Miller Peak with Sadie

Ellen and I and a few of her friends are doing a Grand Canyon hike in two weeks. Saturday was a training hike with Stephane and his dog Supai. Weather was hot, dry and windy; not an ideal day for such a long hike. While other shelter volunteers manned a both at the West End Fair, I hiked with an old friend. I am still working on balancing my love of the outdoors with my love for photography and animals.

We got started at the Montezuma Pass trailhead (6575') at 7:35am. Sadie and Supai hit it off right away.

And then the two-mile hike up the exposed southern section began. It kicked my butt right away, so I opted to be in the rear to take breaks. Had I really lost my conditioning that fast? While I was able to get my rhythm going steady by the time we reached the wilderness boundary, we took lots of water breaks for ourselves and the dogs.

The entire range looked surprisingly dry, despite the wet winter we had. Our recent dry heat had already dried up the vegetation, so that all I saw everywhere were shades of grey, brown and black. The only flowers I saw were lupines, although there were new pines along the Crest Trail for a next generation of trees.

It was a gusty day all around. The entire horizon was hazy, offering a rather dull vista. San Jose Peak was barely visible today.

Sadie and Supai stayed together for most of the hike. They genuinely liked one another. They had hiked before a few times. Supai, being part Retriever, part Sharpei, is one lucky dog, having followed Stephane as he was returning from a long Grand Canyon hike from Havazu Falls. This dog will then return with Stephane and his young family to Canada, his homeland.

We met several people along the way, including an older man on his descent who appeared a little delirious. He was dressed in a heavy wind jacket and gloves. He'd started the ascent at 4:00am with a flashlight and it was now approaching 11am. Stephane caught him walking down an "illegal" trail, and got him back on the correct route.

We made it to the peak before noon. It was breezy up there! We huddled along the old foundation of a lookout tower as the two dogs sat around and begged for treats. This was Stephane's first ascent of Miller Peak.

Stephane took the lead on the descent. He wanted to be back early for his anniversary meal. Sadie, however, started showing heat exhaustion symptoms with three miles to go, and I had to keep stopping to offer her more water and let her rest in the shade. Ellen left to meet up with Stephane since they were driving together and I didn't want them waiting. The last three miles took me two hours. I was back home by 3:30pm.

This is the first time I've seen Sadie so exhausted after this hike. Is she getting too old for these long hikes? Was the heat too much? Is her epilepsy causing her side effects like sensitivity to sunlight?

Along the River

Another wasted weekend. I had planned on taking Sadie and Minnie along the five-mile loop in Brown Canyon this afternoon, but Zeke insisted on going and pushed his way to the van. Fine, I thought, but now I must change my plans. Since he lacks trail etiquette I knew the Brown Canyon trail was a no-go and opted instead for the shorter but safer trail along the San Pedro River near the Hereford bridge. I hadn't been here in a while and the dogs would enjoy the water.

It was still rather hot when we got out of the van at 5:20pm. We had at least two hours before we'd lose sunlight, but I hadn't planned on being out that long. I had a flashlight packed in my bag just in case.

The dogs were happy to get out and run. Sadie and Minnie are getting their neighborhood walks but Zeke gets left behind. So tonight was his fun night. Sadie stayed by my side.

We weren't on the trail for long when I spotted a coyote run across the field. Then I saw a second one. The dogs took off running in the general area of the coyotes, and when they did, a herd of javalina came sprinting out of the weeds. Were the coyotes stalking the javalina? All three dogs took off running, and all the animals disappeared behind a knoll to the west: coyotes, javalinas and dogs. My yells proved fruitless. At least the dogs were in a pack and the coyotes wouldn't take them and neither would the javalina. Barks and snorts came from behind dark shrubs; I couldn't see any action. Were any of my dogs going to get injured? Crap.

The javalina fled and didn't come back. Neither did the coyotes. But my dogs were also silent. A few more screams and eventually all three came prancing back to me. There were no injuries on any of them, although Minnie had a frothy mouth and was panting. They were lucky this time.

The river was a mile away across an open field. Tall dry weeds were on either side of me, which the dogs avoided. The sun's light was casting a golden hue on the dead flora, making this area look like the typical Southwestern ranch land it really is.

I stopped at the river for them to drink, watching the waning sun slowly reach the crest of the mountain range. They let me know when they had had enough. For Zeke that meant diving into the water several times and getting completely wet. We walked another mile south before turning around and going the same way we came, stopping one more time for water.

