The White Tanks

     Last weekend, we drove a few miles to the White Tank Mountains to take our family's first hike in Arizona!  At Christmas, I got Matt a little pocket book of easy day hikes in the Phoenix area.  We decided to hike the "Waterfall Hike" and enjoy some time in the desert mountains.  The hike was definitely an easy hike - 2 miles total, elevation gain of 180 feet, paved all but the last 300 yards - and it gave Audrey a chance to stretch her legs and hike a bit of it herself.  We brought the Kelty Pack for her, just in case (she did prefer to ride, and who can blame her).  I carried Claire in our Ergo carrier, but we let her hike around at the waterfall and at the end of our hike.  She and Audrey finished the hike hand in hand!
     The waterfall itself was exactly what we figured it would be as a waterfall in the desert - the rocks were damp and there was a near stagnant pool below it!  In my pictures below, you might actually miss the waterfall if you aren't looking for it.  It's the photo of gray rocks with a wet streak down the middle!  On our way back from the waterfall, we looked for all of the different types of cactuses (which we knew by name, thanks to an informational sign at the beginning of the hike) and saw some petroglyphs on the rocks.  The day was beautiful, and both girls loved the hike.  We are excited to get in a few more hikes before it really heats up around here!