Saturday, January 31, 2015

A rainy weekend

It rained all day Friday and intermittently on Saturday. I was off on Friday and stayed home writing reviews, but by Saturday I was restless and so where the dogs. They were anxious to get outside and get some exercise.
While I'm glad we got the rain we did, I'd have preferred getting it during the week, so that my weekends were free for hiking and the outdoors. We got so much rain that all our rain buckets were filled. When was the last time we got so much winter rain? This will do our plants some good, and it's a much-needed relief for our drought. I'm seeing plants finally sprout from hard seeds that I planted back in 2008!
I managed to get the dogs out to the river inbetween bursts of rain. That was probably not the best place to take them to, but the trail I go on is secluded, and te few times I've taken the dogs here, I come across USBP agents, or dog walkers on the other side of the river. I took all four dogs. We parked at the Palominas trail head (the same trail head parking lot for the border trail) for the river trail and walked down the wet wash. Sand here was damp but no water was flowing. The river was a little bit swifter than normal, but even the banks were at normal range.

Naturally, the girls jumped in and wanted to play fetch. The boys stayed at the bank and watched. Even the swift water, which got to their heads, was not enough to keep them out of the water. They could still feel the bottom but the current was pulling them. Plants and twigs were floating past the dogs and Minnie couldn't decide which sticks to grab before coming out of the water.
Clouds were heavy and it did sprinkle on us. That didn't bother the dogs. I had my red rain coat on, but I didn't want to be caught in a deluge. We walked back to the SR92 bridge and waited out the heavy part before going home.

Despite the wet weather, once again there were many raptors in the trees, but they all didn't mind our temporary visit. My shoes were caked with mud when I got home, leaving them on the porch to dry out. I don't even want to take a longer look at what the van looks like.
We didn't quit go a mile out and back, but even I was glad to get out some. It rained again some more once we were home and it rained all night into Saturday. If the rain had been snow, we would have gotten quite a few feet, much like Chicago and the East Coast has gotten.

Sunday, January 25, 2015

Perimeter Trail Loop (counter-closewise) in the Huachuca Mountains

Today should have been an attempt up Miller Peak, but by 6:30am I was once again up, drinking coffee and finishing Amazon reviews for products I'd tried weeks ago. I'm still behind on posting reviews. A full-time job this semester has taken up too much of my time. It was a good day for a hike: overcast and in the upper 50s.

Instead of Miller Peak, I opted for the Perimeter Trail counter-clockwise, parking in the lower Carr Canyon parking lot, walking up the road to the Clark Springs trail, and using that trail to descend into Miller Trail before taking the Perimeter trail back to the van. This is a nine-mile hike with valley views. I hadn't done it in a while and wanted to see what changes have taken place in the Miller creek bed since last summer's monsoon.

We had a late start, not getting to the trail head until almost 1pm. It was overcast and cool. I took Minnie, Sadie and Zeke (who hadn't been on a hike in over two weeks!) so that my hiking pack could run off some steam. They aren't getting as much attention lately during the week.

The lower Carr Canyon Road parking lot was quite full with car, so I got on a side trail to avoid the crowds and lured the dogs to follow me up a dry wash before starting the steep ascent up a ridge line above the old Carr Canyon House. This was agony on my shins as the hillside was steep and laden with loose rocks. I spotted trash in the tall grass, trash left behind by illegal border crossers, and this steep start got me winded fast. My thighs were still feeling sore from yesterday! Minnie, however, looked quite recovered from yesterday's hike.

Luckily the steepness was over in the first mile. The second mile was uphill on the Carr Canyon Road until we hit the intersection with the Comfort Springs trail, a connector trail that ends in Miller Canyon. This is also a wonderful trail to watch the full moon rise, and I've taken my dogs on this trail several times. Mountain bikers are also allowed to use this section as it's outside the Miller Peak Wilderness area. This trail goes right below the Reef outcropping, past burned trees from the 2011 fires. What little has remained alive is looking dry from lack of any moisture this new year.

Despite recent mountain drizzle, the drainages were all dry. Despite the trail name being Comfort Springs, the spring has been buried from massive slides after the 2011 fire. I used to be able to rest here with the dogs for a water break. Not anymore! I see more erosion after next summer's monsoon as the hillsides under the Reef outcropping look very unstable. I had water for my pack, but I didn't stop here to give them water. The girls were up front and Zeke was behind me panting. I knew I had to give them water if there wasn't any in Miller creek.

