Miller Peak on Easter Sunday

This was a hike that HollyO had been wanting to do with me for a while as she's never been on this peak. Marlenea had also wanted to bag this peak but didn't think she could do it. I came to their rescue! Miller peak is not an easy peak to bag no matter what direction you start out with.

I got to the meet-up location at the Coronado Visitor's Center at 6:15am, just as the sun rose over the mountains and peaked through the oaks. Marlenea and Holly arrived at 6:30am and we all drove in my truck the last 3.5 miles up the dirt road to the parking lot at Montezuma's Pass, just a mile north of the Mexican border and the southern trail head along the Arizona trail.

We began at 6:54am. Temperatures were forecasted in the mid 70s for Sierra Vista, so about 70F for the peak. We had little wind and few clouds. The parking lot was empty except for the Border Patrol radar vehicle. We promptly got on the trail and were passed by two uniformed USBP agents (one was not wearing his cap) and 30 minutes by a young man who bagged both Miller and Carr. He was going at a good pace. I remember being that fast twenty years ago.

Sadie was the hiking dog today but I probably could have taken Zeke along, too. "Where's Zeke?" asked Holly. Zeke loves everyone and everyone loves Zeke. The trail was void of people and he would have been fine. My only concern was carrying all the water. The trail has 3.5 miles of exposed and open trail. It's been done while overcast and cool.

I didn't sleep well again the night before and fatigue played a roll in my slow start. Starting elevation is 6562'. The first two miles meander along the hillside rather steeply, gaining close to 2000 feet in those two miles, all facing the sun. I had to stop three times briefly, and even Holly said that was unusual for me. It just goes to show that I need more elevation training. Speed is great, but elevation needs to be incorporated into our weekly workouts. Now that it's getting warmer, it's going to be hard to find someone to train with.

The trees that did not burn in the 2011 are showing drought stress again. The leaves on the gamble oaks are turning yellow, the first sign of drought. We need rain! Even the photos I took look blah because of lack of green. The El Nino for this part of Arizona has been a disappointment. We had more rain last winter and spring. So it was no surprise that we saw such few wildflowers today, save for purple lupine, pink penstemons, and small yellow flowers in the higher elevation. Lack of any rain also prevented any sightings of wildlife. Sadie spotted a few white-tailed deer (but gave no chase), and three ravens circled around us once we got to the peak, but the heat and lack of water kept animals away.

All the snow is off the trail except for a small patch of iced snow that Sadie bit into on the spur trail to the peak. There was a larger bank of snow on Miller's north end, but that was off the trail. I had plenty of water for Sadie, though. When we got to the top 4:43 hours from the start, we were surprised at how little wind there was. We had brought our jackets but didn't wear them until we started getting cold from the sweat down our backs.

Getting back down was more painful. My toes were expanding and Marlenea's feet were hurting in her shoes. She really slowed down with three miles to go, and that's when the heat started getting to Sadie. I rested more with her in the shade, and with two miles to go she was looking sun exhausted. By then she didn't want to drink. I was a little worried here, told the gals to go on ahead, but then realized that wouldn't help matters, as the heat of the day was still ahead and I wanted Sadie out of the heat. That second-to-last mile going back down, which is also the steepest mile on the hike, was the most brutal as we didn't get any shade again until that last mile to the finish line. Sadie jumped right into the truck.

We met two AZT thru-hikers starting out, two gals from Phoenix: FireCracker and SaltLick. They were trekking uphill rather quickly, too, and the young man who bagged both peaks beat us back as well. The parking lot was packed by now. I was glad to be back home by 3:30pm. The hike was 7:30 hours. It's not my slowest time, but also not my fastest.

The last of the full moon for March

The full moon, now waning at 99.7%, rose just past 8pm tonight. I planned on walking both Zeke and Minnie down our dark streets. It was darker than expected for the first mile, but that red ball turned to orange and then bright by the time we turned around at the 1.5-mile mark and the moon cast its dark shadows over us. A faint scent of burning mesquite filled the air. The air chilled my cheeks. When my cheeks feel chilled, there's no danger of coming across a rattlesnake.

