Views from the Mogollon Rim

 

We have been riding the forest service roads and trails in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest.  The Mogollon Rim is a kind of ridge and there are many good views from there.  There is a trail named the 300 that follows the rim and is along the border of Apache reservation and public forest land.  You need a permit to camp or fish on the reservation otherwise there is no trespassing allowed.  We have seen lots of wildlife on our rides.  They didn't get much snow this winter or rain in the spring so nothing has really greened up.  Its a good thing the Ponderosa Pines and Juniper needles are always green or everything would be brown.  

We have been doing a lot of riding being afraid that the views would be gone because of all the smoke from all the fires that are going.  So far we haven't had any smoke at the campground and the haze has been in the far, far distance.  We did have one scare with a fire starting twenty miles west of us.  They had to close the highway all the way up to where we are staying.  Our truck was in for repair so if we would have had to evacuate we would have had to throw what we could in our rented car and leave.  Thankfully, the fire moved north instead of toward us and they reopened the highway.   It is supposed to start raining this week which if it really does should reduce the fire threat.  The fire danger right now is so high that they have closed the forest to all activity.