I arrived in Crown Point, IN after 1pm on Christmas Eve. Normally that is early enough for me to shower and get ready for the family gathering, but this year the start time was moved from 4pm to 1pm so that the elderly could drive back home in daylight. That means that by the time I got to the gathering at 4:20pm, people were leaving and I got a few leftovers to eat. I was too exhausted from the drive to want to stay long anyway. I slept good that night.
I didn't venture out until the afternoon on Christmas Day, walking to the neighborhood Sauerman woods across the street. I had never been over there, thinking it was private property all this time. There is a small pond there where birds like to gather.
My big hike was the perimeter trail hike in Indiana Dunes State Park the day after Christmas. This is a network of trails I try to do on every visit to Northwest Indiana, but often cut it short because of blustery winds, snow, or ice. I hike trails #2, 10 and 8 counter clockwise, or I bypass #8 to walk through the campground back to where I am parked. The entire perimeter is over nine miles, but trail #2 was closed due to flooding when I was there. Weather was the best that day all week, and many other hikers took advantage of that. https://www.in.gov/dnr/parklake/files/dunes_trail.pdf
This year the hike was modified a bit due to trail #2 being closed from flooding. This trail is the prettiest trail in the summer as it's mostly flat with a mile-long boardwalk over a floral marsh. The heavy rains from the last weeks have made this trail temporarily impassable. I parked at the Wilson shelter in the park and started the 8.4-mile hike via trail #8 going toward the lake, climbed over the park's three tallest dunes (Jackson, Holden, and Tom), then continued the hike on #10, along the shoreline for three miles. I passed two big blowouts (sandslides) before that trail turns south back into the pines and oaks of the old dunes. Winds were a mere 4 mph that day, and the waves sloshed against the shore in rhythmic motions. This is unusual this time of year. We normally have snow and ice and high winds.
The dunes of Northwest Indiana is where I learned to love the outdoors at a young age. Here's where I also subconsciously became an environmentalist. I remember as a kid seeing dead fish on the shore, fish that died from chemical contamination from the oil refineries and steel mills belching their toxins into the water and air. Luckily the dead fish are far fewer now, but chemicals continue to be belched into the air.
The Indiana shoreline is 90 miles long and only 15 of that is preserved as the Dunes. The rest is industrialized with steel mills and oil refineries. A small portion is for private homes. If it weren't for the Dunes, there wouldn't be much healthy recreation for people in the area.
The National Parks Service in collaboration with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) preserve the Dunes. The state park alone is 2182 acres, but the majority dunes are under the NPS. Most of the trails are free, but the state park charges $12 for non-residents for a day-use fee; $7 for residents. In the winter there is only a fee on weekends.
I made it out to the Dunes twice. My second visit was on the 30th with a lovely hike on the newer Miller Beach trail, a pleasant 1.3 o/w hike on a singletrack to the beach. I managed 7.8 miles before I promised my stepmom I'd be back for a family get-together. Miller Dunes is the most western track of the dunes, and the sounds of the nearby steel mills and Southshore train are audible.
Other hikes were in the forest preserves of Cook County, IL, along the Thorn Creek. That is an area I want to explore some more in the summer. I also walked around Culver, IN on New Year's Eve when I visited my stepdad in Culver, and a short but cold walk along the Kankakee River west of Knox, IN in a game and fish hunting area popular with duck hunters.
I got to spend quiet time with my stepmom and later my stepdad. Both are 74 years old and in frail health. It was just last Christmas that we thought we were going to lose our stepdad when he was struck with a serious gastro infection. My stepmom developed inflamed feet this past fall and can not lift her heavy legs now, so driving a car anywhere is no longer an option. She spends all her time inside her home, in front of the TV. This is why I'm thinking of spending next summer here to help her with small errands and chores, and going on hikes all over northern Illinois and Indiana in small trips. Erin will be moving from Virginia back to Indiana with the boys next June and I will be able to spend more time with them, too. I normally get the holiday blues when up here for Christmas, so hopefully having the grandsons around will be more cheery.
I got to visit a few breweries while here, although there are so many new ones now that it's gotten to be impossible to try them all in a short time. There are two new breweries just ten miles from my stepmom's house: Devil's Trumpet off US30 in Merrillville, and Off Square Brewing off I-65 in Crown Point. Devil's Trumpet makes good coffee stouts; Off Square Brewing makes good pizza (but none of the beers impressed me). The most enjoyable brewpub was in Lansing, IL, of all places: One Trick Pony, and their line of German beers.
One thing I did not do on this visit was take the Southshore train into Chicago for a walk in the Windy City. The weather simply wasn't warm enough, or there were other family obligations. Taking the train into the city is now the only affordable way to see Chicago, as parking is at a premium now.
While I was in NWI for the Christmas week, southern Arizona had its best snowfall in years. Snow in Arizona is more fun than snow in the Midwest.
My stay here is now coming to a close. I'm planning on leaving in the morning of the 2nd. A storm is coming in from the Southwest and should blast the Southeast mid-week. I hope that storm bypasses me as I have two hikes planned in central Missouri (Rolla, MO) on my drive back to Arizona. I'm giving myself five days to drive back.
