Typical Gila Forest Landscape
Charging equipment at lunch time
The highway leading into this area was smooth with little traffic. I stayed at the Apache Creek Campground. The town, Apache Creek, is on DeLorme maps and recognized by Tomtom, but consists of a little store, taxidermy shop, and a few mailboxes beside the highway. A large sign warned that Mexican wolves were destroying the local elk and had two graphic pictures of carcases to prove it.
The campground has a single pit toilet, some picnic tables and fire rings along with a notice that rabid foxes were found in the area. On the plus side, it is right next to the area I will be working in and has no fees.
The campground is the start of Forest Road 94 which leads into the backcountry. The road is easily passible by non-high clearance vehicles. The downside is that it is extremely dry, dusty, and a washboard in places. Billows of dust follow you everywhere. I am constantly wiping off equipment and the inside of the camper After a short time everything smelled and tasted of dust. There are hundreds of miles of similar roads in the area but I spent my entire time working just 13 miles of FR94. This area included serveral habitats including pinyon/juniper, ponderosa pine, spruce/fir/oak, and some scrub. It climbed to almost 9000 feet at the continental divide and the birding was fantastic. On a typical day only one or two vehicles would pass by. A good number of the birds are ones I have not seen much less photographed.
Grace's Warbler
Western Tanager
Steller's Jay
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