Lazarow World-Hike-About: 61.23: Arizona: Lake Havasu: Pilot Rock...not much to add...okay, one of the most striking sights. (There's an opening for my many critics...)

The water, including the contrasts with the land, is a constant focus for the senses.

As we head up and come over the saddle, this appearance of a town nestled in the valley below attractive mountains confronts and stuns us.

We produced a short essay, (see end), which sets out aspects of being in a desert and experiencing, almost contradictory to the nature of a desert, a meaning of life. While aspects have been touched on before in earlier writings, perhaps this brings a slightly different slant to our perceptions and perspectives. Whatever the case, it's impact has made us extremely grateful for such opportunities.

Arriving at Pilot Rock.

Each day, one enjoys a different shade of blue/green water.

Deserts of colors and water...hmm!

The next 4 pictures illustrate the Balanced-Rock Cove activities and sights, including the relationship to Pilot Rock, two positions along the water but separated by at least 1,500 yards on foot plus another cove on its other side.

We free-climbed to the summit of this 'hill' next to the Balanced-Rock. (blog 61.18) Cove visible from current position at Pilot Rock. Particularly enjoying viewing hikes from different positions, creating interesting perspectives allowing us to understand how the landscape fits together.

A set of reciprocal positions (next 2).

Jenni viewed from the peak, standing on the tiny island, surrounding by amazing sights in multi-colors. Whoever said deserts are boring?

Picture above taken from the peak shown below, one of us on ridge (the tiny one).

The fourth picture shows Jen coming down a mountain which puts Balanced-Rock between Pilot Rock and the mountain ahead. It's complicated but...(The mountain in front is where we stood overlooking Balanced-Rock, previous 2 pictures.)

I'd comment on this position and sight simply by stating: 'I love it'.

A window to a beautiful and rugged part of the world.

We tend to spend much of our hikes in this region doing 'up-and-overs'. We love them.

The 'Up-and-Overs' add to the excitement and increase distance/altitude gain.

Over the years, one develops priorities, favorite activities and even enjoyable activities that fall into disfavor. This occurs with locations, too, which we suppose is not surprising. Some humans develop habits which become almost addictive: Thus, they will tend to repeat visits to certain places or when still full of energy, undertake and repeat activities constantly. For example, a hiker may struggle with the same walk/climb on a regular basis. We met a person recently in Flagstaff who hikes a tough mountain daily. Perhaps he is more of an athlete in training.

Some people enjoy vacations on a regular basis at the same location, feeling part of that environment annually or however frequently they visit. We find we might feel that way for a while, but invariably, once our quota of places or hikes reaches a certain level, our ‘tanks’ are filled or satisfied, and we turn our backs on such places/activities and move forward. The part to avoid, for which I’m lacking in restraint, is not to praise the location extremely and then turn one’s back on it in the future. Are you listening, Jeffrey?

Truth be told, I have praised many places over the years, and I can’t recall turning my back on them yet, perhaps a couple I’ll mention should my memory clear before completion. Page, Sedona, Lake Havasu, Boulder City, Tonto Basin, Pamparova and Bansko in Bulgaria, Salt Lake City, various spots along the Drakensberg in South Africa, Andora, and others. Perhaps the one place that stands above all is actually a dynamic area, a place that has had more of an impact on my life than any other. It’s in fact dynamic, a moving area, if you will. Contradictory in a sense, it’s a group of locations that have commonality that bind them over many hundreds of miles (1,450). They are the many locations touched by the Colorado River, which flows through 7 states and ends up in Mexico, crossing the border in the opposite direction to most people. Clearly, it flows 'upstream' in a manner of speaking.

Wherever and whatever the Colorado touches, it seems to bring the area alive, filling it with color, breaking through rocks, forming deep canyons and crevasses, creating shapes, visions and sights that without experiencing it, the imagination would not be able to envisage such amazement. We’ve seen so many sights and sites, each unique, including many horseshoes as the river winds and wends through mountains, channels, always deserts, crevasses as mentioned, islands, lakes and so much more. I wish I had the ability to better describe this flow of water that beautifies every place it touches. It’s as if it has a magical touch, beautifying the land along its banks, providing sustenance for humans, fauna and flora while man has created along its path many dams and lakes.

Such places provide the obvious for our survival including electricity, food, sporting activities and perhaps its greatest gift of all (besides thirst quenching), the magnificent beauty that actually adds to the miracle of life. I don’t believe one can exaggerate the need to both stimulate and satisfy our senses which go to make life worth experiencing. I believe the river and its effect on the land plus all these less obvious benefits are an integral part of making our lives more meaningful and thus an essential ingredient to lifting the human spirit. After all, we are or should be more than just survivors who eat, sleep and work.

We know that whenever we are close to the Colorado and its environs, we are likely to feel our spirits lift, our visual senses magnified in beauty, our physical attributes tested and strengthened, our confidence in the future of the world bolstered and our lives made more meaningful. For those not wishing to make use of the many activities provided on/around/next to the river, sitting and gazing at it makes sense, too.

As an example, we are currently in the Lake Havasu region through which the river flows, linking the lake with Parker Dam at the California border to the south. Each day the water is likely to appear a different color, varying marine shades. Correction. Throughout the day its color will vary depending on the sun, wind, clouding and position of the viewer. As we move through and around the desert land, up and over the mounds, hills and mountains, we will catch glimspses of water and depending on reaching higher altitudes and plateaus, see major parts of the dam and river. We struggle to decide whether we are viewing the river or dam so we settle for both. The coves, inlets, jutting land and mountains create a border between water and land providing distinctive shapes and edges that we find stunning. Of course, the higher one stands, the more pronounced is the meeting of the land with water.

Height invariably provides fascinating perspectives of most natural features, and even human developments. It seems to shield the less attractive parts from the human eye, but rather, accentuate the natural form and distinctive aspects...read shapes, colors and other features while hiding the messy aspects. Add the trees, including palms, the various grasses, flora of varying colors into the mix, of course time of year is an important facet, and one is transported into another dimension. The best way to reach this realm, something well within the capability of many, we believe, is to take one step at a time and reach nirvana.

Hard to believe but we have been up-and-over this one a couple of times or more.