Minnie on a Volksmarch in town

A Volksmarch is a "community walk," a tradition that was very popular in Europe where hundreds of people would show up to walk 10km or 20km walks around town or through forests and villages as they followed a marked trail. Afterwards they'd gather in a fest tent, eat bratwurst and drink liters of beer. I got addicted to volksmarching while stationed in Augsburg, Germany in the mid 1990s, doing sometimes 80km in a weekend.

Volksmarching isn't so popular here in the USA. Those who volksmarch here are former military personnel who picked up that tradition while in Germany. So when I found out there was a Volksmarch today at 7am-1pm sponsored by the Thunder Mountain Trekkers at the Elks Lodge, I decided to do it with Minnie. The hiking club had an event out at Cochise Head but that was a long drive I wasn't in the mood for.

I didn't get started until 8:40am. Weather was in the low 70s. The trail started on Willcox Avenue going east for a mile. It was well-marked with orange streamers placed at eye level. There were two check points at the two and four-mile mark with water. Minnie did very well considering she's normally offleash in the forest. Today she had to walk onleash in town. Traffic wasn't a bother for her, nor were people nearby. There just wasn't much shade. But as the day got older the heat started bothering her and I rested with her for 15 minutes at the second check point, where I chatted with one of the volunteers, Noel. He was at the Volksmarch the club held in February. I even recognized him and a few other volunteers.

While the walk through the northern and northwestern part of town wasn't all that scenic, I did enjoy walking on the multi-use path. I even got to see parts of town I had never been in before: the neighborhood just east of Garden and Phister Avenue. The homes there are small and old, but the neighborhood is quiet. I discovered a Buddhist Temple just north of Fry Blvd, too.

It took us 2:10 hours to finish the 10km. Minnie was at a good pace the first half, but we slowed down the last two miles when she panted most of the way.

The Thunder Mountain Trekkers host several year-round events in Bisbee, Naco, Benson, Tombstone, Fort Huachuca and even in Tucson. I may do a few of them now that the weather is cooling off for the dogs.

Fall is in the air

I didn't go on any hikes this weekend. After spending $440 for a new fuel pump for my 2002 Ford Escape, I felt a little defeated. The plan to drive up to Flagstaff for the weekend was also scrapped, and with the added car repair bill, a wise decision. Northern Arizona's weather was also cooler and stormier.

Ellen cancelled the backpacking trip to Havasu Falls because of Brenda's slow recovery from kidney stones. I'm not totally disappointed. There's always another time (I hope!).

Meanwhile, places like Boulder, CO and Santa Clara, NM are suffering from horrendous flooding. The monsoon has been very good this year, the best one since we moved here in 2004, but some areas that recently had wildfires now are getting flooded. I may not do that car camp back to the Jordan Hot Springs in October.

It was a quiet weekend for me focused on the garden. I am still getting tomatoes and green beans from the garden. I also have four fruit trees to plant and I had planned on doing that this weekend, too, but somehow spaced that out.

I noticed that Sara's shrub has been sinking. It's now a good six inches lower than before. The top soil keeps cracking open. Perhaps I placed too much grass over Sara's bag and that grass has now decomposed, creating this vacuum. Otherwise the shrub is doing find and growing buds. While I miss my Sara, at least her afterlife is providing continued growth for new life.

I spent a lot of time pulling weeds. I've filled up the fifth trash dumpster full of weeds.

Sammy got a bath. His fur has been so greasy lately and took him outside to wash him down. He wasn't happy about that. His fur looks fluffier now but the fur still feels greasy!

The highlight for the dogs this weekend was our late romp up Hunter Canyon at 5:30pm today. It was already dusk by then and I knew we couldn't stay long. Target shooters were busy in nearby crevices so I took Zeke, Sammy, Sadie and Minnie straight west on the jeep trail, to the edge of the Miller Peak Wilderness sign. The foothills looked so green from all the rain. Yellow and blue flowers dotted the path. I can't even remember the last time it has been this green so late in September. The canyon has healed nicely sicne the 2011 fire. The creek in Hunter Canyon, however, has carved an even deeper path through the canyon.

