Ash Canyon

Kevin felt well enough to hike this morning so we went back up Ash Canyon. We started at 9:40am and were the only ones in the area.

This time we took a different trail up, one that led directly west up the ridge. This was a longer trail, an old mining trail, that ended near a collapsed mine. The trail continued along a ridge as an illegal single-track trail, well-hidden behind scrub oaks and manzanitas.

We never got as high in elevation as last weekend, as we followed a lower ridge along the peaks. We circled the entire "bowl" of Ash Canyon, as Nipple Peak grew larger and larger until it revealed itself to be a real...boob. "A lop-sided boob," added Kevin.

Once we left the last mine remnants we were clearly on an unstable "illegal" trail. More trash was visible here, but never too much that made the trail unsightly. The views into the valley were lovely and the dogs had fun.

Kevin brought his rifle with him. "I like hiking with it" he said, "I can't imagine hiking without it anymore." Between Kevin, his rifle and three big dogs, I had my own personal protection.

Luckily, we didn't encounter any illegals, nor drug runners, suspicious-looking backpacks, nor any USBP until we had left the trail head. The only strange thing we saw today was a thick roll of carpenter plastic rolled up and tied with twine, the same twine that Mexicans use to tie up their blankets. What was this rolled-up black plastic doing so high up the ridge? Is this stuff used to transport drugs? Or did someone discard it because of its weight? Mexicans use heavy contractor plastic bags to keep warm at night with, but this plastic was one long, rolled-up roll.

We found a few more smaller trails we could explore next time. The trail we were on merged with Ash Creek which at this elevation was a rocky, exposed and dry climb up to the Crest Trail. We turned around here and went down the same way we went up. We were back at our truck by 1:20pm.

I took some nice photos of Kevin but won't post them here to protect his privacy.

When we got home by 2pm I got online to post photos from yesterday and read that a Southeastern rancher near the New Mexican-Mexican border, Robert Krentz, was found shot and killed, along with his dog, on his 35,000 acre property late Saturday night. It sounds like he was killed by an illegal alien, most likely a drug runner. His ranch has been terrorized by drug runners since 2002. It's a known drug-smuggling route as the terrain there opens into a wide, easily-traversable valley.

The media describes Krentz as a "well-known Southeastern rancher." Both Kevin and I were all ears during the 5pm news but not much new was reported. When this story is completed it's going to make national news, and the border patrol militia will most likely find new members real quick.

It's one thing to want to come to this country for a job as a documented foreign worker, but it's another to use the bleeding heart liberals' compassion for ALL illegals, criminal or not. I am sure "La Razistas" will be all in an uproar over this killing, blaming the rancher. The rancher was a third generation rancher, as the family has had that land since 1907, before Arizona was a state. This event isn't going to help the immigration debate, and I'm sure this killing is going to unleash a whole new set of issues and complaints about the border.

http://www.azstarnet.com/news/local/crime/article_08c10326-3a9c-11df-b975-001cc4c03286.html

http://www.tucsonweekly.com/TheRange/archives/2010/03/28/cochise-county-rancher-murdered

http://www.azstarnet.com/news/local/border/article_32642381-6314-53b4-aff1-570dbd1d6834.html