Montezuma's Pass

Montezuma's Pass is the high point for Forest Road 61 which straddles the southern slopes of the Huachuca Mountains. It travels all the way to Nogales along the AZ-MEX border and is a very scenic drive across the alluvial plains. It can also be a dangerous drive best avoided at night because this is a popular drug-smuggling route.

The pass is at 6575'. Hikers on the Arizona Trail park here, hike south for 1.7 on the Yaqui trail down to the border, then return to the parking lot to officially start the hike on the AZ-MEX border. Most of the pass belongs to the Coronado National Memorial. Dogs are not allowed on the trails, but an illegal trail behind the restroomsand on National Forest land takes one a half-mile farther south to some conglomerate outcroppings and pretty views of the border, as long as one knows where to take a slight uphill to continue the trek. This was our Sunday destination for this week. This is a very short hike with great views into Mexico. The burnline from the Campini fire was quite obvious.

We started the hike around 8:20am as the first ones in the area. I had Zeke and Minnie, Alicia brough Luna, who has grown so big in the last two weeks. She could easily grow up bigger than Minnie! These three dogs play well together, and Luna seems to enjoy the attention she gets. Today Zeke and Luna were a pair while Minnie watched from a distance, often sniffing area on her own. I led this hike and quickly got us off the trail and going further down the slope than expected. I forgot about a suble turn uphill in the beginning and led us through a cholla-infested, slippery area. I could tell Alicia was not having fun, and Luna kept getting thorns in her paws. Luckily I found the trail before we hit the boulder.

We sat on these conglomerate rocks for around 30 minutes as the dogs around us played, romped and sniffed. The burn line south of the border was visible, and for a mile or so the burn line followed the border road until west of Bear Canyon where it took on a more wild form toward Parker Canyon Lake. Looking at the area now it didn't look so dangerous, but for two days this was heavily fought off by our firefighters and the reason we cancelled an army reunion with some of Kevin's friends in OKC this weekend. The fear of another wildfire as we had last summer is still fresh in everyone's mind. We weren't on the trail for long. By 9:30am we were back at the parking lot, chatting some more and letting the dogs play as slowly cars pulled into the parking lot. By the time we finally departed the area at 10am three groups had set off to hike Miller Peak. I'm so glad I got my hiking in yesterday, as today was warmer than yesterday.

Carr Peak with Sadie and Minnie

Today was the first day in a week that we didn't have high winds. The sky was clear and it was noticably cooler today (thanks to a front coming in off southwestern Mexico and TS Bud). I putzed around in the garden early in the morning, but my big goal was to hike up Carr Peak with both Sadie and Minnie. It was a perfect day for a hike, with a coll breeze and blue skies.

We made it to the trailhead at 11:37am. My van registered 69F. That's 25F cooler than a week ago! Several other cars were already in the parking lot, and many more campers were set up in both campsites along the road. I could hear adults and children at the nearby campgrounds. Minnie did very well. I had no idea what to expect. The vet told me she needed ten days rest after her spay surgery, but I couldn't wait too long. She seemed well, although she followed Sadie for guidance and went where she went. Her only flaw as a hiker right now is that as a novice German Shepherd Dog (GSD) she tends to hug my side as protector, rather than take a lead up front. I fell over her a few times because of that.

The six-mile hike was rough on Minnie. I stopped half-way to give the girls some water. I walked at her pace. I stopped plenty of times to photograph the scenery. Despite the lack of any water along the trail, all the trees looked well-leafed. More herbaceous plants mean more seed-eaters are coming back, and indeed I did see more songbirds this time. That freak storm we had a few weeks ago did wonders as the area looked so green this time. The lower aspen grove was full, but was infested with the Western Tent Caterpillar that makes its appearance along the San Pedro River as well. They weave their heavy nests inbetween young tree branches and suck the tree of its new leaves. Luckily many of the caterpillars were weaved in dead trees.

More seed-eaters were visible among the birds, too. I could hear them but not always see them. Lots more herbaceous plants are also up, adding to the recovery of this area. Only the pestemons remain elusive. The varied wild flowers continue to stay away. Once I reached the Crest Trail and the intersection for the Carr Peak segment, I could see the burn area of the Campini fire. The fire remained mostly in Mexico, and it seemed to have started near a small lake. (A campground fire?) West of Bear Canyon the burn area became more wild, so it's good that this fire has been extinquished.

