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Saguaro Lake Cruise
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On a Saturday afternoon, seven of us (Ted and Jacque, Andy and Pat, Dana, Brian T., and Beth) braved ovenlike temperatures of 112° and boarded the Desert Belle for a leisurely cruise on Saguaro Lake. Once the boat started moving, a nice breeze blew in our faces and cooled us off. |
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 boat docks near Stewart Mountain Dam |
We left the marina and passed the brightly-colored tuff cliffs adorned with lichen on the port side and Stewart Mountain Dam, which was constructed in 1928-1930, on the starboard side. We then proceeded past an unobstructed view of Four Peaks to the left and rock cliffs to the right which had saguaros protruding out of them and were stained by desert varnish. |
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A little further ahead, Ted pointed out Disaster Canyon to the right.
I wasn’t so sure that it sounded like an appealing place to hike.
We proceeded onward and saw the arch to the left which was purported to look like an elephant head (an odd bird?) and then past the rock island with the light on top that people have crashed into (presumably when they’ve had too much to drink). |
 Disaster Canyon flows into Saguaro Lake from the south. |
 Bagley Flat offers a unique perspective on the Four Peaks |
We went past Bagley Flat, an area of reeds and grass, and on toward the
campground in the middle of the lake before turning around.
In this area on a previous cruise, I had seen a bald eagle fly over the boat, but today we saw only turkey vultures circling overhead. Where were the blue herons? |
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We returned by the route we had come, enjoying the scenery and the
captain’s interesting commentary (with some tall tales thrown in).
The cruise was relaxing and enjoyable with pleasant company.
Some of us had lunch at the Lakeshore Restaurant afterward. I highly recommend this cruise. |
 The Elephant Arch is north of a narrow bend. |
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All photos courtesy of Ted Tenny. |
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| Home | Club Info | Officers | Meeting Minutes | Activities | Trip Reports | | Hike Descriptions | Trip Planning Guide | Lessons Learned | Links | Arizona Trailblazers Hiking Club, Phoenix, Arizona For comments regarding this site contact . updated June 30, 2007 |