Carr Peak for October with Sadie, Minnie and Zeke

I did not sleep well last night. I was up at 2:30am and never went back to sleep. I wasn't called in this morning to work, so by 9am I knew I had a free day. This was the risk I took by not hiking up Carr on Sunday, but yesterday I didn't quite feel recovered from the hot hike in Gleeson.

I took advantage of the weather by taking the three hiking dogs up Carr Peak by 10:50am. The sky was grey overcast, a perfect setting for dogs. The hike is what I needed to get energized, because I was afraid my fatigue would slow me down. Perhaps it did, but the scenery and the dogs kept me alert. It was grey overcast as I started from the house, providing excellent cloud cover for the dogs that we didn't have yesterday. It was perfect weather for them.

We made it to the Sawmill Trail head at 11:20am. There was one white Dodge pick-up in the parking lot. At this elevation, it felt cold! HELLO AUTUMN! I dug out my red Marmot rain jacket and never took it off for the rest of the hike. So much for those jacketless hikes. There was a white Dodge pick-up across the parking lot from me, but I never saw any other people until I neared the peak. I threw on that Marmot and off we went. I also wore my Oboz hiking shoes with socks, the first time I've worn shoes on this trail for a good six months.

Autumn colors were still prevalent today. Isolated wild flowers stood on the sides, beckoning for attention. It's as if the last of the season's flowers were on display today: a red flower here, a purple flower there. In the lower elevation the fleabanes grew, but most flowers from last month were now gone to seed.

The dogs were on a scent today. Did I smell bear, or was that Zeke's farts I kept smelling? The dogs were acting intrigued as well, so that put me on alert. I saw bear scat, but never saw a bear. I made sure the dogs barked from time to time to warn the bears of our presence. That musky bear scent was obvious just below the aspen groves.

Winds became more fierce the higher I climbed. The elms and locusts have turned yellow. The oaks have turned brown, but many more trees are still transitioning. Grasses are still turning to seed.

The higher I got, the harder the wind blew. I was hoping to see migrating raptors, but the wind at the peak was just too powerful today. Even I had to take my cap off to keep it from blowing off. The cirrus clouds high above were wind-swept, but the clouds disappeared by the afternoon. I had seen ravens and heard them gawk, but by the time I was on the peak, even the birds took a break from the wind.

We finally met one hiker near the peak trail, a 72-year-old from London, England. He was wearing a long-sleeved striped shirt and khaki shorts, a bit too scanty for the breeze near the peak, and he agreed. I put the dogs on the leashes so that he wouldn't be afraid to come toward me. We actually had a nice chat as he tried to keep his hat from blowing off. I, too, took my hat off at this point to keep it from blowing away.

He's been in town for 15 years but it had been a while since he had been up the mountain. He is an amateur photographer and was holding a Canon 20D. It took him an impressive 2.5 hours to get to the stop, starting at 8:30am and getting to the peak at 11am. He could see me drive into the parking lot at that time. I later saw him a mile down from the peak when I was at the summit, and he was long gone when the dogs and me finally got back to the car. I was the only person he encountered during the entire hike, and he was my only person as well.

The cold breeze subsided somewhat when we finally made it to the top at 1:27am, just over two hours. That was a slow time, but I also stopped to take photos, and let the dogs drink from the trickling water fall. Water is still there, but not flowing like it was last month. The only water I had to use for the dogs was the water in my 64-ounce growler. That was consumed at the summit. The wind-blown clouds I had seen while on the end trail had disappeared by the time I made it to the summit. The wind was calming down as well. I stayed at the peak just long enough to let Minnie rest; her stick chasing at the summit, a habit of hers, was tiring her out.

Indeed, the autumn colors were quite nice today, perhaps nicer than last month even though the aspens were no longer leaved. The locusts and elms are yellow now, and when the sun shined on the trees, the colors came out nicely. A few diehard wildflowers were also still in bloom. In the higher elevations the fleabane gave way to isolated Red Cardinals, penstemons and a few yellow flowers. Most had gone to seed, but the tall grasses were still somewhat green. By next month even the grasses will be dead and scratching against the pant legs.