Unlike other early springs of past years, I didn't notice a gypsy moth infestation on the ash and cottonwoods along the river. Had the late freezes killed off the larvae? Usually by now the catepillars are falling off the trees. I am not complaining, though.

Our little hike in solitude lasted just 90 minutes. This was a good choice for me today although I didn't get much of a work-out. I walked a trail popular with equestrians but today no horses gave me company. Their hoofmarks and scat littered the trail.

Two deer scammered across the path on our return walk, but luckily the dogs didn't notice.

Thus ended a rather peaceful weekend doing nothing much.

Walking the dogs in the neighborhood

This afternoon I did something I used to do much more often: I walked with three of the dogs on the three-mile course around the neighborhood. Sammy, Sadie and Minnie were the dogs I took today, if only to give Sadie some exercise to burn off her restlessness. She didn't pull or bark at any of the other dogs, in fact, she was at her best ever on-leash. Sammy followed along, but it was Minnie that barked at all the other dogs.

I can't remember the last time I walked the dogs on the course. Nothing has changed since I last walked it. We have new neighbors across the street moving in, and there are always a few other homes up for sale. Some of the dogs that used to go ballistic at my dogs are no longer around, but nothing major has changed at all. The corner house across from us, that was once home to a Mexican family, remains vacant and has been vacant for six months.

Weather is starting to warm up again. The trees have grown their leaves and the air is drying up. There's a lot of dust in the air again; even our air filters can't keep up.

Upper Bear Mine on the Lutz Canyon Trail

My plan to bag Miller Peak via the Lutz Canyon trail today was not to be. I hadn't yet hiked up this trail to the Crest Trail since the fire. This is the shortest but also steepest way to get to Miller Peak.

The Lutz Canyon trail was badly damaged after the fire and floods of late 2011. Flash floods have torn a wider creek bed, and many dead trees still line the path. Subsequent monsoons can continue to wreck havoc on the lower trail. The old mining trail is now an ankle-twisting rock bed in many parts. What was once unnavigable after the summer of 2011 is now passable; many other hikers have re-treaded the trail so that the original path is obvious once again. Heavy rockslides and debris had hidden the trail on earlier attempts to ascend the trail toward Miller Peak. When strong winds blow, ash still blows in the wind. There are no shaded areas along the entire climb up the Crest Trail, 3.7 miles uphill. What trees there were are now charred stalks.


I had taken Sadie, Minnie and Zeke with me on this hot and exposed trail. Sadie started showing signs of heat exhaustion half-way up the trail. She started acting delirious at the two-mile mark. She'd hide off-trail in whatever little shade she could find in the new growth of young scrub oaks. That's when I realized she needed out of the heat and extra water. She didn't want to come when I called her. I was able to coax her to go as far as Upper Bear Mine, two switchbacks away, where I knew Mexicans crossing illegally would have left some water after resting inside the mine. The open mine is used for border crossers to rest for the night, and the trash down the entire length of the mine is proof it's still heavily used. One sees the many black plastic bags (which the border crossers use as sleeping bags at night), but at closer look there are many more things in that cave: weatherworn clothes, rusty tin cans, cracking plastic bottles.

This was my first time walking down the shaft. I'm a bit paranoid of dark places and I'm no fan of mines. I always fear finding a dead body in a dark crevice, or coming upon a mine dweller. Bats and bugs are no fun, either. Since the dogs didn't sense anything perilous, I proceeded down the mine. The dogs followed me into the mine as I looked for any water. I was stepping on trash the entire time. Light from the entrance was visible until that final bend toward the end, about 100 yards. My flashlight helped me navigate to the end. I found a nearly unused gallon of water wrapped in black plastic on my way back to the entrance. That was Sadie's saving grace. Once we were back at the entrance, the dogs rested at the mouth of the mine and Sadie got the extra water. It was evident they all appreciated the rest. It was 12:45pm.


We stayed in the cool shade of the mine entrance for 1:50 hours, just relaxing, and with it being Easter Sunday I was fine with just some time to reflect on the year so far. It was quiet up there. I only saw one butterfly and one reddish bird flit by. My stupor was only interrupted twice by Zeke and Minnie barking, but I never saw any signs of people coming down the trail. We never saw anyone else all day. I could gaze toward San Jose Peak and wonder of all the yet-to-be-explored sights of Sonora. Maybe one day I'll muster the courage and travel south of the border.

