Despite a forecast calling for weekend temperatures almost twenty degrees cooler than normal, my girlfriend Bianca and I had decided to get away from Phoenix, as we do most weekends during the summer. We decided to head to CC Cragin, Nee Blue Ridge Reservoir, up on the Mogollon Rim, with our stand up paddleboards and our backpacking gear for what we'd hoped would be a quiet campsite in a quiet corner of the reservoir. Neither of us had been there before, but had seen the beautiful pictures online, and decided it would make a perfect weekend trip.
We threw our gear in the car, and pulled out of town on Friday after work and made a beeline for the Beeline highway. We'd spend the night in Payson with my Aunt and Uncle, and get up early to head to the reservoir. We had a great evening visiting with family, and finally went to sleep stoked about the upcoming adventure.
After an incredible breakfast with my Aunt and Uncle, we got on the road. We made a couple of quick, local stops for coffee and some last minute supplies. We got back on the road and in no time were turning onto the dirt road that would take us to the reservoir. Shortly thereafter we found ourselves in a long line of cars waiting to get in. A helpful, but sun-baked ranger came over and explained that the parking lot was full and that it could possibly be a few hours until we were able to gain access, and also that the area was pretty crowded. Well, crud. I'm not one to wait in line to get in anywhere, especially when I'm trying to get away from people. Bianca and I discussed our options and decided to head back into Payson, where we'd have a signal, and put together a Plan B.
We decided to head South to Apache Lake and try our luck there. I knew that there was plenty of dispersed camping to be found, and that with temps much lower than normal, we'd be able to find the perfect situation. We pulled into Burnt Corral area off Apache Trail, where we found plenty of parking. Getting all of our gear together took a bit of time, and we finally set sail a bit after 4:00. It felt good to finally be in the water after a long day of being in the car.
The weather couldn't have been nicer. It was sunny, with temperatures in the high 80s. The water temperature was perfect. Refreshing, but not too cool. We made our way to the North side of the lake, which didn't take long as it's probably only 1/2 mile wide at that point. Signs that we saw at the lake indicate that it's about 17 miles long.
We followed the North side shore, headed West. We were looking for a beach or an area where we could beach our boards and set up camp. We were starting to lose daylight, so we couldn't be too choosy. After about an hour of some beautiful paddling, we found the perfect spot.
We set up camp in just a few minutes and then dipped into our beer supply. Bringing some cans of beer from our favorite brewery, Desert Monks Brewery, was a stroke of genius! Bringing our backpacking camp chairs along, was also a stroke of genius. I've had a tendency on my backpacking, and bikepacking trips to forgo some comforts in order to conserve weight and space. As I get well into my 40's, I'm more inclined to bring some of those comforts and not worry about the weight or space cost.
Pretty soon, the hunger pangs were kicking in. All of that driving makes you hungry. I got out the Jetboil and fired it up. Twenty minutes later we were dining on Mountain House's Chili Mac, and a loaf of Italian bread. Not sure it gets any better than that. Due to restrictions, we were not able to enjoy a campfire, but that didn't seem to put a damper on the evening.
Oh yeah! What a thirst quencher!
After an hour or so, the yawn monsters were attacking, something fierce. We retired to the tent. It was a pleasant escape, as the bugs were starting to come out, en masse. I wish that I could say that a restful night ensued. Bianca's new air mattress, turned out to be just a mattress. No air. I was testing out a new sleep system, more of a warm weather set-up, and clearly didn't have it dialed in. It was an uncomfortable night, but I've certainly experienced worse.
After what felt like an eternity, it was 5:30 and time to wake up. I emerged from the tent into a beautiful, sunny, quiet morning. The lake surface was like a big pane of glass. With the spark of a lighter, the Jetboil came to life, once again. We had our traditional backpacking coffee concoction, Anthony's instant coffee, mixed with Anthony's powdered coconut milk. It's an awesome combination, better even than Starbucks Via or any other instant swill. A bowl of granola and fresh blueberries ensued and we were ready to attack the day.
We had decided to paddle back to where we had parked, to stash most of our gear in the car. It was a pleasant trip, with the glassy water making each paddle stroke count just a bit more. The board definitely feels a tad sluggish when fully loaded with gear, but it is still surprisingly nimble, nonetheless. We off-loaded the majority of our gear and took off to do some exploring. The boards now feeling like race-cars without the extra gear. We decided to head East this time and enjoyed a few hours of some beautiful paddling. We had found quite a few nice spots for future getaways, by the time we turned around to head back to the car. The way back was a tad less enjoyable as a nice little West wind had crept up on us. We definitely had to work a bit harder to get back. Fine by me! A great chance to burn off some of that granola.
All in all it was an excellent trip. There were a few snags here and there, but we nonetheless had a blast. Can't wait to get back out there!
