Carr Falls in ice

I was off work yesterday and decided late in the morning to take the dogs to the seasonal falls to check out the ice formations. We were there for 90 minutes. Yes, there is ice there and yes, walking on icy rocks is dangerous.

There were no other cars around when the van full of excited dogs pulled up to park. We went straight up the footpath. Despite the icy water, the dogs still went right into it. Minnie especially had fun. The two other dogs stayed back with me and followed me.

Because of the ice and because of Sammy and Sara, I did not go far up the fall. I heard one large block fall off a bridal veil and crash on the rocks below. I didn't want to be another careless statistic. And besides, most people who get injured here are reckless teenagers.

Cochise Stronghold (West to East and Back)

I had joined a dog-friendly hiking group out of Tuscon about a month ago. This morning I finally had the chance to meet some of the people when I joined them on a hike to the Cochise Stronghold trail, an old Apache trail traversing the northern Dragoons through a pass. This trail has both a western and an eastern terminus. It is the eastern terminus that is more developed, but a parking fee of $10 per car is now required to start from that side.

The group started the hike from the east side; I started from the west side since it's closer and fee-free and met them a mile from the eastern trail head. I took Sadie and Minnie with me.

We had had another bout of rain overnight. We have already gotten more rain than expected, but I knew the rain would stop at sunrise. And it did, but fog remained over the Dragoons for most of the day. It was cooler than I expected.

For me to make it to the trail head in time I needed to leave the house at 6:15am. I was 35 minutes late and didn't drive off until 6:45am. Rainclouds obscured any light. There was heavy fog all the way as well so that it took me 90 minutes to drive 45 miles.

The sky finally broke over Middlemarch Road north of Tombstone. A rainbow popped up but lived only a short time.

The trail head to the western terminus is off FR 687. The road is quite passible for most of the ten miles on it. I could have taken my van. I don't remember the road being this level. I don't remember much of the road at all, though, because FR 687 ended at a ranch house and turned into FR 688. I didn't read about that anywhere, yet I proceeded down that road anyway. I didn't recognize the old trail head until I parked the truck and let the dogs out.

Nothing looked familiar once I was on the trail, either. It was 8:20am when we started, a good hour later than planned. The only thing that was familiar to me was the Divide, a saddle at the high point.

The trail on the western side immediately climbs for 1 3/4 miles. The sun was just beginning to color the boulders a reddish hue. Raindrops glistened on the trees. Manzanitas were a bright red from their wet bark. The aroma of sage was around me. It was a very pretty morning hike as the trail switch-backed up the canyon, with red rocks on either side of me.

Then I came across the waterfall. I never knew there was a waterfall here. This is the first time I not only saw it, but heard it: a gently bridalveil coming off high cliffs and splattering into a creek below. I didn't stop to explore as my mission was to hike as far as possible to catch up with the group coming from the other direction.

After passing the waterfall the rising sun began a golden hue over the higher peaks. This was invigorating. Even the dogs enjoyed the water along the way. Small drainages off the cliffs were pooling with water. I never had to break out my water for them.

Once I hit the Divide it was easy going downhill. The trail never became a challenge except for wet rocks. This was much more traversible than Slavin Gulch. My only complaint about today's hike was that I got wet from sweat and fog and never warmed up, even during the short time the sun came out. The fog that lingered on the eastern Divide moved more westward over the day. A waterbottle was leaking its contents down my back, which is why I kept my red raincoat on. That raincoat later provided me some warmth.

Hoodoos, crags, mesquites, pinon pines, yuccas, prickly pear, bear grass, chollas, shin daggers dotted the landscape. Mature oaks protruded from rock crevices high above me. The trail allowed for a vista far into the eastern slopes. What beautiful country.

I couldn't believe there was very little I remembered of this trail. I remember the hoodoos, the stock pond, the nature signs at the eastern terminus, but very little else along the way. It had been too long since I was here! I also discovered another trail, Trail #277, that branches off a mile from the eastern side and goes to Middlemarch Canyon. That must be explored at another time.