The other two dogs seemed fine, wanting to explore the area. Minnie seemed fascinated with the tailings tumbling downhill and creating a dust cloud. She wanted to chase the tailings even farther!

I made sure I gave Sadie extra water while she rested. Minnie had been possessive of the water along the trail and Sadie probably didn't get as much as she should have.



I collected a few plastic bottles and other light trash and carried that back down to the truck, and later dumped that into our regular trash bin, which never gets full anyway since we recycle what we can. I know what little I took out of the mine doesn't put a dent into what was left behind. I only take just enough trash to avoid being uncomfortable on the hike down.


I do plan on hiking back up the Lutz Canyon trail to Miller Peak. I need to start earlier to avoid the heat, as even I drank most of my water. The dogs still had water but had we continued on to the peak we would have relied on the remaining snow pack in the aspen grove, two miles away. I also think Sadie's recent epileptic seizure from a few days ago had tired her out and she was on a trail too soon. There are many factors I can think of that caused Sadie's exhaustion. It was in the upper 70s but what tired us all was the lack of any shade until we got to Upper Bear Mine.

A quiet weekend

We had a quiet weekend. On Saturday I hiked the Guindani trail in Kartchner Caverns State Park as part of the 40th anniversary hike of the Huachuca Hiking Club. Former and present members were invited. 47 showed up for the noon picnic, but I met several members early to hike this trail I've never heard of before. Rod, John S, Karen, Dave and three others joined me for this loop four-mile hike.

I didn't bring any of the dogs with me, although there were three other dogs at the picnic. I don't think any of mine would be well-behaved around all that food, however, the loop is a very scenic loop during the wet season.

It was nice chatting with old members. I also renewed my membership for the year. I want to get back into the swing of things and discover new trails.

Sunday late afternoon I took the entire pack with me to Hunter Canyon. There had been an organized clean-up on Saturday to remove the trash target shooters leave behind, but I didn't notice any major difference. There were still plenty of wood chips and spent brass all around the old campsite that has now been overtaken by the target shooters.

And this morning, back to work, we were awakened by Sadie's seizure at 4:04, followed by another one at 4:24am, then 5:48 and finally at 6:09 as she lay in the hallway. She peed on me that time. Although she recovered after each time (no temporary blindness), she remained listless and paced both the house and the backyard nonstop. This was not a good day to have to work.

When I got back home she was still restless, so it's hard to say how many more episodes she had in our absence. She had one more seizure outside with Kevin watching that late in the afternoon, and the rest of the night she paced around, whining. She finally got some sleep at around 1am for the rest of the night, but by then I couldn't get to sleep. I was tired the rest of the day. This was definitely the worst weekend for Sadie since her first clusters last August.

Carr Peak with Sadie, Minnie and Zeke

I wasted an entire week of spring break doing absolutely nothing. It was as if paralyzed. All I did was visit the shelter, play with the animals, photograph them, and then upload their pictures to the Facebook page, which lately has taken on a life of its own. People are noticing our work there and the word is going around. Twenty more people joined it this weekend.

But by Sunday afternoon I knew I needed to get out of the house. The dogs were restless. They hadn't hiked last weekend and by today they were getting moody. It was time. So I packed my pack and leashes and off I drove, to the Old Sawmill Trail with Sadie, Minnie and Zeke, and hiked up to the peak. We were the only ones in the parking lot when we started at 1:45pm.

It was a perfect day for a hike. The only snow was near the aspen groves, where the dogs "ate" some snow to stay refreshed. Water ran off the waterfall, too. But this was a windy day that only got windier once I was got near and on the peak. I stayed long enough to photograph the panorama and went back down again.

There are no wild flowers yet along the Crest Trail, The vista is still very much a dead grey and brown. Hopefully next month it will be different, as slowly life is coming back to a dormant landscape.

Dahlia

Dahlia is a year-old German Shepherd Dog/Chow dog I am fostering from the shelter. She recently had a litter of seven pups, of which three were trapped and surrendered to the shelter over a week ago. The owner didn't want to deal with the pups and that's why Dahlia landed at the shelter.

One of the pups had bitten its owner so all three of the pups were placed on a ten-day quarantine. There were not allowed to be touched or socialized until their quarantine was over this Thursday.

The pups were fearful at first and would cower in the kennel corner, however none growled or snarled at us. Eventually they learned to relax around us and would approach the gate of their kennel to try to lick us. But on Tuesday one showed signs of parvo and was euthanized Wedneday afternoon, after falling ill with the symptoms like labored breathing, lack of appetite and lethargy.

