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
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