Miller Canyon Trail

Distance: 7-8 miles
Elevation: 5800'-8600'
Time: 4.5 hours (with 30 minute break)

Today was the last day of my Easter break. Both exams had been taken and a relief was over me. I had spent the previous three days studying my Spanish to the point of restlessness. I couldn't bear another day at home gardening. It was finally time for a hike! I just didn't know where to hike: should I go up Miller Canyon, Sheelite Canyon or Blacktail Canyon or? I finally settled on the Miller Canyon Trail, with the goal of cleaning up the bath tub at the Crest Trail intersection. I hadn't cleaned out the tub since last fall and I wanted to do something "Green" for Earth Day again. This was a good choice as I learned from several hikers that trails in the Huachucas from the army post are still closed off due to fire danger.

That means Sadie and I hiked four miles one way to scrub out a bath tub at 8700'. My friends and family back in Chicagoland must think I'm crazy to do this. I can just see their faces now. "You hiked up to 8700 feet just to clean out a bath tub? Connie!"

The good news is that there was no trash along the way.

It had been almost a year since I was up here and I could already see the dry vegetation from the start. Although there were pockets of greenery, most of the shrubs and trees were looking dry.

We parked at the Beatty's orchard parking area and started the immediate climb on the old mining trail that follows Miller Creek all the way. This is a very popular area for birders. The steepest part of this trail begins at the 1.5 mile marker and continues for two miles through a mostly shaded area. The last half mile it levels out again.

We didn't get started at the trailhead until 1:17pm. It's a late start but I knew I'd be back by 6pm. We didn't see anyone on the trail until almost the end, when a young couple from Tucson with their blue heeler greeted us. They, like me, were surprised at how dry the forest is, and I had to agree. This is the dryest I've seen it in the six years I've been here, and it's a combination killer freeze from February and subsequent dryness thereafter that has caused this.

Miller Creek was dry most of the way. This is such a beautiful hike when there is water at the half-way mark, and columbines bloom along the creek bed. The bubbling water attracts the birds and makes this a much more pleasant hike. It's one of the few hikes featured in Arizona hiking books of southeastern Arizona. Today, however, the creek didn't look too healthy.

Oaks and manzanitas along the trail all were looking dry. Many of the oaks have shed their leaves to stay alive. Several uprooted trees now lay across the trail, too. Grass is dead and there were NO WILDFLOWERS ANYWHERE. Lush green finally became obvious near the Crest Trail. It took me 2:30 hours to get this far (!!!). I'm definitely out of shape after not hiking in a few weeks. I need to start getting into shape from here on if I want to do well in California in a few months.

It took me 20 minutes to clean out the green algae/black mold infested bath tub. This tub was dragged up to this site from an old homesteader whose cabin was nearby. The home is long gone but the bath tub has remained as a reliable water source for hikers and wildlife. It is now an historical relic and is part of the Coronado National Forest. I should suggest hiking club members hike this trail more often so that we can all do our share in keeping the bath tub clean for hikers, since this tub is on the Arizona Trail and we are responsible for maintaining the trail. Most would probably complain about this since the club tends to focus on more political issues.

I brought a grill brush and scrubbing sponge along for the job, but purposefully left the bleach at home so as not to add any chemicals into the water. I first scooped out the algae-infested water with Sadie's drinking cup, then scrubbed and finally sponged off what I could. The algae will come back in a few months, but the tub now looks a lot better than before I did this job. I didn't stay long enough for the tub to refill with water from the pipe, but a second scrubbing and rinsing would probably have helped. Had I gotten to the tub earlier, I probably would have done so.

Our late start for this hike didn't allow me much of a break. As soon as I got as much of the algae and mold removed, we were back on the trail heading down at 4:12pm. The only people we met on the descent was a birding couple from Albuquerque. They asked me if I saw any birds. Other than a few ravens near the saddle and a few wrens watching me scrub out the tub, there were no birds.

It seemed as if more trees had recently been snapped in half in the saddle. A fire that raged here in 1977 has left many charred tree stumps with very little new tree growth.

We got back to the truck at just before 6pm. There was still plenty of sunlight when we got home at 6:15. Being just six miles from the trailhead helps.

Although this is a steep ascent, I am going to try to hike this more often just to help keep the bath tub clean for hikers and wildlife.

