Perimeter Trail

What a great day for a hike! Weather reported "near record highs" and I felt overheated in my poly pro shirt. I can't complain, as I have family and friends back East dug in from a severe snowstorm that started blowing in Friday afternoon (and which will hit Massachusetts by tomorrow).

I brought my field-worn Canon EOS Rebel xSi this time (rather than my smaller Canon A590IS). The photo quality is visibly better with today's photos.

Today's hike, the Perimeter Loop trail, is a combination of four segments and various trails in the eastern Huachucas. This is a popular training loop for hikers, bikers and equestrians and we saw them all today. This loop was my first hike with the club. This is also a club favorite every December and I've hiked it twice now with the club. This year I opted to lead it.

There was a good turn-out for this hike: Big and Little Steve, Eric S, Paul, and Bill and son Bruce. I haven't seen Bruce in a few years. He flies out every Christmas from Atlanta to spend time with his dad. Both normally travel somewhere like northern Mexico or southern California during this time, but this year Bruce brought some work with him, "an entire suitcase" said Bill, to get caught up with work. I walked with Bill and Bruce at a slower pace the entire Perimeter trail (3.7 miles)

By 8:05am we were on our way, trekking along the small hills of the eastern mountain slopes as we passed Emory oaks, yuccas, prickly pears and chollas along the way. The sun took another hour to warm up. When we got to an overview near Miller Canyon Road we all sat down on warm rocks and had a snack as we gazed out over the San Pedro Valley. "I can see my house from here!" I told the group. Well, at least the neighborhood...

Sadie got accolades from everyone for being such a great hiking dog--she got broken in at three months thanks to me--and of course I beamed with pride. She got half of her raw steak as a treat during this break, and the other half at the last overlook before we climbed down a rocky slope back to the parking lot.

Carol called me while we were trekking along in the shade. The last time she called me we were descending down Sandy Bob Canyon a few weeks ago.

"Hi Carol, you caught me hiking again!"
"You're always hiking!" she replied.
"That's because you always call me on a Saturday morning!"

Most of the hikers turned around at this first overlook. Eric and Big Steve and I were the remaining people, as we continued up the dry Miller Creek to Beatty's Orchard, then up the Miller Canyon Trail to the Clark Springs Trail (which actually had water in it). Now we were walking further up the ridges as along the Perimeter trail below. When we got back to Carr Canyon road we took the road for a few hundred feet before I showed the guys a side trail that led to a small overlook and from which we could bushwhack back to the parking lot and thus avoid the road. They were game.

By now Sadie was exhausted. She didn't drink much on this hike although she loved the snacks. She lay down and snored a bit while Eric, Steve and I chatted about other hikes in the area. They had never been on this overlook and appreciated my shortcut.

We were back at the cars by 1pm, bid each other a great holiday, and went our separate ways. This was a great nine-mile hike.

The website is acting up today and won't let me upload my photographs. I'll try again tomorrow.