Snow wonder

I got up before sunrise to see at least four inches of wet snow on the ground. Amazingly enough it didn't get so cold to freeze the water in the doggie trough.

I got dressed, fed the wild birds their seeds and was in upper Ash Canyon with all five dogs by 8am. The trail ahead of me was covered in pristine snow...until the dogs got to it. It was still gently flurrying and visibility was less than a mile. Snow was from eight to twelve inches, getting deeper the higher I went. No one else was around.

The three younger dogs had a blast, especially Zeke, who developed "snow balls" on his hind fur. Minnie, Zeke and Sadie romped around while Sammy and Sara stayed nearby and blazed the trail for me. Sara would roll around in the snow, stick her snout into the white stuff, but Sammy just dredged quietly uphill. I walked slowly uphill, mindful of deep crevices hidden by the snow. I didn't know how far we would get before I had to turn around; my leather boots and socks were getting wet and the bottoms of my jeans were getting it as well.

Sammy whimpered when the snow got to his belly. Sara lay down many times to cool off. That's when I knew it was time to turn around.

I was only in the mountains for about two hours. I was the first one at the trail head, but when I left at 10am the first ATVers were on their way. The gates to upper Ash Canyon were open, so I'm glad I got up there so early and gave the dogs some play time.

Perhaps it was the dogs' presence but I only saw one lone bird (a snow bird?!) during my walk, chirping like a sparrow for its friends. Larger birds stayed in the valley, including a thick line of birds huddled on a power line.

The road into Ash Canyon was already melting on my return drive. The vehicle tire tracks I created were now clearing up and exposing the dirt underneath. The melt was evident in our neighborhood: by noon most of the snow in the front yard had melted and the back yard turned into a muddy mess, and the sky finally broke out in blue. The melting snow will then refreeze overnight, causing treacherous driving conditions for those out celebrating the new year.

From the Sierra Vista Herald:
SIERRA VISTA — Monday’s early morning snowfall reached near-record levels in Bisbee and Sierra Vista according to initial measurements by the Tucson office of the National Weather Service.

With rain freezing at around 3 a.m., an estimated nine inches of snow fell on parts of Bisbee, making it one of the largest single snowfalls since records began being kept in 1985, said Meteorologist Carl Cerniglia.

“It looks like it’s in the top three for Bisbee,” he said.

Sierra Vista’s 2.7 inches was enough to make Monday’s snowfall “in the top 5” of recorded days since 1982.

Douglas and Naco recorded three inches and eight inches of snow, respectively.
http://www.svherald.com/content/news/2012/12/31/344221

Later in the day I drove into town to get dog food. We had actually run low on bagged dry food for them, when we normally have quite a bit stored in the garage. Zeke went with me so I could fit him for a collar, a leather collar Minnie can't chew off.

On my way home I decided to see how the road conditions are for Carr Canyon Road. There were many snow players right off and on the road. I recognized one high school senior sliding in a tobagan right down the road I was driving! Families with young children were playing in the snow; a few snowmen stood off the road. Arizona snowmen never look too good for long.

The road was still open so I ventured up, but as soon as I crossed the bridge the road became icy. I had to turn around at the next widening at the folowing curve. On my way down I began to slide, and missed another truck just by centimeters, with a foot sparing me from falling over the cliff. I let Zeke out of the truck just in case I did slide over the cliff, but witnesses were able to help me back on terra firma with a rope.

I don't plan on driving up Carr Canyon Road any time soon!

I told Kevin about my experience. That only convinced him not to drive to Bisbee for New Year's Eve. Instead we had a nice meal right here in town at the Pizzaria Mimosa. Like old people, we went to bed by 9pm. By then it was getting even colder than the night before.

Mount Lemmon and the Catalina Highway

I drove Eric to the airport in the morning. He was flying back to Indiana to be with friends who had collected the money to fly him back to Chicagoland. This was such a thoughtful gift as the out-of-state tuition I'm paying for him will take a bite out of my play money for another year.

Sadie and Minnie drove with us because I planned on taking them on a hike on one of the trails off the Catalina Highway after dropping Eric off. This is a 27-mile mountain road built in the 1930s by prison laborers, taking drivers to near the peak of Mount Lemon and thus creating a summer retreat for local desert dwellers. It's home to a ski resort and the alpine town of Summerhaven, which was 2/3 destroyed in the 2003 Aspen Fire. More than 84,000 acres were scorched and property loss was estimated at $80 million. Not all the homes have been rebuilt; there are abandoned lots now in some places where tourists can linger. Many varied trails of all lengths can be found nearby in Marshall Gulch. Minnie likes driving now but Sadie whined the entire time.

