I went back to Bisbee again today, this time with just Zeke since he's so good on a leash in town. We left the house at 4pm as Kevin got home from work, said our hellos and good-byes, and off we were. Zeke stuck his head out the front passenger window the entire time. He loves that cool breeze through his fur! Scattered clouds warned of a possible overcast at moon rise...
There was one person who signed up for my last-minute hike, Mike D, a retired man volunteering at Kartchner Caverns State Park. (He knows my friend Brenda who is the senior volunteer there). He had hiked a 7-mile r/t hike in the Coronado National Monument earlier in the day and he still had plenty of energy!
We both were early for our meet-up and since no one else was signed up, took off at 4:40pm. This gave us enough light to see some of the shrines along the way to the main cross. Mike had never been on this hike and took plenty of photos. It took us 25 minutes to get from the Gulch parking lot to the top of the hill. I didn't have to slow down for Mike at all. We chatted, and he told me how he got into RVing around the country and volunteering at parks after his retirement. After his wife died two years of a sudden stroke, he knew he needed to keep active, so he sold his house and hit the road. It's a thought that's crossed my mind as well, but that would mean having fewer pets to guard me. I also like having my current home as a base to stay in the winter.
We got to the top with almost 30 minutes to spare before moon rise. We walked around the short ridge line, keeping warm from the cold fall breeze. Lights were coming on in town, giving the town a wintery feel. It sure does get cold now once the sun sets! Zeke was a great dog, his only flaw was jumping up on Mike, but he never barked and never ran off. Zeke was by my side the entire time, following me everywhere.
The posted moon rise was 5:36pm, but because we were so close to a mountain, it took the moon ten extra minutes to crest over a saddle. It finally did peak behind the saddle, in total view. The clouds were too high up. That gave us just enough light to get off the hill top. Yesterday would have been a better day to photograph the moon, as there was less cloud cover and more day light. But who knew?
Mike had forgotten his flashlight in his car so we used my little handheld flashlight I had just gotten to review form Amazon, a small light with added USB charger. That little thing gave off a strong-enough light for both of us as we slowly made it downhill. Even Mike was impressed with the small light.
Bisbee was quiet today. OK Street was dark in places, and few people were out until we got back to the parking lot. Mike drove off right away, but I stopped in the brewpub for one pint. Zeke sat by my side. He did so well today, and he didn't even mind the doggie pack he had on. He's going to be a great hiking dog as he matures.
No comments:
Post a Comment