Walk under a near full moon

Kevin came home from his five-day mini vacation this morning.  The dogs were happy to see him.  He had brought T-bones for all the dogs, leftovers from yesterday's BBQ at his friends in Phoenix.  That was a nice treat for all of them.

He filled me in on his trip.  He traveled up to Sedona, Flagstaff and the Grand Canyon, Winslow, and Crater National Monument before stopping at his friends' place.  He said he liked Winslow the best since he'd never been there.  He got me a t-shirt from Winslow.

After talking with him I resumed my gardening.  This year I'm going to do container gardening and give the 4x4 plots a break.  I'm focusing on peppers and some tomatoes but nothing too large.

The near full moon rose at 6:44pm.  Five minutes later I was at the old burn area with all four dogs.  I hadn't walked the dogs here in two weeks and am noticing more regrowth.  It's not just from the grass and herbaceous plants, but also among the woodier species like desert broom.  This is impressive as we haven't had any rain since the April 26 fire. By the end of the monsoon season this area will be covered in green again.

I managed a 3.7-mile walk in the burn area.  It was nice to be back here without having to worry about neighbors or the dogs running into others' yards and barking with their dogs.  I had been walking them late at night around my 'hood, but always have to be careful that the dogs don't cause any commotion.  (It's the other dogs that do all the barking).  The dogs enjoy the neighborhood walks, but Sadie doesn't.

The moon lighted up the trail that last mile and the dark skies cooled it off for us all.  I let the dogs jump into the main stock pond on the return hike back to the truck.  The stock pond closer to the road has dried up.

Gasoline prices hit $2.87 this Memorial day weekend, fifty cents higher than it was when I left for spring break.  Analysts are now saying the prices will fall again.  I do hope so.

Walk with Steve along Walnut Gulch

Walnut Gulch is a wide wash that runs into the San Pedro river just south of the old ghost town of Fairbank.  We agreed to meet and walk here together with our dogs.  We hadn't talked in a while.  We parked in the Little Boquillas Ranch parking lot across SR82 and Fairbank. Trace was having a blast running around, but Zeke stayed by my side.

The morning temperature was rather chilly: a mere 53F!  I was a bit chilled and grabbed my old Marmot rain jacket to stay warm.  Two miles later that jacket came off as the sun quickly warmed the sand around us.

I had never walked this wash before.  During the cooler months this would be ideal dog walking country as long as there are no cattle around.  We saw plenty of cow patties in the wash, some were fresh, and some were quite huge!  We saw no cattle, although the dogs did see a few desert hares.  Wide, deep tire marks also lined this area.

What is impressive here are the eroded banks.  When was the last time a flash flood roared through here?  Mesquites, ash, a few palo verde and plenty of cactus were everywhere here. I would do this wash again, but next time walk westward toward the San Pedro river, where there is more shade and some water.

Steve and I always have interesting conversations that make the time fly.  We crossed under a barbed wire fence and walked some more in an easterly direction before I suggested we turn around at the two-mile mark.  While it was still cool, we still had to walk back and I didn't want the sand to get too hot for the dogs.  By now I was hungry, too, and suggested breakfast at Sunny D's again.

We got to the restaurant at 8am.  This time there was plenty of shade for Zeke as he rested in the truck with the windows open and his ice water.  Kim, our server from Thursday, recognized me, but today our server was Honey Dee, Sunny D's granddaughter.  I ordered my biscuits and gravy, Steve had his hashbrown and eggs sunny side up.  A steady stream of customers came in but it never got packed. We talked for over an hour before finally going our own ways.  It was a lovely way to start the day and now I didn't have to worry about walking the dogs later again.  I was too busy vacuuming the rooms which badly needed it.

Fairbank River Loop (4.7 miles)

Distance: 4.7 miles
Elevation (minimal) 3800' - 3900'
Significance: historic village and mining site along San Pedro River


I got up early with Kevin and had coffee. By 8am he was on his way north for his own solo mini vacations to northern Arizona.  Fifteen minutes later I was en route to Fairbank, where I was to meet up with Eric, Robert, HollyW and Susan for a loop hike.  The others hadn't done this before and it was easy enough for Eric to handle.  Now that he's in Bullhead City and working as a truck driver, he doesn't have the time to hike like he did when he was living in Tombstone.  Tomorrow he would be on his way back home.  This was our last get-together.

Everyone was on time.  I walked up front with Zeke, but eventually slowed down to talk to everyone.  I tend to either be up front or in the rear because of Zeke.  I wanted to talk with Eric, too, but he admitted that he quickly fell behind.  Luckily this walk offers a few benches along the way and we were in no hurry.  My only concern was the heat the longer we were on the trail.  There is plenty of exposure on this loop. 