Raptors continue to fly in the upper peak areas, but that's all I saw today of wildlife. Although there were cars in the Miller Canyon parking lot, I never came across another hiker. I didn't mind, as the dogs were off-leash, and by the time we got down to the creek which had healthy-looking water, I packed the leashes away. I'd been carrying them around my neck and arms all through the hike.

The flow of Miller Creek is the one big change I have noticed since last hiking this trail. The creek bed looks horribly washed out, with big boulders in the bed, snags across the rocks, and a general appearance of massive rock movement. It's lost its prettiness since the fire, but at least the water is still there and there are trees for shade. Here again the dogs were energized until we got back on the road to slowly prepare for our return hike up the Perimeter Trail.

Several trucks and camper vans were parked in side roads. Before the 2011 I'd see snowbirds from the Midwest camped out for two weeks at a time; sometimes I'd stop and chat with them. It's nice to see people slowly coming back here. The lower section of Miller Canyon still has plenty of live trees that were spared an inferno. This was a lovely canyon before the fire. Equestrians were also using this trail along the creek.

The tall grasses have long since died, but they remain as stalwart reeds and add a thickness to the terrain. The dogs stay on the trail and don't run off to chase things, which I greatly appreciate.

The Perimeter trail at Miller Canyon Road starts at an immediate ascent, zigzagging once before leveling at an outcropping. This is a nice spot to rest and enjoy the view east into the San Pedro Valley. From this point one can see our neighborhood. It can't be more than 1.5-mile straightline distance from the outcroppings to our house.

I rested myself, giving the dogs a food treat and water as I drank some water, too. Minnie got restless after 20 minutes and took off on her own, perhaps that was her way of telling me she wanted to get the hike finished. I didn't have a watch this time and didn't want to dig into my pants pocket for my cellphone. The sun was now low in the west, making the return hike all in the shade.



MORE LATER

Saturday, January 24, 2015

Hiking the extra-long Bisbee Loop

Eric S, one of the hiking club's more energetic members, wanted to scout out some trails off Juniper Flats west of Old Bisbee this weekend. He had asked for members to join him to explore the unknown trails, but only I showed up with Minnie. (The other active hikers were probably hiking the scheduled hikes for this weekend.) It was 37F when I arrived at the trail head.
We both met at 9am at the Old Divide pass, just above the Mule Tunnel which was built in 1958 to make traffic into the mining town easier. We arrived at the same time, as both of us like being on time.
Juniper Flats Road starts at the Old Divide road above the tunnel and meanders for four miles to the ridgeline. The lower first mile is under heavy regrading by the county maintenance crew of ADOT, making the road passable for cars to the homeowners who live here. We started at 9:15am and yielded to trucks going up and down the road for the first mile. Minnie was very obedient on leash. (I was quite proud of her.) I put a bright orange vest on her so she would be more easily visible, and that helped the truckers up the hill a lot.
I've driven up Juniper Flats several times over the years I've been here, but never have walked up this grade. All kinds of unique homes are scattered here along the ridgeline, and I don't want to trespass on peoples' property, so I've always stayed on the main road.
After a good mile walking uphill, we came to the first turn-off to another wide dirt road. "BEWARE of DOG" says the sign on a wire fence, and Eric told me this is a public road because of the access to other trails off this road. I had never explored it before because I thought it was a private road. Several homes are hidden in small spurs.

I was glad to get off Juniper Flats Road by now because at least three dump trucks kept coming and going with their load. We walked a good half-mile before now getting on the trail, marked by a horseshoe on a cement pillar. Now we were on a single-track walking a ridgeline toward Brewery Gulch. After two miles of hiking, I recognized the trail as a connector trail to the popular "Bisbee Loop Trail" I've been on a few times. Eric had never been on this loop, so I took the lead here. My only concern was that I'd have enough water for Minnie and me. A five-mile hike had now turned into a nine-mile+ hike. Eric, always being willing to explore new trail, was willing to hike the entire 5-mile loop now with me showing him the way.