Tonight I walked due north, on South Garden Valley Drive, a one-way street going north, before turning east on Calle de la Fresa, then north again on Calle de la Mango until it came to a dead end. Here homes are on four acres and many don't have front yard fences. Both dogs were off leash but stayed by my side. Both wore bright dog lights on their collars so that I could see where they were when they darted off into the mesquite-studded desert. The homes here range from glamourously big to small and modified mobile homes. Some have iron wrought gates, others just chain link. The area is quiet. Many homes use solar lights to illuminate their paths; some even have lighted flagpoles. I don't think I've ever walked down here during the day, but I could easily make four to six-mile routes walking the streets as they all are straight north-south or east-west roads. The darkness keeps the dogs from being distracted, and apart from a few barking dogs, weren't harassed.

I turned around here at the dead end, and as soon as I faced the south again, the mountains were in view. The view from here opened up the range, with the prominent peaks of Miller and Carr in front of me, and a still dark sky with its stars. This reminded me of the view I had during the 2011 fire that perilous June. So few lights are visible from this direction when looking at the mountains, and the open space here feels endless.

Only four cars came and went down my route. I'd dart into the desert to avoid getting blinded by approaching headlights. Sometimes I just stepped a bit into a driveway to keep the dogs off the road. Both were very obedient.

We managed 3.35 miles tonight, a perfect distance for Minnie. Both dogs were much more relaxed once we got back home and I was able to resume my reading for the night.

Wind!

Today and tomorrow are forecasted to be windy days. Today's gusts were 22mph. Our palm tree lost a few more dead fronds. I still haven't cleaned the yard from the fronds still in the back yard from our dust devil last year! By late morning, the trees in the front yard were howling, the shrubs against the window were screeching. I didn't think this would be great power walking weather, but I still did the weekly walk at 5:30pm. Since tomorrow is our fullmoon hike, I decided to push the power walk to today since today's 6:10pm moon rise would be too early for dramatic effect.

Four people showed up today: HollyO, Claire and Regina, a repeat from last Wednesday. Regina just moved here from Long Beach, CA, and is getting used to our higher elevation. Like Claire, she is a devoted Christian looking for like-minded women her age, and I had wanted to introduce Claire to Regina.

Today was the Arizona primary (Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump won) so many people voted instead of walked tonight. Plus, I'm sure, the winds were a factor. But Holly and I are diehard walkers and I haven't missed a weekly power walk yet this year. Holly, Zeke and I were up front, Claire and Regina were behind us, and quickly lost distance between us. I could tell they clicked; they chatted the entire time, then cut back for the 2.5-mile loop. We came across the same family walking their three dogs that we have seen for the last three Wednesdays. One of the dogs is a barky Aussie shepherd who tries to intimidate Zeke, but Zeke walks ahead, head forward, with that determined "Yeah, whatever!" look. He truly is a great leash-walking dog.

Holly and I could barely hear each other with all the wind, and the wind was especially bad as we started out walking westward. Once we were on the Cochise Vista trail, the wind was blocked by the homes, but then it kicked again as we reached Buffalo Soldier Trail, but this time the wind was behind us. The mountain laurel are now in full bloom and scenting the path with their grape soda scent. The pink penstemons are also up along the highway. We had good light for most of today's walk. When we reached SR92 for the last 1.5 miles, the moon had just risen right in front of us. It was barely visible and I had to point it out to Holly.

I saw an injured mourning dove in the middle of the path here. Its feathers were blowing in the wind, but it was ducked down low and stayed there as we got closer. Was it knocked against a tree branch while trying to fly? I found one dead dove in our yard after the last wind storm, right below our flagpole. This dove didn't fly away as we approached. Was a wing injured? Although it fought me at first, I picked it up and cupped it in my hands, and pointed out to Holly that the bird had an injury right below its right eye. It lost a lot of its plume feathers trying to get away, but didn't seem too scared of me. Blood was on its neck but the neck was was fine, and both wings and legs appeared intact. The right eye was closed, but the left eye was fine. I held that bird for the rest of the 2.5 miles we had to go, so taking pictures of the rising moon over the Mule Mountains wasn't easy. I decided to take the bird home to let it rest for at least 24 hours, so its eye can heal and it can calm down. Holly told me I should be named Francis, as in Saint Francis, patron saint of the animals.

As soon as I got home, I took out that box of shredded paper that I had originally kept around to place outside during the winter, as shelter for birds, which I placed inside the dog crate. The bird hopped right in. It was perhaps past its bed time and was exhausted. I gave it a bowl of water and a large bowl of seed, the same kind I feed the wild birds outside. Kevin was already in bed, so he didn't know about our new guest for a few days.