I've had problems with my stepmom's wifi and computer, so I will upload photos when I'm back in AZ
Monday, December 31, 2018
Friday, December 21, 2018
Chicagoland for the holiday
I keep saying that "This is the last time I drive to Chicagoland for Christmas!" and yet I have been doing it eight of the last ten years. I'm always afraid that it will be the last time I see my stepmom or stepdad alive. My stepmom is not in the best of health and my stepdad is trying to sell his home in Culver and move back to Massachusetts in the spring.
So, tomorrow, sometime in the early morning after coffee and walking the dogs at sunrise, (which honestly translates to "noonish") I plan on taking off. Roads look good between here and Crown Point, IN and I will take the most direct interstate network: I-10 to 1-25 to I-40 in Albuquerque, then across the Texas Panhandle and Oklahoma with a connection to I-44 east of Tulsa. I-44 cuts across central Missouri to St. Louis and the final stretch on I-57 to Kankakee where I cut east on county roads to US41 in Indiana.
I won't have time to hike much anywhere, but will take short walks around towns along the way. I will leave on January 3rd for the return drive. That's when I plan on stopping somewhere in central Missouri for a hike near Rolla.
I'm curious if I can stick to my plan. I doubt I'll be able to hike much once in Indiana as I need to spend time with family. I hope the weather remains good and I have no major break downs or break-ins.
So, tomorrow, sometime in the early morning after coffee and walking the dogs at sunrise, (which honestly translates to "noonish") I plan on taking off. Roads look good between here and Crown Point, IN and I will take the most direct interstate network: I-10 to 1-25 to I-40 in Albuquerque, then across the Texas Panhandle and Oklahoma with a connection to I-44 east of Tulsa. I-44 cuts across central Missouri to St. Louis and the final stretch on I-57 to Kankakee where I cut east on county roads to US41 in Indiana.
I won't have time to hike much anywhere, but will take short walks around towns along the way. I will leave on January 3rd for the return drive. That's when I plan on stopping somewhere in central Missouri for a hike near Rolla.
I'm curious if I can stick to my plan. I doubt I'll be able to hike much once in Indiana as I need to spend time with family. I hope the weather remains good and I have no major break downs or break-ins.
Thursday, December 13, 2018
Bisbee cross
I haven't hiked up to the Bisbee crosses (also known as the shrines) in over a year. Today Steve and I walked up to the main cross with our dogs Trace and Zeke. This is a short hike of just over two miles round trip. The last .2 mile to the white crosses is the steepest and traction is poor.
We met in front of the Old Bisbee Brewing Company at 2pm, had a pre-hike beer each, then climbed the stairs next to the building, and officially began the hike on OK street heading northwest for a half-mile. The official path up the mountain begins at the end of OK street where the trail quickly climbs around the hill.
Steve had never been up to the cross. We didn't stay long at the peak. We looked around, took in the views. I pointed out Mural Hill to him. We went down the way we came and stopped briefly at a second shrine before picking up the main trail back to OK street. It was a short and simple hike.
We could have explored more on the peak as there are little memorials now all over the hill. The Bisbee "B" is on the neighboring hill, Chihuahua Hill, but to get there one needs to get down a steep grade and continue back up on an old mining trail to the next hill. Steve didn't feel like dealing with the steep grade so we made this a simple out-and-back walk. It was more of an excuse to visit Bisbee and the Old Bisbee Brewing Company. This is still my favorite local brewery. The current seasonal, Holiday Ale, is quite good. We spent more time here than on the hike! I even took home a growler of the Holiday Ale.
We met in front of the Old Bisbee Brewing Company at 2pm, had a pre-hike beer each, then climbed the stairs next to the building, and officially began the hike on OK street heading northwest for a half-mile. The official path up the mountain begins at the end of OK street where the trail quickly climbs around the hill.
Steve had never been up to the cross. We didn't stay long at the peak. We looked around, took in the views. I pointed out Mural Hill to him. We went down the way we came and stopped briefly at a second shrine before picking up the main trail back to OK street. It was a short and simple hike.
We could have explored more on the peak as there are little memorials now all over the hill. The Bisbee "B" is on the neighboring hill, Chihuahua Hill, but to get there one needs to get down a steep grade and continue back up on an old mining trail to the next hill. Steve didn't feel like dealing with the steep grade so we made this a simple out-and-back walk. It was more of an excuse to visit Bisbee and the Old Bisbee Brewing Company. This is still my favorite local brewery. The current seasonal, Holiday Ale, is quite good. We spent more time here than on the hike! I even took home a growler of the Holiday Ale.
Monday, December 10, 2018
Walk along the river
Bill contacted me in the morning and asked if I wanted to get together for a dog walk. His shepherd-heeler dog Domino is back with him and wants to take Domino on group hikes. He wants to socialize him with other dogs. As a male dog, I first thought of Sweetie, then decided to take Zeke, and then somehow Minnie pushed her way through the door and into the Honda. Would Domino be overwhelmed? Sadie stayed at home as she's proven to be the temperamental dog around other dogs.
