Sunday, February 26, 2012
Lutz Canyon Trail
I am really unmotivated lately to take on long, challenging hikes. I hope I can overcome my malaise and start bagging the peaks again! What turned out to be a plan to hike up Miller Peak instead turned into a short hike up Lutz Canyon, and I didn't get very far due to the heavy trail erosion along the creek. I didn't even see any of the old foundations.
I parked at the old trailhead sign for Lutz Canyon but went down the creekbed to hike up, hoping for some water for the dogs. There was none. The creek had been leveled off in flat sections and any water remaining is now underground.
Now that the trees are budding around us, the deadness of this part of the mountain range is more obvious. Lutz Canyon is no longer a shaded hike. The heavy boulders and loose rocks everywhere are tiring on the feet. The deep crevices in the trail also are a danger to those hiking at night (the illegals and the drug runners). I never saw any of the mines or old foundations.
There's also plenty of ash still around.
Today both Sieger and Sadie were with me. I'm trying to get Sieger's endurance built up. He seems eager to hike--maybe too eager--because he annoys Sadie who ends up lashing back at him. The dogs preferred the many side trails while I wanted to stay on the official trail, but the trail's been totally wiped out by flash floods. I couldn't recognize the area, nor could I find the old trail. It was very frustrating to get very far as the hike turned into a search mission I was in no mood to finish. So I went back the way we came but taking the trail back rather than the creekbed. I'll have to come back up this way with a GPS next time.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Carr Falls
Instead of a hike, I took all four dogs to explore Carr Falls, a seasonal local hang-out and a party spot anyway (judging by the many beer bottles and cans along the trail) this afternoon. This was my first weekday off in a while and the weather was ideal for some hiking. Lots of people come to these slabs; today I climbed up the rocks and also climbed up the brittle trail on the fall's left bank.
There was water trickling after yesterday's rain so the dogs had some cool refreshment on an otherwise warm and windless afternoon. Temps were in the 60s. I almost made it to the top of the falls! What made me turn around was Sammy's fear. He stayed low and whimpered near a top ledge, and that is when I knew I had to turn around for safety's sake. Going any further would have been foolish and risky and I didn't want to put my dogs in any danger.
The men were now ahead of us and made it to the top. It was tempting to follow their route to see the view, but I will do that another time. I stayed out of their way as the dogs could be a nuisance.
I lugged around a large dSLR, which also slowed me down, but nothing else. No water, no pack, no jacket. Next time I attempt this I will take one or two dogs, a small backpack with water, and a small p&s camera. As it is I'm not happy with today's photos.
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Sheepshead Rock (Dragoon Mountains)
Today's plan didn't quite go as scheduled. I got up later than expected (6:30am), drank my cappuccino and read my news before washing my hair and heading out to Bisbee. I planned on working at the shelter a few hours in peace. This entails cleaning out the kennels, exercising all the dogs and photographing the latest animals. This had been my routine these last few months. From there I planned on heading north to Tombstone to hike Sheepshead Rock with Sadie, who drove with me. But it was not meant to be.
My Sunday stay at the animal shelter was barely an hour long. I had planned on being there for a few hours like I had been spending but the tension between Judy and me was just too much. I picked Sundays because that's when no one was normally there, neither volunteer nor visitor. It was just me and the animals and I could given them all some attention.
This morning Judy insisted on coming over. She knew I was going to be there to meet another woman taking care of one of the black lab puppies she's pre-adopted. Judy's never been the same since she was bitten by one of the dogs a few weeks ago. She drove up in a haste and right from the start acted tense. And that tension immediately radiated into me and my stress level reached epic proportions. Now what, I wondered.
She had come in to inspect my way of cleaning the kennels. They weren't up to her unknown standards. I had cleaned the outside runs first while the dogs were inside, separated by the steel trap doors. I had always done it this way as it was easy for me, but she stated otherwise. She called me away from the woman petting her puppy and criticized my work. At least she didn't criticize me in front of the visitor, as that would damage her sweet image she has on Facebook.
I let her ramble. And then I finally said an expletive that I say only when angry. "You are a fucking control freak!" Why does it matter in what manner the kennels are cleaned, as long as they are cleaned and dry and the dogs have a healthy place to nap.
And then she lashed out back at me, saying she has always disliked how I did things at the shelter. Say what? Seeing me tenses her up, she said. And later on, back home behind the computer, she continued her rant with rather hurtful words like saying we had always hated each other. That simply is not true. I had always admired her for her drive to save the animals of Bisbee. Maybe she had had too much whiskey early in the day and was letting the alcohol speak for her. I'll never know for sure now. It's a shame, too because I enjoyed working with the animals and the volunteers were helpful.