I maintained a pleasant pace all throughout the hike. Apparently other people felt hiking in the early afternoon was ideal as I met several groups going up and coming down the peak. Minnie barked at some of them, especially a young family that brought a small dog along. To give that family some safety, I sat off the peak with the dogs while they were on the peak, then resumed my spot at the peak for a while longer. It was after 2pm before I descended, and Minnie was just as energetic as before, only this time wanting me to through her sticks along the way! At one point she picked up rocks! I let the dogs determine the pace and again we stopped at the same area for 15 minutes that we used hiking up. The sun was getting to the dogs, but their spirits remained high. Both dogs stayed close by and on the trail. The loud sound of either cicadas or hungry beetles surrounded me in that last half mile to the truck. I couldn't see the insects but I could hear them around me. When we got back to the van at 4:25pm Minnie did not hesitate to jump into it. She is slowly feeling at ease now! She rested for the rest of the day.

I will definitely be brining Minnie on more hikes with me. She is much more focused on staying near me than Zeke, who chases after everything on the trail. I can't have that kind of behavior in a dog on a hike.

New dog in the pack

Last weekend Kevin and I were in the Phoenix area with some friends. His daughters had flown in for vacation and were staying there a week. We joined them for a few days. We drove in separate vehicles because I had to work on Friday and wanted to give Kevin time to spend alone with his girls. I didn't drive up there until Saturday morning, a day later. We left Sunday morning to return to our home. I stopped by the Maricopa County Animal Care and Control Center-West (MCACC-W) where I met a young, small German Shepherd Dog that was available for adoption. She was one of three GSDs waiting for new homes. Despite knowing we had enough dogs, I paid for the adoption fee and drove up on Monday to pick her up after her spaying. I didn't worry about what Kevin would say. I've learned in the army that it's easier to beg for forgiveness than to ask for permission. The vet discovered she was pregnant, so I'm assuming her previous owners dumped her somewhere in Phoenix after she went into heat and mated with another dog. She's around 18 months old, and has had a rough life. Otherwise whoever had her treated her well as she is a gentle little girl who stays by my side. The little GSD we named Minnie, since she's so much smaller than Sadie. Minnie is more Zeke's size and those two have become playmates. Intergrating her into the new pack was easy. I was so afraid of having another female GSD, how Minnie would handle the cats. Everything went so well. Sadie, Sara, Sammy and Zeke accepted Minnie right away after a thorough butt-sniffing. The cats weren't too pleased but they now come up to her. Minnie's barked at them a few times but nothing dangerous. The next morning, before the heat of the day began, we played ball in the backyard. Minnie is right up there with Sadie at fetching, but Minnie also retrieves sticks and rocks! She is a mellow dog, doesn't bark much, and follows me everywhere. Earlier today I took the entire pack down to the river for some cooling off. There Minnie splashed around in the water and tried to pick rocks from the river. Only Zeke and Sara got wetter. Later she went on her first hike with Sadie, Beth and me up Brown Canyon, a five-mile loop Beth and I have done twice now. Minnie held her ground and kept a good pace.

The snakes are out

Daytime temperatures are in the 90s now, and the heat is bringing out the snakes. Since I tend to be on the trail in the late afternoon, I have a better chance of meeting snakes. In the past week I've encountered a King Snake on the Lower Huachuca Trail, and two days ago a juvenile black-tail rattlesnake in Hunter Canyon. King Snakes are constrictors and will leave humans alone, but its resemblance to the more deadly Coral Snake, which is similar color bands only in different order, is much more deadly. Here in the mountains and foothills we are more inclined to see King Snakes. The rattler hissed at Sadie but did not strike, which is so fortunate because Sadie came back to the same spot, got close to the snake again, and then darted under the fence to cross a cattle guard. Her behavior reminds me that I have got to get her to snake avoidance clasess. The encounter with the rattler could have ended in tragedy.