We met at 11am at the Palominas trail head for the San Pedro Riparian NCA trail. I take my dogs here for off-leash romping and seldom come across other people except Border Patrol agents or neighborhood equestrians. We were the only people in the parking lot. Bill and Domino were already waiting as I drove up. Domino was on leash and watched us. Zeke jumped out and there was tail wagging. Minnie rolled out and there was happy barking and butt-sniffing, and Sweetie leaped out to sniff Domino. There was no aggression from any of the dogs. Confident that the dogs were content, Bill took Domino off leash and down we went to the wash which takes us to the river. All four dogs ran down the wash ahead of us.
Domino seemed more happy being around other dogs than my dogs were of him. Domino showed an interest in Minnie. Zeke stayed with me, and Sweetie kept her distance from the other dogs, as she usually does. She is at heart a shy dog who is most comfortable around dogs and people she is familiar with.
Once we got to the river, all the dogs got in. Here is where Domino and Minnie did the most playing. She had her stick and Domino wanted it, too. The river wasn't as full as I thought it would be from recent rains, so we opted to walk the river bed north for a mile to give the dogs some exercise. Sweetie hadn't been walked since Friday and I was grateful to get her out. She was grateful for that, too, and took speeding leaps up over the bank of the river and back down again. It was in the upper 50s and a tad chilly, but this is the kind of weather that active dogs like.
Bill was worried that Domino would take off and not come back, but he assimilated into the pack right away and ran where the other dogs ran. He was a model playmate and never got out of sight, and came back to Bill when he whistled for him. We both were very pleased at how well he played with my dogs.
We walked for 1.8 miles, up to East Boundary Road where a house borders on the river and the river narrows. Here is where I usually turn around, as the river resurfaces and walking here requires water shoes. We chatted, as we hadn't been on a hike together since our climb up Carr Peak in October. We updated each other on our lives. His divorce was finalized and he got custody of Domino earlier this month and wants to spend more time with the dog. Domino seems to be an ideal dog for Bill's busy lifestyle.
The rains from last week must have swept some floods through, as the river bed was smooth in many parts and new ripples in the banks are obvious. This smoothness makes walking on the sand easy. There were a few wet areas that we were able to avoid without jumping over deep cuts in the river. I pointed out some of the landmarks along the way: the dangling rope at the mile mark (now cut off), the shrine in memory of a deceased wife and mom, the upturned rusty Chevrolet. The leaves on most of the trees are now gone, but the trees still provide a shady canopy. Walking here is calming for me.
Bill had never been this far up the river, so to him today's walk was a photographic journey. He stopped to photograph everything, from the toadstools growing on the tree trunks, to rusty cars in the sand, shrines and cicada exoskeletons. Hiking with him, I've learned, is always a photographic adventure as he sees beauty in everything. "Oh wow, how beautiful!"
One thing we didn't see were raptors. We saw no Great Horned Owls, falcons, hawks. Our dogs romped along the banks, sniffed around, and stayed with us. Bill and I were very pleased at how well all the dogs got along.
There was a chill in the late morning air. The sky was covered in wind-swept cirrus clouds. My old black fleece sweater barely kept me warm. It got warmer as we returned to the cars 90 minutes later, when I realized that I had lost one of my leashes that I had strapped around my neck. I ended up coming back to the trail two hours later with Sadie and the entire pack and found the leash in the middle of the creekbed, standing out on the smooth sand. It had gotten cooler now at 3pm, with a low front moving in.
I had walked six miles. The dogs were well-exercised today.
We met at 11am at the Palominas trail head for the San Pedro Riparian NCA trail. I take my dogs here for off-leash romping and seldom come across other people except Border Patrol agents or neighborhood equestrians. We were the only people in the parking lot. Bill and Domino were already waiting as I drove up. Domino was on leash and watched us. Zeke jumped out and there was tail wagging. Minnie rolled out and there was happy barking and butt-sniffing, and Sweetie leaped out to sniff Domino. There was no aggression from any of the dogs. Confident that the dogs were content, Bill took Domino off leash and down we went to the wash which takes us to the river. All four dogs ran down the wash ahead of us.
Once we got to the river, all the dogs got in. Here is where Domino and Minnie did the most playing. She had her stick and Domino wanted it, too. The river wasn't as full as I thought it would be from recent rains, so we opted to walk the river bed north for a mile to give the dogs some exercise. Sweetie hadn't been walked since Friday and I was grateful to get her out. She was grateful for that, too, and took speeding leaps up over the bank of the river and back down again. It was in the upper 50s and a tad chilly, but this is the kind of weather that active dogs like.
We walked for 1.8 miles, up to East Boundary Road where a house borders on the river and the river narrows. Here is where I usually turn around, as the river resurfaces and walking here requires water shoes. We chatted, as we hadn't been on a hike together since our climb up Carr Peak in October. We updated each other on our lives. His divorce was finalized and he got custody of Domino earlier this month and wants to spend more time with the dog. Domino seems to be an ideal dog for Bill's busy lifestyle.
The rains from last week must have swept some floods through, as the river bed was smooth in many parts and new ripples in the banks are obvious. This smoothness makes walking on the sand easy. There were a few wet areas that we were able to avoid without jumping over deep cuts in the river. I pointed out some of the landmarks along the way: the dangling rope at the mile mark (now cut off), the shrine in memory of a deceased wife and mom, the upturned rusty Chevrolet. The leaves on most of the trees are now gone, but the trees still provide a shady canopy. Walking here is calming for me.