Upon hearing about the parvo case, I drove straight to the shelter to pick up Dahlia, who had been in a separate kennel once she was brought in separately from her pups on Monday, and had her taken to my vet to check for parvo. The ACO was waiting for me and had to close the shelter as I left because of a service call he had to tend to. Other people visiting the animals also had to leave. By 1:35 I drove home, told the other gals of the story, and left for my Bisbee vet at 2:15pm for my 3:15pm appointment. I was seen at 2:45pm and left the clinic at 3:15pm.

Tests came back negative for both parvo and parasites. She was also placed on an eight-day regimen of 500mg metronidazole twice daily to fight off any bacteria she may have in her system; she had had bloody stool on Tuesday at the shelter. I paid for the tests out of my own pocket, but told the ACO that I would keep Dahlia for eight days or until we had the shelter sterilized. He is happy with that as that keeps Dahlia safe from any more exposure.

Dahlia was an outside-only dog who is grossly underweight. My vet, Dr Snyder, said she needs to put on five pounds. She weighs 44.4 pounds. She is afraid of my dogs and cowers near them. Minnie and Sara are the most curious of Dahlia, but when they approach, Dahlia snarls at them. She chased Pache out of the yard and he quickly ran over our fence and into our neighbor's yard across the alley. He came back this morning, luckily.

I had Dahlia sleep in the guest bathroom last night so that she can feel safe from the dogs. She seemed to prefer that. An old crate pad provided her with some warmth, something that poor dog probably hasn't had all her life. It's obvious that Dahlia hasn't been given much affection in her short life. I want to fatten her up and teach her to trust others before she goes back out into the real world.

I am worried about the repeated outbreaks of parvo at the shelter. I've now seen two pups die from that horrific virus in the last month, and two other pups also were diagnosed with parvo that had been rescued from that shelter. We have no doubt that people had been surrendering their animals with the disease and that it took a while for the virus to manifest itself. People who are surrendering their animals are giving us animals who are not only not vaccinated, but are also not neutered or spayed.

Hidden Canyon off Juniper Flats near Bisbee

What lovely weather we had today. I was in no mood to sit inside and study, so by 1pm I drove to Bisbee with Sadie and Minnie. Sara wanted to come along as well, but I forbade her from coming because I know she wouldn't be able to go far. She jumped into the back of the truck anyway (much to my surprise!) and I accidentally closed the back door on her back. I hope I didn't hurt her. She didn't want to go back to the yard, either, which told me she's been patiently wanting to go for a walk in a while.

If only Kevin or Eric could help me walk these dogs...

We drove up to Juniper Flats by 1:30pm. I had thought about going down to the Sandy Bob Canyon. Instead I took them on a rockier rock scramble down an unknown canyon downhill from the first creek bed. I had gone this way before years ago with Kevin, where we hiked as far down the narrow rock canyon until we were hit by rock walls on either side and had no choice but to turn around.

There was enough flowing water in this creek to keep the dogs refreshed. Minnie especially was drawn to the water, where she saw rocks and sticks she just had to retrieve.

There was still snow on the northern and shaded parts of this canyon.

I proceeded down the rocks carefully because I had a bulky camera strapped around my neck and a heavy backpack. The last thing I needed was a fall and twisting or breaking an ankle. No one would have found me here as this is a serious rock scramble down slick and wet rocks.

I enjoyed the solitude as the dogs entertained themselves. When we reached the dead-end narrow rock section, I turned around and hiked up the northern slope and away from the canyon. There was still time to explore this area, so little used yet so close to civilization. From the high point here I can see both the Huachucas and the Dragoons, Sierra Vista and Tombstone. There was rain to the north and northwest as the blue sky gave way to overcast.

It was nice being back here. I hadn't done this canyon in several years, and the last time I made it to the narrow slot I was with Kevin. Was it 2005? 2006? Sara and Sammy were young then and today they are too arthritic to do this hike.

The wind was getting stronger and colder as I walked around the rock slabs. It was getting late and I didn't want to be out on the trail should it rain again. I walked back with the dogs on the trail and drove into Old Bisbee. A beer at the Old Bisbee Brewery sounded great but once there I was ignored. Was it because I had the two dogs with me? Dogs are allowed in the outdoor patio and I saw another dog there, but I got no service and left. I put the two tired dogs in the truck and tried again, this time hitting the bar, but a large party in the outdoor area took all the server's attention and this time I left for real.