We parked in the trailer parking area just off SR82 and walked north toward the village and then the cemetery.  Eric had forgotten his water and all I had was dog water.  I emptied that out and refilled from a spigot by the schoolhouse building, which is now also the visitor's center but it's only open Friday-Sunday 9:30am-2pm.  They have water for sale there. 

There were plenty of whiptail lizards scurrying across the path.  I was more worried about snakes as it's certainly warm enough now.  The foliage is starting to look dry and drab from lack of any rain. When we got to the old cemetery, Robert had us all gathered around one grave and he recited a poem about the person's possible life.  He does good poetry.

Back on the main trail and I could already feel the heat.  Even Zeke looked uncomfortable.  When we got to the old mill site, we all rested on a bench for 15 minutes.   Just past the mine was an area to our right (west) of an old foundation, rusted mining equipment and a shot-up rusted car door.  By now the heat was even getting to me.

On a cool, overcast day, this hike is a pleasant walk through history. The circular trail is well-marked.  (One can even opt to continue hiking north along the river to other historical sites, but that is best for the cooler winter months)  Volunteers at the visitor's center can help answer questions about the old town site and what all was mined here.  There are a few exposed mine shafts off the trail if one knows where to look.

But today we had no cloud cover and the expected high would reach 93F.  I was looking forward to getting Zeke to the river to cool off.

I was quite surprised to get to the river bank and see no water in either direction.  Ouch!

We were now at the half-way mark.  The rest of the walk would now follow the rivered south and back to the village, with mostly shade along the way.

We stopped at our first spotted water break.  The water was very shallow and tadpoles were swimming in it.  It was so cool here, we stayed another 20 minutes just enjoying the cool breeze.  Zeke splashed around, Holly looked at tadpoles, we all enjoyed watching a red vermillion fly catcher and the thought of continuing along the banks crossed my mind, but I didn't bring any water sandals.

We had a mile to go now and we picked up some speed, but shade breaks came in handy.  We were all beat from the heat and I was feeling dehydrated.

The walk took us 2:48 hours, including breaks.  This is no PR but I came along for the camaraderie.  It's not often we see Eric much these days, and he's one of the original SVHikers.

We all agreed to have lunch at Sunny D's in Huachuca City.  That place is an icon from 1994!  (The building shows its age) but what draws people to this place are the friendly servers, great food and huge portions at decent prices. 

I was a bit concerned about the lack of any shade when we got there at 12:20pm.  The tall ash tree's shade that shades a big portion of the parking lot was now gone.  Even with the windows down, it was warm in the truck.  I was a bit concerned about Zeke.

Since we were a party of five and the booths up front only seat four, we were told to sit in the next room.  This worked to our advantage, as we were alone and could talk freely.  Even Susan joined us and she seldom joins the group for lunch. We could get enough ice tea and water though, so our server Kim gave us a pitcher of each.

She even let us bring Zeke in, but he had to go through the back door (away from any food).  We sat in a rear room by ourselves.  Susan and I each tipped Kim $5 for going out of her way for my dog.  Zeke rested the entire time and didn't even touch the water that Kim got for him.

I had a tasty Mushroom Cheese Burger that filled me up for the rest of the day.  The burger and tea came to $9.57

Huachuca Canyon Road

Distance: 6.1 miles r/t
Elevation: 5363' to 6790' (most of that gain is after the 2nd mile)
Significance:  Popular birding area in the lower canyon and habitat of the elusive Elegant Trogon. Shaded canyon with views of Parker Canyon Lake at the end, and views into the Santa Cruz valley
Trailhead:  Entire hike is on Fort Huachuca, which requires a visitor's pass.  Trailhead is at the end of Christy Avenue on the old post, past the Bonnie Blink housing area.  Drive 1.5 miles on dirt road until you hit the last circular parking area at the first water gauge.  A mature sycamore is in the middle of this parking area.  Birders will take over this parking area quickly, so get here early on a weekend.
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It was high time I made it back to Huachuca Canyon again.  I hadn't hiked here since 2015 when I led that long Huachuca Peak loop with the Huachuca Hiking Club.  I was in the mood for another loop hike, but when Bill and I met up at 6am, he had other things to do later that afternoon and wanted to just hike the canyon.  We settled for a short hike up the old jeep trail and back.  It was, it turned out, a wise decision.  Zeke and Sadie were our canine hikers.

