February 14, 2011 © Thomas J. Kollenborn. All Rights Reserved.
Sometime
near the end of my cowboy days at the Quarter Circle U Ranch I met this
young lady named Sharon. We were so much alike that I couldn’t believe
it. She loved the outdoors, the desert, hiking, horseback riding, and
most of all she loved me.
I had never met a person who
was genuinely enthralled with me. We met for the first time in October
of 1959. I was recovering from a severe injury I received while working
as a cowboy. Shortly after our first date we spent more time hiking in
the mountains and visiting old mines in the area than anything else. I
told her about running in the Apache Junction Lion’s Club Burro Derby in
1959,and she encouraged me to do it again in 1961 Burro Derby. Well I
wasn’t much better in that race either. As a matter of fact the burro
led me most of time in the 1961 race also. Our friendship was a very
strong relationship that continued to blossom based on our love for the
desert, Superstition Mountain and each other.
We hiked to Fremont Saddle to
enjoy the spectacular view of Weaver’s Needle. It took all my energy to
keep up with my new hiking partner. We continued to search out new
things to see in the Superstition Wilderness. Our hike to the Flat Iron
up Siphon Draw was a challenge, but it was also one our most interesting
outings.
We were married on June 23,
1961. I had a job and so did Sharon. However, as a young married couple
we had very little money. Neither of our parents had much money so there
was no big wedding with a paid Honeymoon. We both tried to think of
something we could do for our honeymoon that wouldn’t break our meager
savings account. Finally we decided to hike from Peralta Trailhead to
Canyon Lake on July 4, 1961. The trip is approximately fifteen miles,
however the average daytime temperature for July was about 105*F.
The idea sounded insane at
first, but we decided to follow the course of La Barge Canyon all the
way to the Canyon Lake. We departed Peralta Trailhead at 4:30 a.m. We
hiked up over to Bark’s Draw and took an old trail up to Linesbee’s Camp
at the base of Bluff Springs Mountain. Due to recent rains we found
plenty of water. Sharon and I stopped at Bluff Springs cabin and found
plenty of water at Bluff Spring’s tank. We then hiked down Bluff Spring
Canyon to La Barge Canyon and La Barge Spring. As we hiked down La
Barge Canyon we found shade quite often and plenty of water.
Yes, my friends it was hot,
but we were young and full of energy. We were in Marsh Valley by noon.
We stopped and ate lunch by a large pool of water just above the Lower
La Barge Box. Our hike through the box was slow and difficult because of
the big boulders, however when we exited the box we found a wonderful
pool of water to sit in and cool off.
We continued our hike down La
Barge Canyon past Chuck and Peggy Aylor’s old cabin on the west side of
the canyon. The hardest part of the hike was the climb out of La Barge
Canyon to the crest of the hill that looked down on Canyon Lake Marina
and Canyon Lake. Sharon led the way to the top of the hill. I wasn’t
sure I was going to make it, but she continued to encourage me. This was
the first time I really thought I was going to give up and sit down.
What an enduring hike up that hill it was. I will never forget it as
long as I live. I watched Sharon go over the crest as I lingered to rest
a moment. Finally I made it to the top. I think I was dehydrated and I
was out of water finally. Walking down hill I finally caught up with
Sharon and she shared some water with me. We made it to the Boulder
Creek Bridge and the end of our hike. What a matrimonial test this was.
At the end of the trip we were convinced we would be lifetime partners.
We will have been married fifty years on June 23, 2011.
The outdoor partnership has
lasted more than fifty years if you count it from the time we met. My
partner loved my cowboy persona, but encouraged and supported my desire
to attend the university. After graduation I remained in my profession
as an educator for thirty-five years. I loved teaching science and
teaching the history of the area with my partner always assisting and at
my side.
All
my success in life I must give to her because without her none of this
would have been possible. Yes, I have made mistakes in my life, but I
have recovered from them and continued down that straight and narrow
road. Yes, that hike from Peralta Trailhead to Canyon Lake was “my walk
into destiny.”