I was a bit bummed about being ignored by the OBBC staff and meandered around Brewery Gulch. I meandered down a back alley that took me to the rear of the King's Hotel, an old building with five hotel rooms and a separate two-room apartment for rent ($550/month) that was also home to a 28-year-old calico cat that was sleeping on an old divan.

Maha and Numa

Two weeks ago, just before the shelter closed on a Saturday in late February, a woman came in with a mother cat and one surviving kitten. She needed to get rid of the cat, she said, because her daughter is pregnant and her dogs are mean to the cat. The mother cat most likely lost her other kittens to the family dog but the woman wouldn't say. The woman clearly wanted to get rid of the cats.

Since it was just before closing time and the kitten too young to be unsupervised, I decided to take the duo home. I named the mother Maha and the daughter Numa, Arabic names for "Wild cow" and "Happiness." Since the mother cat's fur is like that of a white and black-spotted cow, the name fits, but she's clearly an affectionate cat.

While I worried about the survival of Numa, I fear no more. Two weeks later and she's now climbing the door of her carrier. The dogs leave the pair alone. I let Maha out for exercise every day for a bit, and she always goes after the other cats. I'm assuming she's in a protective stance since she is still nursing Numa. Even Pache, our bully resident cat, runs away from her! That's a first.

I will keep this pair until Numa is weaned. At three months she will be old enough to get spayed and given her first shots. Then both will return to the shelter to get adopted. Her photo is all over the shelter's Facebook page, and a photo of her and Maha have so far reaped in "most votes."

Numa is now responsive to my voice. She wants to be held and will meow for attention. She will make a great pet for a cat lover. I'd like to see Maha and Numa go out together as they are sweet to watch. But with kitten and puppy season coming soon, that may be difficult. I've grown attached to these two and don't want to see them languishing in a shelter.

Oversite Canyon

After this rough weekend at the shelter where we learned that Diva was killed and another person turned in his 8-year-old German Shepherd Dog "Major" because of its terminal cancer and another woman dumped her mother cat and kitten right before closing time, it was one of those sad, reflective weekends. It was a Saturday I wish I hadn't been at the shelter.

And then last night I learned that my ex-husband's cousin's son was in a single-car crash outside Chicago last night and now in a coma. He's still alive 24 hours later which I see as a blessing, but all day long the thought of that young man, just a year younger than Erin, could die really depressed me. I remember when he was born, and I remember how happy the parents were. Unfortunately when Tim and I divorced we all lost touch.

Robin and I had talked about hiking today but that never happened. I just wanted a solitary hike with my dogs. So today I packed the three younger dogs in the truck and headed out to Oversite Canyon, the first big canyon in the southern Huachucas. I hadn't been there in years, and in fact other than that forest road (FR771) into the canyon, I didn't remember much else.

Oversite Canyon was burned in the June 2011 fire. The higher canopies were torched, and just like in Ash, Miller and Hunter Canyons, many of the trees are charred but others are not. The upper road is badly washed away and monsoonal floods have wrecked havoc on the creek beds.

The first mile on the trail is easy, along the forest road canopied by mature oaks. Another half-mile, though, and the road starts to dip and cross a dry creek bed. Here is where it gets rockier. I parked the truck just before the dip and walked with the dogs to the official trail head further on. There was some immigrant trash along the way, most which I picked up on the way back to the truck. This was easy walking and the dogs enjoyed the exercise.

Once I hit the official Miller Peak Wilderness sign, though, the trail got rough. The trees were looking dead here and there were large boulders on the trail, indicating that there was a massive rockslide recently. The higher I got in elevation, the more obvious it was that a fire came through here.

Another mile on the trail and I came across an abandoned shack near a creek. The creek was flanked by horsetail grass further uphill, giving the area a lush green appearance. This was heaven for the dogs, who all ran into the water for refreshment. I stopped here for them, exploring the shack (there was a set of clothing and a sun-burned backpack on the floor) and looked around. The western side of the shack was destroyed by a rockslide and the wooden ceiling was caved in. The rusty metal springs of a single bed remained, as well as warped wooden shelving built into the wall. At one point this was a cozy cabin for a miner. A faint trail meandered further uphill, but that came to a quick halt when I hit a rockwall. Had there been a mine here year ago? This shack looked like a popular resting area for small groups of immigrants attempting to reach Sierra Vista from this vantage point.