It was still cool and shady at the start, but two hours later it was warm again.

Huachuca Canyon Road is an old jeep trail that merges with the Crest Trail in the Huachuca Mountains.  I remember when it was quite passable in the 1980s.  The section past the Upper Huachuca Trail is now heavily rutted and filled in with boulders, making that last mile to the post boundary more of a stepping exercise.  Bill had never been here before and I acted as guide.  It's a nice enough hike for vistas into the western foothills.  We were the first ones at the trail head parking area by the fort's water gauge.  Water is always running here and flows into a parallel drainage following the road, but the drainage was dry away from the gauge.  (Not a good sign!)

It was dry today in the canyon.  We haven't had any rain since early April.  Normally there is some water in the creek that parallels the road, but there was none this time.  Only a small section of water was available for the dogs at the mile mark.  In the monsoon season, that mile mark is gushing with water.  I had forgotten the collapsible water bowl for the dogs in my older backpack, so this was their one big water break.

The views hiking west aren't very spectacular on this hike until you hit the post boundary, which is a rusty concertina fence along the Crest Trail, the high point on the road. Two fire breaks veer off from the main road and head north toward Blacktail Canyon on the northern edge of the Huachucas.  The first fire break is just past the turn-off for the Upper Huachuca Trail. This was also a popular smuggling route for Mexicans not too long ago, and faint trails leading up from the southeast are visible here.  One can go either north or south along the border.  The northern route takes one into Blacktail Canyon and the north slopes.  The southern route takes one along the ridge to Huachuca and Lyle Peak.

I made the post boundary line our turn-around, after a short break in a shaded spot for the dogs.  The last time I was here one could easily see into the western valley.  Now the manzanitas along the border fence have grown taller, camouflaging the view into the western valley. Parker Canyon Lake glistens in the sun from here if one knows where to look.

We rested for a bit before resuming our return hike to our vehicles.  Now Huachuca Peak is easily in our view, as are several wide fire breaks that look like genuine trails up steep embankments.  We walked back the way we came.  When we were 1/4 mile from the parking area, we met avid birders watching a pair of Elegant Trogons, a subtropical bird from Mexico that makes the Huachucas its most northern habitat.  Its call sounds like a flock of wild turkeys for the first-time birder, and then more like a small dog with a hoarse throat.  Its red chest, white neck band, and dark head make it stand out.   It's a bird that all enthusiastic birders are happy to mark off their list.  Jennifer, one of the women, pointed out one bird in the trees in front of us, but I couldn't see it.  It wasn't until Bill and I were 50 feet from our vehicles that we saw one Trogon in front of us, perched on a low branch.  The bird flew away before I could raise my cell phone and photograph it.

The parking area was full when we got back to our vehicles.  We did a comfortable 6.3 miles before 9am.

Carr Canyon Road to the end

Today is Mother's Day and I opted to spend it with the best mother around:  Mother Nature.

Today's temperature was the coolest over the weekend and I wanted to hike up Carr Peak.  But then Bill suggested walking up Carr Canyon Road to the Ramsey Vista campground and I figured why not?  I had not been at that campground in years!  It's an additional 1.4 miles from the ATV turnoff where I normally turn off for the Carr Reef Overlook.  I've never walked this section on Carr Canyon Road.

I was up at 4am for coffee and breakfast for the dogs.  Zeke knew he was coming along, and Sadie wanted to go, too.  She whined to be let out and was persistent.  She looked in good spirits and decided she could do this 11.5-mile hike.  I caved in.  I was happy to see her in a good mood finally.

We began our walk at 5:08.  The winds were blowing and I put my old Marmot rainjacket on. The sun was just ten minutes from rising and color was coming to the mountains.  I kept that jacket on for 9.5 miles!  The wind felt like it gusted for 30mph.  We only had two cars pass us n the ascent.

Both dogs did well today, especially Sadie who hadn't had a long walk in a long time.  She did well today, staying by my side.  When we made it to the Ramsey Vista overlook, there were two barking hounds at a nearby campsite.  Neither Zeke nor Sadie barked back.  The campground was busy with tent campers.  The dogs caused no issues walking past all the cars.

The overlook is appropriately named Ramsey Vista.  The peak is right in front of you, and the crevices of Ramsey canyon are also prominent.  I didn't even know there was a horse corral at this campsite.
We only stayed long enough to give the dogs water and then we resumed our descent.  The distant haze from the blowing dust made the mountains looked fogged in.