The old tennis court field

When Kevin and I first moved here in late 2004 and before we moved into our home, we lived in a small apartment off Busby drive in Sierra Vista. Across the street was a bar and tennis club where we'd often go for Happy Hour drinks. While the bar is now closed and the tennis club is up for sale (but still open for players) the bar isn't the happening place it was ten years ago, when this was a favorite for Fort Huachuca personnel and thus a loud place.

Next to the tennis court is an open field filled with mesquite, sotol, pricky pear and other desert flora. People let their dogs run around here offleash. I let the dogs out here at times, too, especially on trips into town with them. This used to be an entire block size of open land, but a new apartment complex behind the Food City shopping area on the north end of this tract has cut the open space in half. Gone are the homeless who would tent here, then go across the street and beg outside Fry's Foods for money. Gone is also illegal dumping in this field, although a few old couches and household appliances still linger in the reddish sand. The open field is in the center of town with plenty of vehicular traffic off SR92 and SR90. This open space is probably going to remain an open area because there's a deep ditch that runs through the area and deemed a flood area. Storm run-off is now diverted through a man-made gully around the new apartment complex.

Yesterday I drove to Cox Cable in town to pay the internet bill and took Zeke, Sammy and Minnie. Luckily I wasn't at Cox Cable for long because the dogs were restless. They associate going for a ride with going somewhere fun, like the foothill trails.

It was already 5:30pm when I got to this place. We weren't at this field for long, but I wanted to give Sammy some exercise. I tend to ignore the non-hiking dogs in the pack like Zeke and Sammy and need to remember that they, too, need time to romp. This was Sammy's and Zeke's turn.

Minnie immediately found several tennis balls hidden under nearby mesquite trees, so I picked them up for her to play with back home. Sammy stayed near me but Zeke clearly enjoyed getting to run around offleash. He is a bundle of energy.

Another couple with their dog was coming to the field to walk their dog, so it was time for me to head out and give that dog his freedom. The sun was setting low by now and it was time to go.

Sammy enjoyed the ride and the romp. I'll do this more often, maybe take him to a closer but little-used trail in the foothills. He's still grieving over the loss of Sara, napping in her old spots in the house so I need to focus on him.

Sandy Bob canyon (again)

After yesterday's hike I just wanted to sleep in and stay home. But at 6:20am I got up and got ready for the 8am meet-up in the parking lot of Fry's. John was already there, Mack drove up by 8:10am and it was 8:40am before we met Rod and Paul at the Old Divide Road in Bisbee and then drove up to the Juniper Flats trailhead. It turns out that several people had tried to call me yesterday to let me know they were coming on this hike. I am glad I still showed up to lead it.

As usual, hiking with Rod always means that the hike gets diverted or changed altogether. I am prepared for this, but for newcomers this may be aggravating. Rod likes to bushwhack and explore, something a novice hiker may not appreciate.

"Highs of near 100 degrees" were again forecasted for Tucson, so that meant that it would reach the upper 80s in Bisbee. Unlike last week's hike in this hidden canyon, this time there was no cloud cover. Rod spotted one lone cloud over Mt Wrightson, visible from Juniper Flats.

Despite a drenching rain on Thursday in the Mule mountains, there wasn't that much water in the creek bed. The only change was that there were more mud puddles on that first stretch of ATV trail to the hidden trail.

It had been a while since Rod or Paul had hiked here and they relied on me to find the hidden trail. The rocks that were placed at the start of the hidden trail had been dispersed, but I recognized the sotol hidden by the oak. We didn't have to look for this trail.

Mack, our newest club member, just got back from a tour in Afghanistan as a contractor and is still needing to acclimate himself back to the elevation of Arizona. We stopped many times for him to drink water, but every stop was appreciated by both Sadie and Minnie as well. They sought shade right away and would wait for us to continue the hike.

Today's hike went north of the oak tree we use as a rest stop. Instead of bushwhacking in a northeasterly direction downhill, we continued northwest around a hill. This is a very rocky and very exposed section, a part I didn't appreciate much due to the footing. I was always watching our for rattlers in the high grass, hiding from us and hoping not to be discovered by a sudden foot stomp. The dogs dutifully followed Rod.

The trail was hard to follow as we were looking for a cattle trail. This "trail" ended at the start of a side canyon with rock slabs and water for the dogs. This was a steeper and narrower canyon than the first canyon from last week. I didn't like this way to the falls but at least I'm now aware of it and will stick to the quicker trail downhill from the first oak tree.