Sadie patiently waited for me in the truck. She doesn't like being at the shelter. Perhaps the barking dogs make her uneasy, or perhaps it's the old Golden retriever from the rehab house next door that unsettles her. My short stay at the shelter thus benefitted her, as we left at 9:30am to hit the Dragoon mountains and try a short but strenuous hike up to the top of Sheephead's Rock. This is a four-mile steep r/t hike off FR4806, a dirt road that ends at a dead end near an old rusty watertank and windmill. It's only an 800' elevation gain, but the steepness and the loose soil at times makes this treacherous. This hike starts out level the first 1/4 mile, but once it nears the granite protusion, it quickly gains height as it meanders around boulders, yuccas, cacti and eventually oaks hussing the upper reaches of the rock.
From the top the valley view into Tombstone is quite spectacular, as one sits on the sundrenched granite rocks feeling the warmth. For me, it didn't turn out quite this way.
Thirty minutes after leaving Bisbee I was at the trailhead. There were a few other cars parked there, but most seemed to be campers out enjoying the warm weather.
This hike today was both a blessing and a pain. The discourse Judy and I had before I left the shelter left me angry and upset, and that affected my momemtum. The other part was my lack of conditioning. I was slow and often out of breath. Carrying a rucksack with two cameras and several lenses also weighed me down, causing me at times to keel backwards. I'm glad no one saw me like this today.
Since I didn't have company I had no one pushing me, and at times I took long breaks thinking about this mornning's events at the shelter and trying to make sense of Judy's irrational comments. In the end I realized that despite our shared love for animals, we are polar opposites. We simply can't work together. We must move on.
It warmed up nicely. The high of 62F reflected well off the rocks, and Sadie was getting thirsty. She drank close to a half gallon at the half-way point, and I was running low for both of us. Perhaps her thirst made her slow down, because when we reached the final 300 yards, a rocky ascent to the dome top, she panicked and refused to jump up the boulders to follow me. Instead, she ran back down and out of sight. She's never done this before. What to do? Quickly get to the top, take pictures, or follow her to make sure she didn't get lost? I ended up doing a combination. I ascended a bit more, but then couldn't find the final trail to the top. Had it been that long since I was up here to remember where the trail was? It's mostly a bushwhack over boulders, with some tight climbs where upper body strength is required. The trail I found didn't look like the trail I remember, which went through the middle of the dome to a vast opening. I gave up the pursuit and went back down to find Sadie, constantly calling out for her name.
Her head popped up from behind the first boulder she refused to climb up. Maybe she waited for me there in the shade? I was not upset, but rather glad I didn't lose her. It's not like her to take off like this, so maybe something spooked her, or she was telling me something else.
The descent was just as bad as the ascent. I thought I would make it down rather fast. Instead, somewhere in the treeline I lost the trail and bushwhacked most of the slope, even getting into the dry creekbed area before I found the level trail after making it through thornybrush. I was glad to be back on terra firma by now!
This area is popular with rock climbers. Today there were a few, a young couple from British Colombia were ahead of me. But for me this entire Dragoon mountain range is mystical. It's as if I can still feel the spirits of the old Apache that once lived here. It's a great place to hike around when needing some time alone, or perhaps even for some spiritual reflection. Although Sadie and I didn't make it to the top, we will be back.
Today was SuperBowl Sunday. Kevin drove up to Phonix yesterday to see the game with his friends. The New York Giants beat the New England Patriots 21-17. I didn't watch the game. Instead I saw a few commercials via YouTube and yahoo. I learned of the final score via Facebook.
My Sunday stay at the animal shelter was barely an hour long. I had planned on being there for a few hours like I had been spending but the tension between Judy and me was just too much. I picked Sundays because that's when no one was normally there, neither volunteer nor visitor. It was just me and the animals and I could given them all some attention.
This morning Judy insisted on coming over. She knew I was going to be there to meet another woman taking care of one of the black lab puppies she's pre-adopted. Judy's never been the same since she was bitten by one of the dogs a few weeks ago. She drove up in a haste and right from the start acted tense. And that tension immediately radiated into me and my stress level reached epic proportions. Now what, I wondered.
She had come in to inspect my way of cleaning the kennels. They weren't up to her unknown standards. I had cleaned the outside runs first while the dogs were inside, separated by the steel trap doors. I had always done it this way as it was easy for me, but she stated otherwise. She called me away from the woman petting her puppy and criticized my work. At least she didn't criticize me in front of the visitor, as that would damage her sweet image she has on Facebook.