San Pedro River Trail-Hereford Bridge South

This short hike on part of this lovely section was a spontaneous decision on my part. After two chilling days today's weather was in the 80s again and dry. I opted to take all three dogs to the river for refreshment. It had been a while since I was last on this section. Like most of the San Pedro River trail, this is a flat and exposed hike. This particular section, though, runs close to the river and offers much bird life.

This section of the San Pedro River Trail is the closest to our house at just nine miles, traveling east on Hereford road until reaching the westbank parking lot. There is a bathroom at this parking lot, and RVs are separated from cars.

We arrived around noon to an empty parking lot. The dogs stayed close as I followed the well-marked trail going south, then east toward the river and past what looks like an abandoned ranch house at the river's edge. This is an open area with no shade, and perhaps the hottest part of the hike for dogs.

Here the official trail gets close to the actual river. Frequent signs mark the route; one can't get lost if one stays on the trail. At the closest part of the trail to the river is another trail that takes hikers to the river and under the shade of the trees. This is the unofficial trail I took, and continued in the shaded canopy of mature cottonwoods and ash.

Despite the recent freezes there are plenty of western gypsy moths eating away at the foliage. I had to be careful where I sat because those moths were getting on me; a few managed to hitch a ride back to the house.

I didn't recognize much today, and didn't get as far south as before (the last time we got closer to houses near the river before turning around). There are several log jams created by beaver activity, and these logs also trap the plastic trash dumped by the illegals coming across from Mexico. Other trash like clothes and backpacks, however, were none.

I reckon we got no more than two miles round trip, stopping often at the river for the dogs to splash around in.

I also didn't see any Border Patrol anywhere.

The dogs had fun. There had been recent horse traffic through here but today we were alone. This time there were plenty of birds keeping us company, from the bright red vermillion flycatcher to finches and an unknown yellow-chested bird. I heard plenty of species but saw actually only a few in the trees.

The San Pedro River trail changes its course subtly every time there is a major flood, and with the floods go the illegal trails. This year we haven't had much rain and parts of the river's beds have dried, leaving cracked slates of rivermud along the way. Trails get replenished every year, though, by the many trespassers from the South, as is evident by the north-bending grasses along the way.

This little river here truly is a precious refuge. If it weren't for all the hungry moths I could sit under the shade of a cottonwood and listen to the birds all day. On one side is the cool water, on the other side the distant mountains, and inbetween the golden valley. It's enough to get lost in thought. Today the blue sky added to the pictoresque views.

We were out along the river at least two hours before making it back to the truck. The dogs had a good workout and all three looked happy to play in the water today.

The grasses near the river are dead and ideal fire kindling. The grass is so dead and dry it scratches your skin as you pass by; much of the grass is at least waist tall. Many meadow birds don't seem to mind, though. So many birds flitted by on our return walk.

One of these days I am going to walk this section all the way down to AZ Route 92 in Palominas. Today I just walked a part of this pretty section to get the dogs some exercise near a trustworthy water source.

Had we hiked the entire section out and back we would have gone eight miles. I'll leave that for a cool, overcast day. Hopefully we have a few more of those before monsoon season hits in July.

One cool weekend

We finally got rain and cooler temperatures on Saturday, but the storm that was forecasted stayed north of us. We got the drizzle, though, and the accompanying overcast skies.

I had walked the dogs early Saturday morning to avoid getting a rain-out. That never came. Although dark clouds lingered over the mountains, the downpour never came in the valley. So in the afternoon I took the dogs to Hunter Canyon for another quick romp. It was cold and breezy but apparently this is the kind of weather that attracts illegal bordercrossers because there were two USBP vans behind me as I turned into the canyon. There were no other people near me, though and the dogs enjoyed their walk.

The mountains here looked beautiful when contrasted against the brown, dry brush below. I enjoyed the photography as a result. The sun would poke from behind the cloud cover and provide for more contrast. A rainbow even formed in the eastern horizon.

Today we woke up to much colder temperatures and a beautiful blue sky patched with puffy white clouds. Our weather was colder than that for Chicago or Boston today, yet I relished this cooler dampness. We've staved off wildfires at least for a few days this way.

Today I took the dogs up to Reef Townsite where a small dusting of snow kept them refreshed. The drive to this place can take longer than the two-mile loop around the high plateau and for a while I was behind a full-sized truck that didn't seem to want to go faster than 5mph.

