Today we cannot climb as high as the previous day so we have to contend with the heat during the day. We decide to start first with Stockton Pass where we saw some quails last time we assume were Montezuma Quails and today we want a better look if possible. But before all that it is time for breakfast, there is only one place open on Sunday so there we go on Main Street. It is quite busy as you would expect from the only open breakfast place in town.
Even so they have a reduced menu today, only crepes. So we order crepes and coffee and explore the small store inside selling olive oil (?) while waiting to be served. The crepes and the coffee are quite good and full we decide to explore downtown Safford before leaving.
It is quite warm but the sun is hidden beneath clouds so we can walk around without being killed by the heat. There are some interesting buildings in the downtown area including the one where we ate breakfast and a former bank but most stores are closed today.
The ones that are not closed for Sunday are permanently closed including the historic movie theater.
As usual one of the biggest and most prominent buildings is the courthouse at the end of main street. Nearby is the City Hall with the police station right next to it.
With our Safford visit at an end we drive to Stockton Pass. We have been here before to hike the Shake Trail up to midpoint and at that point we have seen some interesting birds at the start of the trail. They seemed to be Montezuma Quail but we caught just a glimpse so we want to try one more time today. The hike through the area is quite beautiful but even with the clouds it is too warm for a long hike.
Unfortunately today no quail are in attendance, neither Montezuma or other. However at least we see our first Black-headed Grosbeak for the year.
Our turnaround point is the official start of the Shake Trail as the vegetation is changing from that point with quail becoming less likely.
As we return we explore different side roads and find one that to our surprise leads to the official trailhead for the Shake Trail with a small parking nearby. We had no idea that it existed, likely because it is close to the campground that we avoided last time. Today we can visit it as no one is around, it is unexpectedly small given how loud they were last time. And then it is time to move on to the last target of our trip.
