When I reached Apache Junction, I was well glad to be away from the dreaded cities, but still had 20 miles of glorious yet hot as hell desert to cross
So it was my great fortune to have run into one Aaron Davis, a Veterans for Peace member who happened to drive by as I was getting ready to de-camp from my area and boogie on down the road. Lo, and behold, it was he who had drafted the proposal to defend Oakflat VFP( Resolution 2015-2)!
We chatted abit and he invited me to his home, and there I spent the night and he gave me a ride in to Oakflat. The views are stunning. I stayed there at the occupation for a week.
Lack of time and space prevent me from going into further detail, I hope some photos shall suffice.....you can see the compost area I started...
A thousand years before Christ, the Grandfather tree sprouted his first leaves as insects and furry desert creatures scampered and scurried through the dust, the Dine' emerged from the land, OF the land, and began to spread the seeds of life, of LOVE among these ancient boulders; and life entertained itself among the seasons...
RIO TINTO: The largest mining corporation in the world. A foreign interest, with hundreds of shell companies and thousands of agents. JOHN MCCAIN: One of the biggest assholes in American politics; broken treaties, shady land exchanges, bait and switch tactics,greed and corruption on a massive scale...VISIONARY ELDERS uniting the tribes and nurturing the ancient prophesies...MILITANT TRIBAL ORGANIZATIONS: chomping at the bit; to settle old scores and find some solace in a world gone mad with whiteman's politics and assimilation...YOUTH embracing their heritage, a legacy unfolding in the middle of a technological bedlam....http://www.apache-stronghold.com
I got a ride from James, my friend, my brother and comrade through Globe into the TONTO National Forest after 7 blissful days at Oakflat, and camped out for the night. The following day I began my ride towards the SAN CARLOS reservation and the monumental SALT RIVER CANYON.
The ride was stunning in its' beauty and ease, I pushed my bike to a summit, finding a 20 dollar bill in the grass, and began a 30 minute thrilling decent into the canyon without a turn of the crank.
At the river itself, I knew I was about to pay my fare for such an easy ride: a 20 mile uphill ride to the summit of the other side.
I moved at a daunting 3 miles a day, sleeping at the turnouts, completely exhausted, often times, too tired to even eat or bat away the gnats or mosquitoes.
I would have to say that the sheer magnitude of the beauty and exertion kept me in a perpetual state of joy: I was able to hike and explore, do some crafting and writing, I did not worry about my ascent; verily I would arrive, one day at the top of this beautiful gorge, the brown ribbon of water falling further and further below me with each arduous step, ropes around my waist and looped over my shoulders, cars and empty pick-up trucks honking, beeping, cheering me on.
THIS POST IS TO BE CONTINUED