Supermoon up Red Mountain

May's full moon today was this year's "supermoon," when the moon is at its closest to Earth along its axis. It appears 14 percent bigger than normal. I wanted to hike a supermoon hike somewhere and asked Rod. He then suggested Red Mountain near Patagonia, AZ. I agreed. Rod, John and I, and dogs Sadie and Sieger, came along. I had only planned on taking Sadie, but Zeke insisted he come as well. This was thus his unplanned first group hiking event. He did OK. Red Mountain is the highest peak in the Patagonia mountains, standing 6373' tall. It's one of the most northern peaks in this rather small range. It's a range that geographically extends into northern Sonora and is laden with active and abandoned mines. There are so many trails here I've yet to explore, so why don't I? Maybe because it's the danger I feel when I am in these mountains. There are always USBP driving around, always these small forest fires that start up at dusk, and other arrests in this area. A hiker must be on guard at all times.

Meetup time was 5pm at the town's post office. No one else but Rod and John showed up. The people I invited didn't RSVP me and I wasn't expecting anyone else. It was once again us three Rogue Hikers. We drove in two separate vehicles to the trailhead, to Forest Road 4649 off Harshaw Road and just south of the Arizona Trail crossing. The road isn't marked well, so few may know about this turn-off. It's almost four miles from Harshaw Road to the peak, and one deep crevice near the one-mile mark may mean parking at the mile-mark and hike on in. That is what we did, despite a Ford Escape with three adults in it making it up much higher and parking a mile from the Look-out. Our starting time was just after 5:30pm. The USBP now use the peak as a radar look-out. I can't blame them, as the Patagonia hills are replete with drug smugglers. We met one USBP vehicle coming down the mountain. No major activity was spotted today, he told us, "but there was a major arrest off Ramsey road in SV."

Rod and John were both tired from having worked a trail maintenance event in Sunnysite Canyon with the Huachuca Hiking club earlier today. Rod looked especially exhausted, as he looked as beat as he looked last week coming down Cochise Head. He trailed behind John and me, causing us both to stop and look back at him. FR 4649 meanders rather steeply up a mostly eastern vantage point to the top, making several long switchbacks up the road. This makes it a great moon hike as the moon shines on the eastern side for the first half of the night. When we started hiking up we were in the cool dark shadows of a setting sun, walking up the slopes of the hills with Harshaw Road extending into the horizon. We could see the lighted cars drive by to our south, but no other house lights. "I don't remember this place being so green!" I told Rod as we stopped at one point to gaze north into Patagonia. Lush green trees followed a creek bed, but the green extended well higher up into the hills. Then I remembered that it only appears so green because our own forest in the Huachuca mountains has burned brown and grey. I'm not used to seeing so much green foliage after our own Monument Fire from last summer. Still, the juniper trees, pygmy pines and manzanitas all looked healthy here. Smaller unmarked trails to smaller peaks veered off from the road. There are other private places to stop and watch a moon rise from this road. And where did that truck load of people go anyway? We saw their Ford Escape parked off the road, but they were nowhere to be found.

The peak up was farther than Rod had anticipated. Was he going to make it to the top on time, I wondered. "We have thirty minutes, we can make it!" he said as we approached the last saddle. I went on ahead since John stayed with Rod. When I made it around the saddle and now facing the western slope, I could see the sun setting over Baboquvari, a sacred mountain of the ToOhono O'dham. The setting sun set a deep red-orange glow in its waning moments of the day. Rod was wrong about the timing. It took me over 45 minutes to reach the peak, and I had missed the initial moon rise by ten minutes. Although the moon was still a ball of orange, it wasn't the huge red ball I thought it was going to be. I arrived at the peak at 7:15pm. A lone USBP agent opened his vehicle door and spooked me, as much as I spooked him.

It was windy on top, and many radar and other communication devices whirled, buzzed and hummed nearby. This added to a rather wild sensation, going from quiet hiking to loud summit conquest; like entering a new world. I was now chilled, and my sweaty back didn't help much. But I remember being here before. I had been here years before with Kevin and the two older dogs in 2005 or so, but don't remember the look-out and certainly don't remember the USBP presence there now. The look-out was open and I went up the stairs to photograph the area. The two dogs stayed at the base, guarding the entrance. I could see Nogales now in the distance, Patagonia lake glistenining in the moonshine, and other lights starting to come up.