This diversion gets us to the top of the falls, from where we continued around the top rocks for lunch and a beautiful vista of the front of the falls. There wasn't much water at all today. The rainfall midweek over Bisbee did nothing to replenish the water level. Itw as still nice to see the falls again, especially from a new angle.

From where we sat we could see how far and how steep Minnie slid down last week. From our vantage point it looked like a dangerous fall. The rest of the lower canyon seems more narrow and less rocky from what I could tell.

Going back we stayed in Sandy Bob canyon, just like Ellen and I hiked the week before. The water seemed to disappear already, so that I didn't recognize the sandy creek bed as we neared our drainage turn-off. What a change in just one week! And when we had to climb out of the creek bed and bushwhack uphill, Rod wanted to divert to an old cabin that required going uphill on the "other" side of the drainage and up a steeper hill. No one by now was in the mood to bushwhack more, and the group decided to get back to the oak tree as quickly as possible.

We could still see faint foot steps Ellen and I had made the week before. We came across some of the blue, green and pink markers on trees, too. And when we got back to the oak tree we all sat down in the little shade it provided to drink some water. I was thirsty and sweating under my nylon clothes. It was hot and the dogs were getting tired. Sadie did well, though and didn't whine.

I opted to be rear guard going uphill from here. Mack kept stopping to wipe his naked head; sweat was getting in his eyes and he seemed unstable a few times. Was he going to faint from heat exhaustion? He had carried a hat but refused to wear it. Wearing head cover in our desert is imperative at all times!

We took one more shade stop just before the last creek crossing. By now the heat was getting to us all. The dogs stayed as close as they could in the shade along the rugged trail. When we got back to the trucks it was approaching 2pm. Rod and Mack opted to drive home, but I joined John and Paul for a few post-hike beers at the Old Bisbee Brewing Company. That is such a great little place to sit and enjoy Bisbee, let alone chat about life. Sadie and Minnie stayed in the truck with the windows down. I had parked in the shade along Brewery Gulch and next to St Elmo's Bar. They were able to see us from our outdoor table the entire time.

Mount Wrightson via the Cave Creek trail

Today was the big day for the mountain challenge. Since Miller Peak (9466' or 2885m) was a wash-out last week, we made the training hike up today with a 14-mile hike up one of the tallest peaks in southern Arizona, Mt Wrightson, (9453' or 2881m) a rocky point that sticks out of the Santa Ritas. This peak is a challenge even for the fittest. There is no easy route to this peak.

Ellen and I had done this hike before, last November, but today we did it with several more people from the hiking club: Rod, John, SteveA and SteveS. Minnie came along but again I left Sadie at home because of the forecasted heat of 97F in Tucson. That meant that the mountain would only be around ten degrees cooler. Sadie wanted to come and again I had to keep her from coming along, feeling a tad guilty as she loves to hike with me.

I was running late this morning and got to the scheduled meet-up place on Fry Boulevard in Sierra Vista ten minutes late, just as Ellen drove up. We still made it to the Whetstone meeting place at 7:30am where the guys were waiting. We got to the Cave Creek trailhead an hour later, but when I got out of the truck Rod said he had wanted to park at the Gardner Canyon trailhead uphill. I should have let Rod drive up ahead, as I have always parked at the Cave Creek trailhead due to its shade and quick access to water.

"We can get there via the Link Trail" I said, "this is a much shadier place to park."

Ellen then realized she hadn't packed any water. Luckily the rest of us had spare bottles for her so she managed with five pints of water. This was not a good omen on a forecasted hot day. Luckily nothing else bad happened.

Instead of the planned out-and-back hike via the Gardner Canyon trail to Mt Wrightson, we ended up doing the Cave Creek-Crest Trail-Mt Wrightson-Super Trail-Gardner Canyon trail loop in reverse from last year's training hike.

Our start time was 8:46am at an elevation of 6200'. We ended up doing the loop hike at Cave Creek and hiking uphil via the steepest section: the two miles up to Florida Saddle. Last year I remember telling Ellen that I was glad we were not coming up Florida saddle, and here we were doing just that! Clear skies overhead and some burned foliage made this hotter than usual, and I worried about Minnie who was panting all the way. While there was water in lower Cave Creek, once we switchbacked up to the saddle, it was hot and humid. SteveA was behind me, stopping and taking a lot of photos. I stopped a few times to make sure he was on the right trail (there were a few illegal trails that were confusing in the lower canyon) but once we were on the one trail left, I left him behind to join the others at the first saddle. It was slow-mo up to this point.

