Last week the trip was near Sunset Rest Area where we caught the first glimpses of the Gladiator Fire. A week in and more contained another exploration of the area is warranted on Orme Road. This is a road with many caches we have visited before and a good target for a solo trip while half of the team is enjoying a well earned vacation in Europe. The drive is uneventful however something is different when we reach Orme Road, there is smoke smell in the wind and everything has a reddish hue from the fire.
Undeterred we continue along the road finding caches and benchmarks, some of them rare and some less so. The road is in good shape and the exploration is proceeding apace.
That is before we hit the first obstacle, a herd of cattle enjoying their time on the road. With the car lurching slowly forward they finally decide to let us pass with a calf being the last one to leave the road. And then the next cache is guarded by a horned lizard, no end to excitement.
And the meetings continue with sheeps, a rarity in Arizona, being next. Including a black one, guess it was the black sheep of the herd.
On the way back a stop at Sunset is warranted. It is quite surprising how popular the rest area has become, finding parking has become quite difficult. But it is with good reason as the views of the fire are magnificent. And then it is time to return home, next time it will be again a team reunited.