The Ramsey Vista area was spared damage during the 2011 fire.  We walked past mature Ponderosa Pines along the road.  The wind blasted through the trees and I actually felt more chilled now than at the start.  With a higher sun over us, we could see more flowers and colors around us that we didn't see on the way up.

The best part about the walk today was exploring an east-protruding reef by the Reef Group campground, the first of two campground one passes on the road.  It offered direct views of the old mine.  The hill was covered in manzanitas and oaks, but it was walkable.  I had always wanted to explore that behemoth of a mountain but didn't want to waste too much time exploring today.  I didn't want to be overcome with a sudden onset of exhaustion with five more miles to go and with two dogs that may be more tired than what was visible in their faces.

The drainage that flows through the campground and flows into the creek that becomes the upper Carr falls creates a rocky terrain.   The old mine ruins are also here, so anyone camping here not only has spectacular views of the valley, but also history to explore.  Of the two campsites off Carr Canyon Road, the Reef campsite is the more scenic one.

 

There was no water flowing though.  The dogs found a small pool of clear water that they drank out of, but there was nothing flowing.  The waterfall was dry.  The falls are so much prettier when there is water running.

The wind continued to howl as we walked further down the road. It didn't get warm enough until we were 1.5  miles from the finish line.  We walked 4:08 hours.  I'm sure both dogs were relieved to be back in the car and on the way home.

I was tired when I got home.  The sky became more cloudy as the day grew older and the wind at one point was at 18mph.  The high today was 79F.  I managed some gardening but not much else.

I called my mom at 11am.  She was busy shopping at a new shopping center in Green Valley, shopping for bras and panties, she said.  She seemed happy to hear from me.  She mentioned a trip she is planning for next April:  an 8-day cruise down the Danube, from Nuremberg down to Budapest.  She sent me the link to look over, but the cost is turning me away:  "Starting" at $1999 (plus air fare).  The last time my mother planned a family vacation, on a houseboat on Lake Mead, it turned into a tense family stand-off between my sister and my mother.  Do I really want another tense week in close quarters with adversarial family members?  I know she means well, but being on a boat also means being unable to get away from any tension should my mother start another uncomfortable moment.   At Lake Mead she focused on my sister.  Next time it could be me.

I was never a fan of cruises or anything organized by a guide who forces you to do only controlled activities.  I can travel farther with far less money and enjoy myself more.
 

At 6:15pm I went out a second time to walk Minnie and Sweetie, and both Zeke and Sadie insisted on coming along.  That surprised me.  Shouldn't they be tired? I walked another 2.6 miles through the burn area, which continues to get greener with fresh grass growing, despite the lack of any rain since the April 26th fire.  The dogs really seem to like running through the burn area.

Still no sign of Willie.  The food I put out two days ago hasn't been touched except by some ants.

The heat is back

My schedule was changed from a full day to a half day, so I jumped at the chance for another early morning walk through Brown Canyon with Bill and Zeke.  These early-morning hikes are addictive. We were on the trail by 5:07am.

I felt tired this morning, despite the cool morning air, and didn't think we were going at an especially fast pace.  It turns out that we shaved two more minutes off our time and finished the 5.2-miles in 1:29 hours.  Even Zeke seems to be benefitting from the exercise.

Once home, though, I got tired, and once on my way to school and in a warm classroom, I was even more tired.  It hit 92F degrees today and my body just couldn't handle it.  I was too tired to walk the dogs in the evening, too tired to do any reading in the evening.

I'm going to be a tired wreck when the heat of summer arrives.

Shady Glen (9 miles, in Ramsey Canyon, Huachuca Mtns)

Distance: 9 miles
Elevation: 4911' - 6382'
Significance: Lush, cool canyon stream shaded by tall pines and canyon walls.
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Shady Glen is a small oasis in Ramsey Canyon that is accessible either via the Hamburg Trail in Ramsey Canyon, or the Brown Canyon trail in Brown Canyon.  I led this hike via Meetup to begin today at 5:30am via the Brown Canyon trail at the Brown Ranch.  It's longer this way and more of a challenge.  Only Bill and a man named David showed up.  For most other hikers, the early start time of 5:30am turned them away.  I guess they prefer hiking later, when it's 80F outside.

It was 55F at the start.  We gathered in the parking lot and took off.  New guy David wasn't very talkative and stayed with Bill up front.  I stayed in the back so that Zeke wouldn't get in the way.  It was cool for the first two hours, thanks to the low sun and the tree canopy, but I definitely felt the sun's warmth briefly on the upper overlook, exposed to rocks.

It's uphill gently all the way.  Thankfully, Bill and I had been doing some powerhikes, so I wasn't tired at all.