I do enjoy taking care of birds. Watching them is therapeutic. I'd have a pet bird if it weren't for the cats.

A week off

When I got home Friday afternoon from my Prescott trip, all the dogs were excited to see me, but I was too tired to walk them. I always feel badly for Minnie, who NEEDS exercise. I don't want her to suffer like Sara did in her senior years, with being over the ideal weight and panting while walking. Minnie is only five plus years old, the same age when Sara started showing arthritic pain and laborous breathing.

I chatted with Kevin, opened more Amazon boxes (a near-daily ritual), and early on Saturday I went back to Tucson for the annual Festival of Books March 12-13. It was a great weekend listening to some of my favorite writers, like Timothy Egan, Terry Tempest Williams and Scott Simon. I didn't walk any of the dogs until Monday, and Minnie was beside herself finally getting some exercise.

I did the power walk on Wednesday with Zeke, Jay and Regina, a new gal in town, but didn't feel energized. And I also didn't hike over this past weekend. My back was hurting too much and I spent more time in bed. All I did was walk the dogs both days down at The Oaks for three miles, and take them to the vaccine clinic on Saturday at the local Tractor Supply Company in town for their booster rattlesnake shots. That's when I learned that Sadie had lost four pounds and weighed in at a mere 61 pounds. Was that a mistake? Weight lost during the four days we were hiking in Prescott? Her ribs aren't showing through; she just looks her usual thin self. But alas, it's back to extra feedings for Sadie so that she can get back up to 65 pounds. (I'd rather she weigh 75 pounds, but she's never been that heavy before, even when she was taking the epilepsy medication four years ago.) I've been feeding her a can of Wellness chicken and rice over a cup of Wellness kibble at night now, by herself on the back patio.

Yesterday we heard coyotes howl just after sunset during our hike. Minnie stopped briefly when the howls came, but then continued chasing Zeke. Even Sammy came with us and did his one-mile lap, then rested in the truck while we did the other two miles. I will bring him if he shows an interest in coming, but I never force him. The near full moon was shining brightly as we finished the last mile. It should be a good week for the full moon from Tuesday through Thursday this week. There's even a hint of warm air at night now, signaling the coming of those hot May nights.

Goldwater Lake Trail #396

A streetcleaner coming too close to the van got the dogs barking at 4:45am. All the cars around me had left except for two motorcycles to my right. It was ten degrees warmer this morning than two days ago. I let the dogs out to pee, grabbed breakfast at the McD's, answered some email and took off for the Goldwater Lake Trail just outside the White Spar campground on AZ89. I was the first vehicle at the trailhead parking lot. It was 7am and the sun was still trying to climb over the mountains. I had the trail all to myself as I watched the rising sun strike Thumb Butte as I came across a stone memorial on the ground, dedicated to the 19 firefighters who died fighting the Yarnell fire three years ago.

Trail #396 begins by meandering just outside the campground, making an abundance of needless turns before it moves away from the campground. It was quiet out, and the morning sky was overcast. Northern Arizona was forecasted for a quick-moving storm "north of I-40" with high winds in the afternoon. I didn't want to be around when that storm blew through, so I kept at a good pace for the four miles it took to get to this small lake. The water surface was peaceful. A few grey herons flew overhead. Mallards and a few other waterfowl glided by. The dogs drank from the lake water but kept the birds alone. The only noise was from a house across the lake; people were busy renovating the roof.

I didn't stay for long at the lake because of the long drive I had to make back home. We rested above the dam and then returned the way we came, along the rollercoaster of a trail. I like this trail, as it meanders around mostly healthy Douglas firs. I had to keep Zeke on a leash to avoid him chasing squirrels. Woodpeckers were out tapping on dead trees for bugs. Now people were coming out on this trail: mountain bikers and two groups of dogwalkers from the campground. When I got back to the van at the 7.9-mile hike, the entire parking lot was full. Since there are three trails starting from this parking lot, users could have gone in any of three directions. The 54-mile Prescott Circle trail also goes through here. The campground and parking lot are right off AZ89 and easy to get to. I turned south on AZ89 and was quickly out of town and on my descent from the high forest. It was just before 11am.

