French Joe's Canyon (Whetstone Mtns)

What a lovely day for a hike.  Today's high was just 68F with a cool breeze, but cloudless. I didn't get called in, so right away I got busy getting my recycables packed to take to the drop-off site.  Just as I was ready to leave a young man rang the doorbell. It was 8:30am.  Who rings the doorbell that early?  The postal carriers don't come around till 10am.  It was a man asking me if my Ford Escape is for sale, or even the van.  I said that the Escape is, but it needs a lot of work.  I was honest and told him all that needs to be done on the truck: leaky moon roof, faulty gasket, worn-out interior...etc.  We chatted for a good 20 minutes, all the while realizing I would be running late meeting up with Steve, who wanted to hike French Joe's Canyon today.  I hate keeping people waiting.  I didn't leave the house till just past 9am, taking Sadie and Zeke with me.

I may be selling the Escape this Sunday for a mere $500.

A bad two-car accident on the southbound lanes of SR90 south of Huachuca City slowed traffic in both directions.  The accident happened at 8:30am when one of the cars veered into incoming traffic.  Luckily no one suffered serious injuries.  I saw the wreckage from one sedan and the driver's side was bashed in badly.

I made it to Steve's place shortly after 10am. We were on the road 15 minutes later, getting to the exit just off MM300 ten minutes later.  I noticed two new red crosses placed where two border crossers were found dead last year.  Both remain unidentified.  A non-profit group in Cochise County called "Pilgrimage of Remembrance" places these hand-made red crosses in places where border crossers have been found dead, with the victim's name, date of birth and date of death noted.  Each victim gets its own ceremony in memory of their lives. This is now the 6th and 7th cross I have come across while hiking.  The crosses were laid on September 24th.
https://crossplanting.wordpress.com/2018/09/24/september-24-2018-whetstone-mts/

I didn't want to park here and hike the 2.2 miles to the trail head, so I opted to drive the Honda into the canyon.  That took 40 minutes.  FR4018 was badly rutted in parts and moving along was at times knucklebreaking. I parked just a half mile from the actual trailhead.  Steve noted that there were no cows grazing today.  We normally get stared at by bovine eyes as we drive into the canyon. Today it was void of much wildlife.  Perhaps the dogs scared it all away, as this is both a hunting and a birding mecca.

We started the hike at 11:15am, going up the shaded creek bed.  The trees here are just now changing colors.  The creek bed looked to have gotten recent erosion, perhaps from that bad storm last week that caused flooding in Whetstone.  There was also water running!  I've never seen water run here so late in the year.  That meant there was more water running higher up the canyon.  This was good news for the dogs, even I had enough for all of us.  The old hiking trail, which is no longer marked in any way, is only .3 miles long and ends at the creek bed.

The excess rain, however, did create a thicker flora.  The trail from the first falls to the creek bed was so overgrown, I had a hard time following it.  The prickly shrubs have grown thicker and scratched up Steve's bare legs.  Steve was dressed in shorts and a t-shirt, something more appropriate for a Florida golf course rather than a desert hiking trail. And I wore my Keen sandals, which give me great traction on wet rock, but little protection against thorns and sharp grass seed that keep getting stuck in my socks.

There is no dedicated trail in this canyon except for the creek bed, which meanders up the canyon to the waterfall and mine for a four-mile hike.  The other option is bushwacking uphill to the overlook, or exploring the many side canyons. There was so much overgrowth, though, that hiking up here slowed us down. 

I asked Steve if he was interested in hiking up the rock slabs to the reef which overlooks the valley.  He was up to that, but the rocks were too slick for him and we agreed to turn around.  The black lichen is very slippery when wet and we had to avoid injury at all cost. I'll have to come back this weekend and try this again, just to take advantage of the water.  Temperatures are forecasted to be ten degrees warmer, though, and the coolness of today is what made hiking up this undeveloped canyon so enjoyable.