The Mount Lemon recreation area is a popular spot for the locals in all seasons. It begins in the desert and ends in an alpine habitat. The Forest Service describes this scenic byway that "starts in the Lower Sonoran vegetative life zone and climbs to the high forests of the Canadian zone, offering the biological equivalent of driving from the deserts of Mexico to the forests of Canada in a short stretch of 27 miles." This means one can go from sweating in the lower elevations to freezing in the higher ones, all within an easy 27-mile drive.

From the Coronado National Forest website: Though virtually everyone calls this road the Catalina Highway (aka the "Mount Lemon Highway"), it is officially designated the General Hitchcock Highway in honor of Postmaster General Frank Harris Hitchcock. He was responsible for bringing together all the elements necessary to construct this popular access route into the Santa Catalina Mountains. Work was begun on the road in 1933 and completed 17 years later in 1950. Much of the labor was supplied by workers from a federal prison camp located for that purpose at the base of the mountain.

There are so many lovely trails I still haven't explored in this region. All are dog friendly, too, as long as they don't enter the Pusch Wilderness on the west side of the Catalinas.

The entrance toll booths were closed. Drivers were staying on the main road and not even pulling into them. I found out why. "Pay at self-service station ahead" said one sign, but the self-service stations I saw were paper money only. I needed a machine so I could buy the $20 annual pass, a pass that is good for the Sabino Canyon area as well. I drove all the way to the Palisades Visitor's center only to learn that the fee has been temporarily waived until further notice.

I had planned on hiking the Bugs Spring Trail near the 7-mile marker on my drive back down the mountain, a mostly ridgeline path in a transitional zone between desert and pine forest. This was a hike that I was supposed to go on last Sunday with a dog-friendly group in Tucson, but cancelled when I woke up too late. I quickly got carried away with the scenery along the way, all the while realizing that the longer I took exploring the many sites, the less time I'd have hiking the trail. It was a nice compromise.

It took me almost an hour to get from the airport to the top of the highway. I took my time on this adventure even though I knew I had limited daylight with such a late start. I stopped first at the Molino Basin overlook just above the saguaro growth line. There was water in the creek and what a great way to let the dogs out to drink and run a bit, although I had to take them away from the main trail to avoid others nearby. The dogs were grateful for the exercise and Minnie, as usual, ran up front while Sadie stayed by my side. They had been cooped up in the van for over two hours and they deserved this respite.

We could hear a target shooter fire his weapon across the road in Molino Canyon. This is the first time I've heard target shooters in these mountains. Are they even allowed to shoot in a narrow canyon that could ricochet bullets around so close to the road? The high cliffs made the blasts echo against the canyon walls. I had always enjoyed the Catalinas BECAUSE there were no target shooters (or armed illegal border crossers). Have the laws changed in favor of the shooters?

We walked near the creek bottom, explored a bit along the creek, and turned around when the walking got too tough. Minnie ran all over the place, wanting to sniff every nook and cranny. I was afraid she'd slide off a rock and fall to her death at times, but she did fine in the end. I decided the next stop would not involve steep cliffs.

If there was a vista, I pulled over to take photographs. After Molino Basin my next major stop was at Windy Point Vista, where the dogs stayed in the van and I explored the many crevices. This vista overlook is quite popular, but I also saw much graffiti and trash. One young couple was having its engagement photos taken. There were many majestic dead trees on this overlook.

Snow started accumulating at the 5500 elevation. In the shadows the snow was treacherous, and even more treacherous were the many "snowplayers" who drove up this mountain from the valley to play in the snow, so close to the road and surrounded by tall pines. The snow also didn't discourage many diehard road bikers, who were another item to watch out for. The higher I drove the more cars I was behind, so that by the time I got to Summerhaven there was no spot to park. My only option was to drive back down to a lower elevation with less snow and visitors. I prefer more isolated trails so that I can feel better having my dogs off-leash. Hiking on steep ground with dogs on leashes only invites falls and tumbles, and I've taken a few while holding the dogs on leashes.

I stopped at the Green Mountain trailhead on my drive down to let the dogs out for a bit. By now they needed to get out again, having waited patiently in the van while I got out to take photos. No one else was parked at the trailhead and this allowed me to let the dogs offleash for a bit, being aware that the rangers enforce the leash laws here. The steep trail here was packed down with icy snow, and my three-year-old Lafuma boots (the same ones I wore backpacking the John Muir trail in 2010) didn't have the traction I need to hike up the grade.

Evidence of the 2003 Aspen fire is quite strong here. The fire didn't reach the highway at this ledge, but the steep valley to the northwest was destroyed. Tall pines now remain as skeletons of the beautiful trees they once were.