Bill had never been this far up the river, so to him today's walk was a photographic journey. He stopped to photograph everything, from the toadstools growing on the tree trunks, to rusty cars in the sand, shrines and cicada exoskeletons. Hiking with him, I've learned, is always a photographic adventure as he sees beauty in everything. "Oh wow, how beautiful!"
One thing we didn't see were raptors. We saw no Great Horned Owls, falcons, hawks. Our dogs romped along the banks, sniffed around, and stayed with us. Bill and I were very pleased at how well all the dogs got along.
There was a chill in the late morning air. The sky was covered in wind-swept cirrus clouds. My old black fleece sweater barely kept me warm. It got warmer as we returned to the cars 90 minutes later, when I realized that I had lost one of my leashes that I had strapped around my neck. I ended up coming back to the trail two hours later with Sadie and the entire pack and found the leash in the middle of the creekbed, standing out on the smooth sand. It had gotten cooler now at 3pm, with a low front moving in.
I had walked six miles. The dogs were well-exercised today.
Sunday, December 9, 2018
Sycamore Reservoir Trail to East Fork Trail
Distance: 6.8 miles
Elevation: 4201'- 4948'
Elevation gain: 1198'
Significance: a gentle section of the Arizona Trail in a wide basin surrounded by craggy rocks
Time: 5 hours
This hike starts on the west side of the Hirabayashi Recreation area, just past MM7 on the Catalina Hwy north of Tucson and connects to the Molino Basin trail at the west end parking lot. Go over the hill and continue west down the creek area, then fork right by the oak tree and resume the hike to the Shreve Saddle. The Sycamore Reservoir trail officially begins at this saddle (and the Molino Basin trail ends). The reservoir is another mile downhill where the sycamores are, which are visible from the saddle. The leaves are past their autumn and are brown.
This is a very popular hike and Steve agreed to start this one early. This parking lot is known to fill up fast on the weekend with hikers and mountain bikers. This means we have to leave Sierra Vista even earlier. I wanted to pick him up at 6am and got there 20 minutes late because I dozed through the 5am alarm. It was cold out when I left, with a thin layer of frost on the windshield. The sun didn't rise until we were on I-10 driving west toward Tucson. We got to the trailhead by 8:15am and were on the trail by 8:29am. Five cars were in the parking lot when we first got there; three more cars came when we were getting ready to hike. One of those cars was a large pick-up with five hunting dogs that took off just before we did. (There were 20 cars in the lot when we got back).
The first mile to Shreve Saddle is now known to us. The trail meanders along a level creek bed as it slowly climbs to the saddle. Grass heads were covered in frost until the sun could peek over the mountains. Ice glistened in the sun until it melted and dripped off. Small puddles were in the creekbed from Friday's rain. I was chilled and kept my quilt jacket on until we got to the reservoir. We took a good day to hike this trail: cool weather with most of the wet passages dried up. Weather was ideal once the sun was high enough. It was in the low 60s with windswept clouds above.
The couple with the five hunting dogs stayed ahead of us until we met them at the saddle, where they then got ahead of us. They, too, were heading to the reservoir. We lost sight of them once they got to the reservoir.
The reservoir trail going down to the riparian area hugs the rocky mountain side, proving for early morning shade. We saw remnants of pillars in the basin, and a few more along the hillside. We both wondered what was once here, besides a working water reservoir that supplied the prison camp two miles east and uphill. The old road to the reservoir was on the other side of the basin. We took this road back uphill for most of the way on the return hike.
The last quarter mile down to the reservoir is perhaps the best part of this hike. We could see Thimble Peak pointing up behind the craggy rocks of the canyon, and the lush riparian area was a delight for the dogs and me, as I like the smell of autumn leaves. We stayed here for a bit to let the dogs romp around in the water. Zeke drank from the stinky water (one reviewer described this as smelling like sewage water; it smells like rusty pipes to me) while Trace not only drank the water and splashed around, he also did a few acrobatics on the stone wall of the reservoir.
I can see why this makes a lovely summer hike destination. Water spills over the wall 100' below, and a small trail leads down to the lower part of the creek. Steve wanted no part of that trail, and I saved exploring that part of the creek for another time. The people with the dogs seemed to have gone up the creek here as we never saw them again. After a short rest, we resumed our hike going northwest along the Arizona Trail, heading toward Bear Canyon for another gentle mile along the creek bed. We were now in an open, wide basin and could see the Catalina Highway far to the east. Parked cars in the overlook shimmered in the sun.
By 10am we were getting passed by other hikers, including a power hiker heading into Bear Canyon on the East Fork. We saw him skirmage up a rocky hillside and disappear over the saddle. That is a loop hike I want to do someday. Dogs are not allowed in Sabino Canyon on the south side, but I'm unsure if they are allowed on the north end off the Arizona Trail on the East Fork trail.
We turned around at the intersection with the East Fork Trail and hiked back the way we came. The trail was, as expected, much more crowded with families, dogs, runners. We took the lesser-used mining road going back, but switched back to the trail 50' above where we rested in the shade. This was a steep alternative route, but also a very rocky route. Trace got to play with a 4-month-old Malinois puppy named Zoro as we reached the saddle. Zoro belonged to a young man who was hiking in a large group.