The closer one gets to Brewery Gulch, the more trails that spring up off the main trail. We were now descending into the Gulch and the slope was steep. Eric was thrilled seeing the old town from above, because the view into the open pit Lavender Mine is quite impressive here. He was willing to pose for photos.
I spotted another side trail so instead of getting on Opera Drive, we followed this thin trail to an old garbage dumping ground, old rusty cars and a graffitied water tower before finding yet another trail past an abandoned table with three chairs with an overlook, and down some very crumbly stairs that got us to Brewery Gulch across from Youngblood Drive. Minnie was still off-leash but I watched for stray dogs coming out of blind corners. We were now back on pavement, with three miles up uphill climbing to do. The town was quiet (most likely because we were too far from the bars!) and enjoyed walking past the homes here.
I've been up this road many times, but never once have I been inside the grocery market. I peeked inside the window and the store is laid out like it was 100 years ago. Outside, behind a side gate, is a big water bucket with "Dogs Welcome Here" and I took a break here to let Minnie drink. I had enough water for her in my backpack, but filled up my bottles anyway. I never want to face a water shortage while on a hike.

I had not been up this road since late last summer with Gina. Back then water was gushing down the road. The water is now gone, the road mostly leveled out for cars, and it's back to a dry surface. Eric had been here before, but he had never been to the opening of Zacatecas Canyon. The canyon was void of all water.





MORE LATER (am having trouble getting photos to upload again)

Sunday, January 18, 2015

SARA's Crack (or, "The Crack in the Wall")

When Lynda and Susie drove off for their return drive to Oregon (for which they had given themselves five days), I drove straight to the SARA (Special Activities and Recreation Area) park just south of Lake Havasu City.  I had nothing else to do at the camp site or in town now that Lynda was gone.  The SARA park is the one hiking area I wanted to explore and I wanted to hike the slot canyon.

The SARA is just south of Lake Havasu City. I turned right (west) on McCoullough Drive off AZ95 and found the trail head parking lot within a half mile. McCoullough Drive curves around the park with all its attractions right off the road.  By 10am the parking lot was already filling up with hikers of all ages. Parking is free here but there is a fee if one spends more than 20 minutes along the lake at the end of the hike.

The late morning was partially overcast, near perfect weather for an exposed hike through the dry Mohave Desert. I chose to hike through the wash via the "Yellow Trail," a well-marked 2.4-long trail that ends at Balanced Rock Cove on Lake Havasu. Another young couple with their Black Lab Buddy started just ahead of me. I told the couple our dogs would get along better if they were all off-leash, and indeed they were. Minnie stopped barking and hiked with Buddy and Sadie with no problems.
There are so many trails that lead off the parking lot, and all are well-marked with the distance on the marker. There's no way one can get lost in this network of varied trails.

The dogs were excited to finally get some real exercise. They stayed by my side. A lot of the wash was still in the shade, which I'm sure gave their paws some relief. I would not want to do this hike in the summer!
The actual slot canyon part is not very long or that difficult. There is one 7-foot dry waterfall one must get down, and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has installed a rope to help hikers down. This slide was the one barrier for Minnie and Buddy. While Sadie jumped down with ease, Minnie stalled and started whining for help, which got Buddy whining as well. Luckily the couple with me helped me out as I helped them with Buddy. I leaned up against the rock to break the fall from seven feet to three, and both dogs used my shoulders as a spring board to get to the ground
There is one section where the rock clearance is a foot wide at the bottom. This could be a precarious position for those with heavy, wide packs, or for those not in good shape. But the dogs had no problem here and hiked on ahead of me. The slot canyon was cool and shaded. But I would not want to be here during a downpour.
The couple stopped here to chat with other younger people outside the slot. I hiked on, giving the dogs their space. I was now alone for the next .2 miles to the cove, which quickly came into view and which immediately awed me. This is indeed a beautiful, pristine place and the water looks so blue here. It's well worth the 2.4 mile hike for a piece of solitude. Another couple had found a hidden rest area around a rock and was therefore out of site of any park rangers (who allegedly do patrol the area for any non-paying users). The city website does say one can stay for 20 minutes before a fee is required. That is what I did. Those 20 minutes was to allow the dogs to splash in the water.
There were boaters on the lake a distance away, but in the cove all I saw were waterfowl. A bathroom and picnic area with fee slot were at the trail end. I watched my time here, however, as I didn't want to pay a $10 fee for the 20 minutes I was here. The dogs, as expected, took advantage of the water and chased sticks. The return hike on the Blue Trail promised to be high and dry and completely exposed.
This hike is highly recommended. It's not that long, not that challenging, but on a hot, sunny day this hike could be torture for woman and dog. I could see other people in the distance both coming and going, but there was never any large group. I had the Mohave desert all to myself for a while, and this made the long, exhausting drive after seeing Lynda worth it.
The hike back was not nearly as spectacular as the slot canyon, which the Blue trail followed above the rock. The scenic views of the river were nice, but by now I was just focused on getting back to the car.  The balloons rising from sun rise were long gone. A few people were coming out as I was going back into the parking lot, and many had their dogs off leash as well. (All dogs were well-behaved and stayed close to their owners). It took us 2:30 hours to hike this worthwhile trail. Well worth it.

