DAY 107; APACHE CASINO - BYLAS, AARIZONA

APACHE GOLD Casino. SPIA, SAM & ME stayed last night at the Casino RV Park - one of the most modern yet.

With lots of questions about my sore right knee, I started out South on US 70. Before I knew it, I had climbed to the top and a long way down the other side of a very long hill. By the time I returned to SPIA, I had walked 5.5 hours on that sore knee...not without some pain.



This is beautiful and rugged country the Apache San Carlos Reservation. Encountered no snakes, but have included a number of scenic photographs.

Another new - to me - cactus...they are prolific along US 70 in the Apache Reservation.

Apache Country

This is a particularlyy interesting photograph.

In the middle ground is the Apache Casino - white buildings -.

In the background are the Copper Mines above MIAMI.

The steep hill of US 70 is typical of the topography I walked all day...many ups and downs.

A very stiff wind was blowing out of the North West - the direction of this pic -, making it doubly difficult to walk. Five times, I hyper-extended my right knee because of the strong gusts.

Found that I MUST keep my body centered directly above my legs...if my stride is too long when a strong wind gust hits me, the knee tendons/muscles are too weak to lift my body through the stride, resulting in painful stress on the knee cap...

So, I had to keep my stride "short" and my body directly "above" the knee at all times...who said walking was easy.

Cactus and Rocks cover these rolling hills along US 70.

Near the Apache Casino is a modern airport...not many planes parked, but was amazed to discover these two aircraft.

The silver one is, I believe, a Lockheed Loadstar...The same plane flown by Amelia Erhart when she was lost over the Pacific Ocean back in 1937 (someone correct me if I am wrong).

The other aircraft is a Grumman Amphibian...the famous aircraft in the TV Series creating the memorable line "DA PLANE...DA PLANE".

More of US 70...what I walk down, I must walk back up...in a stiff wind today

But, oh my gosh, such beauty to behold.

I am not a Geologist; but, I notice "uplifted" mountains topography where the strata of rocks and soil is nearly always on an angle. I was surprised, therefore, to find much of the Apache Reservation strata to be nearly "horizontal"

To me, that means this area uplifted nearly "vertical", with no tilting...very unusual for such a mountainous region.

If I'm all wet, just say so...I have so much to learn...can only show and comment on what I see.

I call this guy, "smily" because of the white mine resembling "lips".

Notice the top of this mountain: FLAT, as are many others around it.

To me this means it has been "mined", or that it was at one time a Sea Bottom, with the sloping mountain sides being eroded away over the millenium.

I know...I'm way out of my league making such observations...but that is what I see up there.

I like mountains upon mountains

The left-most mountain is "smily". The two in the fore-ground are also flat'topped. The one on the right appears to have a "spiral" cut into it from the bottom to the top, suggesting a road and "mining".

Click click will enlarge the photograph.

Mountains upon mountains...hills upon hills

Not a snake in sight.

A view that caught my attention...That distant mountain is about 50 miles away.

Yes, SPIA is parked behind me...and yes, I walked to the far curve and back...my final walk of the day. The village of BYLAS, AROZONA - an Apache town - was just across the Gila River and up a small hill beyhond the curve where I turned back.

More mountains. and desert.

The sky has been cloudless for over a week.

Today, clouds moved in from the North and North West...Expect a weather change in a day or two.


DAILY REPORT: Walked 4 legs today, totalling 34 miles.

SEE YOUR IMPACT.ORG: Credit 34 miles @ $0.02 per mile = $0.68 for the day.

Have parked at a well appointed and modern "rest area" provided by the town of BYLAS. We did not get kicked out...it is now 4:10 am. I was simply worn out last evening at 5:30pm, and went to bed and slept deeply until 3:00 am this morning. The knee seems better, so will take to US 70 in another 1.5 hours and see how it goes as we continue South towards MEXICO and EL PASO.