Exploring the river; full moon rising

My job was cancelled today, so I had more free time again.  By 11am I took the pack and started from the Palominas Trailhead off SR92, with the intent of walking north as far as the overturned car, connecting both the north and south sections of the river that I like walking.  It was breezy today and a good ten degrees colder.  The dogs didn't seem to mind.

I hadn't done this southern stretch of the river since last December with Bill.  I haven't seen much of him, whether via Facebook or in person.  I know his 96-year-old father had a stroke and he's been in Mesa a lot spending time with his dad and son.  I do miss our eclectic conversations.

I was surprised to see NO WATER along this 1.25 mile stretch of riverbed.  The riverbed was deep, loose sand and a pain to walk through.  Even the dogs preferred walking in the grass on the higher banks.  A few cottonwoods had been toppled here as well from TD Lorena.  The only excitement was coming across a coatimundi.  I yelled at it to get moving.  It was on the ground, standing still and facing us, and didn't seem worried about the dogs. When it saw Sweetie run toward it, it was smart enough to climb high up a tree.  That was a smart move, as Sweetie was determined to get to that animal, but couldn't quite get up the tree.

There was no water south of the bridge, either, but I will explore that another day.  I noticed a new grave marker from  a border crosser just south of the SR92 bridge, of a young woman who was found dead just this past August.  These crosses are placed in Cochise County by a non-profit group, Pilgrimage of Remembrance, out of Douglas.  I have come across ten of these crosses on my hikes and walks in Cochise County, and some of them have been in rather unexpected areas.  A few have been removed by people who don't like the idea of the land becoming a memorial for dead migrants.  To me, the crosses have a sobering effect.  While I'm no fan of illegal migration, (nor do I want to see our public lands become a memorial of red or white crosses) these crosses still represent people who had dreams for a better life for whom help came too late.  This is the third cross along the river that I have come across.

I went back home after just two hours, knowing that I'd do a second round for the full moon at 5:51pm.  By then it was colder and the wind was picking up.  Not in the mood for a long hike under cold winds, I opted for a quick walk up the Perimeter Trail via Miller Canyon.  It's only a half-mile to the perimeter along the ridgeline, from which one has a clear view of the east and the San Pedro Valley.  I only took Zeke and Sweetie, leaving the two older, tired dogs at home.  I know in a few years these two dogs will be the only two hiking dogs left, so I have to mentally get prepared for this.

We walked 0.75 miles along the Perimeter Trail, then turned around where the trail takes a sharp turn west and away from the valley view.  This part can get very dark without any ambient light. The moon was hidden behind low-lying clouds, and I didn't want to wait around for 20 minutes before it did become visible.

This was a short walk and I was back home in under an hour.