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.