The hike took us five hours. It was mid afternoon and we had daylight for the drive home! But first we ate a lunch at the Bear Canyon Pizza, right off Tanque Verde and Catalina Hwy. It's a sports bar with 32 craft beers on tap. The Canyon Combo slice which we shared had spicy sausage, pepperoni, green pepper, mushrooms, onions and a gluten-free crust. It was quite tasty! We also each had two beers. So much for having lunch at Chuy's, a Mexican chain restaurant that Steve said is from Austin. We had been talking about eating there. (I've been there several times; the food is quite good and it's very reasonably priced.) There is a large Chuy's off Houghton but it's recessed and not easily seen off the main road.
I was back home by 5pm. Kevin was back from his Phoenix trip and gave me all the details. The son of his friends' older son Jason turned 21 on Friday and the entire gang celebrated with (too many) drinks at the famed "Yard House" in Glendale. It's a beer bar with 100 taps, with a Classic Rock theme. I've never been to this place, but drinking beer while listening to the Eagles, Bad Company, Journey, Styx, or Kansas can't be too bad in my book. A shame there aren't any hiking trails near Glendale. He got so drunk, he admitted, that he had to sleep off his hangover yesterday, when he had planned on being home. "You know I can't stop drinking" he said.
Elevation: 4201'- 4948'
Elevation gain: 1198'
Significance: a gentle section of the Arizona Trail in a wide basin surrounded by craggy rocks
Time: 5 hours
This hike starts on the west side of the Hirabayashi Recreation area, just past MM7 on the Catalina Hwy north of Tucson and connects to the Molino Basin trail at the west end parking lot. Go over the hill and continue west down the creek area, then fork right by the oak tree and resume the hike to the Shreve Saddle. The Sycamore Reservoir trail officially begins at this saddle (and the Molino Basin trail ends). The reservoir is another mile downhill where the sycamores are, which are visible from the saddle. The leaves are past their autumn and are brown.
This is a very popular hike and Steve agreed to start this one early. This parking lot is known to fill up fast on the weekend with hikers and mountain bikers. This means we have to leave Sierra Vista even earlier. I wanted to pick him up at 6am and got there 20 minutes late because I dozed through the 5am alarm. It was cold out when I left, with a thin layer of frost on the windshield. The sun didn't rise until we were on I-10 driving west toward Tucson. We got to the trailhead by 8:15am and were on the trail by 8:29am. Five cars were in the parking lot when we first got there; three more cars came when we were getting ready to hike. One of those cars was a large pick-up with five hunting dogs that took off just before we did. (There were 20 cars in the lot when we got back).
The first mile to Shreve Saddle is now known to us. The trail meanders along a level creek bed as it slowly climbs to the saddle. Grass heads were covered in frost until the sun could peek over the mountains. Ice glistened in the sun until it melted and dripped off. Small puddles were in the creekbed from Friday's rain. I was chilled and kept my quilt jacket on until we got to the reservoir. We took a good day to hike this trail: cool weather with most of the wet passages dried up. Weather was ideal once the sun was high enough. It was in the low 60s with windswept clouds above.
The couple with the five hunting dogs stayed ahead of us until we met them at the saddle, where they then got ahead of us. They, too, were heading to the reservoir. We lost sight of them once they got to the reservoir.
The reservoir trail going down to the riparian area hugs the rocky mountain side, proving for early morning shade. We saw remnants of pillars in the basin, and a few more along the hillside. We both wondered what was once here, besides a working water reservoir that supplied the prison camp two miles east and uphill. The old road to the reservoir was on the other side of the basin. We took this road back uphill for most of the way on the return hike.
The last quarter mile down to the reservoir is perhaps the best part of this hike. We could see Thimble Peak pointing up behind the craggy rocks of the canyon, and the lush riparian area was a delight for the dogs and me, as I like the smell of autumn leaves. We stayed here for a bit to let the dogs romp around in the water. Zeke drank from the stinky water (one reviewer described this as smelling like sewage water; it smells like rusty pipes to me) while Trace not only drank the water and splashed around, he also did a few acrobatics on the stone wall of the reservoir.
I can see why this makes a lovely summer hike destination. Water spills over the wall 100' below, and a small trail leads down to the lower part of the creek. Steve wanted no part of that trail, and I saved exploring that part of the creek for another time. The people with the dogs seemed to have gone up the creek here as we never saw them again. After a short rest, we resumed our hike going northwest along the Arizona Trail, heading toward Bear Canyon for another gentle mile along the creek bed. We were now in an open, wide basin and could see the Catalina Highway far to the east. Parked cars in the overlook shimmered in the sun.
By 10am we were getting passed by other hikers, including a power hiker heading into Bear Canyon on the East Fork. We saw him skirmage up a rocky hillside and disappear over the saddle. That is a loop hike I want to do someday. Dogs are not allowed in Sabino Canyon on the south side, but I'm unsure if they are allowed on the north end off the Arizona Trail on the East Fork trail.
