Perimeter Trail Loop (counter-closewise) in the Huachuca Mountains

Today should have been an attempt up Miller Peak, but by 6:30am I was once again up, drinking coffee and finishing Amazon reviews for products I'd tried weeks ago. I'm still behind on posting reviews. A full-time job this semester has taken up too much of my time. It was a good day for a hike: overcast and in the upper 50s.

Instead of Miller Peak, I opted for the Perimeter Trail counter-clockwise, parking in the lower Carr Canyon parking lot, walking up the road to the Clark Springs trail, and using that trail to descend into Miller Trail before taking the Perimeter trail back to the van. This is a nine-mile hike with valley views. I hadn't done it in a while and wanted to see what changes have taken place in the Miller creek bed since last summer's monsoon.

We had a late start, not getting to the trail head until almost 1pm. It was overcast and cool. I took Minnie, Sadie and Zeke (who hadn't been on a hike in over two weeks!) so that my hiking pack could run off some steam. They aren't getting as much attention lately during the week.

The lower Carr Canyon Road parking lot was quite full with car, so I got on a side trail to avoid the crowds and lured the dogs to follow me up a dry wash before starting the steep ascent up a ridge line above the old Carr Canyon House. This was agony on my shins as the hillside was steep and laden with loose rocks. I spotted trash in the tall grass, trash left behind by illegal border crossers, and this steep start got me winded fast. My thighs were still feeling sore from yesterday! Minnie, however, looked quite recovered from yesterday's hike.

Luckily the steepness was over in the first mile. The second mile was uphill on the Carr Canyon Road until we hit the intersection with the Comfort Springs trail, a connector trail that ends in Miller Canyon. This is also a wonderful trail to watch the full moon rise, and I've taken my dogs on this trail several times. Mountain bikers are also allowed to use this section as it's outside the Miller Peak Wilderness area. This trail goes right below the Reef outcropping, past burned trees from the 2011 fires. What little has remained alive is looking dry from lack of any moisture this new year.

Despite recent mountain drizzle, the drainages were all dry. Despite the trail name being Comfort Springs, the spring has been buried from massive slides after the 2011 fire. I used to be able to rest here with the dogs for a water break. Not anymore! I see more erosion after next summer's monsoon as the hillsides under the Reef outcropping look very unstable. I had water for my pack, but I didn't stop here to give them water. The girls were up front and Zeke was behind me panting. I knew I had to give them water if there wasn't any in Miller creek.

Raptors continue to fly in the upper peak areas, but that's all I saw today of wildlife. Although there were cars in the Miller Canyon parking lot, I never came across another hiker. I didn't mind, as the dogs were off-leash, and by the time we got down to the creek which had healthy-looking water, I packed the leashes away. I'd been carrying them around my neck and arms all through the hike.

The flow of Miller Creek is the one big change I have noticed since last hiking this trail. The creek bed looks horribly washed out, with big boulders in the bed, snags across the rocks, and a general appearance of massive rock movement. It's lost its prettiness since the fire, but at least the water is still there and there are trees for shade. Here again the dogs were energized until we got back on the road to slowly prepare for our return hike up the Perimeter Trail.

Several trucks and camper vans were parked in side roads. Before the 2011 I'd see snowbirds from the Midwest camped out for two weeks at a time; sometimes I'd stop and chat with them. It's nice to see people slowly coming back here. The lower section of Miller Canyon still has plenty of live trees that were spared an inferno. This was a lovely canyon before the fire. Equestrians were also using this trail along the creek.

The tall grasses have long since died, but they remain as stalwart reeds and add a thickness to the terrain. The dogs stay on the trail and don't run off to chase things, which I greatly appreciate.

The Perimeter trail at Miller Canyon Road starts at an immediate ascent, zigzagging once before leveling at an outcropping. This is a nice spot to rest and enjoy the view east into the San Pedro Valley. From this point one can see our neighborhood. It can't be more than 1.5-mile straightline distance from the outcroppings to our house.

I rested myself, giving the dogs a food treat and water as I drank some water, too. Minnie got restless after 20 minutes and took off on her own, perhaps that was her way of telling me she wanted to get the hike finished. I didn't have a watch this time and didn't want to dig into my pants pocket for my cellphone. The sun was now low in the west, making the return hike all in the shade.



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