I enjoyed the hike back down this time as much as the hike up. The smell of autumn was in the air. What an invigorating scent! I also saw more birds this time, flitting around the tops of dead trees. Hopefully I get to see some hawks or eagles for my next hike. I'm going to have to go on a sunny, calm day. The weather in November and December can be quite gruesome. The white Dodge pick-up was still in the parking lot when we returned.

I got back to the house just after 4pm. I rewarded the three hiking dogs with an extra hot dog each. They napped quite well the rest of the day.

Hiking around Gleeson, AZ

Distance: 7.8 miles (Magellan GPS track with shortcuts), 8.4 miles (DeLorme GPS) without shortcuts.
Elevation: 548 ft (4951’-5499’). Total elevation gain including all ups and downs: 1476 ft.
Hiking Time: 9:04 AM to 1:47 PM (4 h 43 min)

Hiking couple David and Karen S from the hiking club live in Gleeson and enjoy hosting intimate hikes to the nearby hills around their home. I've been on one hike with them before, but volunteering at the shelter and other errands kept me from returning. Today, though, I made sure I showed up. I took Zeke along.

John S was the only other hiker. Ryan didn't go due to a flat tire on his BMW coming back from Benson Friday night. Steve A never showed up, so it was just John, Zeke and I in John's Toyota Tacoma driving to the Gleason Jail, a 1910 repaired jail from the wild west days. Karen met us there and we followed her back to her hilltop home where the hike started.

It was 9am by now, and the heat of the day was beginning to come out. There are hills in all directions from their home, but the mesquite and grasses still make this landscape look parched and abandoned. The hills to the northeast have old mining trails visible. We hiked toward the lower valley where free-roaming cattle kept cool under the shade of mesquite trees. The first mile was downhill toward the wash before we started climbing again, up toward a ridge-line that offered a beautiful vista of the valley south of Willcox. Turpentine bush was still in bloom, but many other wildflowers were going to seed. The hills looked exhausted, Whatever turquoise these hills had, had been plundered decades ago. Mining equipment rusted in the sun, and a few sun-parched shacks remained, providing nothing more than shelter from winter winds.

This was an exposed hike with no shade, no water. Cows wandered on the dirt roads or watched us from nearby shade from houses. Mesquites here were young and bush-like. Lehman's grass was over a foot tall and densely packed, interspersed with an occasional cholla or prickly pear. Zeke wore a cooling towel wrapped around his collar that seemed to help him stay cool. He got along well with Karen's dog Mata, a female heeler who didn't mind Zeke once we were on the trail. Had it been 20 degrees cooler with an overcast sky, this would have been a more enjoyable hike for everyone. Seeing this canyon after a heavy rain must have been quite beautiful.

This area was once a bustling mining town. Property here is either private or part of the State Trust Land (perhaps because of all the abandoned mines in the area). Tire tracks revealed that local residents use these trails to explore the area on their ATVs. Karen pointed out some of the homes of owners that she knew: an old Apache shaman, a once-active drug lord (!), retired CEOs. Many of these homes didn't look like milion-dollar estates, but the land around them was wide. Everyone here has open space to grow vegetable gardens, raise chickens, have cows or horses.

We went past an algae-infested livestock pond, a dry wash (Dead Mexican Wash) where Zeke attempted to chase some cattle until I told him to get his butt back over (and he stopped on a dime, creating a cloud of dust at his feet). That was Zeke's one scurry; he was too tired on the return hike to chase or bother with anything. This hike was a test of how he was on the trail. The cow chase was his one flaw.

After we crossed the dry wash we began ascending again, up a switchback trail. A rusted metal cross lay at the first switchback. There was no name in anyone's memory on that cross. We were now going up toward our destination, a ridgeline view of the mountains north of us. In the valley below were campers firing weapons. I had never been in this area before. The mountain top was full of cracked or decomposed granite, revealing a once very busy mining history from decades ago.

We never took a lunch break, although we took a few short shade breaks. I didn't bring anything to eat, but made sure Zeke had his water. He found an old trough with murky water in it, in which he quickly jumped into to cool off his paws. Wasps were flying around but left him alone. The views back toward Gleeson were quite impressive, but I can see how this area would be a quagmire after a heavy rain. All the roads are dirt and many homes are on hilltops.