John came up ten minutes later, causing Zeke to bark loudly and Sadie to follow. Sadie should have known better as she has hiked up with John before. Lately she barks when he barks. Zeke also barked at John as we hiked downhill, when John got too far ahead of us to be recognized. Rod later called that "straggler control severely reprimanding those who hiked too far ahead or were too far behind Connie." Rod was nowhere to be found. "Is he OK?" I asked John. "He had to stop to take his Motrin." And a few minutes after we both descended, we saw Rod come up, so together we climbed back up to the peak, enjoyed the view, and descended a final time together. As expected the western slopes were very dark without any moonlight. I carried a lantern and lighted up that view until we were all back at the last saddle. From here on down the trail was brightly lighted, only darkening as we came across tree shadows. I slipped three times going downhill, twice scraping my left knee and then my right hand. Rod slipped a few times but only I actually fell. Was I imbalanced, wearing wrong footwear (I wore my Obox trail runners) or was I just always on the slick side of the road? I was holding on to my Canon 5D, a camera I don't want to destroy. It took us four hours for the entire hike. By 9:30pm we were back at our vehicles. Even I felt the stiffness in my legs. No one suggested a post-hike meal as we were all beat. Both dogs were also tired on the drive home. To make it easier for Rod, I drove John back to his car so that Rod could go straight to Benson where he lives. Several emergency vehicles passed us by as we drove east from Patagonia. There were at least ten sheriff vehicles in front of the Sonoita Steak Out. Wonder what that was all about?

5K Mutt March

This 5K Mutt March, hosted by the Army's Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) twice a year in Sierra Vista's Veteran's Memorial Park, is a fun event for all local dogs and their owners to get together, have some exercise, and meet other like-minded people. Several local businesses also provide supplies or services as well. Yaqui Hay and Feed from Huachuca City, Sit Means Sit Dog Training, Furbabies Organic Dog treats and several veterinary offices all helped out at the Mutt March. Alicia and I took our pups to this event this morning and at 8am walked the course.

The event didn't seem as busy as last year's event held in the fall. Nor where there as many events as last year, like the painting event. I overheard that the event would talk place, but never saw paper or paints set up. Perhaps the sponsor bailed out of this?

We walked the course as the last participants to start. That allowed us more treats at the end, for both us and the dogs. The organic treats provided by Furbabies were popular with all four dogs (I took a handful home for them to try). There were also bagels for us humans and plenty of water. For a mere $10 per walker, I can't imagine MWR making much money on this event. The t-shirts we got must have cost a pretty penny to print.

Luna and Zeke had fun. Zeke initially barked at all the dogs when I first arrived, scaring me into thinking he was going to bark at all of them all day long. But he quickly realized he was having fun sniffing butts, playing with other dogs, and watching a few do some amazing tricks in the end. Like Sam from "Sit Means Sit" told me today, Zeke just needs to get out more.

After the march there were several events, non of which I participated in: Best Smoocher, best tail wagger, best trick, best costume. A toy poodle I recognized from the last Mutt March again showed up with dyed fur, namely pink. Teca, Alicia's little chihuahua, didn't "kiss" her mom as much as she normally does; perhaps the dog was scared of all the attention. Other dogs performed as badly as well. And here I was getting my face into everyone's face, just to get a decent photo.

Temperatures quickly got warm. After almost three hours we departed, going separate ways. There were many other events going on in town today, but I was too tired to visit PetSmart, Ramsey Feed for another adoption event, or even the Earth Day events in town.

And as it turned out, I discovered once I was home that my 50mm f/1.8 lens had broken!

Tombstone Pet Parade

Earlier in the week Alicia and I talked about a Ghosttown tour of western Cochise County, knowing that Sunday's weather would be cool. Instead we agreed to help out a local animal shelter and met at 11am in Tombstone for the Pet Parade, hosted by the Tombstone Small Animal Shelter. All money raised went directly to the shelter, which is 100% volunteer staffed and funded. I've already met a few of the volunteers at the PetSmart Charities in Sierra Vista so some faces, but no names, were familiar. Entrance fee was $5. Awards were given out after the parade in several categories: Largest Pet, Smallest Pet, Oldest/Youngest Pet/Pet Owner, Most Unusual Pet and Most Popular Pet. All participants also got a goodie bag afterwards, stuff donated from local people.

Weather was ideal for the parade. It was in the high 60s today with no wind and clear skies, which made for some sun-bleached photos. At least the pavement wasn't too hot for the dogs' paws.

This was not a huge parade, but several people entered their horses, cows, goats, chickens and even a goose. This made for a very interesting mix of animals on the street, and luckily the gathering went peacefully. Nobody brought a cat. Now that would have been a riot!

