Journey to Rucker Lake

 It's too hot to ride, too hot to drive T-posts - so what better day for a refreshing trip to Rucker Lake, just over an hour's drive away? 

So, after a leisurely breakfast at Sandy's Cafe in Sunizona, we turned onto Rucker Canyon Road at the Border Patrol checkpoint and headed east. We'd already passed the orchards, the grain bins, the fields of towering corn north of Elfrida. 

Once we hit Rucker Canyon Road, the landscape began to shift back to rolling hills as we climbed out of the valley. Although we're full-on monsoon season right now, it's been a disappointing "Nonsoon" so far, and it's a parched land - but we hit water in a few creek crossings. 

Tree-lined verdant dirt roads shaded us, but the creek bed beneath this cool wooden bridge was dry. 

As we neared the canyon, the rock formations in this once-home of the Chiricahua Apache people began to resemble the famous spires of the Chiricahua Mountains. 

It was at Rucker Canyon on the White River that Lieutenant John "Tony" Rucker died on July 11, 1879 attempting to save his friend, Lieutenant Austin Henely, who was already in peril in the treacherous waters. Both men drowned; their bodies were recovered and returned to Fort Bowie, where they were interred (later to be moved back east). Camp Rucker, a temporary camp off of what is now Tex Canyon Road, was renamed to honor the popular Lt. Rucker, as is the canyon itself. 

The waters didn't rage today, though. The river bed was barely damp enough to breed mosquitos. 

The air, though, was pure and invigorating, the breeze carrying the fragrance of the juniper that shared the land with Emory oak, an occasional birch, and piñon. 

And then we were there: Rucker Lake! I was eager to slip my shoes off and wade into some cooling waters. It has been years since I've seen a lake. Desert people crave pools of water in ways normies might never understand. We parked at a pullout, not another soul to be seen ... and I hopped out of the car, camera in hand.

And there it is, in all its glory, in the two photos above: RUCKER LAKE! A small lake bed, surrounded by breathtaking views .... and utterly, devastatingly dry. Suffice it to say the fish were not biting. 

I feasted on the fragrant air, sipped from my bottle of ice water, and figured I'd just come back when we actually get some rain. The drive was beautiful. The scenery, exquisite. The area history, rich and tragic. And the lake ... a mirage. 

Above: Me, noticeably NOT dipping toes in lake water. 

If you go: Take Hwy 191 to Rucker Canyon Road (north of Elfrida); head east. Stay on the main road. The road dead-ends at a roadblock not far north of the lake bed, but there are hiking trails, camp sites (fees required), and plenty of parking pull-outs. Today is Sunday, and we saw one occupied campsite and one other vehicle near the canyon, so expect isolation and carry emergency water. The campgrounds feature bathroom facilities. During a normal monsoon season, expect arroyos and washes to run; don't cross flooded crossings. You wouldn't want a canyon to be named after you.

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