Arizona Trail: Canelo Hills South from Harshaw Road to Gates Spring (12. miles r/t)

http://www.mapmyhike.com/workout/2159570207

The Canelo Hills north of Parker Canyon Lake to just south of Patagonia are perhaps one of the more scenic stretches of the Arizona Trail in extreme southern Arizona.  The rolling hills provide for a physical challenge without exhausting the body, yet provide scenic views and springs along the way.  The only living things you may share the trail with is cattle.  I like hiking here.  What keeps me from coming back more often is the 66 miles it takes to get here from Hereford.

I had hiked this stretch before with Sara and Sammy, perhaps after coming back from Iraq in 2008.  Back then I made it three miles into the hike but couldn't find the trail past a wide, shady wash.  Signage had gotten eroded and I turned back.  Today the trail was much easier to follow, up and down the hills, and in some places the original trail was improved to make traversing it easier.

I started at 1:27pm.  The parking area was empty.  After realizing I was on an illegal trail, I turned around and saw the official trail sign across Harshaw Road going northeast and up over some hills.  Then I remembered that that's the trail.  Sadie and Zeke were by my side.  I never met another soul on this hike.

The trail quickly ascends.  Starting elevation is 4086' but jumps to 4511' at the 1.5-mile mark.  Views into the artsy town of Patagona come to view, along with some architectural homes hidden by hillsides.  Red Mountain is the prominent mountain here south of town and its hilltop antennae shine in the sunlight.  It makes for a prominent landmark along this section, as well as another hill east of there with several protruding mines visible.  This mined hill was north of the AZT and glistened in a golden hue on my return hike several hours later.

The first thing I noticed across the entire landscape was how parched the flora was.  The dead grass was a dull brown, creating a mostly monochromatic landscape of shades of brown.  Even the hillside oaks looked parched, with many of the leaves yellow or brown from lack of water.  Trees along intermittent streams and washes fared slightly better, but the lack of any recent precipitation was obvious.  We need rain!

I had water with me, enough for the dogs and me.  Zeke quickly began panting again, though.  He trotted next to me looking fine, though, so we didn't stop until 3.7 miles into the hike when we crossed an ATV trail marked Canyon Road that went northwest.  I had no plans to turn around at a specific point; I based my hike today on remaining daylight.  All the mattered was that I return to the truck before dark.  It was already 3:43pm by this time.  I could hike until 4pm before turning around, I told myself.  Red Rock Canyon was five miles from the trailhead; I could reach that.

The landscape leveled out some once I crossed Canyon Road.  Red Rock Canyon came into view, with its red rock strata high enough to act as a landmark, but the hills looked farther away than posted.  My GPS was telling me I was past the five-mile mark and I was not in a red canyon.  So I continued on.  The varied landscape lured me farther along.  Trees were starting to green up some and the trail passed along a level flood zone with evidence of recent cow passings.  After a heavy rain, this would be even more inviting.  At one point, mesquites canopied the trail, providing shade for cattle and hikers.

More later