals with them. After admiring these wild horses from a distance, what a contrast it was to re- turn to the parking lot and see a group of horse-back riders, dressed in cowboy hats and western garb, coming up the dusty trail from a ride in the desert. Those tall, refined horses seemed as contented as their wild counterparts while their handlers brushed them down after their ride. The Bush Highway is one of the most awe-inspiring drives in the Phoenix area, and we made a point of driving its length sev- eral times. It climbs and dives
18 COAST TO COAST FALL 2014
Made with FlippingBook HTML5