Fwd: FW: Roosevelt Lake High

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Seven intrepid riders on six bikes left the Chevron for Roosevelt lake and breakfast at Butchers Hook in the Tonto Valley today. Again the weather was bright and sunny, but unseasonably cool with the high only the upper 60s. Our numbers drop each week, but there's not much incentive for driving north into snow.  Lionel returns to Alberta after this ride.  Dennis was our leader, and Dan took up the tail position. Dan and Sherry are spending the summer at Heber. He decided to see that place today and will return via the Rim Ride that has not been done this year.

 

After a quick stop to retrieve Phil's radio from his foot pad, there was a highway stop for construction where a new electric line tower was being built with a helicopter before we arrived in Miami. Interesting.

 

The traditional stop at the Roosevelt dam viewing site has a new twist this year. All the old marks of high water are now underwater, and we learned that the lake is at 103% of capacity today. Full size trees, a picnic shelter and table and the entire flats at the north  north end of the lake are underwater. Vern, you and I remember a white tank that used to float on spring runoff on those flats. This year the tank would be in the middle of the lake.

 

We must have forgotten what a huge meal is served at Butchers Hook. Despite ordering senior portions, all of us were left rolling away from the table with full stomach. They have so many pictures from the area on their walls. Many are of trophy size fish, and other local scenes.

 

Can't say much for the flowers this year, even at this date. While fields bright with flowers appear south of the 60, the traditional mountainside of yellow has depended on daily temperatures and kind of plants growing in the mountains to the north. Seldom do we see the panorama of color that we could have expected with all that rain. Even yet, there are only occasional days of normal 80° temperatures for this time of year .

 

I had 173 miles today on the circle route from Roosevelt lake to the Bush Highway and the last of us arrived home about 2 PM. Our lapsed time was 3 1/2 hours at average speed 49.7 mph. We expect to go to Gila Bend on Saturday.

 

Phil Parsons