More ATV Riding

We have been able to do two more ATV rides. The first was a shorter one on Saturday, with just Ellen and I and Bob and Mary Jo cutting through part of Gila Bend, then south to a cemetery, and along aways to a 'bicycle graveyard' where about 15 bikes lay in various states of missing parts. The town cemetery had graves elaborately decorated and laid with flowers and candles, as well as toys and bottles of water.

On Sunday we made a longer trip with a total of 8 ATVs counting us. Our trip leader, Ron, lead us through the dry Gila River bed to areas used and created by Hohokam peoples centuries ago. The first image is of one of many petroglyphs we found on mountainsides.

Ellen stayed behind as I and the rest of the group climbed to the top of a larger landform which had numerous turrets made of rocks. These were used by the more peaceful Hohokams as a line of defense from attackers from the north. The defenders could hurl objects, shoot arrows or whatever from the relative safety of these walled spaces on the top and sides of the mountain.

Here is Ellen and Mary Jo waiting for the rest of us to scale down the steep hillside. We had lunch and a nice visit, then went on to a couple of other areas, one being a cemetery and another an area for watering and keeping cattle. We finished the ride heading north to another water tank area and and a large wooden cross on a hillside.

Once back at the RV park, we cleaned up a bit and had a nice long happy hour at Bob and Mary Jo's around their propane campfire. Good times, nice folks, and great laughs and stories.