I wanted to stay in town for lunch as I dreaded the drive back, but the weather had other plans. It was a comfortable 67F when I left town. An hour later in Wickenburg and it was already 80F, then 90F when I got to Phoenix via AZ89 and US60. I stopped in Yarnell to look at the Memorial Park still under construction and dedicated to the fallen firefighters, then walked around historic Wickenburg for a bit, but drove off to avoid having the dogs suffer in the heat. I expected traffic through Phoenix on a Friday afternoon to be a real pain, and it was with the constant stop-and-go, construction sites, and rude drivers cutting off others. It was worse than attending a Trump rally!

Watson Lake Trail

It was a cold night to camp out. Sadie got me up early because she had to pee at 5am. We were parked behind the La Quinta Inn, next to a dog walk path and some State Trust Land. The early rise allowed me to get to the Watson Lake Park trailhead just before 7am to hike the 5-mile loop trail. It was still in the upper 30s when we started, and what an exhausting hike that was, due to the technical character of the trail. More than half of it was over exposed rock. The trail was marked by white dots along the way, but the dots weren't always easy to find. If I hadn't had a map with me, I would have panicked. The Watson Lake loop trail is a combination of several shorter trails around the lake. On the north end it joins the town's Peavine Trail, a wide, flat exposed dirt that continues for three miles. It's part of the city's Circle Trail.

Once I got past that first mile from the trail head (with the dogs on leashes), we were on our own, with no one else on the trail. Only a lone photographer was near the start, and we gave him his space. The northern section, including the Overhill and the Lakeshore trail, are demanding but secluded. The warmth came early and I looked out for snakes as we climbed up and around large granite boulders. The Peavine Trail connects on the northern end to finish off this scenic loop. We didn't see other hikers until that last hour. By then I was glad we had started early and beat the heat. That last section of the loop parallels the highway, so we had tractor trailers speeding above us. That was the worst part of the hike.

The parking lot was much fuller upon our return to the van. I was hot, tired and hungry. I'm sure the dogs were, too. They each got their can of food while I ate a delicious bean burrito at Alberto's in town, a highly-rated little Mexican restaurant next to a Circle K, where I had gone for a large Diet Coke. (The server there refused to let me have the hot dogs she had thrown away; I wanted to give them to the dogs but she must have wondered if I was a homeless gal, with the hiker's hair sticking out in every direction).

The town was alive now. It wasn't even 11am yet and I was not ready to call it a day. Too early for beer or relaxation, I decided to try a second trail, also on my hiking list: the Groom Creek Trail off Senator's Highway, a paved road for the first seven miles that meanders up to 7000' from town. It looked like it followed a creek-- great for the dogs! -- and was in the shaded high country. Boy, was I wrong!

There was no $5 fay use fee at the trail head so we parked and took off just before 1pm, going counter-clockwise to avoid a woman and her children going the other way. The trail started out nice enough, but when we crossed Groom Creek, it was barely flowing. The dogs drank from the water, and soon we were on our hike. Going uphill. And uphill, with no change in the scenery but dead or dying pine trees and blue Spruce, partial valley views, and more exposed sections as the single track just seemed to go on endlessly. It was uphill for over five miles before we reached the South Spruce Ridge. I rested briefly at the first remaining snow patch at a trail intersection, where I sat on a log and the dogs bit into the icy snow. I had water for them, but the dogs do better when they can drink for themselves; no sharing is needed.

This part of the trail has a lot of diseased pines and Spruce along the ridge, and the forest service has a two-mile stretch marked for cutting them down. The diseased trees are lying on the forest floor, slowly decomposing and providing a habitat for wood-eating insects that then attract the woodpeckers. In a few years I'm sure this mountain top, a high ridge, will be void of pines and instead be a wide summit to hike to.

We reached the Spruce Ridge lookout tower at the 6th-mile mark. That lifted my spirits. I knew by now that that meant it was downhill from here. This look-out tower is accessible via a well-graded dirt road, the Spruce Mountain Road, that ends and starts at Senator's Highway. There's a public vault bathroom and a picnic table here that are shaded by healthy Spruce. Icy snow was still available here on the northern side, which the dogs enjoyed. They spotted what looked like a bighorn sheep, or perhaps an antelope, grazing near the tower and took off after it. I never saw the animal again.

I climbed up to the closed look-out tower and enjoyed the views toward the north, respecting the "Watch for snakes" sign near the steps to the exposed tower. Snow-capped Humphrey's Peak is visible from here, as is Thumb Butte and Granite Mountain. Prescott spreads out across the lower hills. I rested here under the tower, took in the views, and started the descent down. This promised to be a much better part of the hike!