In the dry season one can walk up the slabs to the overlook, but the recent rains have drenched the soil along the drainage, making walking even more cumbersome because now one has to either not mind getting one's feet wet, or tackle the loose rocks along the hillsides that are hidden by the tall grass.  The views from the higher points along the route, especially to the west, revealed what looked like an old corral.  I noticed two white structures in the distance. How does one get there?

We turned around at .2 miles (which seemed longer due to the slow movement we did) and resumed hiking in the creekbed.  Steve was up to seeing the waterfall, which even for much younger people is a full-body workout.  The upper creek bed has seen great change with the burst of growth in the flora.  The trail is hard to navigate with all the tall agave, sotols and yuccas. The huge boulders one must navigate around require lifting and pulling oneself among the rock.  One bad move and a serious injury can result.  Rescue in this canyon would be a challenge even for the rescuers.

"Let's turn around at 3pm" said Steve.  It was 2:10pm.  We got to the falls at 2:52 and relaxed until just 3pm.  It was in this part of the canyon where I saw the few remaining flowers in bloom.  Everything else has gone to seed.

We started our descent on time.  The views from the box, however, are worth the effort to climb to this truly hidden spot.  If getting to this spot weren't so time-consuming, I'd be in these hills more often.  So much remains untouched by humans.

 The sun was now low and shadows covered the narrow canyon we had to walk back through.  At  least it was all downhill, and this time we didn't stop.  Our mission was to get back to the Honda before sunset.  We arrived at 5:40pm, passing a hunter scoping out a hillside for game.  It took us another 40 minutes to get back to the highway.

This is a beautiful area, but the ruggedness requires one to dress appropriately and come prepared with water, decent clothing, and a first-aid kit.  Steve's arms were badly scratched up, but that could have been prevented with a long-sleeved shirt.

Murray Springs

Today's hike was not the planned hike.  Steve had wanted to hike in the Dragoons and I suggested China Peak.  Since I was driving, he offered to make breakfast.  I got to his place at 7am and he had the Eggs Benedict already made.  He made it with salmon instead of Canadian bacon.  We ate our little breakfast and were ready to go 20 minutes later when Steve tripped on an electric cord and fell, hitting his head on the corner of his kitchen counter.  Immediately blood squirted in all directions, as well as many expletives.  When he finally sat down with a paper towel pressed against his wound, I could see that he got a deep cut.  It looked serious.  He was calm but the blood took a while to stop oozing. He let me drive him to the hospital.

We took both dogs, his Trace and my Zeke, with us since we had no idea how long we'd be in the ER.  I suggested I walk the dogs while he was being treated. The place was empty of waiting patients, but there were patients in the treatment room waiting for triage.  The clerk told me he'd be in the hospital for at least an hour.  That's when I decided to take the two dogs to the nearby Murray Springs trail and walk the dogs just long enough to make it an hour's worth.  Murray Springs is only five miles from the hospital, north on Moson road just past the MM9 sign.  I was the only vehicle in the gravel parking lot.

Both dogs were glad to get out and move.  Trace peed as soon as he leaped out of the Honda. I opted to hike down to the springs, a 1.6-mile linear path that follows a long-ago railroad bed.  The weeds on either side of the trail near the start are so heavily overgrown, it's like walking through a thick jungle.  Thick growth of cat claw and the most creosote per square feet I've seen locally are also abundant here.  I couldn't even see the trail and had to look down to see where I was stepping. In some sections the weeds are 6' tall and slap you in the face. This is how it was last time I was here.  The trail does widen out and the old railroad bed is obvious once out of the weed jungle, so the entire trail is not all tall weeds. The Bureau of Land Management, the agency that controls this trail, is understaffed and has no one to maintain this area.  When I got to the springs, I noticed that the trail going to the north has collapsed into the creek and the weeds almost cover up the trail signs.  This section would make a good restoration project for the Scouts.  This is not an enjoyable trail right now, but it's interesting to those interested in hiking on to the Clanton house for some local history.  This is flat terrain with the Huachuca mountains in the distance.