We turned around at the intersection with the East Fork Trail and hiked back the way we came. The trail was, as expected, much more crowded with families, dogs, runners. We took the lesser-used mining road going back, but switched back to the trail 50' above where we rested in the shade. This was a steep alternative route, but also a very rocky route. Trace got to play with a 4-month-old Malinois puppy named Zoro as we reached the saddle. Zoro belonged to a young man who was hiking in a large group.
The hike took us five hours. It was mid afternoon and we had daylight for the drive home! But first we ate a lunch at the Bear Canyon Pizza, right off Tanque Verde and Catalina Hwy. It's a sports bar with 32 craft beers on tap. The Canyon Combo slice which we shared had spicy sausage, pepperoni, green pepper, mushrooms, onions and a gluten-free crust. It was quite tasty! We also each had two beers. So much for having lunch at Chuy's, a Mexican chain restaurant that Steve said is from Austin. We had been talking about eating there. (I've been there several times; the food is quite good and it's very reasonably priced.) There is a large Chuy's off Houghton but it's recessed and not easily seen off the main road.
I was back home by 5pm. Kevin was back from his Phoenix trip and gave me all the details. The son of his friends' older son Jason turned 21 on Friday and the entire gang celebrated with (too many) drinks at the famed "Yard House" in Glendale. It's a beer bar with 100 taps, with a Classic Rock theme. I've never been to this place, but drinking beer while listening to the Eagles, Bad Company, Journey, Styx, or Kansas can't be too bad in my book. A shame there aren't any hiking trails near Glendale. He got so drunk, he admitted, that he had to sleep off his hangover yesterday, when he had planned on being home. "You know I can't stop drinking" he said.
Saturday, December 8, 2018
Carr Peak with Ellen, Minnie, Sadie and Zeke
Ellen texted me while I was hiking around Bisbee on Thursday and asked me if I still wanted to hike Carr peak on Saturday. I told her I would have to wait until Friday when the weather forecast was more reliable and we would see how much new snow had fallen. Snow levels for the storm were predicted to be down to 7500' in Tucson, and it looked about the same here farther south. I agreed to hike with her (our last chance to do so this year, as she's traveling for work starting tomorrow). We agreed to meet at 11am in the Mesquite Inn parking lot, a former steak house restaurant that has been closed since 2016. That late start gave me time to putz around the house. Kevin said he'd be home by early afternoon from Phoenix.
Early today the mountains were shrouded in dense fog and I questioned my sanity. By 10am the sky began clearing, and by 10:30am the peaks were visible and it looked like the fog was clearing out. Ellen had this planned just perfectly, because the dense fog reminded me of what Steve and I experienced and I dreaded a repeat. I planned on taking Zeke and Minnie, and then Sadie decided she wanted in on it, too, leaving a crestfallen Sweetie to stay home alone...She actually made me feel guilty for leaving her behind.
Surprisingly, all was clear and calm when we started the hike at 11:39am. My only concern was if there would be too much snow or ice to slow us down. Would we have enough daylight? The forecast for Sierra Vista was 60F/34F, so we figured it would be 45F at the peak.
We started the hike from the Ramsey Vista trail head, the same trail that Steve and I started from. This is actually an easier grade than the Sawmill trail, and with snow/ice on the ground, I don't have to worry about the dogs getting hot or thirsty. The peak was visible and there was no wind! There was also less snow this time around. The ground was damp from the rain and there was no ice. The snow from the first storm had melted and we were walking on fresh, wet snow once we got to the snow level, which, as forecasted, was above 7500', much like last time. I wore three tops and kept the fourth layer, my yellow wind breaker, in my backpack where it stayed for the entire hike.
We met Mike Foster, a retired IT tech from my school district. He was coming down as we were going up. At first I thought he was a hunter carrying a rifle. It was a tripod he was carrying. He had started the hike early, in the dense fog, and was above the fog when he got to the peak. He and I had done some hiking in Sonora ten years ago when he was surveying the San Pedro river. He led a hike up San Jose peak, too. But we somehow fell out of touch when he got busy with the Carr house. He got hired by NatGeo to videograph the Sonoran town of Magdalena. "It feels great to be paid to work again!"
We also passed a large family going uphill. They only went high enough to find enough snow to build a snowman, then descended. That snowman waved at us on our descent.
I hiked up front, Ellen stayed in the rear behind the dogs. We never talk much during our hikes, as we are always looking at nature and wildlife and only talk during breaks or photo shoots. I never have to feel like talking a lot when I'm hiking with her, and I appreciate her silence. She captured some nice photos of the dogs with me, so I am using her photos for today's blog. Sadie stayed by my side this time, while Zeke enjoyed romping in the snow with Minnie, who was clearly enjoying today's adventure. She did not slow us down at all. What slowed us down was the snow that was packed between the rocks.
The deepest snow was in the aspen grove at 8000', where it looked to be around three inches deep, not deep enough to get into our low hikers and get our feet wet. Once we got out of the aspens, we were on south and east-facing slopes that were mostly dry. We were expecting much more snow.
We never saw other people today. That's for the best, as three dogs is quite a bit to manage in the wilderness. We stopped briefly at Contemplation Rock for water, then resumed the final half mile to the peak. Clouds were returning and we had to beat them to the top! Miller was already shrouded again in fog. We saw a hawk, a kestrel, and one lone catapillar near the peak!
