PainterWoman

Granite Dells, Prescott, Arizona

Thursday, 9. July 2009, 18:38:16

Am hoping to take a short drive one day this weekend to Granite Dells in Prescott, Arizona. The few photos I'm about to show are from quite a few years ago when I went to an outdoor jazz concert. Can't find my photos of the concert itself but did find the ones I took after we hiked about half a mile from the park to the lake where tall granite rocks jut out of the water. This day, several daredevils were jumping into the water. You can see how low the water level was.

Here, you can see where the level is when we've gotten a good amount of rain and snow runoff. However, since we've been in a drought for 10 or twelve years, the level is probably even lower than in my photos.

Do not try this.

This man was doing alot of thinking first.

Finally, after about fifteen minutes he jumped.

This man that did so much thinking first before he jumped, needed help getting up out of the water. He was able to swim to the beach, but getting up, he could hardly stand. I thought he'd hit rocks but actually, he'd fallen up top on the other side where you can't see. His knee was so swollen and bloody, it looked like he'd broken it. As I helped him to his car, he told me why he took so long before jumping. He'd broken both legs hitting rocks below a few years before at this very same spot. He felt he needed to get over his fears.

This is something I would never do. The water is dark. You cannot see where those rocks are.

San Diego's a No GoHow adorable is this?

Comments

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der Wandersmann # 9. July 2009, 18:50

Them guys is DUMB! Especially the one who already got hurt jumping off.

Jeeze!

PainterWoman # 9. July 2009, 19:00

I agree. Let's say each guy is 6 ft. tall. My estimation is that the jump is about 40 feet.

Linda # 9. July 2009, 19:40

Nuts to that! Stupid people. Pam, that link you gave---did you see the figure of a woman carved naturally in the rocks? The boulder on top-head; below is boobs, she is sitting and to the left of boobs are her legs. Alternatively, she is standing with bare torso and belly button showing, and down below is legs. See if you can find the image. It jumped out at me.

PainterWoman # 9. July 2009, 19:45

Yes, I saw it. I sorta figured she was sitting there watching over all who took the plunge. I also see hands and feet all along the bottom.

PainterWoman # 9. July 2009, 19:47

Or, I should say long fingers and a big foot right by the kayak.

Allan # 9. July 2009, 21:27

These are the same sort of people who'd be going 150 mph on a curved road with no chance of seeing what coming ahead of them - except in this case they'll only hurt themselves if they are unlucky.

Darko # 9. July 2009, 22:12

I guess grey stripes show what is usual water level there so jumping from that height to a dark low level water with rocks inside is very stupid. Very!!!
This is a bit different than usual Arizona landscape I remember from movies and photos

Have you ever visited Barringer crater?

Huong Lan # 9. July 2009, 23:18

Dangerous game! But I enjoy the photos, Pam.

Dacotah # 10. July 2009, 00:43

No worries, I'd never try that.

Angeliki # 10. July 2009, 00:44

ouch!

I am officially a chicken now!

thanks Pam,
a great post!
I hope you take the trip and you have an amazing time!

Next week I am going to Washington DC for a few days, we always can share experiences...

Wild Nature VS politicians

PainterWoman # 10. July 2009, 01:02

Allan: Yes, I think these guys are what you describe. I held my breath each time one jumped, then waited for him to surface.

Darko: Very stupid indeed. That photo is of Sedona, AZ and very similar to the photos I took although the mountains are more reddish/orange than in my photos. The mountain on the right is called Teapot Hill (a hill?) because it looks like an old fashioned cowboy teapot.

And yes, I've been to Barringer Crater but it was many years ago.

Lan: Very definitely a dangerous game. Glad you liked the photos.

Carol: Nope, I sure wouldn't either and I'm glad we never went here when the kids were younger because my son might have been one of those guys jumping!

Angeliki: Am looking forward to it. The drive to Prescott is only about an hour, then to the Dells and the lake about another half hour. It is expected to be 115F this weekend and won't be much cooler in Prescott so I doubt I'll be doing much hiking unless I get there at 8 in the morning.

Angeliki # 10. July 2009, 02:23

I hope you take many pictures Pam,
pictures and drink lots of water!
115F will keep me at home! you are a a brave woman! wear sunscreen too!

OK one mom advices the other

I know that
you do know all these already !

PainterWoman # 10. July 2009, 02:31

Sunscreen for sure and long sleeves and a big straw hat.