I worried about Minnie. I had a gallon of water for her that I started using up this switchback, and we had already used half that gallon in the first few miles. Was I going to have enough water for her? And for me? She took advantage of every break, and at times I stopped for her, but when she got thirsty at one mossy creek, she dug into the moss to get to the wet moss roots for some water.

Once we all gathered at Florida Saddle at 7800', the grade uphill was less intense, and much prettier as the elevation was covered in Golden Rods, lupines, red sage and other wildflowers. Storm clouds took over, which also cooled us all down, a godsend, and we all felt rejuvenated, especially Minnie. The prettiest section of this loop hike is by far the section along the Crest Trail from Florida to Baldy Saddle. While this is badly burned, the rock cliffs and new growth alonng this section provide for some shade and beauty.

There's an unnamed saddle between Florida and Baldy with a gorgeous view of the western slopes. We rested here, took some photos, and took in the beauty. Just off this trail we found a baby twin-spotted rattle snake resting by a rock, one of four species of rattlesnakes protected in Arizona. It was no bigger than a silver dollar; I had never seen a snake that young in the wild.

My thighs were feeling the steep grade. We had to stop a few times to wait for SteveA to catch up. SteveS, who had been on vacation in Pennsylvania for a month, hadn't hiked all month and was able to stay with the main body the entire time. But when we finally made it to Baldy Saddle for lunch, it was almost 2pm and we knew time was of essence. By 6pm the sun would be set too low for decent light. I hadn't packed a flashlight.

We ate our lunch here. Minnie had her can of food and some jerky and some more water. I found a cash of water left behind by what appeared to be Mexicans, as they tend to paint the gallon jugs black to avoid sun glare. The water inside the jug was discolored and full of floaties. Would it have even been safe to drink for humans? I gave Minnie this water, which didn't affect her in any way, and took the jug with me the rest of the way. This jug had been exposed far too long and the water inside was no longer safe
to drink.

The view of Mount Wrightson coming down south off the Crest Trail is an impressive view. It's like a giant thumb sticking out, and so close. Today it was also very green, an unusual color this time of year. Ellen and I ended up bagging the peak afterall while the guys continued on. It took me 45 minutes to make that final .9 mile stretch to the peak. Others were already climbing back down (all who scared Minnie for some reason, who'd always run back to me at the sight of others). We got to the peak with a group of others still there, including a young couple with a Papillon dog onleash that Minnie wanted to bark at. This was the one time I put her onleash herself to avoid any trouble.

It was surprisingly calm on this peak. Ellen ate her lunch and Minnie and I rested, all the time thinking about the time. We had six miles to go; would we make it in daylight at the pace we had been going? We didn't leave the peak until 3:20pm and still had the roughest part ahead of us: the burned-out section of the Super Trail with its many blow-downs.

The hike downhill was faster. Even though downhills are usually faster, this part of the trail has to be carefully hiked due to the many loose rocks and blowdowns. We got to the Gardner Canyon trail at 4:50pm; the Walker Basin trail was another 1.9 miles through the burned area. We had to make that part for sure. We didn't stop for water again until we reached the Walker Basin trailhead. By now Minnie was visibly tired and laying down whenever she could.

The burn area ends just below the Walker Basin area. We hiked another mile in lush riparian terrain where more fresh water awaited Minnie. By the time we got to the open mining trail of lower Gardner Canyon I was feeling exhauted, and getting to our truck at 5:57pm couldn't have come any sooner. Rod's truck was long gone and a couple with an unneutered pitbull were now camped in his spot, letting us know that the guys had left only 30-40 minutes prior. Could we catch up with them at the SteakOut restaurant in Sonoita, where they were feasting post-hike? (Another message to Ellen on her smart phone revealed that the guys ended up not going there and we no longer had to try to catch up with them as they all decided just to drive back to Sierra Vista.)