The town was still waking up when Alicia and I met at 11am. We were early and had time to spare, so we walked a bit around Allen Street, the tourist street that is depicted in all the literature about Tombstone. Locals sat around watching passers-by--as they often do--including one man dressed in Confederate costume to match that of his young German Shepherd Dog, Aphrodite. The poor dog looked weighed down with her costume, which included a Confederate hat, a thick leather collar and a choker collar and a bag of "Tombstone gold" over her back. She obediently followed her owner as he walked around the area. I'm not sure if he was actually a participant, though.

We walked a bit up and down Allen Street. This is were all the tourists go for entertainment. This street is closed to regular traffic and is reserved for the horse carriages so that tourists can feel as if they are walking in the past as they stroll through. That's fine, but the street is PAVED (because business owners complained of dirt getting into their shops!). Locals are seen wearing era clothing for their OK Corral Shoot-Outs, then walk the rest of the day around town looking like business owners, saloon keepers, miners or even outlaws from the 1880s. For the tourist this may be nice to see, but I am not too keen on how the town markets its past with so much artificiality.

Tombstone is a tourist town that makes money on its rough past. But few things are real originals. The only original building is the Bird Theatre, with allegedly real bullet holes from the famous outlaws. The OK Corral's current location is not where the original shoot-out from 1881 occured, nor did the shoot-out happen in the middle of the street. Even the famous Boot Hill Cemetery is not the original cemetery and is now located off SR80 north of town so that drivers can access the place easier and which provides more convenient parking for large vehicles like tour buses. I actually prefer the places frequented by locals in the side streets. Talking to them is always interesting, as everyone has a fascinating story explaining their presence in this town. There are many out-of staters who claim Tombstone as their town now.

"The Town too Tough to Die" is notorious for some quirky people. People here still love their guns and carry them when allowed, although I saw no open carrying today. (Have the local police cracked down on that?) The people I met today, though, were nice. Most shelter volunteers that I have met have the genuine concern for the animals in mind and are more than happy to have more volunteers. I am considering helping out the shelter, but it is a long drive from our home, longer than the drive to Bisbee.

My number in the parade was #16. Alicia with her Luna and Teca were #18 and #19. When we finally lined up to walk the street at 12:30pm, the entire event didn't last but 15 or so minutes. An announcer called our names, we waved back, and that was it. Lots of onlookers dressed in their era costumes, kids in their spring clothing, and even older people all waved at us, but this wasn't a huge crowd. The Bell Family with their goats, chickens, dogs and goose were a big hit, and I got to chat with Lisa Bell for a bit. The goose had never walked on a leash before until a few minutes before the event. Except for one short protest sit-down, he did splendidly! "Most Popular" award went to Senor Rex, a male chihuahua behind me wearing a horse blanket and sombrero, matching his young owner.

Zeke and Luna behaved very well. Zeke seemed curious about the horses, cows, ponies and goats there, but didn't bark at the other dogs, and there was quite a variety: Labradors, Great Dane, German shorthaired pointer, cocker spaniel, English setter, Jack Russell, German Shepherd, ChowX, a few chihuahuas and pit bulls. Many animals were shelter animals out getting some advertisement, and I must say the dogs out today were the best I've seen in a while. (My personal favorite is a 4-year-old German Shepherd DogX, Cedrick) All dogs were well behaved. Strangers came up to Zeke to pet him, both young and old, and a few even photographed him. I was very proud of him. He truly is a happy dog who aims to please, and he walks so well on a leash. I can't say that about Sadie.

Paraders quickly dispersed after the event. We stayed in town and sat down on a metal bench in the shade and watched people walk by. It didn't seem as busy today. At 2pm a group of reenactors came out to play the OK Corral, but this time without the shooting and swearing. A group of older men yelled at the Earp brothers (four men up front dressed in black attire) as the group walked down the street. After a few loud exchanges, the group walked on and that was the end of that.

A wide variety of people visit Tombstone and today was my first time actually watching them. Even the tourists wear Western Wear. A few kids carried toy pistols that fired blasting caps. Shop owners pose outside their shops in leather jackets and long skirts. Men wear bollo ties. People look around, peruse through shops. There really isn't much else to do in this town.