John, Karen and I walked together on the return hike, while Dave and Rod stayed together. Mata ran back and forth between the two groups while Zeke stayed with me.

The dogs were clearly exhausted a mile from the house. I had to give both more water. Mata was panting hard and Zeke seemed to not want any water, although he drank from Mata's water bowl once back at the house. Even I felt tired, feeling the sun zap whatever energy I had to make it up that final ascent.

We finished off the hike with a nice gathering outside. We started with water. The dogs lay by our feet. Zeke got some chicken treats. Then we had watermelon, potato chips, pretzels and fruit. Then came the beer. I slowly had two in the two hours we sat outside and relaxed. A bald eagle flew overhead, a hummingbird briefly came by the fruit eater. It was a nice way to finish off a nice hike.

Karen wrote later that they had a brief rain shower overhead, but it was clear and sunny on the drive back to Hereford. Zeke slept soundly the rest of the day. Kevin told me that with Zeke gone all day, the dogs were quiet, including our neighborhood dogs. Yes, Zeke is a barker and likes to instigate "conversations" with area dogs.

Apache meowed outside my office later in the evening as I was going over photographs. How did he get outside? I had seen him inside resting when I got home. He had caught and killed a desert woodrat and wanted to bring it inside.

Ballard Peak, Mule Mountains (AZ)

I didn't work today, and hoped to get caught up with some Amazon reviews. Instead, I took three dogs this afternoon to Bisbee for a 2-mile hike up Ballard Peak. This is a low-key peak at 7300' that few venture on. Around here 9000' is more of a challenge. I left the house at 1pm and took Zeke, Sadie and Minnie with me. After a brief stop at the recycling center, we were on our way.

I was determined this time to find the elusive peak. An online description gave me directions. It turns out it's off the path I had walked down over a month ago trying to find it, landing on private property instead. There is no trail head sign here, just a barbed-wire fence and a faint path going directly uphill.

I took three dogs, Sadie, Minnie and Zeke. I parked the van at the ROAD CLOSED sign on West Boulevard, driving up Tombstone Canyon Road in Bisbee to get to this path. I could have parked on the western end of town, closer to the Mule Tunnel, but I didn't want to waste time driving over there. It was already 2:20pm when I got started on this hike, and sun set now is just after 5:40pm. The dogs were excited to get out of the van and run.

West Boulevard at the Mule Mountain pass is closed due to road damage. A heavy storm in 2009 collapsed part of the road in two areas, and smaller rock slides have created further damage. Residents use this closed section to walk their dogs. Berms keep vehicular traffic off this road. The county will be repairing the road soon, so I was able to see the damage. It was my first time on this part of the road.

From the east end of Mule Pass, it's a half mile before going off the road to the old trail. We bushwhacked to the top of the first hill before finding the trail. (We walked down the path to the "trail head" going back down). A blue towel was hanging off a branch of a pine tree, most likely as a landmark for other hikers. There was no other trash except for a rusted tin can on a cholla. This is not a very busy trail. The path stayed next to a barbed-wire fence for most of the time, going due south. It's two miles to the top of Ballard peak, but there are some steep sections.

I had no water bowl for the dogs. I had forgotten it at home. All the water that was coming down these hills after our tropical storms in September had dried up. The dogs managed fine. They walked four miles before drinking water near the van, and more once we got home. This was my oversight. Luckily the late afternoon sun was low, and there were plenty of trees for shade as we got higher up.

The views from Ballard Peak are quite nice. Although one can see the same horizon from Miller Peak looking south, from Ballard Peak the views are closer to Naco and Bisbee-Warren. One can also see over Juniper Flats to the north and the Dragoon Mountains. A small fire ring is on the summit of Ballard Peak. I sat down here for a bit taking in the view, but I didn't want to sit for long due to the sun getting low. It took me 90 minutes to get to the top, as I went slow to take photos. We bagged the peak just before 4pm.

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Ballard Peak is at 7370 ft / 2246 m elevation and the highest peak in the Mule Mountains. Another nearby peak, Fissure peak, is about the same elevation. Online descriptions said this peak is .4 miles away from Ballard and usually hiked in combination with Ballard. Both peaks are visible from the road. I saw the peak, obviously, but never saw a defined path to this peak. Perhaps I will search for that trail next time. It wouldn't take too much longer to bag both peaks, but I didn't want to risk losing sunlight on an unfamiliar trail. Four miles without water was about as much as I was willing to risk for the dogs.

