Rod led a nice six-mile loop in the Santa Ritas today. We were nine people, two which were a visiting couple from Wisconsin new to the area: JR and Sue, then Rod, John, SteveS, Bill, Don, Jeff, Pat and I. I took Sadie as my dog partner. I had not done this loop since perhaps 2008. All I remember is how steep it was! That part had not changed.
We started at the Bogs Springs campground, where Bill and his wife Saudra were camping. We parked in their lot with their permission to open up parking spots for others. There were three openings. A bathroom was right there at the start. How convenient.
I quickly fell to the rear with Bill and Pat. Why have I continued to lag behind others lately? Is my chronic back pain now hindering my performance? The steep grade and humidity knocked me out from the start, of which I never seemed to recover. The faster group was getting restless with us and Rod came back to check on us. We had taken a rest and water break that perhaps was longer than the waiting group had patience for.
The Bogs Springs trail is a shaded loop of pine and oak that climbs the entire three miles. At some points the trail is a narrow singletrack that periously follows along a very steep ridgeline. One fall and a human may not survive, and indeed I told the others about a 53-year-old woman who had fallen to her death in these mountains last year.
There was water in both Bog and Kent Springs, and later along the Fern trail on our way back. A large group of hikers from Sahuarita was leaving Kent Springs as my straggling group arrived to meet up with the others. The rest stop at Roger's Rock came not a moment too soon, and naturally I discovered that I had left my cheeseburger, yesterday's leftover meal from Chili's, in the truck. I ate the leftover melted gummi bears as energy while Sadie had a more appropriate can of Nutro. And yet she still sauntered around other hikers staring them down for handouts!
More later
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