The dogs enjoyed the romp.  I enjoyed getting out to walk.  The turpentine bushes are currently in their fragrant yellow bloom, and there are a few other flowers off the trail, but there was otherwise not much scenery on this trail.

It was approaching 9am and it was getting warm.  Perhaps not hiking to China peak was a godsend, as the dogs would have gotten overheated.

Steve was in good spirits when I came by to pick him up.  Dr. Stapczinski was the ER doctor on shift and did a good job stitching Steve's forehead back up. The entire staff was nice to him.  Now he sports a 6cm stitch (2.36 inches) above his right eye.

"Put some bolts in your neck and you're ready for Halloween!" I told him.  He took my comment in stride and was still in good spirits, but now under the calming influence of localized Novacain around the laceration.  He left the hospital with his head wrapped in gauze.

The incident this morning left me emotionally drained.  It wasn't because of the trauma I witnessed, but rather the thought of what would happen to Trace should Steve ever need hospitalization for a more serious injury or illness. Would my dogs as a pack accept Trace as a guest?

Brown Canyon Falls

I didn't work today but had so many other things to do around the house.  Thursdays is trash pick-up day and I tend to use the early mornings to pull as many weeds as possible to fill in the trash bin.  The soil is still damp from the rains and the weeds are easy to pull out.

At 10:15am I was ready to meet the Carr Canyon Road walkers.  They started at 9am so I figured I would meet them on the way down.  They start at the bridge and walk to the middle falls for a 4-mile walk.  I took Minnie and Zeke and had them on new leashes, but the warmth got Minnie fast.  She quickly panted and I could tell this was a struggle for her, even as she had mostly shade.

I made the Clark Springs trailhead my turn-around point, resting there with the dogs on a large boulder.  That would make for a two-mile walk. Ten minutes later the walkers came down the road, and now Steve dog's Trace had a happy reunion with his playmates.  Rick, Lynn and her hubby Frank, Galen and wife Sami, a new Canadian couple and Steve were in this group. I walked back down with the group and even joined them for lunch at Papa's diner.  We were there until past 1pm.

Bill and I had talked about hiking up Brown canyon again to see the progress on the fall foliage.  Galen wanted to come along so when Bill texted me saying he could meet us at 2:30pm at the ranch house, I made sure I got there on time.  That only gave me 40 minutes between coming home from Papa's and driving to the second walk.  Minnie needed to rest and collapsed on her dog bed for the rest of the day.

I only took Zeke this time.  He sure is getting the mileage in now, taking over for Sadie who is slowly weakening in endurance and drive.  Bill, Galen and I started promptly and headed into the sunny canyon.  The sycamores were already more yellow than last week, and I was looking for more dramatic colors as we gained elevation, but when we got to the box canyon, the sun was covered behind clouds and thus any color was diffused.

This was Galen's first time in the box.  He was a delight to have on this hike, as everything around him excited him, from sunlighted grass to red maple leaves on the ground.  His positive energy is infectious. I suggested hiking another .4 miles to the upper falls since we had time.  Clouds got denser and despite being in the open with views facing the east, the low sun couldn't magnify the colors anymore.  Despite this disappointment, being up among the rock slabs  people who had never been here before was exhilarating.  This is the perfect spot for a secluded lunch break: you have a view of the valley, and protection from the rock.

We agreed to repeat this hike next week, in the hopes of seeing more fall color. 

On the way back to the main loop trail we hiked right into the local high school's mountainbike team training.  The riders were racing four loops (20 miles).  Many of the male packs raced by without yelling out any warnings, which quickly irritated me as I had to pull Zeke by the collar and dive into the grass to getting hit.  I understand this is a multi-use trail and I don't begrudge these students from a good work-out, but trail courtesy is a must!  I also understand that had we been hiking in the opposite direction, that we could have more easily seen the riders and made appropriate accomodations.  I even recognized some of the riders, and they were very polite.