If I get a late start, I may just hang out in Prescott which is a charming old town with lots of little funky shops to brows through. Then maybe have lunch at the Peacock Room or some other newly discovered place.

Dacotah # 10. July 2009, 03:25

Pam, good thing you didn't go there than when the kids were little.

Darko # 10. July 2009, 05:13

Barringer Crater is one of the places I would like to see in this World. Along with Stonehenge and Easter islands

studio41 # 10. July 2009, 06:17

oh dear! I don't think I'd jump even in clear water-- not anymore anyway... I have developed 'healthy' fears shall we say

poor guy.

Ricardo # 10. July 2009, 15:20

You know, sometimes when people are scare, accidents happen to them.

Thanks Pam, you took amazing pictures.

PainterWoman # 10. July 2009, 15:23

Thanks TDK. That's probably why I would never do this. I'm very scared.

Zulia # 11. July 2009, 08:59

Arrgh *faints
Even reading this I got vertigo! But that place looks great.

PainterWoman # 11. July 2009, 15:11

Carol: That's for sure.

Darko: I'll bet it was 45 years ago when I saw Barringer Crater. It was just called Meteor Crater back then. I wonder if it was bought by a Barringer. I remember being with my mom and dad and my dad, sister and brother were the only ones who wanted to hike down to the bottom. It looks small in pictures but in actuality, it is huge.. Would love to see it again.

Jill: I have a fear of water where you can't see the bottom. A pool I would jump into.

Zulia: I get vertigo when I climb too high on my extension ladder when I trim my trees. I climb up and down veeeeerrry slowly.

Graham: Thanks Graham. Since you like going up, do you rappelle (sp?) down? I wouldn't go up at all because getting down is the hard part for me. I remember at the age of around 12 I used to climb trees. Once I went about 15 feet up, then froze, clinging to the tree. They had to get someone to gently talk me down. Never climbed a tree again.

PainterWoman # 11. July 2009, 15:39

Just looked up rappelle: "A descent of a vertical surface, as a cliff or wall, by sliding down a belayed rope that is passed under one thigh and over the opposite shoulder or through a device that provides friction, typically while facing the surface and performing a series of short backward leaps to control the descent."

There are hundreds of places in Arizona where you can do this.

Now that video actually looked fun and the hill not so rocky. I wouldn't mind trying that.

der Wandersmann # 11. July 2009, 17:46

Hmmm ... it was Cañon Diablo Crater when I was a kid. That was the proper name, but the custom of calling features of interest by the name of the nearest post office stuck, and it became popularly known as Meteor Crater, from the town of Meteor, Arizona. I visited back in '48, I think ... the curator was a very interesting scientist named H.H. Nininger, who wrote a book which was for sale in the little museum on the rim. I bought the book, but damned if I know where it's got to. It was called Our Stone-Pelted Planet, and it was really very good.

It's a particularly spectacular thing, one of the best on earth; the dryness of the climate having preserved it probably the best of any astrobleme on the planet.

PainterWoman # 11. July 2009, 18:02

dW: It was probably late 50s, early 60s when I went with my family.

There is a small lake called Stoneman Lake just south of Sedona (or is that north) that is almost a perfect circle. There is speculation that it was a crater first, then filled with water from runoff. However, some scientists say it is a sinkhole. First time I saw it 20 yrs ago, it was a beautiful dark blue lake. Last time, there was no water at all.

B. Mazumder # 11. July 2009, 18:49

oh dear this looks almost suicidal!!

PainterWoman # 11. July 2009, 19:14

Doesn't it though? Apparently, some people had been swimming under water to see if there were rocks. I still wouldn't take the chance.

B. Mazumder # 11. July 2009, 19:33

swimming under the water is one thing, diving from so high without knowing where the rocks might be positioned is another!!

Edward Piercy # 12. July 2009, 00:53

Don't worry. I won't try it.

I'm afraid of heights.

And the fact that I can't swim might be a problem also.

Edward Piercy # 12. July 2009, 00:54

Oh and PS, great action photos!

PainterWoman # 12. July 2009, 01:03

Symphonied: I think they are just a little nuts.

Ed: Thanks. I can at least swim but am not very strong and I'm afraid of heights too.

Suntana # 12. July 2009, 03:31

I've jumped off of the 10-foot Diving Board at a swimming pool and THAT's scary enough. And that was into clear, non-rock-riddled.