Our departure from Gardner Canyon was further slowed when a black chihuahua named Dino ran across the road. I knew then that the dog had run from a nearby camp-site, and when we came across the worried owners we drove them back to the place where Dino was seen running across the road. One of the owners could even trace a few of Dino's footprints.

We lucked out with today's hike. The heat wasn't so bad with the late morning cloud cover, no one ran out of water, no one was injured or got lost, and we had plenty of light. We made it to the Sonoita Convenience store just before closing for ice cream to replenish ourselves. The final day's hues didn't fade until we had driven out of Sonoita driving east.

The Santa Rita mountains are a beautiful mountain range. If the drive there weren't so long I'd be exploring the many OTV trails more. This region was once a hotbed for white settlers, Apaches and Mexicans. It's now slowly turning into a mining survey area with foreing mining companies wanting to mine here. The Rosemont Mine will be a reality in a few years. I should try to hike some of the canyons that will soon be destroyed because Arizona politicians continue to sell the land for profit.

Sandy Bob Canyon and the waterfalls

The original plan for today was to hike up Miller Peak at 7am with Ellen. Heavy rains began to fall around 4am and lasted all morning. We agreed to cancel the hike. A few hours later I learned that it was sunny in Bisbee so Ellen decided to join me on a short hike into Sandy Bob Canyon. It had been three years since I had been there and it is only a 26 mile drive to the trailhead.

We met at the Fry's parking lot in town and drove there together. Minnie and Sadie were in the back seat. Sadie whined a lot, but mostly because she had to use the bathroom and as soon as we were parked and getting our packs ready, both dogs relieved themselves. Sadie was anxious for a hike as it's been a few week for her since her last hike. She was looking good, running well, and I forsaw no problems with her.

We got started at 11:08am. The western sky was still dark and stormy but it was sunny overhead. We were the only vehicle parked here.

The trail starts out for 1.5 miles as an ATV trail along a ridgeline moving northwest. After heavy rains or snow melt this can be a very muddy experience. While there were a few deep mud pools, this section was surprisingly dry and didn't slow us down. Yellow wildflowers lined the trail. This is the most flowers I have seen here.

This was my first time leading this hike; I had always gone as a follower with other hiking club members. Finding the abandoned trail was difficult, but in the end it was only because we cut off the main ATV trail too early; the old trail was further on the path at an old cairn that now stood as a pile of knocked-over rocks between some sotols. Once we found this trail I had no problem getting us to the landmark oak tree at a lower ridgeline. Again this section was heavily overgrown with grasses and flowers and hard to follow. A few openings in the tree line offered vistas toward the canyon we were headed to.

We made it to the oak tree within 30 minutes on the trail. That seemed fast. Now, if only we could find our way back on the return hike! Would the dogs help track our scent back to the main road? Neither dog is as good as Sara ever was.

From the landmark oak tree it was harder to find the trail. There were a few small cairns on the ground, and several trees had pink or green tape on branches to lead the way, but it was still difficult. Luckily I knew what direction we had to go and that we were going downhill to follow the drainage that would guide us to the main creek bed. Again, this was overgrowth with tall grasses that hid many smaller rocks and chollas. Paying attention here to footage was important. The dogs were panting with thirst and were on the lookout for water. They were the first ones to find water and we followed that water to the bigger sources downhill.

Once we were in the main canyon, hiking was much easier. There was plenty of water in the watering holes. Even Minnie, who's proven that she likes water, swam in a few of them while Sadie gingerly would avoid getting wet. The cool water refreshed them both. While Ellen and I wore water sandals, neither of us were ready to get wet, either.

The rock slabs along this creek are the prettiest part of this hike. The creek meanders downhill in a northerly direction as the canyon walls rise. There is no vista here. Two spur canyons could also get people lost, although we noticed larger cairns above to guide the way. Local rumor was that Mexicans were growing marijuana in a side canyon and that one could still find growing devices in hidden side canyons, but we didn't spot anything or anyone else. The only thing we noticed were recent flood water remnants that had flooded foliage and bent grass along the creek bed. This would not be a safe place during a flash flood.

While there wasn't as much water as I had expected (I thought for sure recent rains would allow for a more obvious flow of water) there were some deeper pools in which Minnie had to swim to get to the other side. That water was tempting!

Ellen enjoyed the bushwalk/hike and even discovered a flooded mine near the end.