Full moon over the valley

My feet are slowly healing, but I still wasn't ready for an arduous hike.  I got home from the high school at 3:45pm, got Zeke ready, and then met Steve, Bill and Susan at the Ramsey Canyon trailhead parking lot for Brown canyon.  The plan was to walk a gentle 3-mile lollipop loop around the ranch house/nature trail, then climb up to the hill for the view.  We met at 5pm and promptly got on the road to the ranch house.  Moon rise was at 6:07pm; that gave us a leisurely hour for two miles (with that last mile being the walk back down the hill and to the cars.)  There were few clouds in the sky at the start.

A lone white car was parked off the road near the ranch house.  I asked the woman if she was here to watch the moon rise.  "Oh, I didn't know about that!"  We saw her parked at that spot well after moon rise and then leave after the moon rose.

This was Susan's and Tala's route, so naturally Susan talked about Tala again.  Bill had never been on the nature trail, a half-mile loop around a small duck pond, and he was in awe of the reeds.  We had thirty minutes of sunlight before the sun dipped behind the mountains and the mountains cast their shadows on us.

We had Zeke and Trace today.  Both dogs enjoyed a quick dip in the pond before we entered the canyon briefly for the short but steep walk up the hill.  By now it was getting dark, and clouds were forming near the eastern horizon.  Would the moon rise be another bomb?

We sat on some boulders facing the east.  "If that moon doesn't rise on time, we need to leave in ten minutes" I said, to avoid walking down that loose, rocky trail in the dark and risking a fall.  But then at 6:12, we saw the first glow of the orange harvest moon, without any clouds in the way.  The view was gorgeous, and we all quieted down to watch it rise.

As soon as it rose over the Mule mountains, it quickly disappeared behind more clouds.  That's when we started our walk back down the hill and I was the one to trip!  I turned my flashlight app on my phone for most of the way, and soon we were three humans walking in the dark with light beams

It was a short, pleasant walk.  While we could have walked a longer route, I still want to give my ankles some rest.

The walk took us just under 90 minutes.  Susan and Bill drove on home, but Steve and I went into town to watch the end of the Red Sox-Dodgers World Series game.  We got to Native Wings (a cool sports bar) and walked into a loud, packed restaurant.  Oh shit, that's right, I thought, tonight is Trivia night!  We sat at the bar, but even then it was hard to hear one another.

The Red Sox beat the Dodgers 2-1.

TS Willa

From Sunday afternoon through late Tuesday, we had rains on and off.  The clouds created some dramatic formations.  The cooler weather was great for hikes around the area, but on Sunday and Monday, Minnie refused to get out of the Honda once she heard thunder.  We had intermittent blue skies during the day.  I rather enjoy this kind of weather.  Meteorologists are saying this is the wettest October for Cochise County.  Our backyard grass is still green!  Normally the grass is brown by now.

Both ankles were sore from the weekend hikes, so I took it easy with the usual dog walks in the area, taking short mile-long loops to give my feet a rest.  I managed a quick mile hike before heading into town at 10:30am.  Skies were dark to the east, but clear to the north. Nina was in town earlier today so she met Robert, Steve and me at Applebee's for a late lunch.  (Steve and I were in the restaurant two hours!!!) We left at 1:15pm to get some walking in off Ranchos San Pedro, but we only managed  .45 miles before we were hit with a deluge and then had the heaviest rain yet from TS Willa, which quickly lost speed once it hit land in Mexico.  My dogs were safe at home, so Trace enjoyed the short romp in the rain without the benefit of sniffing Zeke's butt.

Willa didn't do the damage people were fearing she would do, at least I haven't heard of anything.  The only inconvenience she created is inconveniencing the caravan of humanity moving from Guatemala/Honduras heading north through Mexico and heading toward the US.

 The near full moon rose without any incident since it was buried by the storm clouds.  Skies finally cleared around 9:30pm and I took the dogs out for another quick walk around the area.  The clouds were gone, and I enjoyed a cool, crisp evening walk with three happy dogs.  (Sadie stayed at home.)  This may be the last of the rain for a while, as warmer temperatures are coming back tomorrow and will linger for a while.  The late seasonal rain and now the warmth should create some spectacular fall colors come early November.