I finally met up with the Tails to Trails hikers. They were barely a mile into their hike, so I told them I'd hike down to the far end and come back. Bill, a dear hiking partner I've kept in touch with since late 2008, followed me back to the parking lot with his young white Labrador Bella to look for his leash he had dropped somewhere. It gave us some alone time to get caught up with the latest news. He found the lost leash placed on his back fender.

By the time we were on the return hike I started feeling tired. We finally stopped near the stock pond to freshen up. I had been in such a hurry to get caught up with the eastern hikers that I didn't take time out to stop and drink. After seven miles I needed water! Since the dogs had water around them they could drink at will and I saw no need to stop for them. In my haste I didn't stop to let ~ME~ drink. I felt tired the rest of the day because of the slight muscle cramping.

Bill and I caught up to everyone back at the Divide. Bill went back east with his older pals with an arthritic dog, while I went farther west with a younger group and their six dogs to explore the waterfall. I got to meet the group founder, Aleyna, and her younger friends and their Goldens, pits, terriers. Sadie kept her distance (she prefers staying close to me) but Minnie loved romping around with the others. I have never seen her in play like this. When she plays with Zeke it quickly turns into one of them getting aggressive, but today she was all puppy.

I chatted with these young women, all living in Tucson. All are smart and outdoorsy, with nice dogs from various breeds. I'm glad I finally caught up to them and met some of the group members (the group right now is at 187 hikers) and I would like to hike more with them. What keeps me away is the distance; most meet up in the Tucson area and do shorter hikes. For me to drive the distance I prefer a more challenging hike.

But who knows, that time may come. We hiked down to the waterfall creek to let the dogs romp, then tried to find an off-trail to get closer to the falls, but that was not meant to be. From our vantage point the cliffs were too high and too steep. We got close enough, rested some more, and when the gals went back on the trail to return east, I continued on west with Sadie and Minnie. We were alone again, and here is where I found a dry rock and fed them their lunch. Both were starving.

I met one more male coming down the trail who was spooked by Minnie. I let him pass and then continued down the switchback with her on her leash. I had to hold her back because she was tracking the man's scent back to the trail head parking area.

It was just before 2pm when we made it back to the truck. That seemed so long for a ten-mile hike, but I did stop four times to chat with others. That's still just under five hours, the same time it took us a few years ago to hike this distance.

The drive back didn't take so long since I now had sunlight and no heavy fog over me. But dark clouds remained over the Dragoons, with blue sky breaking south toward Sierra Vista. I was chilled, the dogs were tired, and when I got home around 3pm I was famished as well. Luckily Kevin had a great chicken meal ready for me. The dogs also got extra treats.

I'm looking forward to going back to the Dragoons. There is so much more still left to explore there. The last time I was in the heart of that range was when Sammy and Sara were much younger and we went on road trips. This area will forever have sentimental feelings for me.

Busy day at the shelter

Yesterday morning I woke up before sunrise to hear a steady rain. I was happy for the rain as we need the moisture, but walking dogs in the rain is no fun, especially if the dogs pull and are strong.

I didn't need to worry, though. The rain stopped by 8am and when I got to the shelter there were two extra volunteers there. We had five walkers for 13 animals. We spent more time letting the dogs run around the backyard and letting them play than walking individual dogs, and that is OK.

There were two adoptions earlier in the week. The brindle pit and white pit both found homes. Topaz had been adopted out Wednesday but was returned Friday because the wife thought she was too big. Topaz is a German Shepherd Dog, not a chihuahua! Poor girl is back in confinement, but she was happy to see me again. I gave her a walk and petted her, but once again she had to stay in her kennel while the other dogs played. I'll try to stop by the shelter mid-week just to spend time with Topaz, walk her and talk gently to her.

"You're the only one Topaz likes!" said the ACO. Maybe because I give her attention?

One dog, Ginger, a Golden Retriever-X was adopted out, but a new dog, a medium-haired Golden Retriever-Heeler, was dropped off, scared as all get-out. She's five years old; I hope that is not too old to rehome. She's a product of divorce.

