Well, I didn't allocate enough distance between my tent and Tom's to defeat his snoring last night.  I'll try something else this evening.  The temperature was very nice last night, so I can't complain about that.  We pack and hit the trail around 7:30.  You have to climb out to the southwest for a while before you reach the southern end of Grapevine Canyon, allowing a turn back to the north.  Part way through the climb, Art discovers he left his sunglasses at camp.  He leaves his pack and goes back for them.  Marsha and I continue down the trail.  A few minutes after I head north I can see Art and Tom on the other side of the drainage headed south.

Last night's campsite 4-3-2006 @ 7:34	Art & Tom on the other side 4-3-2006 @ 7:49	South view up Grapevine 4-3-2006 @ 7:57

     Just northeast of Lyell Butte is an unnamed butte with two different spires,  a very distinctive feature on the west side of Grapevine Canyon. 

Northeast of Lyell Butte 4-3-2006 @ 8:34	Northeast of Lyell Butte 4-3-2006 @ 8:48

     After nearly two hours of hiking, I reach the western mouth of Grapevine Canyon.  It takes almost another hour of hiking to the west before I can turn south toward Boulder Creek.

Colorado River, mouth of Grapevine Canyon 4-3-2006 @ 9:17	Colorado River, west view 4-3-2006 @ 10:13

     As I head toward Boulder Creek, there are a number of these strange, tree-like cactus growing here.  They are like beaver tail or prickly pear cactus with a trunk.  Art says they have a similar type without the thorns in Tucson, but he has not seen any like this.  There are numerous yucca and sotol plants also.  In addition to the blackbrush, which is everywhere on the Tonto, a black mold, fungus or lichen seems to be all along the Tonto.

Strange tree-like cactus 4-3-2006 @ 10:19	Yucca 4-3-2006 @ 10:22	Black fungus or lichen 4-3-2006 @ 10:44

     We reach the southern end of Boulder Creek around 11:00 and take an extended break. The creek bed is bone dry, but my GPS shows there is a spring a few hundred yards up the east fork, so I head that way.  A recent trip report also said there was water there.  Sure enough, it is right where the GPS shows.  We filter some water, but since our next campsite at Lonetree Canyon has water, there's no need to carry too much.  It is a warm day, so we relax here for a few hours before pressing on.  I find three nice campsites here.

Boulder Creek campsite 4-3-2006 @ 1:01	Boulder Creek campsite 4-3-2006 @ 1:02	Boulder Creek campsite 4-3-2006 @ 1:03

     Art, Tom, and I leave around 2:45 while Marsha decides to rest a little longer.  We reach the northern end of the Boulder Creek drainage in about an hour. 

North end of Boulder drainage 4-3-2006 @ 3:32	Colorado River 4-3-2006 @ 3:43	North end of Boulder drainage 4-3-2006 @ 4:08

     We head south up Lonetree Canyon and reach our campsite in one more hour.

Lonetree Canyon 4-3-2006 @ 4:27	Lonetree Canyon campsite 4-3-2006 @ 4:38

     It is very pretty here with lots of water and the redbud trees are just starting to bloom.  There is an inscription on the rock overhang that appears to have the last name "Berry."  I presume this is an authentic Pete Berry engraving.  The lower pools of water make a nice place to clean up some.

Lonetree Canyon campsite 4-3-2006 @ 4:47	Peter Berry engraving 4-3-2006 @ 5:01	Lonetree Canyon campsite 4-3-2006 @ 5:05

     I pick a lower camp spot at one end for my tent about a hundred yards from Tom's tent.  That should work to insulate me from his snoring.  Marsha pulls into camp in a while, we all have dinner, and head to bed.  Again no pretty sunset for us.

Richard's tent 4-3-2006 @ 5:27	Tom's tent 4-3-2006 @ 5:31	Art's tent 4-3-2006 @ 5:32

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