Carr Peak in the fog with Bill, Susan and Zeke

Bill, Susan and I agreed last Thursday to hike up Carr peak this morning at 8am.  The Arizona Ash are in their prime and soon the autumn colors will blow away.  Last weekend was probably the best time to hike up Carr, but I was not in the area.

I woke up to see the peaks shrouded in fog again, but I didn't get a text message from either Bill or Susan about cancelling, so I drove off to meet them at the Perimeter parking lot off Carr Canyon Road.  We all agreed that the fog would burn off by the time we got to the peak.  So onward we went, in Bill's high-clearance Jeep.  Carr Canyon Road has gotten badly rutted again and I doubt my Honda could make it.

It was cold and windy at the trail head.  We couldn't see the peak.  We were in the fog and it got denser the higher we got up in elevation.  If it got too cold or windy, we could always turn around, but we all agreed to give the fog a chance to clear up.

"This reminds me of England," said Susan as we walked into the fog.  Susan is from England.
This reminds me of Germany in the summer, I thought.

The trees along the Sawmill trail were already past their prime.  The ash were yellow, the oaks a brownish yellow.  There were no reds.  The aspen were mostly naked. But once we were on the Carr Peak trail at the .9-mile mark, the sun came out and we were like little kids in a water park, trying to race to get the best shot.  We ran to find the best angle to photograph the colors.  We had to be quick, because the clouds were rolling in fast and the sun never lasted long enough for me to get a focused picture of the autumn colors in sunlight.  The north was clear, but the south was still fogged in.

Today's hike was all about the autumn colors.  Most of the flowers were now set in seed, and what few we saw were slowly fading.  We saw a few falcons and a few butterflies, and a young tarantula walking across the trail, but that was it. We were not in any race to the top.  We looked for the little things in nature, like a lone flower against a boulder straining for the sun, dead leaves creating a mosaic on the ground, or designs in the sedimentary rocks along the way. Susan did most of the talking and most of that was about her GSD Tala.  We listened with compassion.

The sky cleared up some in the second half of the hike.  The peak was clear and the wind was minimal.  We met Nicole, a science teacher from the middle school. She was heading down. Another young couple from Phoenix, who got to the peak shortly after we did,  hiked up from the Ramsey Vista campground and had some questions about the area.  "There are a lot of hikes down here!" said the woman, and Bill, Susan and I agreed.  The hiking opportunities is what drew me to this area (it definitely was not the politics).  There were more people on our return hike, which wasn't as sunny as the hike up.  Perhaps everyone was rushing to catch the last of the fall colors?

The trail talk today was one of the best.  While Bill and I will discuss politics  when we are by ourselves (and we both can get passionate about it), today we focused on nature and the life around us.  Susan's love for the outdoors is what I liked about her from the start.  We met over three years ago on a hike and have been friends ever since.  The complimentary conversation and the invigorating smells of leaves made today's hike to the peak rather memorable.  Like Bill said on Thursday, we could hike the same trail every day and still discover something new.  One simply must open one's eyes and see.

***

Rain was in the forecast by 4pm and clouds were in all direction by the time we were on our drive back to our cars.  And sure enough, when I took the entire pack out for another walk at 4:50pm, the sky to the north was thundering and blitzing!  I only walked one more mile, as I didn't want to be caught in a downpour.   I knew Sadie and Sweetie were looking forward to a walk, as I didn't walk them all weekend.

Despite her enthusiasm about going for a ride in the car, Minnie stayed in the Honda probably because she sensed the storm, and she is afraid of lightning.  Hurricane Willa is due to hit Mexico land  by midweek and move on toward south Texas, but rain for us is forecasted through Tuesday.  I don't mind the rain at all, but I do get nervous when flash floods and high winds are included.

By early evening, homes in Whetstone were reported flooded out, along with several main roads in northern Cochise County.  A tornado touched down much farther north in Winslow.  Our neighborhood was spared any havoc. though.