With so many people around we were done within two hours. A few more couples came by to see the animals and then we left at 12:40pm. Robin, Carol, Denise and I had lunch at Ray's and took the time to talk about upcoming fundraisers.

I'm really liking this group. We have a lot of compassionate community members and a lot of talent. I like everyone. I hope to stick with this group as long as possible. If I feel burn-out, I'll just back away and take a breather.

So far there has been a steady turn-over of animals. We are even adopting out nice pitbulls. I hope the German shepherd dogs we have also find homes. That younger gal is spastic and barks incessantly. I hope that's because she'd rather run outside and play with the other dogs. No dog right now is pending being killed for lack of space, but puppy season is still ahead of us.

Slavin Gulch in the Dragoon Mountains, AZ

Start elevation: 4852'
End elevation at turn-around point: around 6000'
Approx 5+ miles but under six

A few weeks ago I thought I would be driving to the Tortolita Mountains with Valli to hike the Wild Burro trail today, an out-back trail of 7.4 miles. A few days later she bowed out because she thought the hike was more like five miles. The recent cold snap also scared people away. When today came I opted to stay close rather than drive 2+ hours to a mountain range not much different than the ones here.

In comes Robin, a gal from my volunteer group who turns out to be around my age and an avid hiker. She was also stationed in Augsburg, Germany shortly after I left and knows some of the same people from the Volksmarching group there. She suggested hiking in the Dragoons and the first thing I thought of was Slavin Gulch. Robin had never been here and I hadn't been here in almost a year, when Judy and I had our falling out.

Robin took her minpin/chihuahua, Odie, with her. What a champ he was! I had never hiked with a minpin before and this little dude walked with great confidence ahead of his mom. The big dogs gave him his space. The only thing I was afraid of was the big dogs intimidating him from drinking water or taking his snacks. As a courtesy I'd walk on ahead so that Robin could give him water without the big dogs harrassing him. That worked.

What a gorgeous day for a hike. It was in the low 70s at today's warmest. I brought a windbreaker but instead just wore my tshirt and winter pants and low day hikers. I brought along Sadie, Minnie and Zeke. That alone was a risk but in the end all did better than expected. The most impressive was Minnie, who seemed to like Odie and both hiked ahead, shoulder-to-shoulder, ahead of everyone else.

I always enjoy coming to the Dragoons. There is something magical about this place with the spiralling, smooth red granite rocks. The only drawback was there was very little water in the creek to help refresh the dogs, but we did find two small pools of cold water. Otherwise we may have run out of water as my dogs are heavy drinkers. When water flows this place opens up with life and brings out a different character. It's a popular watering hole for the locals of Tombstone.

I was impressed how well the dogs got along with Odie. Zeke was a little ornery at first, running around off trail and chasing imagery friends. He quickly showed he didn't mind having another dog around; all three were pretty oblivious to a fourth dog on the trail. Sadie stayed mostly by my side and didn't care whatsoever about Robin or Odie. We never met another person.

I had no idea how far we would go, or how strong Robin was as a hiker. The hike to the upper hoodoos is about three miles one way. It's a bit under four miles to the abandoned Abril mine at the end, once an active place for zinc and copper. The first mile is easy, walking across the grassy floor shaded by mesquite and manzanitas and an occassional oak or yucca. Once you cross the creekbed the grade ascends and the trail narrows, following the creek uphill past granite walls. The vista to the west is mesmerizing.

We ended up going just past the hoodoos and turning around at the two-hour mark, just as I had planned. We had passed the hoodoos and were now encountering thick manzanitas and pinon pine and juniper. I knew this would be only hot and dry, but I would have enjoyed the challenge. (Would the dogs have?) We started at the trailhead at 10:34 and got back to the van at 2:20pm. The van was able to maneuver the dirt forest road despite its low clearance. That was my biggest worry since I spent time this morning trying to find my keys.

The hike as we did it was a bit over five but less than six miles. I don't recommend this hike in the heat of summer unless there is running water in the creek. Venemous snakes are prevalent here and if this heat wave continues they may be out by the end of February.

