Spruce Mountain

This is a beautiful shot of the Prescott area taken from the Spruce Mountain Fire Lookout. My parents and I decided to go for a picnic and afternoon drive today. We went through Groom Creek and drove up to the top of Spruce Mountain. We ate our awesome lunch at the top and then we hiked up to the Fire Lookout. It was really neat to meet the Park Ranger and to have her explain a little of what she does in the tower. The view was amazing and surreal. I was impressed with the little living quarters that she had and cannot even imagine being able to sleep up there. Her bed was covered with a Smokey The Bear blanket and was right up against the big windows that looked over the valley. Can you imagine watching the sunset at dusk or watching the sunrise in the morning. Wow!I loved the 360 degree view of the mountains and beautiful pines. These pictures really don't do it justice at all. Anyway... it was nice to see the view and learn about what this particular Forest Ranger does to protect nature in this beautiful part of Arizona.