We sat there for two hours and stayed until business everywhere started waning, around 3pm. That's also when I started feeling the cooler temps come on by. After Alicia left in her car, I walked around the block to my car, noticing displays in the small garden plots and taking more photos. This town had a lot of bikers visiting, and people were generally in a good mood. This was one of my better experiences in Tombstone.

The Pet Parade was a fun event. I can see this being enjoyable for local children as well, especially when animals other than dogs are in this parade. Volunteers provided doggie bars for all the animals at the start and finish. I would do this event again.

Next weekend we are talking about walking in the Sierra Vista Mutt March, a similiar event as the Pet Parade but limited to friendly dogs. It's on a Saturday and starts early, at 7:30am, and supports the Nancy Brua Animal Care and Control Center in Sierra Vista. I could participate in that event and still get a hike in afterwards, weather permitting.

Hunter Canyon

It's no secret that my favorite place to walk the dogs is Hunter Canyon. It's two miles away, little used, and scenic. I'd rather take the dogs there than walk them around the neighborhood where all the other dogs go nucking futs and bark at us two blocks away. The only issues with Hunter Canyon are the target shooters and the USBP that may be active there.

Today I took all four dogs with me in the van. All four jumped out and for almost a half mile they trotted next to the van. Even Sara jumped out, and because of her I drove extra slow. She's almost ten years old and doesn't have the energy she once had to trot three miles during her walking sessions.

There was no one around at 12:30pm when we got to the shooting area. The dogs walked around and sniffed the trees when shortly after our arrival another van pulled up. The dogs were all off-leash so I immediately rounded them up. They didn't bark and neither did the driver come out right away. When he did, the dogs remained calm and that put me at ease. It turned out that Mike, a tall, retired bricklayer from Michigan, loves dogs and has lived in the next canyon over for four years. He comes to Hunter Canyon several times a week to shoot his .22 pistol. He also visits Ash Canyon with his metal detector and revealed some of his high-value finds doing that. I had never seen him before, and maybe that's because I normally go to Hunter Canyon later in the afternoon.

Mike was a "snowbird" in his younger years, when he and his wife would settle near Mesa. "But that area has gotten too big and congested so we decided to move here instead." He has a modest home in the adjacent canyon.

"We used to sit on our front porch and watch the illegals walk over the ridge, coming down in groups of five" said Mike. He knows where the popular pick-up points are in these canyons, and even where the illegals hunker down and wait for their SUV to get them.

"The trash isn't as bad as it used to be when we first got here in '04" I told him. "We used to see mounds of trash in Brown Canyon." Little Sieger was outside the van and cuddling next to me as we talked. He was restless and despite enjoying the chat with Mike, opted to go on with my walk with the dogs. We walked up the next trail until that, too, faded away into the burned trees of the hillside. I hadn't been back there in a few years, and the side trail, like a few others nearby, was heavily damaged by flood waters.

The winds were now picking up as well, picking up the abrasive dust as it blew by. Red Flag warnings weren't supposed to kick in until later today. I didn't want to be walking under fragile trees weakened from last summer's fire.

Mike set up his firing position and fired his pistol the entire time, crouching down on his foldable seat. We never spoke again after that as he looked focused on his shooting. I then took the dogs to the muddy spring for water before driving home.

Sieger and Sara played in the mud. Sieger loves muddy water and "digs" in it for holes. Both were covered in mud so before I let either back into the van, made them walk next to me for another half mile to dry off before coming back into the van. Both dogs got baths once we got back home. Sara desperately needed a bath as her fur had been gritty and greasy for a while. The bathwater after her wash was a dark brown, and heavy sediment settled on the bottom of the tub when she was done.

Reef Townsite

Reef Townsite is the second-highest elevation drivers can go on the Carr Canyon Road. (The highest elevation is the Upper Carr Peak campsite a mile uproad.) It's an old mining community that was active over 100 years ago, from 1893 through the early 1920s. There is a campsite here and also a separate day-use parking area. Alicia and I went here this morning, initially just to look for chrystals but then just to chat, explore and walk around. I took Sadie and Sieger; Luna stayed at home because of suspected kennel cough.