More later

A rude awakening

Three days ago I began luring Sadie in bed with us so that she can feel relaxed being close to us. She lays next to me and I "spoon" her, rub her belly and try to get her to calm down. Zeke and Minnie lately have been "fighting" for bed space at night to sleep with us.

It was eight minutes past midnight this morning when I was rudely awakened by Sadie. She was having an epileptic seizure and her front legs had hit me in the face. I had been sleeping soundly, too and it took me a few seconds to realize what was going on. Her legs flayed, her head shook and her saliva was flying everywhere. Kevin was also awakened and held her head securely.

Her seizure lasted altogether three minutes, but she spent another five minutes panting heavily. Once her breathing was back to normal her restlessness began: she paced the house back and forth as if she were in a fit of dementia, and in fact I understand that is typical of dogs recovering from a seizure.

Luckily she only had one seizure. But an hour later she began whining so I fed her a can of food. By 3am her whining continued so I got up for the day. (I'll pay the price later!)

Her neck fur is still damp from her saliva but she is calm now as I write this. I wish I didn't have to go to work today, though, so as to watch out for her. I gave her her morning medication earlier than usual, too. By 3:15am she got her phenobarbital.

Although her seizures now no longer panic me, they still put me on edge.

Council Rocks (Dragoons)

An old friend was supposed to meet me at 9am by the Sierra Vista mall at Sears to walk the multitrail for two miles with me. She claimed I had inspired her to get back into shape. She was tired of being fat and was ready to start a fitness regimen.

She never showed up. Minnie and I waited for 45 minutes. Feeling a bit abandoned, I apologized to Minnie who was expecting a nice walk. I wasn't angry at being stood up since I had a book to read to idle the time, but I know Minnie was wondering why we were sitting in the van when there were trails outside to explore.

A few hours later I opted to explore the Council Rocks in the Dragoons area with Robin and five dogs: Sadie, Minnie, Zeke and her Odie and Dusty. I have been wanting to hike the trail I did with the hiking club in May 2009, but couldn't find any websites mentioning its beginning. Most websites just mention the FR687K trailhead parking lot, from which the rocks are a short uphill climb. When I last hiked to Council Rocks, I remember the trail started in Slavin Gulch and then skirted off the main trail to an unmarked side trail going north.

Today's hike wasn't so much a hike as it was a bushwhack across the desert for a few miles. We had turned off on FR687K from North Middlemarch Road a few miles north of Tombstone. This is a short bumpy forest road 1/8 mile to a small parking area. Council Rock was right there, a short hop up big boulders to get to the pictographs. There were two other vehicles parked here. A couple wintering from Alaska were already relaxing on the rocks.

The dogs had fun running up, over and under large boulders. Minnie and Dusty get along very well. Dusty likes her chasing him; he doesn't turn around and attack her, either, which is what Zeke does.

We were in the Dragoons for two hours and probably walked two miles at a slow pace while the dogs ran around and chased each other. It would have been nice to have had more time to wander around, though, as there are so many hidden crevices among the big rocks where one can find solace and gaze over the horizon. Emery oaks grow out of shaded crevices and provide hide-outs for tired hikers. I could get lost in these rocks. Old Apache mortars also collected some snow water which the dogs appreciated. The advantage of starting late in the afternoon is having the warmth above. It was very comfortable weather today with no breeze.

I had last been here to Council Rocks in May 2009 with the hiking club. Sadie was just over a year old. Old Bill had led the hike and it was a good six mile hike from another trailhead. We stopped at Council Rocks and listened to Bill tell the story of Cochise meeting General Howard here for a peace treaty. There are pictographs on many of the rock walls here. But where was the trail? There are so many faint trails here, and cattle trails that it's easy to get confused which trail to follow. I walked around looking for the main trail but nothing looked familiar. Most trails we came across ended at shadowed resting spots that surely were the homes of the ancient Apache. The trail I remember skirted the boulders. I don't remember it being a difficult trail.

Since we didn't get here until 2pm we didn't have time to go for a long hike. I wanted to be back at the truck by 4pm because the drive back to SV would be another hour and I don't like driving backroads at night.

The views from the rocks in all directions is just so magical. The cooler-than-normal weather this week makes the rocks even more enticing, as the rocks reflect the heat in the summer. I want to enjoy these rocks for as long as we can in the winter months.

There were a few puddles left of melted snow for the dogs to drink out of, so I only needed one bottle for the dogs. I didn't bring any snacks, either as this wasn't so much a hike as it was an exploratory walk.