We made it to the lush glen in two hours and 4.6 miles later.  The side trail to the glen is a faint trail on the left of the trail, just past a lichen-covered boulder off the trail.  The trail is unmarked and most likely an old "illegal" trail made by border crossers who once used this canyon as a throughway.  It switchbacks down to the creek and offers dramatic views of Ramsey Canyon.

We could feel the immediate temperature drop as we got to the water.  The thick canopy provided instant cooling. It felt refreshing, although I started getting chilled just before we resumed our hike back.  Golden Columbines were in bloom along the water, a flower I usually just see in August along the aspen groves hiking toward Carr Peak.  I also saw yellow violets and Red Cardinal flowers. We were alone, just us, the birds, and the rushing water.  I could have lingered here longer.

We looped back upstream until we connected again with the Brown Canyon trail and took that same trail back to the cars.  "We could have come this way!" said David, referring to the route to the glen.  I guess he doesn't realize that a nice hike is also an adventure.

I had advertised this to be an eight-mile hike, but I was off by a whole mile.  David looked annoyed.  I don't blame him; I made a mistake.  When we got back on the Brown Canyon trail for the return hike, he excused himself and took off.  I doubt I'll see him again.  (My Skagen hybrid smartwatch only credited me with seven miles.)

"Looks like we found our match!" said Bill, referring to David's quick pace.

The weather was noticeably warmer now.  Zeke took every water break he could.  There is considerably less water in Brown Creek than there was two weeks ago.  The mountains are drying up!

We met several hikers and mountain bikers, including a couple that had moved to town last December from Stevensville, MT, David and Melody.  We met them in upper Brown Canyon. The snow the last two winters, said David, got as high as the top of the oak trees around us.  Yikes.  After 20 years in Montana, they were ready to leave the cold winters behind.  Even the summers, added David, get into the triple digits before the forests burn.

Most of the hikers we came across were in lower Brown Canyon.

We got back to our cars at 10am.  I was glad to be done with today's hike.  This is such a pretty hike on a warm day.  Today's high was a 92F but I hid inside by then.  Both ankles felt sore.

http://www.mapmyhike.com/workout/2867540716

Regrowth in the burn area

Today's 2.6-mile loop through the burn area for today's walk was the first day since the fire that I didn't smell fire retardant.  And I'm also noticing grass coming back!  How quickly life comes back from a fire.  This explains why I'm also seeing rabbits and hares run through the area.  Soon the snakes will return as well.

I have been walking a path that fire trucks have created when they dumped both retardant and sand on the difficult fires.  This path wasn't there before the fire.  Now ATVs have added to these new tracks, packing down any weedy growth. The sand and ash seem to feel good for the dogs as they all seem to enjoy running through the more open fields.  I can keep a better eye on them as well, so it's a win-win.

I keep finding more burned trash (bottles and cans) and parched animal bones.  The fire has exposed the rocky terrain in the area that was covered by tall grasses before the fire.  Sadly, I also came across the burned body of a young coyote, its nose still intact.  It wasn't too far off the trail.  The animal most likely suffocated from the smoke and then its body burned in the fire.

Carr Canyon Road powerhike

Today is the last day of our most recent cold front; it will be 92F on Sunday.  Today is also when teachers are back in school after the five-day state-wide teacherwalk-out.  The Arizona legislature and Governor Ducey did not give the teachers everything they wanted, but they were ordered back to work today.  I'm curious how this will fair out as the last day of school is now the 29th, extended by a week from the normal schedule.

My shift for today was modified yesterday to start at 11am, so that immediately had me excited for another powerhike in the morning.  These are getting addictive!  I asked Bill if he was interested yesterday after the Brown canyon loop and he said yes.  So today we met at 5:15am

And boy, was it cold!  It was only 41F at the start and my ears were cold.  Then my hands got cold, too.  While my ears warmed up by the time we made it to the three-mile turn-around, my hands never warmed up until I took my shower an hour after coming home.  We stayed at the waterfall just long enough for Zeke to drink and then we quickly started the descent.

"It's all downhill from here!" said Bill.
We still aren't seeing many wildflowers.  The wild geraniums are fading, but I caught a nice sample right by the dry waterfall.

Last week this walk took us 1:51:59 hours.  Today we walked it in 1:32:44 and we weren't even trying to break a record.  We met the same two men as we were near the finish.  They recognized us and we waved back.  They were our only company today besides a speeding car going downhill near our start.

It's nice having someone to push you along the way.  It's going to be harder to discipline myself to get up before sunrise for a power hike when I have no company.