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.
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