I let her ramble. And then I finally said an expletive that I say only when angry. "You are a fucking control freak!" Why does it matter in what manner the kennels are cleaned, as long as they are cleaned and dry and the dogs have a healthy place to nap.
And then she lashed out back at me, saying she has always disliked how I did things at the shelter. Say what? Seeing me tenses her up, she said. And later on, back home behind the computer, she continued her rant with rather hurtful words like saying we had always hated each other. That simply is not true. I had always admired her for her drive to save the animals of Bisbee. Maybe she had had too much whiskey early in the day and was letting the alcohol speak for her. I'll never know for sure now. It's a shame, too because I enjoyed working with the animals and the volunteers were helpful.
Sadie patiently waited for me in the truck. She doesn't like being at the shelter. Perhaps the barking dogs make her uneasy, or perhaps it's the old Golden retriever from the rehab house next door that unsettles her. My short stay at the shelter thus benefitted her, as we left at 9:30am to hit the Dragoon mountains and try a short but strenuous hike up to the top of Sheephead's Rock. This is a four-mile steep r/t hike off FR4806, a dirt road that ends at a dead end near an old rusty watertank and windmill. It's only an 800' elevation gain, but the steepness and the loose soil at times makes this treacherous. This hike starts out level the first 1/4 mile, but once it nears the granite protusion, it quickly gains height as it meanders around boulders, yuccas, cacti and eventually oaks hussing the upper reaches of the rock.
From the top the valley view into Tombstone is quite spectacular, as one sits on the sundrenched granite rocks feeling the warmth. For me, it didn't turn out quite this way.
Thirty minutes after leaving Bisbee I was at the trailhead. There were a few other cars parked there, but most seemed to be campers out enjoying the warm weather.
This hike today was both a blessing and a pain. The discourse Judy and I had before I left the shelter left me angry and upset, and that affected my momemtum. The other part was my lack of conditioning. I was slow and often out of breath. Carrying a rucksack with two cameras and several lenses also weighed me down, causing me at times to keel backwards. I'm glad no one saw me like this today.
Since I didn't have company I had no one pushing me, and at times I took long breaks thinking about this mornning's events at the shelter and trying to make sense of Judy's irrational comments. In the end I realized that despite our shared love for animals, we are polar opposites. We simply can't work together. We must move on.
It warmed up nicely. The high of 62F reflected well off the rocks, and Sadie was getting thirsty. She drank close to a half gallon at the half-way point, and I was running low for both of us. Perhaps her thirst made her slow down, because when we reached the final 300 yards, a rocky ascent to the dome top, she panicked and refused to jump up the boulders to follow me. Instead, she ran back down and out of sight. She's never done this before. What to do? Quickly get to the top, take pictures, or follow her to make sure she didn't get lost? I ended up doing a combination. I ascended a bit more, but then couldn't find the final trail to the top. Had it been that long since I was up here to remember where the trail was? It's mostly a bushwhack over boulders, with some tight climbs where upper body strength is required. The trail I found didn't look like the trail I remember, which went through the middle of the dome to a vast opening. I gave up the pursuit and went back down to find Sadie, constantly calling out for her name.
Her head popped up from behind the first boulder she refused to climb up. Maybe she waited for me there in the shade? I was not upset, but rather glad I didn't lose her. It's not like her to take off like this, so maybe something spooked her, or she was telling me something else.
The descent was just as bad as the ascent. I thought I would make it down rather fast. Instead, somewhere in the treeline I lost the trail and bushwhacked most of the slope, even getting into the dry creekbed area before I found the level trail after making it through thornybrush. I was glad to be back on terra firma by now!
This area is popular with rock climbers. Today there were a few, a young couple from British Colombia were ahead of me. But for me this entire Dragoon mountain range is mystical. It's as if I can still feel the spirits of the old Apache that once lived here. It's a great place to hike around when needing some time alone, or perhaps even for some spiritual reflection. Although Sadie and I didn't make it to the top, we will be back.
Today was SuperBowl Sunday. Kevin drove up to Phonix yesterday to see the game with his friends. The New York Giants beat the New England Patriots 21-17. I didn't watch the game. Instead I saw a few commercials via YouTube and yahoo. I learned of the final score via Facebook.