I love watching the dogs be dogs. The girls played nicely in the snow, digging their snouts into the cold stuff and romping around. Minnie ran and Sadie followed, and I allowed them this freedom for a bit before the cold overcame me and I opted to find a trail to hike before we lost all daylight. My van's thermostat registered 29F, colder than Chicago's temperature.

By 4pm we were at the lower Bugs Spring Trail. (The upper Bugs Spring Trail ends at the Green Mountain trail uphill.) No one was parked here so I let the dogs out without ever putting them on their leashes. We started the hike right away, climbing high fast and enjoying the view over the Catalina Highway and Thimble Peak as the trail meandered and switchbacked. There were more dead trees here hanging over ledges and cliffs. I could see the famous hoodoos along the horizon. My goal was to make it to the hoodoos before it got too dark.

Many write-ups about this trail are mostly from mountain bikers, who rave about the steepness--the descent must be thrilling--and the scenery going downhill. We only came across one biker early in the hike. I lured the dogs off-trail to let the speeding demon by. I don't think he even noticed us.

I enjoyed the Bug Springs trail and only regretted that I didn't start early to finish the entire 8-mile trail. There was lots to see and photograph. I turned around at a hoodoo that resembled the profile of a pouting Indian Chief. It was 5:24 and we had hiked almost 90 minutes. I didn't want to hike entirely in the dark. Even though I had packed a flashlight, the light was in my backpack and I didn't want to take time out to stop and get it out. I will have to schedule this hike in the near future. In the summer this trail would be hot due to the exposed rock nearby. The rocks would also be a haven for rattlesnakes, and the hoodoos I'm sure would be homes to mountain lions, a thought that did not escape me while high up this trail.

While I missed the full moon rise I did see a spectacular sunset over Thimble Peak. I was high up, and also knew the higher I was from the road, the longer I'd be hiking in the dark, flashlight or not. By 6:24pm we were at the van again, but we were also in complete darkness as the moon by then hadn't crested over the peaks. The views of the city were no less spectacular at night.

Driving this highway requires 100% focus. People have driven to their deaths, and one elderly gentleman died this way just this past June. I heard and saw one siren while stopped at Windy Vista at night. So all a driver can do is listen to the radio--especially when inclement weather is expected!--and I had NPR on. The talks all day were about the looming "fiscal cliff" which Congress must resolve by year's end or else all our taxes go up considerably.

There is so much to see along the Catalina Highway. I simply needed more daylight. The mountains have a distinct character unlike the Huachucas. If these peaks weren't two hours away, I'd be hiking here more often. These peaks are even more inviting now that the Coronado National Forests has temporarily frozen admission fees to the road. Until further notice the $5 fee will be waived. But with more snow due in next week, the road may be closed to all non-residents anyway.

I got back home by 10:30pm. The dogs were tired and I was tired, too. I didn't remember to give Sadie her phenobarbital until the next morning.

Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2008/06/17/20080617Summerhaven.html#ixzz2GvA2jkH0Not
http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/coronado/recreation/scenicdrivinginfo/recarea/?recid=25628&actid=105

Perimeter Trail

Ellen and I had talked about hiking up Miller Peak today. But in the end she still felt weak after a bout of pneumonia so we settled for seven miles on the perimeter trail, a foothills trail connecting Carr Canyon and Miller Canyon for a 3.5 o/w hike. We started at the Carr Canyon picnic area at 8:20am. Minnie and Sadie were our canine guards.

It was rather chilly in the morning shade, and even when the sun was out it felt chilly. It wasn't as warm as it was yesterday. The exposed sunny stretches were nice, even emphasizing the burned trees against a blue sky, but even the sun played tag with us and going behind clouds on our return hike at 10:06am.

We didn't come across other people, but we could see dog, bear and horse scat along the way. As usual, Minnie had to sniff everything. She even chased a family of deer briefly. Sadie stayed by my side.

I took my new Canon S100 which takes amazing photographs, but even this camera didn't know what to make of the varied light we had today. Some photos look so dark and gloomy in the shade, while the earlier sunny shots are cheerful and colorful.

We kept at a good pace. There was some water for the dogs in one of the drainages. They managed to hold out until we stopped near the Miller Canyon intersection, a mound overlooking the vista. Here's where they gave me the sad "Feed Me!" look German Shepherd Dogs are known for.

In the end we did a nice seven-mile hike in low elevation. Tomorrow the weather may be chilly and rainy, which may be a mission stopper for Carr Peak. I need to continue this hike-a-day while I'm on school break, just to stay in shape.