We were barely on the now much wider, shadier trail when the woman and the two children came up. This was the same woman from yesterday's Granite Mountain hike! What where the chances of meeting again? Yesterday she brought her Lab with us, today she had her two-year-old German Shepherd Dog with her, so we had an excuse to chat a bit. Her name is Terry and hails from Big Bear, CA. She came to Prescott when her grandparents moved here, and is much happier here with the schools. Her older girl is ten, the younger one six, and both girls have been hiking with her since both were able to walk. That is so cool, having a young parent teach her children to appreciate nature and exercise. Most kids today would rather stare in front of a seven-inch tablet or smartphone.

The trail going down was wider, shadier, and less steep. I should have hiked this loop trail clockwise for this reason. While there was no water in the creek on this side, either, even the dogs seemed happy to end this loop. What was posted as a 8.7 mile hike in the Prescott National Forest website, turned out to be 9.51 miles for me and I felt it. To be honest, it's better to just hike this clockwise to the tower and back (for the shade), or to start clock-wise and be prepared for hot, steep descents on the return loop. It's not a very pretty trail in the second half because of the many dead and dying trees.
http://www.mapmyhike.com/workout/1379575007

It was 5:35pm when we got back to the van. We had now hiked 15 miles today. I was tired, and I'm sure the dogs were exhausted. I actually felt relieved to be back in town. I'm getting too old and arthritic to be hiking 15 miles in one day! Determined to find an affordable hotel (Terry recommended I try Prescott Valley instead), I followed Terry's advice but never found a Motel6 or other budget hotel. I drove ten miles down on AZ69, the same highway I drove coming into town yesterday, before I pulled over and got a $65 room at the Prescott Motel, an old, brick motel right off the road with car parking right in front of the rooms. I got the last single room, paid my $10 pet fee without bawlking, and rested the rest of the night. The room didn't have accessible WiFi so I shopped for chicken legs and beer at the nearby Safeway, then parked in front of the nearby McDonalds and surfed the internet until 9pm before heading back to the hotel room. The hotel was quiet and I spent the last few hours watching the Democratic debate on CNN, which was in part also in Spanish, and then I spent a few hours reading a book for review.

Both dogs stretched out on the bed with me for the night. The hotel room was a la 1970s but I didn't care. The bed was comfortable and I slept very well. It sure beats waking up to cold feet at 4am.




More to follow

Prescott National Forest: Granite Mountain Trail #261

I finally left the house at 5:15 with Sadie and Zeke. The rain clouds still covered the sky and I drove off in a cold, wet darkness. I didn't see the sun through the clouds until I was on I-10.

Both dogs were on their best behavior. I stopped three times during the 310-mile drive. I made it to Prescott at 11:30am as I drove into town via AZ69. The town's two landmarks, Thumb Butte and Granite Mountain, were visible. I drove straight to Granite Mountain and landed right on the right road without having to turn around. Iron Springs Road took me straight to Granite Mountain Road and the Metate Trail head, from which many trail heads took off. It was just past noon when we took off. The brochure said this was a 4.1-mile o/w trail.

The first two miles were easy, meandering along a dry ditch through an oak-juniper forest. The valley trees were untouched, but trees along the granite outcropping were burned in the 2013 fire. Skies were overcast and it was in the upper 50s, perfect weather for a 9-mile hike. Once I got to Blair Pass, though, the trail continued on a steep switchback, all along an exposed trail to the top. Trees here were burned, creating an interesting silhouette against the cloudy sky.

Rock formations along this trail are worth exploring more. It's like boulders on top of boulders. And then once along the ridgeline, there are even more false summits!!! The fire damage looked fresh, judging by the blackness of the tree stumps. It was like hiking up Miller Peak in the Huachucas a year after our 2011 fire.

The trail hit a meadow with some running water, a godsend for the dogs. When we got to the peak, we were facing the southwest.

More later

Sadie's 8th birthday

Today Sadie turns eight years old. Three years ago I didn't think she would live this long, and here she is active as ever. She hasn't slowed down, despite her graying snout. I didn't have a party or do anything special for her. In fact, I didn't do much of anything as I still felt exhausted from yesterday's hike. Winds started picking up early in the afternoon and I'm glad I didn't take off today for Prescott. I hate driving in high winds and hiking in high winds isn't any better. The cold is also coming overnight, with lows near freezing.

