Fickled Finger of Fate

Here's another view of the altered limestone outcrop above AZ's Copper Canyon and I-17. This view is looking west, towards 5,089' Pinto Mesa, which lies in the central section of Arizona's Black Hills. Pinto Mesa, which stands above the southbound lanes of I-17, is ringed with a "basalt cap" which is a very common sight in this part of Arizona. There is no trail leading to this outcrop, and I took a rather nasty fall on the way back down to my vehicle. Access is obtained by way of the Oasis and Copper Canyon roads, the latter entirely in dirt. If you click on "zoom mode," you can see both the southbound (to Phoenix) and northbound (to Flagstaff) lanes of Interstate 17. Who knows, YOU could have been on the freeway as I snapped this photo. September 18, 2008