Ballard Peak is a short hike with pretty views. It's also a secluded hiking destination for those wanting a short but challenging hike. Parts of this trail show signs of an old wild fire, as the dark limbs of former oaks and mesquites dotted parts of the hillside. The mountains here are brittle and trees make the higher elevations shaded. Coming down the trail these burned trees add a nice dimension to the landscape. The view into Bisbee is quite scenic, with the Lavender pit mine visible.

I lost the trail a few times on the return hike, that is how faint the path is in parts. The steep sections near the top are just as difficult coming down. But luckily the dogs were able to sniff out where we had hiked, and showed me the way down.

We were back on West Boulevard by 5:10pm. The hike had taken us three hours. The sun was now behind us and the cool shade was noticeable. I had to hold back the dogs to let another man walk his dog in peace, then we resumed our walk down back to the van 15 minutes away on the road.

Ballard Peak is on public land, but there are swaths of private land off the road. I couldn't tell where the private land was; I simply followed the faint trail to the peak. There are no designated trails in this small mountain range, and if there are trails they are carved by foot by locals. This is a short hike well worth the effort. After ten years in the area, I finally bag Ballard Peak!

We were home at 6:20pm, well after dark. The dogs attacked the water bucket with gusto and then lay around the rest of the evening. I always go right on the computer when I go home, to check the news, my Facebook page, my email and to upload my photographs. I learned that long-time Washington Post chief editor Ben Bradlee had died in DC of "natural causes." He was 93 years old. His insistence on freedom of the press during the Watergate scandal in 1973 brought down a sitting president, and convinced many young journalists to go into investigative reporting. I miss those days of straight news without all the partisan commentary. Rest in peace, Mr. Bradlee.

Garden Canyon (Fort Huachuca)

Garden Canyon was the playground for military personnel on Fort Huachuca for as long as l can remember. Families and army units have had picnics here for years; Apache tribes hunted here even longer.  I first came here in 1986 for my Army Individual Training (AIT) and was enthralled with the beauty. Several very challenging and beautiful trails start in this canyon and loop through some very strenuous but beautiful landscape. There are several fee picnic areas near the creek in the lower canyon, and training sites off the road for military personnel training new soldiers in various skills. (I was on one such training event when we had to interrupt the training because several Mexicans who had crossed the border had walked into our camp thinking we were a small town. They asked for food and water and we had to wait for the US Border Patrol to come get them before we could resume training!)

There are several historic and protected pictograph sites higher up the road, and more recently, ancient Indian burial grounds found in the area. In the winter, migratory eagles are spotted in Garden Canyon. There is a lot to see and do here. There is a lot to see and do in this canyon for people of all fitness levels and interests. The area is also open to civilians, with proper identification.

I was first in this canyon in 1986, when I came to Fort Huachuca as a young Specialist ready to start my advanced individual training, or AIT. Soldiers who were assigned to this post and who couldn't yet go off-post to hike had Garden and Huachuca Canyon as their only outlets. This canyon was always very busy with army families from post just picnicking or hiking short trails with children. The area brings back memories of unit-sponsored rapelling and "road marching." This canyon road is no longer what it once was!

Garden Canyon saw severe damage this summer from three tropical storms in September: Norbert, Odile and Simon, with flood waters washing boulders and trees downstream and creating new flows. I decided to take the three hiking dogs there after a few errands in town. I hadn't been up this canyon all year and wanted to see the new canyon and the damage from the storms. A recon party from the hiking club had been there early in the morning to check out Sheelite canyon, to see of potential trail maintenance we could do, but I overslept for that meet-up and decided to go later, on my own, just up the road. I definitely got to see the damage, which starts a 1/4 mile from the second gate.