The lower Perimeter trail is the perfect beginner's hike for the area. It offers eastern vistas of the San Pedro Valley and an introduction to the various native desert flora here: mesquite, scrub oak, sotols, prickly pears, yuccas and a variety of grasses. More importantly, one sees how quickly a forest and its desert can rejuvenate itself after a devastating fire.

The Bisbee Shrines

Christmas was very uneventful this year. Eric slept in, Kevin was nursing another hangover and I was bored. No gifts were exchanged because that is what Kevin wanted.

This isn't how I want to spend Christmas, void of love and joy and holiday spirit, so I opted to hike up the shrines in Bisbee and spend some time reflecting on the year. The drive there is longer than the hike is and I didn't plan on spending all day in Bisbee. I took Sadie and Minnie with me. Those two hike well together and both now enthusiastically jump into my truck whenever they know I'm hitting the trails.

I parked in Brewery Gulch near the Old Bisbee Brewery and walked up to the adjacent street, OK Street, and continued walking uphill. There were other people walking around the streets as well, but no one was hiking up Chihuahua Hill, the name of the hill on which one finds the shrines.

I had hiked up the shrines a few years ago on Thanksgiving, but had taken a longer route further up the canyon. The Bisbee Loop hike has a connector trail that takes one up this way; maybe next time I'll do that added route with a group.

Today I took the shorter trail which starts off from the right side of a private driveway at the end of OK Street. The house there is a pretty green hillside house shaded by a mature oak tree and guarded by two psychotic chihuahuas which barked the entire time we were within earshot.

I let the dogs off their leashes once we were on the trail. Minnie can be quite a puller when she's tracking a scent, and Sadie is quite powerful, too. Both were taken by the smells along the way, sniffing ever nook and cranny as we hiked up the steep and loose shale on the trail.

A quarter-mile up the trail there is a grey cross on a steep switchback, and near there is a fainter trail going up what at first looks like a rockslide. This trail meanders uphill, first to another shrine near an oak tree near a rock edge that today was covered in red string and other seasonal ornaments. Views of the mining trails are obvious here. We continued going uphill toward the big shrine, which we could see from below.

The hilltop is actually a collection of several shrines. The main one, and perhaps the one that started the pilgrimage up to this small hilltop, was built and maintained by Adolfo and Mary Vasquez in 1980. There are several metal and wooden crosses at the top. I'm not sure of its history, but since 1980 there have been other people building smaller shrines for other deceased people. It's nice that the town of Bisbee and the adjacent Phelps-Dodge owned mine don't mind the personal touches left here. There is even a metal BBQ grill at the top and two benches, so obviously this place gets plenty of local visitors. I can imagine this being a very popular spot in the summer.

This hilltop is a special place. Not only is the view of Bisbee from here beautiful, there are many unique items people leave behind in crevices, from Buddhist trinkets to plastic dinosaurs, wine bottles and other items left behind in a person's memory.

I didn't stay long. The sky was turning grey and the sun was slowly making its way on the other side of the mountains. There wasn't much more I could explore here with what little light I had left. I let the dogs take me back down. Minnie followed our scent flawlessly, so that the descent was quick and easy.

I like Bisbee. Several bars in Brewery Gulch were open and locals were there chatting away. This town doesn't care so much about making a lot of money; the shops stay open to get together with old neighbors and friends. I don't see this in Sierra Vista at all.

I sat at the curb watching some dogs, even took several photographs, only to realize that one of the dogs was actually Zelda, a Ridgeback mix that belongs to Ken, a Bisbee shelter volunteer I met over a year ago when I spent so much time at the Bisbee Animal Shelter. I joined him for a beer at St Elmo's, chatted about old times at the shelter, and departed an hour later. I was back home by 4:30pm to a quiet house. Kevin was already in bed (still nursing a hangover?!) and Eric stayed in his room. Several phone calls to family went unanswered.

This was a quiet Christmas indeed.

Winterhaven Festival of Lights

Alicia and I had originally planned on going to Tucson for this light fest on opening day, December 15th, but that was a cold and rainy day. We rescheduled this for the 21st, the following week and I am so glad we did. Weather was pleasantly warm and dry.

I took Minnie along. Sadie stayed at home because she had two minor suspect epileptic seizures, the latest last Wednesday night when she woke me up with her heavy panting and was drooling on my chest. She had been acting restless and whinier than usual earlier in the week, too. She thus has been put on a low-stress exercise regimen under constant supervision. Her continued dosage of phenobarbital is keeping her chemically balanced. She hadn't had any massive seizures since her cluster episodes in August.

Eric walked Minnie the entire time while I took photographs. He is so patient with her. She sat nicely with Luna, Alicia's dog, on the cot in the van. They got along the entire time.