I had been here a few times, and was here last in early March to first see the damage. The actual reef with cliffs now is a totally destroyed flat mesa overlooking the valley. All the scrub oak and manzanitas are now burned. The oaks are growing back but the manzanitas are lifeless. The Forest Service here is probably glad about that as manzanitas are considered non-native and invasive. The rocky mesa is too rocky to sustain tall pines. Years ago this was a popular paragliding area but I don't see much activity here now. A few years ago ATVers still came here (as is evident in the beer cans I still find.) What the nearby cliffs are good for, though, is watching hawks in the fall.

We didn't find worthwhile chrystals but we did discover some new (old, actually!) mining trails. The post-fire floods, however, have wiped out some of the trails, and in other cases, mining shafts have totally been buried by mud and other debris. This is a nice area to explore in cooler, more overcast skies. At least we had an early start and were up here by 8:30am. We were back at our cars by the Mesquite Tree restaurant by 12:45pm, and by then it got really hot.

We did discover what looks like a USBP scope facing into Miller Canyon, and a nearby solar antenna. These were definitely not here before the fire! Is Miller Canyon that infamous with drug smugglers? We sat here overlooking our neighborhood, and we chatted about old co-workers from years ago. From Carr Peak yesterday I could see the heavy damage of the Reef area. This may be the last area that can grow back after the fire.

"I don't understand people who say there's nothing to do here!" said Alicia. Those people don't bother exploring the mountains.

There weren't too many people this high up. Maybe because all the remaining shade is at the campsite. We came across two other cars that drove up the road and down again, and another couple off the campsite were conducting an area survey. We walked as far down the campground as the first cliffs of Carr Falls, but to explore that will be for another day. The bulk of the people and cars were in the Carr Canyon picnic area 5.3 miles down the road. Are Easter picnics a tradition here? I never knew!

It got hot fast, though. Temperatures in Phoenix went above 90F, and it got that hot in Tucson as well. We hit 85F this afternoon, and my little garden is starting to suffer from that. Today was the hottest day so far this year for us. I wore a t-shirt and shorts today, and my neck is red. I hate being a redneck.

It was a pleasant Easter morning. I came home, had a late lunch, and pretty much mellowed out for the rest of the day. I learned of the death of CBS newscaster Mike Wallace today. He died in New Canaan, CT at age 93. He had the kind of nose for news that few today possess. It seems as if amateurs now run news websites, or there is more of a focus on celebrity or scandal news.

Anyway...Next weekend Alicia and I will get together again, maybe do a Ghostown tour of Gleason and a few other sites. That'll be another great photo-op! Alicia has been a great companion on these discovery hikes.

Carr Peak (first time since the June 2011 wildfire)

Carr Peak was reopened to the public on Friday, so instead of walking up the road I was able to drive up to the last parking area and hike the peak trail for the first time since last June. I was thus able to see the fire damage for myself. I took my time hiking to the peak, looking at flora and taking almost 500 pictures. I hadn't been up here since the forest was closed last June, so seeing the fire damage today was both suspenseful and scary. I had no idea what I'd find.

The morning started out cool and overcast; perfect weather for a peak. Sadie and I got to the trailhead at 10:09am. We were the first ones in the parking lot. I was expecting many more people, since this area had been closed off since early June of last year.

The trees at the upper campsite were mostly still there, as were the manzanitas along the first ridge. Even the oldest strand of pines were intact. But less than a mile on the trail and I could see the extensive damage all around me: Reef Townsite took a heavy toll and entire sections of the trail are now hot and exposed. The first mile had been exposed for years so this was nothing new, but after that first mile there are entire sections of burned trees.

What surprised me the most, though, was the lack of flowers. I only spotted three different flowers on the trail and two of them were alpine species. Pink penstemons that normally bloom this time of year were none. Yellow Columbine, which had clustered around the cool trunks of aspen, were also absent although I saw young leaves emerge from the soil. The entire horizon was a dead hue of brown, with an isolated green tree here and there. But I've gotten over my grief.

Upon looking at trees more closely, though, one notices that many of what look like dead trees are still alive. Many have green canopies, or are burned on only one side. When I arrived at the aspen groves it was much of the same thing, with the lower aspen grove actually just now showing buds. The upper aspen grove is more damaged than the lower grove, with many of the trees burned at the trunks.

The lower aspen grove also had some snow left from the March 19 storm. This was great for Sadie. I stopped whenever she needed water. There was also trickling water at the one overhang, and we stopped here as well.