Incinerator Ridge (Catalina Mountains north of Tucson)

Hike: 5.3 miles
Elevation: 1600 ft. (7350-8450’).
Remarks: From the San Pedro Vista parking area, hike northwest on the Incinerator Ridge and Kellogg Trails to the junction with the Bigelow Trail. At the Bigelow Trail, hike down to the Palisades Visitors Center for restrooms/refreshments. From the Visitors Center, hike southeast a half mile along the Catalina Highway to the gravel road going up to the camping area near the south Kellogg Trailhead. Hike up that road to the north Incinerator Ridge Trailhead. Hike the Incinerator Ridge Trail back to the San Pedro Vista parking area at the south end of the trail.

This was a hiking club event I was looking forward to.  I love hiking around Tucson and its trails, but preferably under cooler skies.  We are now in our hiking season and I want to explore more of the trails here.  The hardest part about today's hike was getting up early for the drive to the trailhead.  The drive there was two hours.  That's four hours of driving for a 3:30-hour hike.  At that rate, I want to spend some time in Tucson!

All the mountain peaks were shrouded in thick fog:  The Huachucas, the Whetstones, the Rincons and the Catalinas.

We were seven people:  JimA the leader, Rod, SteveS, Doug, Carol, Chuck and me with Zeke.  Carol and Chuck met us at the San Pedro Vista trail head and we got started right away, in the dense fog and breeze.  We all bundled up for the weather.  I wore three layers and a fleece cap that I didn't take off until the final mile.  Carol wore her Volunteer CNF ranger uniform but she assured me she would not get upset if Zeke were offleash.  Once we left the parking area, he was offleash and kept wanting to run on ahead and herd everyone...or at least the ones toward the rear.  It took him two miles to calm down.

To make matters worse for the weak, the trail starts with a climb to the ridgeline on the Arizona Trail.  I stayed in back to take pictures through the fog.  All I saw for most of the first mile was other peoples' butts. I had never been on this trail and was like a kid in awe of the beauty.

The first mile was mostly in the fog, but it began to clear as we got higher.  Views toward Tucson opened up as quickly as they closed back up again with the fast-moving clouds.

Two fires devastated the old growth here.  The first one was the 2002 Bullock fire and the second one, the more lethal 2003 Aspen fire.  New pines are now growing in the open areas where once mature trees stood, growing next to stately mature ones.

Most of the trees here are conifers and oaks.  There were a few Arizona ash, but overall very little autumn colors along the ridgeline.  Several campers with dogs were camped out here.  One group left a pile of beer bottles and cans behind, just the kind of trash that irritates me.

We went downhill at the two-mile mark, below Mount Bigelow and the radar towers that were mostly shrouded in the fog.  We were now headed toward the Palisades Visitor's center, where we stopped and had lunch.  This area was protected by recent fires, as is evident by the tall, mature pines.  The ground was covered in ferns slowly browning from the end of their life cycle.

The cool weather did not keep Tucsonans from enjoying the trails.  Several volunteers were out cutting down felled trees and improvising the trail.

We then walked a short distance on the road until we hit the Incinerator Road, a dirt road back to the campground and views of the valley, climbing back uphill to the Arizona trail.  We had now formed a lollipop route.

The fog was now clearing.  Jim offered to lead new hikers to the vista point near Incinerator Ridge.  I went with him and Chuck.  The sky had opened up to offer views east.  The vista here was the highlight of the hike and I'm glad I witnessed this.  Chuck and I took a lot of photos.

The guys were restless to get back to Sierra Vista, but I wanted to take advantage of my day in Tucson.  Why rush back home?  I had half of the back of the Honda filled with recyclable material (a lot of it was paper stuff that Sierra Vista no longer recycles).  Chuck and I had two beers each at the Black Rock Brewery afterward.  He admitted that he liked both the Session IPA and Porter.  We didn't stay there long and then went our separate ways. 

Autumn sunrise...and snakes!

