Ash Canyon (with Minnie, Sadie and Zeke)

I hadn't taken Zeke on a hike in a while and decided today would be a quick hike up the Ash Canyon ridge line, a short 4-mile hike up an old mining trail. My usual trail, Hunter Canyon, has been overrun with targetshooters and I'm not fond of stray bullets zinging past me while on the trail.

Ash Canyon trail ends at the closest ridge line to the border with views into Mexico. Today's cool weather would make this exposed hike enjoyable. We left shortly after noon.

This canyon has always been a busy canyon due to the proximity to the Mexican border. Lots of people hunt and target shoot, pan for gold, explore with their ATVs off-road. Many "illegal" trails join old mining trail that fade into the distance. But I met no one today. The few people I heard were lower in the canyon.

The Forest Service now has two new gates along this old mining trail. The first one is open and at the old trailhead parking area just before crossing Ash Creek. The second one is a half-mile uphill and is closed. And that's with good reason, as the trail is badly eroded further up the trail. I can just imagine ATVers getting stuck up the ridge line after a snowfall.

Ash from last summer's fire has mixed with the soil, making it even less adhesive. The ground is not very steady here. Further rains will erode this trail even more. There were several badly-rutted sections along the trail as I meandered uphill. A heavy rain will collapse more of this trail. I parked my truck one switchback below the second gate and walked the rest to the ridge line. This was a short three-mile hike r/t; a nice leg-stretcher, with views of the heavy burn area from last summer.

Zeke was excited to get out. He's my least trail-mannered dog. He still needs training. Luckily no one else came our way or he'd have barked at them and run toward them. Instead he ran after Minnie and sniffed all the foliage. He hadn't had a chance to get some exercise since I took all the dogs up Upper Hunter Canyon several weeks ago.

Oaks and manzanitas are slowly coming back to life. While there are plenty of charred trees from last summer's fire, new growth is slowly taking over. This is most obvious in the sunlight. We had some sun near the ridge although both Miller and Carr were shrouded in fog. My thin bright yellow sweater was almost not enough to keep warm. It was a typical autumn overcast sky. Yesterday's drizzle over the peaks left the ridge line smelling of fresh sage. What a lovely aroma!

It looks like the USBP is making this ridgeline a new look-out into Mexico. The top has been graded flat. This is a perfect spot to watch the border, as evidence of smuggling traffic is evident here. Having an active USBP presence here will deter the smugglers and keep the trash and drugs out.

We didn't stay long at the top. The wind began howling and I wanted to get home and start grading papers and get ready for the (short) workweek. Targetshooters and ATVers were busy in the lower canyon making noise and I was ready to get out of the area.

I stopped briefly in the lower canyon to let the dogs drink some creek water and run around in the cool stream. Target shooters are killing off some sycamores by firing at them incessantly, then leave their trash behind for others to pick up. The leaves are still changing colors, but soon even the stately sycamores will die from the stress.

This coming week is Thanksgiving week. I only have two days of work this time around. Weather is expected to hit the 80s in Tucson this Thursday, with above-normal temperatures all week. I think I'll do two more hikes this week. I'll get Alicia out as well. Hopefully she's feeling better again.