I'd like to come back to the Dragoons before it gets too hot. Council Rocks is another great place to enjoy. There is a lot of history and beauty in the Dragoons. Walking around these rocks reminds me of how determined the Apaches were to keep this land, which they ended up losing to the white man anyway. The Apache spirit still remains in here.

Another Saturday at the shelter

Things are slowly moving along at the shelter. Today Carol, Denise, Eric and I were there. Carol and Denise went through the shed while Eric and I walked 11 dogs. One dog was on the RTE list--"Request to Euthanize" list, an 11-year-old Springer with allegedly terminal cancer and sad eyes. Denise, who is a vet tech, said she couldn't feel the tumors but did say she felt fatty pads under her belly, neck and back. She still walked well and didn't look to be in obvious pain. We let her walk around the shelter so she could pee and get some exercise. She will be killed Tuesday morning when Scott is back and does the dirty work. I don't understand how pet owners can drop off their aging pet at an animal shelter to be killed. I know when it's Sara's turn to cross that bridge I'll be making the same decision about euthanasia, but it won't be through the animal shelter. Sara will die in my arms with me thanking her for all those great years together.

Eric and I walked the dogs only a half-mile each because of the many dogs we had. A young family came by to look at the last remaining pup but left not adopting any dog. The boxer was labeled as unfit around small kids and the kids seemed scared around the puppy.

I didn't give Topaz the attention she needs, either. She whimpered with joy to see me and wanted my attention. I just had so much to do, though. She got her walk and she's doing better around other dogs now, especially boys. I really, really hope she finds a home. It's not easy placing a senior dog but she's still very youthful.

The other young shepherd mix is still there, spastic as ever. She played around in the yard with Dixie but didn't get walked. I hope these two girls find homes, too.

One of the male pit bulls that was picked up by its owner for running freely was dropped off again today. I recognized the brown and white markings. He's a mellow dog and I'm sure he's confused about why he's back.

There was another new female pitbull cowering in her kennel. She backed away from me and growled when I reached into her kennel to walk her. So I decided not to walk her. Hopefully she'll be more calmed down the next time I drop by on Wednesday. She was owner-surrendered because she chases livestock (but gets along with dogs and cats)

Weather today was mild, thankfully, but almost too warm. Neither Denise nor Carol wanted to go to Ray's afterwards so after I stopped by PetSmart to see more dogs I treated Eric to a nice lunch in town at La Casita, Sierra Vista's oldest Mexican restaurant. It's perhaps the best sit-down, full-service Mexican place in town. The lunch menu from 11-4pm is quite affordable.

We got home around 2:30pm with Kevin making ham-pea soup. That's when he told me that Sadie had another mild epileptic seizure, the first one in three weeks. She seemed fine afterwards and luckily she didn't have any more today. "She seemed scared about what was going on" Kevin said. It's the pain an animal feels that upsets me the most. Now I'm back to being extra worried about her.

I spent the rest of the day editing photos and placing them on Petfinder, my new chore for the shelter. The hardest part is writing good bios on the dogs. Every dog there deserves a good and honest write-up.
http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/AZ205.html

West Hunter Canyon Trail

I didn't work today and instead sequestered myself in my office and wrote two Amazon reviews in the early morning. Kevin was also off today and went into town for some errands.

By 11:30am I was finally winding down my writing and packed up the keys, camera and all five dogs and drove them into the foothills. None had been walked since last Sunday and all were ready for the exercise. Sammy could barely contain himself as he stared down the road waiting for me to stop and let them out.

Even Sara was in good spirits today and walked the two mile r/t hike at her pace. It was also the first warm day since the week-long cold snap. Milder weather is back.

There were the usual targetshooters at all the popular sites as we drove by. That only left the far western trailhead open for some walking.

An elderly man had just pulled up near the trailhead parking area to shoot his pistol. His shots could be heard for a half mile, echoing against the canyon walls.

The three younger dogs ran ahead of me. Sara and Sammy stayed by my side. I walked as slow as Sara did; I didn't want her to feel she was slowing us down. She's getting too weak to jump up large boulders so I'd find an easier route for her to climb.