That last .3-mile to the peak is always so dramatic. In the spring and summer the trail is covered in flowers. Today it was the one stretch that had no snow! Zeke and Minnie took off after three white-tailed deer (Sadie stayed by my side) and that's all the drama we had here today. There was more snow in the rocks just before bagging the peak, but the peak again was almost barren of snow.
There was no frost on the trees until we got to the top. Minnie and Zeke played a bit in the snow, but Ellen and I decided to climb back down and have our snack on Contemplation Rock, where it was warmer. There was nowhere warm to sit on the peak. We were, like Mike was earlier, now above the fog.
It took us 1:53 hours to make it to the peak, not bad considering the snow. Once we ate our snacks and resumed our hike back down, it was a steady pace with no stops. We stopped briefly at the vista point looking back at Carr Peak, but we were now focused on getting down before it got too late. My feet were damp from the snow and my sweat was making me cold when I stood still. The dogs were tired but not exhausted. They trailed behind me like an obedient pack.
We made it back to the Honda at 3:19pm. The hike took us 3:35 hours. We were the only car in the parking lot. We both were relieved to have made it up Carr this month. It has been a tradition that Ellen and I bag either Miller or Carr at the first snow, and we have managed that for about eight years. We will have less opportunities to hike together next year as she will be busy with her job, traveling to the East Coast for months at a time. I will miss her challenges.
More rain is forecasted for Wednesday, which means snow higher up. I'm sure the Forest Service will close the road with the next storm. We passed a lot of speeding pick-ups going uphill as we were driving down.
https://www.myheraldreview.com/news/mesquite-tree-closing-out-a-family-legacy/article_4a3f75a4-b4c5-11e5-a4c3-c3d2f08c85bd.html
Thursday, December 6, 2018
Bisbee hills
Distance: 5.7 miles
Elevation: 5210'-6245'
Elevation gain 1103'
Significance: abandoned mining roads that meander around hills; scenic views, isolation not far from town.
I didn't work today and was itching for another hike. I was once again dressed for Carr Peak, but again the peak remained shrouded in fog and the wind picked up. In the end I opted to hike in Bisbee instead, where the clouds kept clear of the hills. It always pays to have a contingency plan! The overcast sky and the cool temperature lured me there. I took Minnie and Zeke. My plan was to hike the same trail toward Mural Hill, but to take a left turn instead of a right turn at the two-mile mark and explore where the other mining road leads that branches from that intersection. I assumed it would loop back toward town and into Zacatecas canyon.
I didn't start my hike until after 2:21pm, a rather late start for a hike of unknown distance. Just as I parked in front of the Old Bisbee Brewing Company to start the hike behind the building, JudyM texted me to let me know that her Golden Retriever, Apollo, died the day before of painful lameness. Apollo was the dog that I helped transport to New Mexico several years ago. He was an older dog (Judy's vet said he was more like eight years old) and was diagnosed with a disease that required life-long medication, but Apollo was such a sweet dog. He rode in the front of my van like a champ, enjoying the ride while I held his front paws. I would have adopted him myself if we didn't already have six dogs. Judy gave him at least four good years. Thinking of Apollo soured the hike at first, but once I got on the unexplored trail, my thoughts went to the dogs as this overgrown mining road meandered northwest, offering views of the mining pits in Warren.
I never lost sight of the crosses on Youngblood hill. The crosses make for a good landmark, as they stick out on the brown background as one continues on this overgrown mining trail. The old road meanders off another bald hill for a good .8 miles, with Mural Hill visible to the east and Upper Brewery Gulch becoming visible. We were higher here and exposed, but the hill side kept us from the blasting wind. It was the wind I was concerned with.
Minnie did quite well. I stopped at the 2.65 mile mark to give them water. She was still in the mood to play fetch with a few burned sticks she found on the trail. One got stuck in a poky shrub and she was determined to reach up and get it. Mellow Zeke was covered in soft seed heads as he took the 15 minutes to rest.
The trail got harder to follow by the third mile. I lost it on the next hill, but when I found the old grade of the road and continued on that, it, too, faded off. Had it been washed away in heavy rains? Did it stop on this road? It's hard to tell with all the overgrowth. I came up to a wire fence with an opening to where a road could have been and went through it. I was still a mile away from Zacatecas canyon and it was all loose bushwhacking. This part was the worst part of the trail. I may have gone around the hill in the wrong direction. We were facing Wildcat Canyon now to our north and the overgrowth was heavy with acacia, cholla, yuccas, agave and big, loose rocks.
The dogs now were doing better than me. I'd get tangled in those thorny shrubs while they could sniff their way down a game trail without any obstacles. I'd have to call them back.
The north end of Zacatecas Canyon burned in early October. No structures were in danger so the fire was allowed to burn out. I came across the boundary to that burn, then had to walk through it. Burned yuccas and agave and thorny brush remain.
It was now 5pm and the sun was setting low. I still had two miles to go. When we reached the saddle to Wildcat Canyon, we were back on a formal trail and it was all downhill from there. Both dogs were doing fine, and even chased four white-tail deer down into Zacatecas. (That is when I realized that they were still full of energy). The deer were easy to spot in the burned area, but it was also getting dark now that the sun had dipped behind the Mule mountains. My one goal now was to get back into the Brewery Gulch safely. Homeless people are known to camp in the lower canyon and have been known to harass hikers.
