My friend HollyW had asked me two weeks ago to lead a full moon hike today. It had been a while and I was ready. August's full moon are hit and miss during the monsoon season. And while we did have a hazy start, the company and weather couldn't have been better. If only all groups were like this!
We met at the Ramsey Canyon Road trailhead parking lot: BillK, SteveT, KimG, SusanM, HollyW, AJ, Anna, Pauline, Jeanet. Two more were no-shows. We started promptly at 5:15pm walking the first half-mile on the road before turning north on the old Brown Canyon Road. I kept Sadie and Zeke onleash this first mile. We kept a steady pace. I stayed in the rear with Steve, who also kept a good pace.
There were a few muddy spots but any water from Thursday's storm had long evaporated. We gathered at the water trough which is still looking dry (I'm now convinced the old pipe deviating from the stream has busted, preventing fresh water from collecting in this old horse trough). I spotted a painted rock under a rock overledge, and AJ said that rock was placed there by a local Facebook group that creates these painted rocks and then leaves them for others to find. Bill took the rock home, and only later did I notice the fine detail on that rock.
From the trough to the overlook for the moonrise is 45 minutes at a moderate pace, and this group was well within that limit. No one complained, everyone socialized, and everyone watched out for each other (something I always encourage). We had 15 minutes to spare once we reached the overlook. We all chatted with one another. What a friendly bunch!
But then the moon didn't show its halo by the forecasted 7:18pm moon rise. Was the moon hidden by a layer of haze we couldn't see? That is exactly what happened. We finally saw light form below a dense cloud at 7:25pm, and then I strongly suggested we hike off the hill to avoid stumbling in the dark down the loose soil. We made it back to the cars at 7:45pm. A few drove off right away, but AJ, Anna, Steve, Holly and I got together for a late meal at Native Wings in Sierra Vista, which is still my favorite sports bar. I had a chicken wrap and mango-flavored iced tea. I didn't come home till 9:30pm.
The sky continued to clear up during the night. At 11:40pm (!) I took Sweetie and Minnie on a final lap around the 'hood, basking in full moon light and enjoying the waning warmth of summer. Autumn is making its arrival known, as I felt a slight chill in the air.
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