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Carr House ruins
The hike I had planned to Sheep's head dome in the Dragoons didn't happen. Instead I went into town, talked with some shelter volunteers at PetSmart, and took a short walk around the Carr House ruins on my way home. These ruins are in the lower Carr Canyon, before drivers ascend up to the higher-elevation campgrounds five miles away. Many locals come here as the ruins are within short walking distance to a popular picnic area. These ruins were built by Todd-Healy who bought the land from James Carr who lived here in 1880-1884 before selling off all his land in this canyon. Somewhere down the road this was a dude ranch, but all that remains today is the living quarters that is now a visitor's center, and the remaining ruins.
There was little burn damage here. No ruins were blackened and the house itself withstood it all. The only thing I noticed was how tall the Lehman's lovegrass is. It's taller than Sadie! The creekbed itself, which is quite dry right now, also showed much flood damage from last summer's monsoon, but the damage was retained to within the creek flow area.
We didn't stay here for long. It was already close to 4pm when we drove off. I had come here to give Sadie some exercise and to shoot some photographs. I ended up taking a lot of bottles and beer cans with me back to the car. Many more remained broken in the tall grass.
"This place is a popular party place" told me one young woman at the ruins. She was there with her four-month-old German shepherd and a friend. I recognized her from my trip to PetSmart earlier. She was correct, as there was not only discarded beer bottles and cans, but deer attracktant left behind by hunters. The ruins in part were also painted with graffitti, which is a terrible shame.
Another older woman was also walking her dog. This place is a popular destination for families wanting a short walk through nature. Bird houses are also set along the perimeter although I didn't go near them today. The trail was no more than a mile altogether and I was there an hour. The picnic area across from Carr Road also had visitors with kids and dogs.
There was little burn damage here. No ruins were blackened and the house itself withstood it all. The only thing I noticed was how tall the Lehman's lovegrass is. It's taller than Sadie! The creekbed itself, which is quite dry right now, also showed much flood damage from last summer's monsoon, but the damage was retained to within the creek flow area.
We didn't stay here for long. It was already close to 4pm when we drove off. I had come here to give Sadie some exercise and to shoot some photographs. I ended up taking a lot of bottles and beer cans with me back to the car. Many more remained broken in the tall grass.
"This place is a popular party place" told me one young woman at the ruins. She was there with her four-month-old German shepherd and a friend. I recognized her from my trip to PetSmart earlier. She was correct, as there was not only discarded beer bottles and cans, but deer attracktant left behind by hunters. The ruins in part were also painted with graffitti, which is a terrible shame.
Another older woman was also walking her dog. This place is a popular destination for families wanting a short walk through nature. Bird houses are also set along the perimeter although I didn't go near them today. The trail was no more than a mile altogether and I was there an hour. The picnic area across from Carr Road also had visitors with kids and dogs.
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Hunter Canyon
It was a gorgeous day today, sunny and in the upper 60s, and I wanted to go for a nice quick hike after work. I'd rather walk with the dogs in the foothills than walk with them around the neighborhood where every other dog has to bark back at us. I chose Hunter Canyon, and took both Sadie and Sieger with me. I wanted to see it as it was today, long after the fire and floods ravaged through last summer. How had Mother Nature healed this part of the forest, which burned so intensely for ten days last June?
My last time on this particular part of Hunter Canyon was last May, three weeks before the fire. Some hiking trails like the Miller Canyon trail have to be rerouted due to landslides and downed trees. Hunter Canyon suffered less intensely. Although the lower trail was ravaged by what must have been flash floods, most of the trail has retained its normal path. Hunter Canyon is openly exposed in some streches and never reaches "strenuous" levels as the Miller Canyon trail, but views into both Miller and Hunter canyons are spectacualar nonetheless and I could see blacked hillsides in all directions.
Hunter Canyon is a short and fairly easy connector trail into Miller Canyon, which is closed off for a few more months while the town of Tombstone tears up some wilderness tracts for its water supply (even though they have water tanks for their city they'd rather not use). It skirts the foothills as the highest elevation is just above 5000' and never becomes a strenuous hike. It's a nice "leg stretcher" for anyone just wanting a quick work-out. Few people hike this trail.
We started off just before 3pm at the trailhead and headed due north. I figured an hour out and an hour back would be enough, but I ended up taking three hours to take photographs and explore. I hadn't planned on a long hike because I left water, jacket and my usual backpack at home. I wore a thin soccer t-shirt and stretch jeans with running shoes and no socks. I looked like a professional hiker indeed. I just wanted to get some exercise and take photos. At least that was the plan. Next time I will know better. Had something happened to me today I would have been quite cold without an overcoat as it still gets quite cold after sunset.
