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Enjoy the show. It was early spring 2016 and I had just turned 24 years old.

My friend and I had just reached our most frequent camping spot, Black Canyon Rim Campgrounds,

just outside of Payson, Arizona.

We usually travel there two or three times each year.

It has some incredible views, and is only a couple of hours away from the city.

For the most part, this area was pretty secluded.

In the immediate area, there's a privately owned convenience store a few miles away. Other than that, the closest

small town is about 20 miles away. The entrance to the campground was on a dirt road directly

off of the highway. It's indicated with a campground sign at the start of the road, which also

displays information regarding local wildlife, any fire

hazards, and general news that may be relevant to camping folk. The pathing is mostly linear,

with maybe one fork spanning several miles. We once traveled down the dirt road to see how far

it would take us. One of the paths would take you

to another highway entrance, with a ranger's tower about halfway there. The other path led to a dead

end. An abandoned cabin can be found on this path a few miles in. It's mostly hidden in the distance

behind some dense foliage.

The snow had mostly cleared up at this point, leaving crisp air and a slight chill as fauna became active.

We usually spot some wild horses, several deer, and tons of little critters whenever we'd come out this way.

Spring was the perfect time of year for a relaxing trip to get away from the city for a few days.

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