Sunrise is now past 6:30am, which gives me little time to enjoy the morning when I have to work.  As soon as Kevin left for work, I was  getting ready for my day.  I rushed the dogs out the door to start hiking shortly after 6am.  There was enough light for a walk, but eastern clouds diffused the sun.  It was warmer than the previous mornings, but clearly fall has arrived.  Clouds lingered low over the San Pedro River.  That fog lasted well past sunrise.

There was nothing special about this walk, but sunrises, despite knowing that they happen every day, surprise us with their colors.  I managed 3.7 miles around the Ranchos San Pedro area, staying off the roads.  The grass was glistening in the rising sun.  Even the dogs seemed to take notice.

Only a few flowers remain now, but even the wet seed heads make for interesting perspectives.  The area I walk my dogs has slowly been discovered by other dog walkers, power walkers, recumbent riders.  When I see anyone on the road,  I simply lead the pack to the grass and walk cross-country.  They don't mind. Zeke and Sweetie enjoy running through dew-laden grass and come back drenched.

This is why I always keep several layers of blankets and other stuff in the back of the car.  I'd rather let the dogs be dogs than prohibit them from running across the grass.

It was a fun, fast hike for everyone.  I could tell the dogs enjoyed this walk, even Minnie.  The cooler temperatures enliven them all.

 

I got a text from Nina while looking over my phone.  It was datestamped 1:20am but I didn't see it until 6:20 am.  She told a small group that she was going to be in town for a dental appointment at 10am, and if anyone was interested in meeting for lunch and going on a short hike.  I didn't get off school until 12:30, would I make a get-together with the old hiking group?

It turned out that I did, rushing to Native Wings grill at 12:45. That restaurant has become the hiking group's favorite place to eat.  I like it there, too. It's a sports bar that caters to the more mature crowd, except on Wednesday nights when the bar hosts trivia and the older crowd goes nucking futs screaming out the answers.

Nina, Robert and KimCF were already done and sitting there waiting on me.  I was hungry but didn't want to hold anyone up.  Kim offered me her leftover hummus, which I gladly devoured.  We sat there for a good 30 minutes before we departed, Kim left for Tombstone where the Helldorado weekend begins today, and the rest of us met at the Brown Canyon trailhead parking area off Ramsey canyon Road and walked leisurely north to the ranch house for 1.9 miles.

The fog had long dissipated and it was pleasantly warm.  I was still wearing my wool sweater over a cotton long-sleeve.  I had to wear my yellow cap to keep the sun off my face.  It was around 1:30pm and the road was busy!  We walked past two dead Sonoran gopher snakes that were on the road, most likely run over.  The third one was still alive.  They all looked to be the same age.  I'm no fan of snakes, but I also don't believe in killing them.  Even snakes serve a purpose.

Robert led the conversation, talking about his South African trip earlier this month.  He really enjoyed his hunting safari, but listening to killing wildlife is something I can never stomach.   When people start talking about killing (anything that isn't a pest), I try to change the conversation.  If that doesn't work, I quietly just walk away, slow down and let them pass me, or I turn around.  Today I just started speeding up, heading south back to our cars.  Once they would have caught back up with me, any conversation about hunting would have transpired and all would be back to equilibrium.

I noticed a car parked on the road ahead of me.  The driver had just finished walking his dog and was on his way back home.  He stopped his car and waited for us to come closer.  I got to him first and quickly identified the snake as a juvenile Diamondback.  (I'm seeing more D'back here lately.  The Black-tailed rattler is normally the snake found in the eastern foothills of the Huachucas. )

The driver wanted other drivers to stop for the snake, and wanted to warn us of the Diamondback in the middle of the road.  I thanked him for the concern, as too many people just run over snakes because they hate snakes.   When Robert and Nina caught up with me and the driver, Robert took the man's hiking stick and gently moved the snake back into the grass.  Now the snake was safe and the road clear.

Sunrises, damp grass, wet dogs and frantic snakes made today's life experience rather interesting.  October and March are usually the two months I see the most snakes.