The payoff for our early 7 AM meet-up time was that we all got to see the amazing lunar eclipse as we drove to our carpool meeting location!

The funny thing was, there was another group from the Sierra Club gathering in this same parking lot, also on their way to the Agua Fria National Monument area, but to Baby Canyon, just a few miles north of where we were going.

Prehistoric Etch-O-Sketch.

Looking north up the Agua Fria River.

We soon reached the junction of the Agua Fria River, which would essentially be our 'trail' for the duration of the hike. But before beginning on our riverbed journey, we paused to take in the views of the petroglyph panels. I saw maybe 50 symbols, but the trailhead info tells us there are at least 86 individual petroglyphs on the rock faces. We also checked out the metate and mano grinding stones that the local Perry Mesa Tradition Native Americans used to grind corn and seeds between about A.D. 1250 and 1450. Some folks speculate that this location was a gateway to the river and may have been seen as a place of special power and significance. The scenic views both up and down the river are spectacular from this point.

We did not, however, find the remnants of the arrastra tool that miner William Perry used to mine gold back in 1878 (a stone-lined circular pit with groove patterns on the flat stone slabs from crushing the ore). A challenge for another day, perhaps. With Perry Mesa (named after William Perry) across the river to the east, and Black Mesa to the west, we took the southward route down the Agua Fria River. The river bed was mostly dry on this visit, which made the boulder hopping a bit easier. There were pools of water here and there, some with ice sheets starting to form.

The boulders were mostly granite and also some lava, all polished smooth from the water that usually flows through here. It is always amazing to see the result of the forces of water erosion on huge slabs of granite – sinuous undulating shapes which are quite artistic.

On a spring day, you'd be throwing them an inner tube ...

Our large group became pretty spread out, as we each traversed the boulders at varying speeds in our own ways. Some concentrated on how to best maneuver the stepping stones, while others went in search of interesting trail treats and treasures.

A few kinks in the plumbing system ...

A colorful South view down the Agua Fria.

Turns out, (according to a hiking book at the gift shop in Rock Springs) those pipes were part of the system of the former Richinbar Mining operation, which was situated some 700 feet above us on top of Black Mesa. We could have easily stayed out all day exploring the area, but this was our advertised turnaround point, so we headed back to the trailhead.

Besides, the pie at Rock Springs Café was calling our name...

An eclipse of the moon was going on right before me as I drove to I-17 & Bell for Wendy Rennert’s hike along the Agua Fria River. The hike was delightful, in a boulder-strewn river bed with colorful scenery along the way.