Tonto Natural Bridge

 September 2nd we headed up just past Payson to Tonto Natural Bridge.

It was beautiful! A little humid but beautiful.

 Its is a pretty steep hike down, but pretty easy and not very long.

 Once we got to the bottom the stream was muddy from all the rain we had been having.

 I had never been here and I thought it was just brilliant!

 Water coming off the top and a beautiful giant stone bridge to go under.

 Anyone who knows me knows I am kind on anti tennis shoe. I own a pair. I don't like to be hot so I like my toes to be free. It keeps me cool. I had brought my tennis shoes but had opted for my flippity flops instead. I got a few looks and even heard a lady whisper to her friend... "did you see her wearing flip flops?"

I managed just fine and would have been quite grumpy in wet hot tennis shoes. Lets also mention that I have a pretty wide foot. Not good for tennis shoes.

 Ashlynn

 Gunner

 ANdrew took the kids up and over this little ledge to go all the way through. It is very slippery and I'm not sure why they even let you do it, it seems like a falling hazard.

Ok I am afraid of heights too. I wasn't going to go. I was scared, plain and simple.

But then everyone was gone and I was sitting all alone.... So I decided to take the risk.

I took off my trusty flip flops for a better grip on the slippery travertine. At this point I had two back packs, so I was a little more bulky than usual. A nice young man carried one for me. Probably because I was shaking like a leaf and had a look of terror on my face.

 My heart was racing and I was pretty much crawling on my belly, I don't know how everyone else made it look so easy. It was not. I thought I was surely going to fall to my death!

I didn't.

 My family before they "walked" over the ledge to the other side. I don't know how, because I crawled.

 Ashlynn

 We headed back a different was following the stream back to the top.

 Rigdon loved hopping from rock to rock. I was pretty good at that  part myself.

He declared he was so good at it that he was going to be a professional hiker when he grows up.

We told him that could be an explorer.

 Mason, Rigdon, Sienna, Gunner, and Ashlynn.

 We made it back and even saw several familiar faces. I guess we werent' the only ones with the idea to do  a little hiking!

 After our adventure we stopped back in Payson and had some pizza! Don't want to waste all those calories we just burned off!