The waterfall at the end of the hike was not flowing hard, but the three main pools were full of water. After showing Ellen the view from above--the drop down to the last pool is pretty impressive--we stayed at the upper most pool to eat lunch and give the dogs treats. Minnie explored the edge while Sadie stayed next to me. This is where Minnie hit a slick section and slid down from the upper pool to the middle pool, whining all the way. That dog definitely has an adventurous spirit whereas Sadie prefers to stay close to me. Luckily she wasn't hurt, but luring her back up to the upper pool wasn't easy as she was unsure of the rocks.

The slide from the upper pool to the middle pool could probably hurt a human because of the rock surface, but Minnie seemed unphased. The slope was not too steep for her. If it had been a direct cliff drop, I would not have sat so close to this edge.

If Minnie was traumatized by the slide, she wasn't for long, as she continued on with her playful, inquisitive mind. She even let me pose her with a set of antlers I found off the trail.

Sitting near the waterfall with no one else around is worthwhile. Even Ellen, who had never been here, was amazed. She would come back here with her caving friends. After 30 minutes of resting and enjoying the views, we started on the return trip, which didn't seem to take us as long as expected. We found the trail easier than expected. Away from the water, though, both dogs began panting more, so we rested twice for them in the shade. The last mile would prove the driest for them as there is no water source once away from the drainage until one gets back to Juniper Flats and the red rocks.

We made it back to the truck at 3:15pm, making this a four-hour hike. We could hear thunder from another front coming up from Sonora; the skies southeast of Bisbee were dark. Now the Huachuca mountains were clear, which allowed for a storm-free drive back home. Both dogs were tired, but Minnie insisted on playing fetch once we were home. Does that dog ever rest?!?!

It began raining again later in the evening.

Ellen had asked me whose land this was we hiked on. I honestly never thought about whose land this was as locals come here to target shoot and hike or just to walk around the rocky cliffs to enjoy the view and drink beer. Googling "Sandy Bob Canyon" only brings up maps to the road with the same name (which appears to run at the far northern terminus of the canyon).

Apollo's Freedom Ride

Apollo is an eight-year-old Golden Retriever that was owner-surrendered at the shelter. This is the first time I had seen a Golden at the shelter. The only person interested in this dog was a Facebook follower from Graham, TX, Judy, who was determined to adopt him as soon as she saw the photo I had taken of him and uploaded to the Facebook page. The shelter had never adopted out-of-state before and the ACOs were a bit stumbled by the process, but once the woman sent in her adoption fee and faxed signed adoption papers, there was only the transport that held her back. Being a suave business owner, she then contacted an all-volunteer group called Rescue Puppies on the Move, a new group that was founded just a year ago to help transport shelter animals to rescues and adopters. A volunteer driver from Wichita Falls, TX was going to drive to Las Cruces. I agreed to drive Apollo from the shelter to a pre-arranged truck stop off I-10 at Las Cruces. We agreed on the date: Saturday, August 23.

It was a flawless connection.

Apollo was a gentle, kind passenger. Insistent on sitting in the passenger seat, he sat facing me the entire drive. He placed his paws over mine and watched me the entire time. I stopped at every rest stop and he peed. He was the perfect gentleman. Other dogs on the pet exercise trail were his friends.

If we didn't already have five dogs, he would have fit in well with our pack, but I know we can't have any more dogs for a few years. I was glad to be a part of an animal's freedom ride, though, even if it took me all of that Saturday two weeks ago to get it done. I'd do it again.

Handing Apollo over to the other driver, Cheryl, was heart-breaking. He didn't take to her as fast as he did to me, but that is perhaps because Apollo had already gotten used to me at the shelter and knew my voice. Cheryl had the longer of the two stretches to drive. It took her ten hours to drive across Texas. At one point her headlights went out in the middle of the night.

The drive back across New Mexico without Apollo was so lonely. I felt his presence on the entire drive back. Amazing how an animal's presence, however short, can touch a human's heart.

Judy sent me gas money right away. And while it's been two weeks since I made this drive, I still remember Apollo and his gentleness. He is one lucky dog at his age to find another home. Meanwhile we have another ten-year-old dog at the shelter with a severe overbite that perhaps will be destroyed due to lack of any adopter interest.