There were still patches of snow in the eastern and northern slopes, perfect for the dogs to cool off in. My focus was the green patch of unburned pines where I knew the water was. I'd take the dogs there, rest a bit, and walk back down.

The upper trail is badly damaged from the fire and monsoon of 2011. This is my second attempt to hike the entire trail to the top without losing it. It's become badly rutted in its steepest parts, exposing large boulders that the older dogs have a harder time maneuvering around.

I was very happy to see Sara do so well. This trail is about as much as she can handle now. It's steeper than Ash Canyon but also not as long AND there's a water source with shade for her. If this trail weren't so badly eroded and heavily burned, this would still be a quick leg stretcher.

Tomorrow it's back to the shelter for me for a few hours of dog walking.

San Pedro River trail loop

Start: San Pedro Riparian Trailhead, Palominas off SR 92.
Loop: Follow first wash (do not cross it) west to river, then follow east bank south taking illegal trails or faint USBP trails until you hit international border.
Rest at border and river, then continue return hike via the border eastbound until you hit official river trail at broken windmill. This is an unmarked old jeep trail. Stay on this old jeep trail for 4 miles.
Highlight: Great for birding year-round.
Distance: Approx 10 miles.

The San Pedro River (more of a creek to me, coming from the Midwest) is Arizona's last undammed river. Its source is in far northern Sonora and flows mostly northward into the Gila River in central-eastern Arizona. The underground watershed for the great Sierra Vista area comes from this river.

Today's hike was an unplanned hike. I waited until it warmed up enough early in the afternoon. I bundled in multi layers, packed my backpack and took Sadie, Zeke and Minnie to the San Pedro River east of Palominas. It was a spontaneous decision to get out and hike the exposed, flat trail that I knew would be warmer than the foothills. I was right about that.

I was the only car at the trailhead. A desert fox quickly scattered out of the parking area and disappeared into the shrubs.

The Bureau of Land Management has built a nice parking area with bathroom here. Metal signs lead hikers to the trail, which is an old jeep trail also used by the US Border Patrol, which crosses the first wash and continues southward. Hiking the trail makes for a very dry and exposed walk. Trail signs are only visible when hiking southbound. The international border is four miles south. 

Instead of following the trail signs away from the river, I let the dogs start out in the first wash which took us west straight to the river. Despite the cold the dogs enjoyed the water! Ice was only along the banks, or in shady spots. Zeke went right in.

I wasn't sure whether I would just let the dogs romp near the river, and for how long, or if I wanted to hike farther south, but I knew I had enough time to explore the winter river. If the dogs showed any sign of being cold or uncomfortable, I'd turn around, no questions asked. They didn't seem the least bit uncomfortable, so I trekked on. The scenery pulled me in from all directions: glistening cottonwoods, shrieking hawks, prancing deer, rusty relics. I see something new all the time. The dogs had fun exploring, too.

It had been two years since I hiked here with a group, but last time we stayed on the official river trail, which is .3 miles east of the river. The trail is relatively flat, safe, but boring. To see wildlife, especially birds, one must hug the riverbed.

Today the hike started along the river as we hiked in a southeasterly direction, following the cottonwoods. Because no shooting is allowed here near the international border, the trees are not shot-up. Large ash and cottonwood are used for hawks and migrating raptors.

There were sections of the river that were heavily damaged from recent flash floods: downed trees, eroded river banks, dead debris stuck around tree trunks. The river changes it course every season. I had to be careful that I didn't fall into a hidden hole from a javalina. One thing I didn't see much of this time is trash left behind by Mexicans.

Today's high was 41F (Low was 13). It felt warm here. The afternoon sky was cloudless and blue. This made for good photography. The barren cottonwoods shined golden against the sky. I knew I'd see hawks today and I did: eight flew around me in the course of my hike.

There is a sense of solitude on this trail. And what a perfect place to bring the dogs! I've come across javalina, coyote, fox, deer and stray cattle but today the wildlife consisted of a large herd of mule deer. There was plenty of scat from various animals.