The higher and closer I got to Carr Peak, the more damage I saw. Oaks, elms, aspens, pines standing burned in all directions. Upper Miller Canyon looked especially ravaged. This area had already had so many dead trees from the last fire in 1997, and now there are newer, blacker trees to add to the wasteland.

On a hot and clear day this would be one very hot hike now. Some shady areas still remain, and of course the amount of shade varies with the time of day. The sky didn't begin to clear up until I hit the peak at 11:58. Sadie and I sat here for 45 minutes, having lunch, looking around and just enjoying the solitude. Carr Peak looks like the last burned peak as everything north still looks fine.

We didn't come across anyone until we began our descent. A couple spending the weekend in the mountains approached me just off the creek. Further down a man and his two white retrievers hiked up, and a mile from the end I met five army dudes bushwhacking up from Miller Canyon. I also saw a lone USBP agent behind some dark trees in the campground. (I met another five men 2.5 miles down the road walking the road up; they wanted to hit the peak). Why do people start hikes so late in the day when it's at its hottest?

I was in the mountains for five hours. It was nice to be on Carr again, although there wasn't much as far as wilflife goes. I saw a group of ravens fly around Carr and Miller. Were they the same Ravens Ellen and I spotted last week? I saw three species of butterflies, bluejays, one meadowlark and several hawks, but the forest was void of the usual songbirds.

When I hiked up this trail I didn't think the damage from last summer's fire was ~that~ bad, but looking at photos later on this evening, I do realize I may be too optimistic. Some of the mountainsides are now void of the usual flora. All I can do now is see this part of the mountains as a beginning, and watch life come back, slowly, as the years pass. I hope to live long enough to see a new forest emerge.

Hereford Bridge trailhead of the SPRNC trail

Today was a nice Sunday hike at a perfect pace and distance. Alicia and I agreed to meet at 9am in the parking lot of the Hereford Bridge trailhead of the San Pedro River. She wants to start hiking again and help her new pup meet other dogs outside her pack. Sounds like a perfect excuse to take the dogs out on a hike again! I left Sadie at home since she had her turn yesterday. Today was reserved for the pups.

By 8:15am we were ready to go. It was noticably cooler and windier today, which blew in more dust but which kept our dogs cooler. We were the only ones parked in the lot.

We headed south on the trail with the dogs on leashes. They barked at each other and squirmed around. Since we were hiking with the dogs so that they can be better socialized, we did what we had to for them to better get to know one another. Once they were off leash, things went better and soon both Sieger and Luna, a German shepherdX pup, were playmates.

I had no idea how far we would go since Alicia hadn't hiked in a while, but she kept a good pace. We made it down to Waters Road, the 2.5 mile mark, and then went east toward the river. This is the standard route I always take when I walk this section of the trail and I always enjoy it. It's flat, offers water, and provides shade to view any birds along the way. Today the big wild life were the pesky western caterpillar.

The dogs had fun in the water. Sieger prompted Luna into the water, and soon there was a splash fest. It was fun to see the young dogs be dogs.

We once again encountered no one. Even birds were few although I did spot a Swainson's hawk high above. There was plenty of horse poop on the widened trail as well. The wind picked up more force on our return trip.

How far we hiked I am not sure. I don't think we did five miles since we cut back a bit along the creek. Regardless, two days in a row of decent hikes and company is a good thing. Alicia and I are talking about having another hike next Sunday as well. We have plenty of trails nearby to choose from.

The river area is in complete bloom now. Soon this place will be one of the few cool places for the dogs. I like this area, though, because this part of the trail hardly gets used, and I feel safe having the dogs offleash around me. The Huachuca Mountains cover the horizon. The entire mountain range looks so small.

I wasn't tired much at all considering all the hiking I did this weekend. I am on a roll! To top things off, at 4pm I took all four dogs down to Hunter Canyon for a short romp. Sara is clearly getting too old to enjoy long walks, but she does enjoy sniffing an area and exploring. Two men ready for target shooting pulled up a few minutes after I got there, so to avoid the dogs fearing the sound of gun shots, I took them further away up an illegal trail into Stump Canyon, where last year's fire raged. Some people are still rebuilding their homes, others look abandoned altogether. A family walking their dog off leash prompted me to quickly move down the hillside and on another trail. That was as much excitement as we had all day, other than Sieger finding more deer legs (coyote kill) to show off.