I couldn't resist taking the dogs out on their evening walk around the Oaks. I now bring their gallon water bowl, fill it with ice cubes and water and then place it at one street intersection so that the dogs can drink at every lap. Today I took Sadie, Zeke and Minnie. Sweetie and Sammy stayed home, although Sweetie almost went along. I still need to practice with her some leash manners, as she has a tendency to bolt and not come back until she's frothing at the mouth and exhausted. Sammy seems resigned taking it easy in his golden years and shows no excitement at coming along unless he feels rested. That is his perogative. He's now on a doggie aspirin regimen I started him on yesterday, since his body seems to have developed immunity to the glucosamine he's been taking.

I started today's walk at 5:45pm. Wind-swept lenticular clouds spread across the horizon. By 6:15pm the last of the sun's rays burst into fire reds above the mountains. The dogs were enjoying dragging large stumps around, Zeke continued to chase after desert rats, and I just kept my brisk pace around the laps. We ended up doing close to five miles!

Today's nature spectacle was watching a young Great Horned Owl hold tight in an oak canopy, its feathers blowing in the wind as its body swayed with the breeze, yet never losing its sight on me, even as I got closer to the oak tree it was perched in. The bird stared at me for quite a while before it got bored and flew off. Last week's spectacle included a heard of at least 20 deer that ran in front of us, surely spooked by coyotes hunting them. Even the dogs were spooked. Shortly afterwards it got too dark to see much of anything, and both Sadie's and Zeke's collar lights were turned on. Those new LED collars really help see the dogs run around at night.

I love living here. There's always something that inspires me, excites me, or just plain startles me.

Hiking the Tortolitas (Marana, AZ)

The last time I hiked the Tortolitas, I did it on a cool, overcast day in January three years ago. Since we were forecasted to have a cool, wet winter thanks to El Nino, I figured it was safe to schedule this high desert hike in early March. Earlier this week Marana was predicted to have a high of 88F. The forecasters were right. A light breeze and midday clouds saved the day.

Four people showed up at Fry's in Sierra Vista for the two-hour carpool to the trailhead at the Ritz Carlton hotel. SteveA and SteveS, Rod and Patty met there. A fifth, Mike, met us at the trail head since he was already staying with a friend in Marana. I took Sadie along, knowing she handles the heat better than Zeke. She knew I was going hiking and pushed herself out the door as I packed the truck. To avoid any dog chaos, I just opted to take her instead. It was a wise decision. We all arrived at 9:20am at the trail head; by 9:30am we were on the trail. It was warm but tolerable. The sky was clear, which concerned me. I worried that I didn't have enough water for Sadie.

Hikers are allowed to park at the Wild Burro trail head for free to hike any of the trails in the surrounding hills. The dirt parking lot is large enough for at least 50 cars and a few horse trailers. Only the hotel itself, and its expansive buildings, is available to paying guests, where a basic 450-square foot room with two kingsized beds start at $559 a night.

The trails are well-marked and color-coded. Maps are available at the trailhead parking lot, where all trails begin off the Wild Burro trail. Most hotel guests just hike up and around Dove mountain outside the resort to see a view of the valley, then loop back to their rooms. We saw hikers returning as we began, surely taking advantage of the early morning coolness. By the time we made it to the ridge at 11am, the sky was already hazy. We could see the Huachucas from our vantage point.

We started walking the wash north, then turned left and started climbing on the Upper Javelina trail before reaching the ridge on the Wild Mustang trail. The area had not gotten any rain since January, so flowers were not vibrant, hoWever, the desert native shrubs were blooming and a faint aroma of sage permeated our walk. Pink penstemons were also in bloom. Neither the many saguaros or other cacti were in bloom.

The first two miles were an uphill, mostly exposed trail before the trail leveled off at around 4100' and continued on with low ups and downs in elevation. Rod, Patty and SteveS enjoyed the views and stopped to read any informational signs along the way. Sadie was now seeking comfort in any shade she could find, mostly under mesquite trees that were too dense for humans to crawl under. I stopped every mile to water her. She quietly followed me, never leaving me far behind. I could tell the heat was bothering her, and paced myself to her ability. When she sat in the shade of boulders, I let her rest for a while.