I told Robin I'd love to spend the night here sometime just so I can watch the sunset reflect against the orange-hued rocks as I can see the Dragoons from my rooftop. There were seveal horse campers out today perhaps with the same intention.

Volksmarch around Fairbank, AZ

The Arizona Trekkers, a state chapter of the American Volkssport Association, hosted a 5km and 10km around the historic mining town of Fairbank today. I had to bite. It was early enough and short enough for me to get a good powerhike in before meeting the gals at the shelter. I opted for the 10km at a brisk pace.

I used to do a lot of volkmarching while stationed in Augsburg, Germany in the mid 1990s. Volksmarching is basically fitness walking across country roads, mountain trails or even city streets. The walks are not timed but you get credit for both distance and numbers of events with each one completed. Avid volksmarchers collect the stamps on a regular basis.

I did quite a few volksmarches back East in the late 1990s as well, where there were many active groups. But out West here the participants are few and far between, and the few who do partake do so because they did volksmarching in Germany. Most volksmarchers here are older. What a shame as walking is so therapeutic. I never see a lot of walkers on these events.

A winterstorm came in as predicted, though. A highway marquee warned of high winds on my drive to Fairbank. I even wondered if it's best I didn't do this event so close to meeting the gals at the shelter. But I went anyway, questioning my sanity. The worst of the snow and wind was between 8am and 10am. The skies cleared up afterwards and the wind died down, so that 45F by 1pm felt rather nice. Meanwhile, people in New England survived Winterstorm Nemo, where eastern Long Island received 35 inches of snow. Here any snow had melted before noon.


I only took Sadie along today, since she knows trail etiquette and doesn't bark at people. Zeke and Minnie still do that. Plus taking her alone relaxes her, which is something I always worry about because stress bring on her epilepsy. She was a real champ today.

I got to the trailhead parking lot at 9am, chatted with the diehard volunteers who were outside in the snow taking on walkers. I was the first one to do the 10km (6-miler) at 9:10am. The loop took me through the historic mining town of Fairbank and then north along the San Pedro River before turning back south to the cemetery and finish. It had been over a year since I was here, and today was actually a pleasant day for a hike once the wind died down, because the honey mesquite smelled so good in the snow/rain.

The wide trail is ideal for horses as well. The mesquites along the way are trimmed high to allow for clearance for riders. The surface is compact dirt/sand that was a bit wet today and clumping around my shoes. There are no major hills along the route as the entire trail is on a plateau that looks down on the river on its western side. Historic mining relics line the path. The route today was well-marked with either red signs or chalk arrows on the ground. Getting lost would have required total inattention to the directional signs.

Snow fell hard the first two miles, but then stopped. The sun even came out in the second half as we were on the return hike. I kept a fast pace because I needed to meet the gals at 11:30am at the shelter.

The Fairbank area is an ideal winter hike. Once it stopped snowing it was quite an ideal hike as there was no wind. I walked so fast I warmed up in my ski jacket. Sadie didn't mind the cold, either.

I met several members of the Huachuca hiking Club today. They were doing a hike independent of the volksmarch and had started at 8:30am. We chatted a bit. I met a few new members and promised everyone I'd rejoin in March when the annual membership renewal is. I do miss some of the hikers. That group only did four miles in the end; they cancelled the 8-mile loop due to the weather.

This clockwise loop finished off at the cemetery before I made it back to the trailhead parking lot just before 11am. The parking lot looked full. Were people actually doing the 5km instead of the 10km? Regardless, the weather by 11am was nice for a leisurely hike across level ground.

I made it to the shelter at 11:15am, faster than expected. The skies were clear by then. Four volunteers were able to walk the dogs so that the last hour we just stayed in the yard and exercised the smaller pups. I met one very active volunteer, Laura T, who's been a big proponent of local animal rescues here. She took one of the sickly pups with her to nurse for the next few days. After the demise of one puppy earlier in the week from a wild strain of distemper, we are all worried this dog may be sick, too.

French Joe's Canyon

I wanted to hike locally on Sunday (yesterday) but was unsure of where. Robin suggested the Bisbee stairs but my dogs are leash pullers and I can't enjoy 100 pounds of dog pulling me for several miles. Instead, I suggested French Joe's Canyon in the nearby Whetstones. It had been a year since I was there with Ellen and I was hoping there'd be some leftover rain from the storms we had a few days ago.

