DESTINATION

Club. It is not hard to imagine flappers doing the foxtrot on the concrete dance floor above the turbine-powered generators.

That image and rich history influenced the renovation of Arizona Falls by the Salt River Project, the city of Phoenix and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. The $6 million WaterWorks atArizona Falls transformed a largely forgotten industrial facility into a work of art.

Boston artists Lajos Heder and Mags Harries and landscape architects Steve Martino and Allison Colwell designed the project.

The WaterWorks' main deck is textured with impressions of cattails and reeds. Boulders from the five dams on the Salt River - Granite Reef, Stewart Mountain, Mormon Flat, Horse Mesa and Roosevelt - protrude like small mountains Among more immutable poetry by Rios: “The water of the river, it is in our tongues, so that when we speak there's a little river in our words.” Above the falls and beyond the debris grates lurk white amurs, weed-eating fish that keep the Arizona Canal clean. Catfish, largemouth bass and native sucker fish have also entered over the electric fish barriers at Granite Reef Dam. The barriers permit downstream fish travel, but prevent the white amur from entering the Salt River.

Next to the main deck lies a covered dance floor where solar-powered ceiling fans and the play of light and shadow inspire a cha-cha state of mind. Steps lead down to the Water Room where a pair of overhead aqueducts release curtains of water on both sides of the cool space. More water weeps down a facade of industrial icons, shafts and gears. A spinning turbine provides power to 150 homes. In the process, gravity's dog even puts in a day's work.

{hike of the month} Lazing Lizards Keep a Sharp Eye on Snowshed Trail Trekkers

THE LIZARD DOZING on a sun-warmed rock suddenly explodes into motion, startling me as much as I startle it. I like seeing lizards, and must admit I even enjoy being spooked once in a while. So I resolve to keep my eyes open and savor the surprises on my hike on the Snowshed Trail as it winds up and out of Cave Creek Canyon in the Chiricahua Mountains of southeastern Arizona. Surprise, after all, compels the inquisitive hiker.

The adventure begins at an opening in a barbed-wire fence near the trailhead marker at the Cave Creek bridge crossing about a half mile east of the Southwestern Research Station on Cave Creek Road. Three steps off the pavement onto the rock-strewn dirt trail yields the first surprise. A 4-inch long, cryptically colored common tree lizard cocks its head and, with a vigilant eye, monitors my passing. Whether clinging to the bark of an Emory oak or resting on a lichen-covered granite boulder, this tiny dinosaurlike reptile is nearly invisible.

A little farther, the swift dart of a striped plateau lizard from beneath a clump of bunch grass draws my gaze to another discovery. Large bear scat, complete with manzanita berries and the bits of bone and fur of some unlucky critter, prove that I'm not the only omnivore using this trail.

After about 2 miles of gradual incline, the trail begins to steepen as oaks and ponderosa pines fight for dominance. A clearing in the forest reveals a spectacular view of craggy, burntorange colored cliffs and the prominent spire of Cathedral Rock.

At mile 5, near 7,578-foot Pine Park, Snowshed Trail and Basin Trail intersect. Should I stay on Snowshed Trail for another 3.5 miles where it tops out on Snowshed Peak, or loop back down the mountain 2.8 miles on Basin Trail to Herb Martyr Road? A few steps up Snowshed, I discover fresh mountain lion scat. This pile of biological information also contains hair Short gray hair. Hair like mine! I choose the Basin Trail.

This is a wise choice for three reasons: First, taking the Basin Trail makes a leisurely 8-mile loop hike. Second, I see a collared lizard sporting its bright yellow, green and red breeding costume zealously guarding its rock. And third, I can run faster downhill should I discover a hungry bear or lion on my tail.

When back down to the floor of Cave Creek Canyon, the trail crosses the middle fork of Cave Creek where sycamores and cottonwoods shade weary hikers. A boulder along the bank makes for an excellent lounge chair while I soak my tired feet.

Content and relaxed, I suddenly hear something behind me rustling in the fallen leaves. I turn quickly, but see nothing. Again, rustling. I imagine something big and hungry. Short, gray hair in scat comes to mind.

Suddenly a miniature dragon in the form of a 10-inch-long alligator lizard bursts forth from underneath the duff, revealing an abnormality seldom seen in nature-two tails.

Now, that's a surprising lizard. Alligator