It was cold at 6000' and my winter jacket came in handy. Other people were also en route but were heading for higher elevation. I didn't have time to hike to Carr Peak. I just wanted something fun for the dogs where people wouldn't be a problem. They seemed to enjoy the trail I was on, an abandoned campground near old mines that provide vistas in all directions. I never see anyone on this old road, 5973.

Lower Ash Canyon Trail

A three-mile romp with the dogs in the foothills.

I didn't work today but did a lot of other things. In the early morning I gardened, with suddenly many new seedlings coming up thanks to the mild overnight temperatures. The hot dry temperatures continue.

But by noon I decided to take all three up Ash Creek. The brown dry oak trees were immediately visible. A fawn pranced across the road; I slowed down. Then came another fawn following its sibling. And then, out of the treeline like a speeding bullet, came the mother doe who jumped out and froze in the middle of the forest road. I screamed, the dogs barked, I braked and was glad I didn't hit the animal. She would have gotten a direct hit and died. That had my adrenaline going for a while. Despite the dry forest I'm seeing plenty of white-tailed deer.

We rested for a few minutes near Ash springs, where the girls pranced in the water, rolled around in the mud, and chased each other. I looked for brass but found little, so it's nice to know the cars that were camped out here the last time I was here have kept the place clean.

One thing that is becoming obvious in Ash canyon (and Hunter Canyon) is that target shooters are using live trees as targets. The bullets eventually tear the tree bark open, killing the trees, and here in Ash Canyon there are a few young oaks that have been shot up.

The glucosamine that Sara has been getting this past week truly has shown progress on her arthritic joints, and this afternoon she ran and played with Sadie as if she were two years old again. She didn't slow me down as I meandered up the mining and then illegal trail up to the springs where we rested and went the same way back to the truck. Again we were alone until at the trailhead, when a young active duty man came for some prospecting. We both commented on the dry brush before departing.

I did not see much trash today, and definitely not the kind of trash I'd come across a few years ago. The border fence has made an impact, but it still isn't clean enough.

There may be a chance of rain later this week. I sure hope we get some. New Mexico, Oklahoma, west Texas and Colorado are already much worse off than we are, with a massive fire burning near Albuqerque.

Carr Peak

Carr Peak is my one stable hike. It's nearby, allows for high elevation climbing, and is relatively short for someone in condition. It can be done in under three hours. On a clear day the summit also offers panoramic vista that travel far in all directions.

Sunday, despite a Red Flag warning, I ventured up with Sadie. The warning didn't start till 11am but I could feel the oncoming gusts. I had been yearning for a peak bag again. I hadn't had much of a work-out since my January ascent up Miller Peak, most of that my own fault as I saddle myself down with homework. I took Sadie, grabbed some snacks and water, and off we were by 8:30am, arriving at the upper trailhead at 9:01am as the day's first visitors. Sadie was excited to be on the trail again.

Spring is a little behind this year due to little rainfall. I saw few new growth, several butterflies, but no wildflowers of any kind. The trees still looked like they were in the pre-bud growth phase. The FS had cut away two feet off either side of the trail of bramble near the aspen groves, but the aspens are still very barren. This made this hike rather dull, but the May hike should be full of lush green.

That's if we get any rain. Our forests are hurting!

And unlike last year's hike, there was just one small snow mound that Sadie used for water. Water trickled in the seasonal waterfall. The severe drought continues to leave its mark on the dry leaves and parched branches of every shrub, tree and grassblade.

We arrived at the summit at 10:20am to high winds. We ducked down, enjoyed our snacks and water. We could see the 8-acre burn spot from yesterday's brushfire south of town. Going back down I had to hold on to my cap because of the wind, although the heavy gusts seem to be more higher up. Once I got back to the truck we were back to calmness.

We descended at 10:35, arriving back at the truck at 11:40, making this hike only ten minutes slower than my fastest ascent last September. I thought I would be slower than that, as I stopped briefly a few times to catch my breath and to allow Sadie to drink. We didn't see anyone until we were close to the parking lot, a young couple in summer shorts.

I wore shorts, too, but my orange wind breaker never came off. It was rather crisp near the top. Sadie enjoyed the exercise. She's turning into a dog who hates leashes, and refuses to go on my neighborhood walks with the other dogs. This is her one reprieve, and she's such a wonderful, fit, spunky dog to have along.

I'll be doing Carr Peak more often as my backpacking trip to California nears. I'll also be hitting even steeper trails in Tucson as the date approaches.

The wind in the valley got stronger as the day progressed, swaying our palm tree in all directions.