Instead, I kept getting pulled further along the trail. Curiosity had gotten the best of me. What did the rest of the trail look like, I wondered, how badly had the canyons suffered? This trail still shows so much fire/flood damage from last summer, that walking under the charred tree stumps brought back those eerie feelings from that wildfire. Heavy rock slides in some sections show how violent the floods must have been during the monsoon. Walking at times can be treacherous due to the uneven rocks in some sections, although none of the downed trees slow the hiker along the trail. Part of the hillside appear to want to rip completely open and swallow up the wilderness. Perhaps the next monsoon season will show what kind of damage can still happen, especially after hearing yesterday that we could have another extreme fire season this year.
A white laminated Forest Service notice was posted at the trailhead on a tree, saying that the trail was closed 1/4 mile from Miller Canyon, where the town of Tombstone is tearing up the creek to open more water for its 12,00 people. The creek is clearly marked within the wilderness boundary, and I question the ethics of ripping up the wilderness. Tombstone is not known to go by the rules. Was there anyone from Tombstone working the water pipes right now? Was anyone watching me? I wanted to see for myself.
The trail was heavily washed away in some segments, taking over the curvature of the creek and ripping deep crevices in other parts that weren't there before. The trail was difficult to follow at times, but I knew where the old trail was and kept looking for it. Heavy boulders are piled up near the old mine section, and in some crevices now stand piles of felled trees. Blackened oaks, mesquites and yuccas line the trail, which in other parts resemble more the remains of a flooded creek. I saw mostly blacks, greys and browns, with some green from upper canopies of oak trees. The shade of the mountain in the waning sun cast further dark colors overhead.
But life is coming back to this part of the forest. I spotted some wildflowers and new buds of green. Burned agave are showing new stalks. Yuccas are still growing new leaves. It will take some time for the scars from last summer to heal.
The dogs had fun. Sieger never left Sadie's side as he frolicked in and around creek beds, darting across the trail to sniff and explore. He managed quite well and didn't show fatigue, but I did take the dogs down to the creek for some water before turning around and climbing back up the Hunter Canyon trail.
We never saw or heard anyone again, although the dogs at times stopped in their tracks and stared into the hillsides. Had they spotted illegals walking along somewhere? Deer perhaps, or a bear? All I saw of wildlife were some remnants: a pile of bear scat here, and a deer leg there.
We got back to the truck at 5:30pm just as the sun sank behind the mountain and the evening cold swept in. I was now starting to feel chilled and was glad that we were only a few miles from home, where Kevin already had dinner going: grilled cheese sandwiches with homemade chicken vegetable soup.
My last time on this particular part of Hunter Canyon was last May, three weeks before the fire. Some hiking trails like the Miller Canyon trail have to be rerouted due to landslides and downed trees. Hunter Canyon suffered less intensely. Although the lower trail was ravaged by what must have been flash floods, most of the trail has retained its normal path. Hunter Canyon is openly exposed in some streches and never reaches "strenuous" levels as the Miller Canyon trail, but views into both Miller and Hunter canyons are spectacualar nonetheless and I could see blacked hillsides in all directions.
Hunter Canyon is a short and fairly easy connector trail into Miller Canyon, which is closed off for a few more months while the town of Tombstone tears up some wilderness tracts for its water supply (even though they have water tanks for their city they'd rather not use). It skirts the foothills as the highest elevation is just above 5000' and never becomes a strenuous hike. It's a nice "leg stretcher" for anyone just wanting a quick work-out. Few people hike this trail.
We started off just before 3pm at the trailhead and headed due north. I figured an hour out and an hour back would be enough, but I ended up taking three hours to take photographs and explore. I hadn't planned on a long hike because I left water, jacket and my usual backpack at home. I wore a thin soccer t-shirt and stretch jeans with running shoes and no socks. I looked like a professional hiker indeed. I just wanted to get some exercise and take photos. At least that was the plan. Next time I will know better. Had something happened to me today I would have been quite cold without an overcoat as it still gets quite cold after sunset.
But life is coming back to this part of the forest. I spotted some wildflowers and new buds of green. Burned agave are showing new stalks. Yuccas are still growing new leaves. It will take some time for the scars from last summer to heal.
The dogs had fun. Sieger never left Sadie's side as he frolicked in and around creek beds, darting across the trail to sniff and explore. He managed quite well and didn't show fatigue, but I did take the dogs down to the creek for some water before turning around and climbing back up the Hunter Canyon trail.
We got back to the truck at 5:30pm just as the sun sank behind the mountain and the evening cold swept in. I was now starting to feel chilled and was glad that we were only a few miles from home, where Kevin already had dinner going: grilled cheese sandwiches with homemade chicken vegetable soup.
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