We made it out of the hills and back into town just in time. There was water in the gulch and I let the dogs drink from it. The last mile was now at dusk and it was quite cooler now.
Minnie was tired but did well to the end. This cool weather was perfect for her. I let both dogs off leash until we got back to the Honda, where both dogs were glad to rest. They stayed in the car while I stopped at the Old Bisbee Brewing Company and had two 12-ounce glasses of Holiday Ale, a tasty beer made with "100 pounds of apple". I even had a bowl of chili. That was my dinner tonight before driving back home. The brewery was quiet tonight, as was the gulch, with just a few people at the bar.
I am glad I did this hike. Now I know where some of those overgrown mining roads lead to, but this is a hike I will probably not do again because of the thick overgrowth in parts. The hike was 5.75 miles and I should have started it at noon instead of procrastinating.
https://tucson.com/news/local/firefighters-halt-wildfire-s-progress-a-quarter-mile-from-bisbee/article_26de5d4a-c187-5014-856f-965e6e6ba7d4.html
Elevation: 5210'-6245'
Elevation gain 1103'
Significance: abandoned mining roads that meander around hills; scenic views, isolation not far from town.
I didn't work today and was itching for another hike. I was once again dressed for Carr Peak, but again the peak remained shrouded in fog and the wind picked up. In the end I opted to hike in Bisbee instead, where the clouds kept clear of the hills. It always pays to have a contingency plan! The overcast sky and the cool temperature lured me there. I took Minnie and Zeke. My plan was to hike the same trail toward Mural Hill, but to take a left turn instead of a right turn at the two-mile mark and explore where the other mining road leads that branches from that intersection. I assumed it would loop back toward town and into Zacatecas canyon.
I didn't start my hike until after 2:21pm, a rather late start for a hike of unknown distance. Just as I parked in front of the Old Bisbee Brewing Company to start the hike behind the building, JudyM texted me to let me know that her Golden Retriever, Apollo, died the day before of painful lameness. Apollo was the dog that I helped transport to New Mexico several years ago. He was an older dog (Judy's vet said he was more like eight years old) and was diagnosed with a disease that required life-long medication, but Apollo was such a sweet dog. He rode in the front of my van like a champ, enjoying the ride while I held his front paws. I would have adopted him myself if we didn't already have six dogs. Judy gave him at least four good years. Thinking of Apollo soured the hike at first, but once I got on the unexplored trail, my thoughts went to the dogs as this overgrown mining road meandered northwest, offering views of the mining pits in Warren.
I never lost sight of the crosses on Youngblood hill. The crosses make for a good landmark, as they stick out on the brown background as one continues on this overgrown mining trail. The old road meanders off another bald hill for a good .8 miles, with Mural Hill visible to the east and Upper Brewery Gulch becoming visible. We were higher here and exposed, but the hill side kept us from the blasting wind. It was the wind I was concerned with.
Minnie did quite well. I stopped at the 2.65 mile mark to give them water. She was still in the mood to play fetch with a few burned sticks she found on the trail. One got stuck in a poky shrub and she was determined to reach up and get it. Mellow Zeke was covered in soft seed heads as he took the 15 minutes to rest.
The trail got harder to follow by the third mile. I lost it on the next hill, but when I found the old grade of the road and continued on that, it, too, faded off. Had it been washed away in heavy rains? Did it stop on this road? It's hard to tell with all the overgrowth. I came up to a wire fence with an opening to where a road could have been and went through it. I was still a mile away from Zacatecas canyon and it was all loose bushwhacking. This part was the worst part of the trail. I may have gone around the hill in the wrong direction. We were facing Wildcat Canyon now to our north and the overgrowth was heavy with acacia, cholla, yuccas, agave and big, loose rocks.
The dogs now were doing better than me. I'd get tangled in those thorny shrubs while they could sniff their way down a game trail without any obstacles. I'd have to call them back.
The north end of Zacatecas Canyon burned in early October. No structures were in danger so the fire was allowed to burn out. I came across the boundary to that burn, then had to walk through it. Burned yuccas and agave and thorny brush remain.
We made it out of the hills and back into town just in time. There was water in the gulch and I let the dogs drink from it. The last mile was now at dusk and it was quite cooler now.
Minnie was tired but did well to the end. This cool weather was perfect for her. I let both dogs off leash until we got back to the Honda, where both dogs were glad to rest. They stayed in the car while I stopped at the Old Bisbee Brewing Company and had two 12-ounce glasses of Holiday Ale, a tasty beer made with "100 pounds of apple". I even had a bowl of chili. That was my dinner tonight before driving back home. The brewery was quiet tonight, as was the gulch, with just a few people at the bar.
I am glad I did this hike. Now I know where some of those overgrown mining roads lead to, but this is a hike I will probably not do again because of the thick overgrowth in parts. The hike was 5.75 miles and I should have started it at noon instead of procrastinating.
https://tucson.com/news/local/firefighters-halt-wildfire-s-progress-a-quarter-mile-from-bisbee/article_26de5d4a-c187-5014-856f-965e6e6ba7d4.html
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