The road into the upper canyon is now closed a mile before the dirt road begins. The dirt road was badly damaged and is now severely eroded in parts, especially where the creek meanders next to the road, or where cement culverts reinforced the water flow. The two picnic areas are now overgrown and look abandoned. (That didn't take long!) I parked the van with three anxious dogs in it as close to the gate as possible. Other cars were nearby but I only saw one couple hiking back on the road as they were returning from their adventure. I quickly took the dogs off the road and to the creek so that the dogs wouldn't bother them. (They were luckily oblivious to the people)

I came to this hike totally unprepared. I brought no camelback, snacks or water. What was I thinking? I didn't even bring a jacket in case it got cold in the shade. My original plan was just to "check out the canyon" for a bit but ended up hiking the entire road passed the old Boy Scout hut. That is a four-mile walk going one-way. The damage is impressive, much like Hunter Canyon, and I don't see the US Army repairing this road any time soon. It already feels abandoned. The good news is that wildlife will come back, now that there is less human activity up here.

I started the hike at 1:50pm. I didn't have my leashes with me, so I had to watch out for other people. I kept the dogs off the road and along the creek, where they enjoyed the rushing waters. Other than the older couple coming toward me, we never saw another soul. Hiking up Garden Canyon, which used to be an easy road walk, is now in parts a strenuous rock climb! One footbridge to the lower Pictograph site is destroyed, but the pictograph sites are both intact.

Fall colors are now visible along this stretch, but by the time I got to the higher elevation, I was losing daylight. Most of my photographs were in the shade, doing the fall hues no justice. I kept walking up the road, curious to see what was ahead of me. The worst damage was along the road where the creek was next to the road. Damage was far less when the creek moved away from the road. But small boulders and water cracks remained all throughout this hike.

I should have started this hike earlier so that I could hike longer up this canyon. I don't think I was ever past the old Boy Scout cabin. And whatever happened to the old Boy Scout cabin? Was it demolished to prevent illegal border crossers from using it as shelter? There's not even any indication that a cabin was once there.

I made it perhaps a half-mile past the old cabin site before I turned around. Only the time is what forced me, as I knew I needed to be back at the van by 6pm. Sunset is now at 5:50pm and I do not like hiking alone in the dark where wildlife mingles. Sure enough, on our return hike we came across a young bear. The dogs didn't bark but I saw it scrambling up a steep slope, trying to get away from the dogs. The ironic thing is, when I first saw the bear I thought it was Zeke chasing after something, and was curious as to what he was chasing. Zeke was not chasing anything, though. All three dogs stayed on the road and just watched the bear intently. They probably knew the bear was bigger and meaner than them! I'm glad nothing happened, and we continued hiking back downhill.

It was dark by the time we left the canyon. Two cars came in (I thought we had to be out of the canyon an hour before dark?) The one wind fan on post was lighted up nicely, and I pulled over to get a photo of it.

I stopped at the Shoppette near the main gate of Fort Huachuca on my drive home. I bought some milk, a 12-pack of bottled beer, and three hotdogs that had been under a heat lamp, one for each dog. I left the buns behind.

"I got these three hotdogs for my dogs" I told the cashier. "We just got done with a hike!"
"Yeah, we get that a lot!" replied the cashier. The hotdogs looked like they had been under the heat lamp for a while. All three dogs ate their hotdog with gusto. Later on at home the other dogs got some treats, too, but I always give the hiking dogs more.

All three dogs slept soundly that night. Zeke was too tired to bother Sammy, whom he likes to annoy, and we all had a peaceful night.

Dos Cabesas Wilderness

We never did make it to the Gila Wilderness for the Jordan hot springs hike as originally planned. I called a ranger Thursday morning and he told me the last 1.5 miles had been washed out and the trail is completely gone in other parts. I could follow the creek to the hot springs, but that would be tiring for 1.5 miles, especially if the water was over a foot deep.

We settled for the Dos Cabesas Wilderness. We hadn't been here since early 2008 or so. John S and Rod came along, and we took dogs Minnie and Sadie.

MORE LATER

Brown Canyon

I finally got a hike in Brown Canyon this year. What took me so long? This is still a pretty loop hike, and with our recent rains, there's still water in the creeks.

Yesterday I took Zeke and Minnie with me on a short drive to Tombstone, to drop off some dog and cat food for Carol. She's looking tired, along with her husband Chip. She won't even find out how far her lung cancer is until Monday, when she sees the oncologist. I am very worried, and I'm sure Carol and Chip are, too. I don't even want to worry about her 28 cats...