We arrived at the Winterhaven neighborhood after 5pm. Lights don't officially get turned on until 6pm but some houses were already prepared while many more were still in the process. We got there at dusk as we walked around this modest neighborhood with stately, mature Italian pines. I was expecting oversized mansions and gawdy decor, but the displays were nicely done. Every decorated house used the Christmas theme to their own interpretation: from religious to eclectic, from Charlie Brown to Santa and Frosty and even the Grinch, there was a lot of work for all these displays. Some created lawn displays while others spread colorful lights across their property.

Crowds didn't show up en masse until around 7pm. Everyone and their dog came out of the woodwork then! The young, the old, the couples and large groups, all made an appearance. I actually enjoyed the crowd, but poor Luna's paws were run over by a stroller and later a big aggressive Lab, Riley, came after her. Minnie barked and pulled at the chihuahuas. Neither dog panicked when the horse carriages came through several times. Minnie kept wanting to track the scent. Neither dog also was great about not pooping on the street. The plastic bags we brought along for that purpose were not necessary.

The center of the neighborhood is at a small park off Kleinbaker Avenue, an east-west street. A few coffee and cocoa vendors were set up here where people mingled and relaxed. A few sang carols. I didn't bring any spare change to buy us all something to drink.

I took lots of photos. Eric seemed to enjoy the walk, too. He hadn't been in Tucson since I took him there in July and we got caught in some rain while walking on campus.

We walked perhaps two miles around the entire neighborhood, stopping frequently to chat and admire the lights, pet the dogs and take pictures.

We didn't stay until lights were out at 10pm. Instead, by 7:30pm we all agreed that we were hungry and thirsty and needed to find something to eat. Traffic was congested all around the Winterhaven neighborhood, and I opted instead to drive south to Speedway and eat at Oregano's, my favorite Italian restaurant in Tucson. It was a good choice.

I will definitely come back here next year if the Festival is still offered. The homeowners spend a lot of money on electricity for this annual show and visitors are only asked to bring in canned goods that is then given to local charities. This year the lights were sponsored in part by several large corporations. This helped bring people back to Winterhaven to enjoy the holiday spirit with friends and loved ones.

Getting to Winterhaven from Sierra Vista is easy: get off exit 265 (Alvernon Road South), turn right on Aviation Parkway, right on South Country Club Road and stay on that for five miles. A good place to park is off Prince Road, but there are entrances to the neighborhood off Fort Lowell and other adjacent streets. Other businesses nearby charge for parking but we parked for free.

Lutz Canyon

Lutz Canyon is a little-used canyon in the eastern Huachuca mountains that took a heavy toll in last year's fire and monsoon. The lower section is badly damaged. When I hiked this trail several months ago I lost the trail and had to retrace my steps back to the trailhead. My goal to find the trail to the crest of the range still lingers.

On Sunday I decided to get some exercise and took all five dogs with me to walk the lower trail, opting for 30 minutes out, and 30 minutes back. We started at 2:33pm. It turned out to be an 80-minute walk up the lower trail, but high enough to reach the snow line from our first storm this past weekend. All five dogs came along, and even Lady Sara managed to hold her own. Many times she insists on coming along but then refuses to get out of the truck. Not this time. She quite enjoyed romping in the snow.

I would have gone longer but I had a semester final to write for my students and didn't want to be up all night editing it, as I'm prone to do. Christmas break begins this Friday and I definitely plan on hiking everyday when weather permits.

The only sound of civilization were a few stray shots from nearby Ash Canyon and the targetshooters. Had I started earlier I would have gone higher, but the waning sun quickly cooled off the temperature and I was getting chilled. I could clearly see the iced trees near the peak.

I didn't bring a backpack nor had emergency gear with me (this was a quick stroll, afterall!)

I definitely plan on doing Lutz Canyon all the way to Miller Peak over Cmas break. I may ask for some companionship.

Guarding Dad

No hikes this weekend as I have math exercises to work on but this morning's "changing of the guard" was quite funny. The dogs and cats all love to lay in bed with us and all seem to covet the best spot next to Kevin.

Minnie was the first dog that jumped on the bed with Kevin. Kevin was busy searching Amazon.com for crossword puzzle books.

After putzing around in the garden and coming back in, I discovered that it was now Bobby on guard duty. But that didn't last long.

The "changing of the guard" between Bobby and Zeke was not a very friendly one.

Zeke quickly took over this highly-prized spot next to Kevin. This entire episode took no more than 15 or so minutes. Kevin never moved from his spot. He wasn't even aware there was a changing of the guard!