There are other hikes south of Lake Havasu City, most which start in state parks, but this one merits five stars for beauty and variety. I'll have to try the other trails another time. This goes to show that there's a little of everything at Lake Havasu City; it's not all just bars and RVs.

https://golakehavasu.com/activity/hiking/crack-in-the-mountain-trail/

Lake Havasu City, AZ

Lake Havasu City on the Colorado River, a natural boundary that divides California from Arizona, is a popular winter hide-out for Midwesterners, and a popular hang-out for college Spring breakers who want to enjoy some water fun along "Arizona's coast." Kevin and I had been here before several years ago and enjoyed the town, but also found it too touristy. That's partly because we didn't know about some of the hiking trails nearby.

Lynda, an old high school friend who now lives in Portland, OR, (and whom I visited while on my Oregon road trip this past summer) had contacted me about two weeks ago and asked me if I could join her at a VW rally at Lake Havasu State Park over the long MLK weekend. I agreed, and drove up there at 9:30am Saturday morning.

The drive was almost nine hours long, a few hours longer than Mapquest told me it would be. I should have left at 6am sharp and packed the van the day before. But Friday after school I had no energy to do so (after dealing with 120 8th graders!), and ended up losing precious time Saturday morning, stopping every two hours for a pee break for the dogs. By the time I had arrived at Lake Havasu Saturday, it was almost 6pm and past sun set.

I didn't get to spend that much time with Lynda once I got there. Lynda and I had some private time at the local In-N-Out burger joint near the London Bridge (the town's man-made tourist attraction) when I first got there. We met there for dinner before joining her other VW mates at the state park.

I'm glad she was with me as I drove to the state park, because getting to the state park required a short drive through what looks like an alley behind a big hotel, and that's all poorly lighted. The town is packed with hotels right along the river and they all vy for river front views.
I did get a good taste of the Vanagon experience. She had driven down from Portland with her two dogs and another Oregonian, Susie, and met several others in California before resting at Lake Havasu. I got to meet them all Saturday night by the fire at the campsite, to include a few people Lynda had met just a few days prior. , she didn't stay awake that much longer. By 9pm she went to her van for the night, the others did the same, and I had the rest of the night to explore. I walked along the old London Bridge (which actually once WAS a London Bridge before 1971), but I wanted my dogs with me so I didn't stay long at the tourist sites. Kevin and I had been here with Sara and Sammy several years ago, so I was familiar with the riverfront attractions. This is a town popular with wintering RVers and Spring breakers.
The Lake Havasu State Park was full of VW buses, Vanagons and Synchros for the weekend, and all had small courtyards made out of three buses in an square formation. The VWs were here for the annual "Buses by the Bridge" rally. This was quite a site to see! Some buses looked like they barely could drive. Others were decked out in 1960s regalia. There's definitely a sense of community with VW owners. All other camper vans are known as "SOBs", "Some Other Brand." I could join a VW rally with Lynda as an SOB. Ha.
It was a calm night but I also wanted the dogs to get some exercise in. The drive to the lake was long and exhausting, but I dare not let them out at the state park where other dogs were. I had googled a nearby community park, SARA Park (Special Access Recreation Area)for a rail that is ten miles from the state park. It closes at 10pm every night, so that didn't give me much time once I got there at 9:50pm, but it gave both dogs ten minutes to run up and down through the parking lot area before I returned to the state park and parked with other SOBers in the parking lot for the night.
I never got comfortable in my van as I woke up at 4am with cold feet! The dogs looked chilled as well, even though the forecasted high was to be in the upper 40s. At least this allowed me to get up early and witness Lake Havasu at sun rise. The colors were spectacular. Balloonists who had gathered at another park had also gathered for the same weekend to launch their balloons over the city at sun rise and sun set, so my 8am the sky was full of balloons floating above the town and lake.
The SARA park is big! I had a five-mile hike planned here for Sunday, the hike through "SARA's Crack" which is a wash that goes through a small slot canyon before it reaches a pristine portion of Balance Rock Cove on Lake Havasu. Lynda wasn't able to hike with me because Susie insisted on leaving for the return trip to Oregon early Sunday morning, and neither Lynda nor Susie drive at night. Their Vanagons don't go fast, either. They are taking a week to get back to Oregon. We all gathered at the local McDonald's for a joint breakfast before going our separate ways.
The local McD's is popular with tourists, as there was a long line at every cash register and most of the people were my age and older. I had to calm down another 50-something year old when she complained about having to wait five ghastly minutes for her coffee. The young counter workers could not keep the coffee brewing fast enough. Even in the parking lot of McD's, people were stopping to chat with Lynda and Susie about their old Vanagons.