This whole region is full of history. Abandoned machinery remind passers-by of a long gone era of Mexican ranchers, Chinese fieldhands (Before they were expelled in the 1880s to settle in Cananea, Sonora), Mormon settlers, and Apache Indians. That time wasn't that long ago when the Mormon Battalion traveled through here on their way south to fight the Mexicans in 1846. I have to wonder what this place was like then, or how much deeper and wider the river was. The San Pedro River is only a fraction of its original size since the 1887 earthquake swallowed it.

Early on this hike along the river one sees an abandoned picnic area with basketball hoop on the west bank. Kevin and I saw this back in 2004. Its origin is unknown as the only sign there now is an old Mormon Battalion sign. The river provided water for traveling troops through here, just as it provided Coronado and other conquistadores centuries before. Why was this picnic area left to fade away in the desert sun? With public access this could be a nice resting stop for birders and river hikers.

There are some points along this area that one can see the San Pedro Valley as it spreads north. The trail was on a "high" point; the river in a low one. But west of the river the terrain rises gently. The mountains rise high in the distance and slopes continue into Sonora. At dusk one can see the lights of homes in the foothills.

I didn't sway far from the water for the dogs' sake. I preferred walking on level ground and found a USBP trail toward the end. By now my feet were thankful for the level ground after stepping into a few javalina holes. Wind-swept tracks, scat, sun-burned posts, rusty wires, abandoned machinery and even an old foundation were along this stretch. Other than shrieking hawks there were no other animals nearby. What a sense of isolation here on the border!

At one point I came across a bowhunter. I waved at him to let him know I was in the area, but got out of his path so that we wouldn't be in his way. I saw him a few hours later driving off at sunset.

I was bundled up in several layers. The dogs had orange safety vests (to let bowhunters know they aren't game). The dogs didn't even seem phased by the cold. Zeke splashed into the icy river as if he were having fun. I had to take off his wet safety vest because it was dragging on the ground. As long as I was in the open sun, I was fine. I kept at a steady pace, following the river until I hit the border by 3:30pm.

I was glad to be at the border now. I sat on some rocks along the bank and ate some chilly clementines. That's when two USBP vans drove up from the other side of the river, inspected me and my dogs from a distance, realized we weren't border crossers, and gave us some privacy. I knew they were watching me and that is fine. I felt better with them nearby anyway. With the border fence at this point being nothing more than barbed wire and hedgehogs, having agents nearby made the area more secure.

But talk about feeling isolated! Not a sound around.

It was 4pm when I left the river for my return hike. We stayed along the border fence the first mile, until we hit the official river trail near an old, broken windmill. A large empty farm building stands unused on the Sonoran side. The border fence changes from mesh metal to stronger steel rods here. It's designed to allow flash floodwater through whenever the river rises during a monsoon.

The sun was getting low and I could feel the cold come on. I hadn't expected to see the sun set behind the mountains from this vantage point. I knew I didn't have much daylight to work with. High cerrus clouds above the mountains gave the sky a pretty wind-swept look, but the colors didn't last. By 5:30pm I could feel the cold, and soon thereafter the winter chill set in. Even Minnie looked tired, resting a few times on the path. I talked to the dogs more to keep them motivated. Talking to them also kept me from feeling isolated.

On a mild evening one can hear coyote yelps, birds chirping, hawks shrieking, perhaps even catch a brood of javalina digging for cactus roots. Today it was too cold for all that. Even the wildlife save the deer were hunkered down.

Two more USBP vans drove by as I was on the final stretch to the car.

It was dark when we arrived at the truck at 6pm, with just enough light available to open the truck door. I was glad to be back to safety; the desert and this river are not safe at night.

The dogs were exhausted and napped quietly in the truck for the drive home. Kevin had made some extra chicken gravy for them and set out three portions for them on the floor, which they quickly devoured when they got home. Minnie was famished. They also got each one extra can of food for replenishment from me. All three got a good work-out today and went to bed right away. Zeke was too exhausted to harrass the other dogs. My legs were sore, too. Thank god Kevin had a chicken dinner waiting for me when I got home.

http://www.blm.gov/az/st/en/prog/recreation/hiking/sptrail.html