PAUL IS A ROCKHOUND, ALWAYS HAS BEEN, so his hikes into the desert usually involve searching for rocks as he totes his collecting cart and tools He is also a retired science teacher and if the geology lessons he conducted in the field are any indication he was a great one. Apache Tears are bits of translucent obsidian, volcanic glass, found within deposits of perlite. They vary from match-head up to walnut size and are fun to collect. Paul’s friend Nick lead us and other friends, Ron and Joyce, to a particularly good area. It would have been a nice hike anyhow but the Apache Tears were icing on the cake.
Paul with tools of the trade Nick hits paydirt
The next actvity for this overactive group of retirees was a 6-mile hike. What we assumed would be a low-key outing turned into a club event as we stopped here and there to pick up another carload. As it turned out, no one knew everyone and only Dave connected the group. There were 13 of us all together driving through the desert to take a 6-mile hike in Box Canyon.
A Goldilocks Day Tight squeeze
It was a Goldilocks day, not too hot, not too cold as small groups formed and reformed giving everyone a chance to get acquainted. There were some rough spots, a couple of ladder descents and a bit of scrambling but everyone survived and seemed to have a good time. There were too many for our taste but I must admit they were all nice folks. In addition to rocks, Paul also collects interesting friends.
