Bisbee Loop

I've been rather active lately hosting hikes through the local hiking MeetUpdotcom "Sierra Vista Hikers" group. I either host a hike or join others on a hike in the area. This gets people new to the area familiar with the terrain and shows them some of the nicer ones. The woman who created this Meet Up site, Nina, has become a friend of mine. I enjoy the hikes but I wish other members would also host a hike. I tend to lead hikes during the week.

I'd been wanting to do the Bisbee loop with a group for a while and finally got it tonight. There were five of us: Nina, Claire, Eric T, new hiker Holly and me. I had this scheduled for 4:30pm but we didn't get started until 4:45pm. Everyone seemed to need to use the bathroom before taking off and used the Old Bisbee Brewing Company for that. I didn't mind too much, as long as we could get the hike done before sun set at 6:46pm or end of twilight at 7:18pm. That means we had to hike at an easy-to-moderate pace of over two miles an hour. That's easy to do on level terrain, but that one exposed mile along a mine road can task the best of hikers.

This time I took Minnie since Zeke went yesterday on the Brown Canyon loop. This is about as far of a distance for her now, as she is getting a bit winded too often. Perhaps I need to place her on a special diet, which means no more grazing from the community dog food bucket. She still loves her hikes, but gets tired easily and pants loudly.

Holly had lived in Bisbee for many years and was able to tell us some history of the homes as we walked uphill through Brewery Gulch before entering Zacatecas Canyon. Her recollection of old neighbors, many who had passed on, added a certain charm to this hike. I like walking up this road as I always discover something new, whether it's fresh graffiti or new yard art.

We were in the cool shade of the canyon in the beginning while the trail stayed low near the drainage, but once we meandered uphill, we were in the exposed, hot grassland. There was no water here. This I knew would slow us all down. Minnie panted from the start. I was up front looking back at the others and stopped when the slower hikers got too far behind. I made the first saddle Minnie's first water break, and she drank her bowl dry.

The wind was strong here and stayed this way until we got to the return trail at 6pm. We were now fighting not just the wind, but the setting sun in our faces. The return trail is below the ridge line and out of the blowing wind. Maybe this is why I didn't notice a rattlesnake hiding under an agave as Minnie and I walked by. Eric yelled at me about the snake after we were passed it, but of course I had to go back and see what kind of snake it was. Luckily Minnie showed no interest in the snake and left it alone, but this is just a reminder to get her rattlesnake vaccinated in May when her three-year-shots are due.

It was windy at that first pass, but mellowed quite a bit once we got on the ridge for the return hike into town.