Vicky finds all of the dirt roads in Arizona

Today was an adventure in driving.

Vicky has done hours of research on places to camp and hike. She does this when I drive, and when I am making myself upset by reading about the fiscal cliff.

Want a cliff to really worry about? Drive on the winding mountain dirt roads that Vicky finds for us to travel on.

Today there were about 35 miles of these.

Tonight we are staying at Rose Creek Campground in the Tonto National Forest. Along the way we stopped at two ranger stations for information on campgrounds and hikes. Whether we get useful information at these stations is usually a hit or miss proposition. We got tons of maps and so on today from the Pleasant Valley Ranger Station in Young, AZ. The best descriptions of any place we have visited. Kudos to them.

We wanted a campsite with a pit toilet. Seems like a low bar, huh? There are several nice places to camp around here if we had a shovel, if you get my drift. But we don't.

So we need a pit toilet. One with toilet paper would be nice, too.

Rose Creek Campground must not be a hot destination spot this time of year. We are the only people here. Shortly after we arrived, however, we heard the retort of a gun, so know we are not alone. That's comforting.

Earlier in the day, at a different ranger station, I noticed something on the counter called a Tonto National Forest Upgrade Pass. "Upgrade?" Does this mean we get to go into campgrounds before other people and get the best sites?

No. It means we have to pay more in the Tonto National Forest for access to things that you don't have to pay extra for in other national forest we have visited. So even though we have a Golden Age Pass (we, but probably not you, ha ha, are at a "golden" age), we still have to pay daily usage fees at some places in the Tonto National Forest.

Ah. But which places you are undoubtedly asking yourself. Well, the kind folks at the Tonto National Forest who brought you more fees also conveniently bring you a SIX PAGE description of the pass, and where it applies or does not. It was so confusing that we'd decided what the hell and spent $15 for a one-year one just so Mr.Tonto wouldn't fine us if we happened to find ourselves somewhere on that six pages where it says we have to have it.

So here we are tonight in a totally empty campground in the Tonto National Forest, one with no running water or trash receptacles (but with a pit toilet which we have decided we are too afraid to even look at tonight so will wait until tomorrow so we can see if we even have to), and we have no idea if we need this frickin' "Upgrade" thingy. It is sitting in the car somewhere.

Tomorrow we hike.