Zeke and Minnie splashed around in the San Pedro river on my way home from Tombstone. The river was still very swift and muddy, and that made me realize I should hike Brown Canyon as there surely would be water in the creeks. I was right!

I went through the McDonald's drive-thru for a late lunch, then paid the mortgage, and finally got to the trail head just before 3pm. There were no other cars in the parking lot, which I thought was odd. It was a nice day for a hike! There was no wind, but the blimp that's normally floating high in the air, was docked when I saw the blimp area. It didn't get hoisted until 4:30pm when I was near the water fall.

Zeke and Minnie did very well today. They didn't chase anything or bark at imaginary demons. At one point they got ahead of me to see a woman come toward me, but they didn't bark at that woman. That woman introduced herself as Jane from Park City, UT. She was walking the loop clockwise, and complimented me for the two well-behaved dogs. She was the only hiker today. Later, near the end, I almost got close with a mountain biker racing downhill right toward me. He came toward me so fast, not even the dogs could react.

I had plenty of water for the dogs and me, but the dogs didn't need my help. They drank plenty of good water from the various pools along the way. They ran around sniffing along the trail. This is perhaps Zeke's first time on this trail. The only changes I noted was more erosion in the mouth of the canyon.

My destination was the water fall, both the lower and the upper end. They are a mile into the Miller Peak Wilderness. Water was running well here, and the trees are still very much green. I got to the falls at 4:30pm, an hour too late for sunshine so that the photos came out dark. But the dogs had fun and neither had much difficulty climbing the wet rocks. Zeke's quite the agile athlete, but Minnie, being stockier, quickly whines and whimpers when she can't scale a rock wall right away.

We didn't stay at the lower falls for long due to the waning sunlight. I just had enough sunlight to get to the upper falls, which are easier to get to, but again there are some steep rock walls that intimidate Minnie. Water is running nicely through this slot canyon.

We made it back to the van at 5:50pm, with just enough sunlight to get home. I should have started this hike a good hour earlier, but errands got in the way. I really do need to do a mid-week hike every week, to stay in condition. I had no trouble today on the hike, taking no water breaks or rest breaks.

We still have plenty of water in the canyons after TS Simon from last week. Wonder how it is in Ramsey canyon? With fall break this week, I do have time to explore that canyon, since Monday is a holiday.

I do need to get Sammy a check-up, though. He's been vomiting more often lately. And my feral kitten is old enough to be spayed, a cost I will take up since the local rescue did not approve her since she's a feral. It would be nice to keep her long enough so that she knows she has a family here in this house, and food, water and shelter are always open to her.

Pache came back home tonight, after four days away (although Eric said he saw him two nights ago). He's back in the garage, but for how long? He'll dart outside as soon as the garage door is opened.

A hikeless weekend

Today was perhaps the first weekend in a long time when I didn't hit a trail with the dogs. I had too many other things planned instead.

Saturday morning I was on a three-hour professional "photowalk" with a local photographer. Then, in the afternoon, I stopped at the Veteran's Memorial Park where the annual "Art in the Park" was taking place. It was in the low 90s and I felt heat exhaustion.

I got home and took the dogs on a mile-long run in Hunter Canyon. It was already dark at 6:30pm when we started, so we didn't have much sunlight left. It was just enough exercise for the dogs to get a short run in.

The highlight for the dogs came after the walk, when we all drove to the nearby Shell gas station to drive through the car wash. Zeke had already experienced a car wash a few months ago, but this time I had all four dogs with me. Sadie and Minnie were in the back and a tad nervous. Zeke had his eyes on the rotating bristle brushes slamming against the windows. And poor Sammy sat up front with me looking scared.

Today I sat inside writing more Amazon reviews (I'm trying to get ahead before next week's fall break) and then left at 11:30am to drive 80 miles to downtown Tucson to see Linda Ronstadt at the Fox Theater. I was a big fan of her music in high school and college in the late 1970s and early 1980s. I expected a big crowd so I showed up early. Box office didn't open until 4:30pm but people didn't even show up to form a queue until 3:15pm! The theater was only 3/4 full, and the balcony wasn't even opened.

I will make up some time with the dogs this coming week. We may get some rain later this week if TS Simon moves further north. I sure hope so. The hillsides are already turning brown.