I also did something very stupid once. Back in High School, there was this trampoline. Next to it was this scaffolding thing. I dared this guy to jump off of it onto the trampoline. It was about 10-feet high. The guy got up there, but was very reluctant to jump. I believe I eventually ridiculed him so much

that he jumped. It went without incident.

Then the guy dared ME to do it. I was like, "FINE! I'll show you there's nothing to be afraid of." Once I got up there on the scaffolding ... Whoa! Day-Um! It was quite a different view from up there. Downright scary!

After some hesitation and trying to weasel out of it, I finally jumped. I hit the trampoline and bounced off to the side. I managed to grab onto the trampoline's edge and someone nearby happened to somewhat catch me. Otherwise, I might have landed very hard on the Gym floor.

PainterWoman # 12. July 2009, 03:54

Carlos, I think you were darn lucky. I've seen a few videos of those kinds of daredevil jumps onto trampolines. Some kids were jumping off the roof of a house onto one and one of the kids bounced sideways right into a fence. Another kid bounced up really high then came down hard stradling the side of the trampoline. OUCH!

Have never jumped off the hi-dive. And after a failed semester of trampoline during one semester in college many years ago, I never go on trampolines.

Linda # 12. July 2009, 04:11

What Edward said. No heights, no swim.

Darko # 12. July 2009, 07:07

I swim pretty good and like to bi in water but jumping from heights is not my game. I never tried it and probably never will

Linda # 12. July 2009, 07:15

Dare, as tall as you are, that would be the wise thing to do. 6'3" of Dare jumping into the water from that high up would make a very deep dive.

Darko # 12. July 2009, 07:24

Yes, I know

B. Mazumder # 12. July 2009, 08:33

i cant swim and that alone must make it seem insane for me to dive into the dark waters from such a height!

daxonmacs # 13. July 2009, 04:36

Nice pictures. They reminid me of my summer vacations in Yugoslavia in the mid eighties as a kid and sure enough, we went jumping from the rocks as well. The water is much clearer there, though.

Darko # 13. July 2009, 05:09

@daxonmacs - I supposed you`ve been somewhere in Dalmatia, do you remember where was it? This part of Adriatic sea is just beautiful

daxonmacs # 13. July 2009, 05:15

I was in Makarska, a bit further - from here - than Split is and a bit before Dubrovnik. It is indeed a wonderful area.

Darko # 13. July 2009, 06:10

When I was a kid, I spent most of my summer holidays in Croatia - at northern part, near port Rijeka and in surrounding mountain area. I hope you had an opportunity to visit islands, they are magnificent

daxonmacs # 13. July 2009, 06:20

Yes we did, we visited Hvar and a lot of cities more or less nearby, Dubrovnik, Mostar, Krk, Plitvice, all beautiful places.

Linda # 13. July 2009, 06:27

And I can't even pronounce them.

daxonmacs # 13. July 2009, 06:40

I tried speaking a bit but it was too complicated to start a real life converstaion. Also there were a lot of different dialects, at the time, Serbian, Croatian, ...
I could count to ten and say Hvala

Funny that I still remember it, after more than 20 years.

Darko # 13. July 2009, 10:06

It was the only time you have been in Adriatic sea? You should go again, a lot of things has changed since. And my recommendation would be islands, Hvar is probably the most beautiful but it would be a great idea to visit Brač, Vis or Pag

Darko # 13. July 2009, 10:08

Pam, sorry for going off topic on your property

daxonmacs # 13. July 2009, 10:19

Actually, I was there twice and I did visit Brac as well.
Shortly after, the civil war broke loose and the country got divided.
I do however want to go back there, I liked it a lot, the food ( cevapcici

) and the weather and the people.

Darko # 13. July 2009, 10:26

Just wanted to ask if you tried the most famous Balkan brand

daxonmacs # 13. July 2009, 10:32

I'm not sure I know what brand or product you're talkng about. I did try slivovic and juliska though.

Darko # 13. July 2009, 10:43

Ćevačići and šljivovica, but I am not sure what is "juliska"

daxonmacs # 13. July 2009, 10:49

I don't have this accents on my keyboard

Yes Juliska is based on sljivovica, if memory serves me well, it's drunk as an appetiser and contains a pear based liquor.
Goes in sweet and then shows the devil's tail

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