Clouds overhead in the morning revealed a 30% chance of rain. I took the risk.

I picked up Robin and her dogs Odie and foster dog Dusty, a white lab/pointer she is fostering through Little League Rescue. This was Dusty's first hike and he learned quickly by watching Sadie and Minnie. Minnie's proving to be a real ham around other dogs, and both she and Dusty made ideal playmates on this hike.

Robin had never been to French Joe's. I told her it was a fairly level hike of around four miles. I had forgotten about the rock climb up to the seasonal waterfall in the end!

To get to French Joe's from Huachuca City, we had to drive north, through the SR 82/90 intersection and through the USBP check point. A drug-sniffing dog was on duty, which only got our dogs to bark.

"Where are you heading to?" asked the agent as I held back Sadie by her collar.

"French Joe's Canyon!" I said.
"Watch out for any of our customers!" said the agent.

As it turned out, we saw no illegals during the hike. The only trash I found was a black plastic bag (used as a sleeping bag at night to keep warm) which I picked up on the return hike. I also spotted what I think is a USBP motion sensor wrapped around an oak tree at the creek bed. The only other people we met were two older men returning to their truck as we parked in the trailhead parking area.

It turns out the drive into the canyon on FR 4018 is getting more eroded each year. A high-clearance vehicle is now a must. Those that drive low-clearance sedans have to park two miles near the start and walk across the grass meadow to the mouth of the canyon, hoping the free-roaming cows don't mind trespassers.

It took us a good 30 minutes to get to the trailhead at 10:40am. We were in the canyon four hours, walking at a steady but slow pace as we made sure all four dogs were accounted for.

French Joe's Canyon is a birder's paradise. When there's flowing water all kinds of birds can be seen or heard. Falcons and hawks nest in the surrounding cliffs and Great Horned Owls live in the lower oak groves in side canyons. I saw a few Orioles and I heard hawks today.

The lower horseshoe falls was dry which was indicative of more dry spots farther uphill, but luckily there was some flowing water for the dogs. It came in handy for the dogs.

I enjoy this canyon for the remoteness. It's too difficult to get into the canyon for the average hunter/target shooter. This hike is for a conditioned hiker willing to rock scramble and bushwhack if need be. On this hike we stayed along the dry creek bed as we headed toward the big waterfall 1.8 miles away.

The big swimming hole in the first mile was full enough of water to provide the dogs some refreshment. Dusty learned from Minnie that getting into the water was safe, and he quickly went in and splashed around. Dusty got along with the other two new dogs and learned some hiking tips from my girls.

I stayed in the front with the bigger dogs while Robin took up the rear with Odie, who never left his mom out of site. This way we had an eye on all four dogs as we slowly hiked uphill, over boulders and eventually to the bridal veil at the abandoned mine. I've never been past the top of the waterfall. There are big boulders there that would make hiking any farther much more difficult for not just hikers, but also dogs, but I assume the stretch back there is pristine wilderness. Maybe someday I'll explore that stretch.

That is where we sat and rested, ate a snack, chatted and returned to the truck at 12:27pm. I learned from Robin's dogs that dogs can like apples. Both Odie and Dusty eat apples! Robin gave Minnie a slice but she wasn't interested in it.

Climbing down rocks is more difficult than going up, and it was no different for the dogs. Little Odie showed no fear, and when he had to, he just jumped a few feet to get to the next step. I am not fond of chihuahuas as a breed, but Odie is quite the hiking champ who doesn't wimper and whine.

The Super Bowl was scheduled for later today. Robin had a party to get to and I had plans with Eric for during the game, but we had plenty of time to walk back to the truck at a relaxing pace. The dogs enjoyed sniffing around, digging up for scents and lapping up water as they found plenty of that in the creek bed.

It was a mild day for a hike, with overcast skies all day and temps in the upper 50s. I wore my light orange windbreaker over a cotton t-shirt and jeans and I was comfortable. We saw darker clouds move in but luckily the real stuff was south and east of us. We didn't see the rain until we were back in the truck and on our way home.

The one exciting moment today was when Dusty caught the scent of the nearby grazing cows. He inched his way on my lap as I was maneuvreing the rocky forest road back and I let him, thinking he just wanted to stick his head out the window like my dogs do. No, he wanted to jump out and go after the cows! Luckily I wasn't driving fast at all and was able to stop. He didn't go far and came right back, but for the rest of the drive we kept the windows up with only a few inches open.