Saturday – December 06, 2014
Tarantula Encounter
Imperial Dam BLM
Yuma, Arizona
We are enjoying another sunny day with the temperature in the high seventies. We decided to take a short hike in the dessert this morning. We started out from our campsite in the South Mesa area and followed the trail to the Senator Wash area. At about 4.5 miles into our hike we decided to continue to the dam at Squaw Lake and take a paved road from there, back to South Mesa.
Pictures of Square Lake
At one point, we heard the sound of gravel being displaced behind us on the trail. It happened so fast, we were startled as a dog went running by at full speed. We soon discovered the dog belonged to a couple of senior citizens riding their mountain bikes on this very rugged trail. We later learned the dog is a terrier/border collie mix and very obedient and friendly. There were four riders all together and one of them, Terry from New Hampshire, was kind enough to tell us about additional trails in the area to hike.
At about 6 miles into our hike, we were walking side-by-side on the trail, Sharon suddenly let out a yell and at the same time scrambled forward on the trail. She had almost stepped on a huge tarantula spider crossing the trail. It paid no mind to us and continued on its journey to somewhere in the desert.
What started out as a short hike in the desert turned into a 10-mile hike on a somewhat circular route around the Imperial Dam BLM area. Upon our return to our campsite we treated ourselves to a well-deserved rest for the remainder of the day.
Pictures from the Senator Wash Reservoir Trail
A full moon appeared over the horizon to light up the desert tonight.
Tomorrow another adventure begins.
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