“Meganormous!!!”

“Unbelievable! The size of these!” Don exclaimed as we examined the large manzanitas. Used to seeing small- to medium-size manzanita bushes in the Southwest terrain, we were enchanted by the discovery of the large manzanita trees. Finding the massive manzanita forest, gracing the remote mountain top with its mysterious beauty, was intriguing and yet perplexing. Why had we not heard of these beauties on this mountain peak before? How could such a treasure be unknown to us?

And our discovery? Completely by accident. Don and I were scouting for our upcoming camping trip with family. Because of a forecast of rain, we wanted to make sure we would be able to get our travel trailer in and out of the isolated area safely. While we are accustomed to camping in a tent, we thought it might be nice to have the security of the travel trailer since we were camping with our grandchildren.

We located a great spot for parking our travel trailer, but we noticed there was NO cell phone service. Because at times this is a safety concern, we decided to hike up the adjacent hill to see if at the top we would be able to acquire a cell phone signal. While not the best spot for phone conversation, the hilltop proved to be a magnificent find of Mother Nature’s unusually large specimens of manzanita. Stepping into what felt like a fairyland of mesmerizing trees, the excitement of our discovery carried us into a hiker’s delight, feeling exhilarated and blessed by such a rare find.  

And what blessings! The manzanita has many, many uses, medicinal and otherwise. Being hardy by nature, the manzanita can thrive in poor soil, drought, and harsh conditions, perhaps being the perfect choice for landscaping in the arid Southwest. Boasting a lovely red-orange bark, twisted branches with green leaves and red berries, the manzanita is often used for decorative purposes, a florist’s cheerful addition to floral arrangements.

But perhaps more important than its outer beauty is manzanita’s wealth of medicinal properties long used by Native Americans: from chewing the leaves without swallowing to treat cramps and aches, to creating a poultice from the leaves to treat skin irritations or headache, to crushing the berries into a cider to treat stomach, lung, and kidney maladies. Native Americans also infused the leaves to brew an herbal tea, thereby insightfully developing a panacea to treat a multitude of conditions such as skin rashes, colds, diarrhea, and mild urinary tract infections. This tree is a blessing from nature!

Campers, too, can receive benefit from the manzanita tree. Its wood, when used as firewood, burns very hot and for a longer duration than other woods. However, because of the high temperature from burning the dense wood, precautions should especially be made to supervise campfires.

Back to our camping trip. Traveling on the Houston Mesa Road (Forest Service Road 199) north of Payson, we turned left on Forest Service Road 64 (Control Road) to Forest Service Road 436. Taking a northerly tangent off the dirt road approximately one mile, we found a magnificent camping location in the Tonto National Forest, where we again encountered the giant manzanita trees on an uphill hike.

In addition to large manzanita trees, our camping trip revealed many of nature’s other blessings, one of the greatest of which is, perhaps, the peacefulness. Our camping spot was located near a seasonal spring. Following a short hike, we heard Mother Nature’s melodies as clear, mountain water splashed, trickled, and flowed around and over the granite rocks. So peaceful was this place, we took our coffee and hot chocolate in the crisp morning air to sit on the huge boulders by the stream, rejoicing in the serenity of the start of a new camping day.

Another joy of camping and being out in nature is that everyone becomes a kid at heart. Our grandchildren rejoiced in the freedom of running through the juniper and pine trees, laughing and playing. Watching Dixie, Ella, and Lee giggle with glee, seeing them learning to explore nature with the curiosity of a child, and hearing them laugh as they dipped little toes into the chilling water of the seasonal spring will always be a treasure to my heart and hopefully to theirs as well.

And we bigger kids enjoyed watching our marshmallows brown on the end of our long camping fork, held carefully over the flickers of the campfire, in anticipation of a gooey treat of a s’more. Delicious! (Unfortunately, I do not have the patience and burn my marshmallow every time; needless to say, no one else will let me brown their marshmallow.) 

A further blessing derived from camping in nature is the enjoyment of conversing with family members and creating special memories in the heart for many years to come. Making percolated coffee, apple strudel in the Dutch oven, and bacon over the open fire is priceless in both taste and remembrance.

As Thanksgiving is quickly approaching, may you feel the peacefulness that camping in the outdoors brings. In your explorations, may you find enchantment and exhilaration that we found in the manzanita forest. May you drink your coffee or hot chocolate in total serenity as you are happily anticipating the beginning of a new day; and may the blessings of nature be generously bestowed to you and yours. Happy Thanksgiving! Blessings!