MORE LATER

Saturday, January 10, 2015

First hike of the new year: down to the border along the river

Our Christmas road trip was delayed by four days because my van's transmission died on me Friday evening while driving home from Chili's, two days before our scheduled departure. It didn't make it to a transmission place until the following Monday, where I was told it would cost $3200 and a week's wait. So I told the shop owner to take his time fixing it, as long as it was ready by the 5th. He agreed. I didn't pick up my van until the 5th.

Eric and I drove to Chicago in the 2002 Ford Escape, racking up 4000 more miles on that boy. He got us there and back safely and now has over 172,000 miles on his odometer to show for it. He came in handy on the 3rd, as we were driving from Santa Rosa, NM to our house after the state was hit with six inches of snow. I'm not sure I'll be doing this road trip in the winter again. Eric's not one who enjoys exploring small towns along the way. Sitting in a cramped car for 12 hours at a time is too much for my aging legs.

It's nice to see the family, though. Weather was nicer this time (as compared to last winter's polar vortex) and I got more walking in.

Sadly, my daughter's four-year-old cat Jake had renal failure and was put down the week before I got there. He was a small brown tabby who loved to chew on my watch band. He had short legs and I'm wondering if he was born with internal organ defects. Carol's cat Frazier is now 16 years old and also losing weight, and I doubt he'll be around another year.

But now on to this year. I'm now doing long-term subbing for a social studies class in middle school and some of the kids are giving me a challenge. I don't have time to walk the dogs after school except for around the hood. My first hike with the hiking pack was down to the border and back, starting at 10:40am and returning five hours later, just in time to get home, shower, and attend a nice birthday party for Kevin's co-worker Bill (and his wife Malyssa)

The dogs enjoyed the walk, although Minnie had some trouble with a few high banks. She's getting too heavy "in the middle" and doesn't have the jump in her anymore. Sieger and Sadie are limber and can still jump quite a bit.

As usual, from the trailhead I took the dogs down the wash that lead to the river, and hiked "illegal" trails south until that faded out and I had to bushwhack back to the trail road to resume my hike. There were so many raptors along the river this time, from falcons and hawks, to eagles and Great Horned Owls. I should have brought my tele-lens! The last two miles were away from the water, and despite the cool temperatures today, I could tell that the dogs were getting tired and thirsty.

It took me almost two hours to get to the border at the river and no sooner did I get comfortable on a rock, than two USBP agents came down to inspect what I was doing, Hikers are allowed to come down this way, but I understand what a nuisance it must be to find out it's only legal American hikers. (There should be a sign-in form somewhere to inform the USBP about hikers in the area, so that agents don't waste their time.)

The agent approached me from the western bank and was talking to me, but I couldn't understand half of what he said. He did ask me how I was able to keep the dogs from wandering off and chasing wildlife. (Maybe because my dogs are hiking dogs and not hunting dogs?)

I totally forgot to even think of packing leashes on this walk.

After that agent left, another one from the east came up to talk to me. The dogs barked at him but soon quieted down once they learned he was going to do me no harm. He was a young man and we chatted for quite a while, about dogs, the wildlife in this area (The agents have seen mountain lions and bears here) and the decrease in illegal border. crossers.

I didn't want to waste much more of his time and thanked him for his duty before returning to the hike northbound. We stayed along the river for three miles going north. The dogs enjoyed the constant jumping into the water. The only wildlife I saw were birds. Coyotes and javalina don't come out until dusk.

I could feel the distance tiring me out. Minnie looked exhausted that last mile, too. Needless to day, all three dogs were happy to get back to the van and slept well the rest of the night.