I really like the Tortolita hills. They are a prime example of Sonoran desert without having to drive to the more congested Superstition mountains in Sun Valley. The area is studded with saguaros, chollas, agave and various low-growing cacti. But they are best enjoyed in cooler temperatures due to the lack of major shade. Not too many people were on the trail by the time we continued north on the ridgeline. At one point the trail dipped into a small, dry drainage and when we continyed back uphill, was overcome with heat and had to rest for ten minutes. This is what I dreaded, being overcome by heat and being too far from the trail head to turn around. But we trekked on. SteveS and Mike were now upfront and waited for the rest of the group at the first intersection, one leading to the Wild Burro water tank, the other to the falls. The falls, actually the Alamo Springs, was our designated lunch spot where I was finally able to feed Sadie the raw 1.45 pound of beef shank steak as we sat in the shade of a rock wall as others found other spots to eat.

It was now past 1pm and we finally had some food. I was more thirsty than hungry and tired from the heat. My lunch was a plain wheat bread Swiss cheese sandwich, one I had for breakfast at 6:30am. Cool, dense clouds were now overhead and the drop in temperature noticable. Was this the predicted cold front due in tomorrow? We all became lively again and thought about continiuing on via the Alamo Springs trail, two miles longer than the Wild Burro trail (the wash) back to the parking lot. As soon as we got back on the Wild Burro trail, though, the clouds disappeared and the sky clear again. We were glad we opted for the shorter trail back.

I had not hiked the Wild Burro trail to the springs last time, but this is a nice trail hiking downhill. It passes a scenic canyon overlook before dipping back down in the wash and a rock ruin 1.6 miles from the Ritz Carlton hotel. But by that last nile we were back in the warmth of the sandy, dry wash. As we got to the trail head sign, a thermometer along the post did indeed register 88F in the shade. We were all glad to finally make it back to the parking lot at 3pm. We all rested there to drink up before taking Mike's advice and stopping for a post-hike meal at a Mexican restaurant in Marana, "Nana's Kitchen" where I gulped three large glasses of iced tea with my finely-spiced chicken burrito. The place was quiet and we got service fast. We lucked out with finding two shaded parking spots right out front. Sadie rested thus in peace in the open-window truck in the cool shade and napped. We stayed inside, slowly cooling down with the restaurant's mild and cool air, chatting wildly about GOP candidate and goofy-haired businessman Donald Trump. All the people at the table were Independents or Republicans, yet no one had a kind word to say about Trump. "The GOP party is broken, and Trump is going to destroy it," said SteveA. Kansas, Louisiana, Maine and Kentucky had their primaries or caucuses today and Trump and Senator Ted Cruz from Texas, Trump's biggest rival in the GOP race, each won two states.

I finally got home at 7pm, making this a 12-hour day. I'd love to go back to the Tortolitas, but only after a cooling rain and overcast skies. We lucked out that we had some clouds mid day and that no one, including Sadie, suffered from heat exhaustion. SteveS got some sunburn on his neck.

Hunter Canyon to Miller Canyon and back

Thursdays is my early day off work. I had a five-mile hike scheduled for Hunter canyon to Miller Canyon at 4pm. That gave me an hour to get ready once I got home. I showed up early at the meet-up place. Susan M, Claire, HollyO, Jay, new guy Cole and SteveT showed up. We started at 3:57pm when everyone who had signed up showed up and was ready. Sadie was my hiking dog.

We were parked just inside the National Forest boundary off SR92. Our cars were visible from the road and took up most of the parking area. We walked across the road to the connector trail, which took us along the dry creekbed and under a shaded canopy for a mile before reaching the actual creekbed. Claire and SteveT were in the rear and soon dropped out. Claire felt week and turned around at the 1.5-mile mark, Steve joined her at the 2-mile mark. That cut the group down to five strong hikers. Claire and Steve did the right thing by dropping out while they still could, allowing us to speed up our pace and make it to Miller Creek at 5pm. We got there at 5:15pm, giving us just 15 minutes to relax and hike back.

The canyon is very dry now. I'm worried about the continued lack of any rain. At this rate, we could face another horrific fire season in a few weeks, when the notorious winds kick in.

SusanM had hiked this canyon years ago with her dogs (now all deceased) and hadn't been back here since the 2011 fire. It was a new canyon for everyone else. It starts with a mellow uphill the first mile, then quickly picks up the grade past the mine with a long, steep hillside trail exposed to the afternoon sun. Even I had to stop briefly twice to catch my breath.



We continue