The Beaver dam area

Weather was so mild yesterday and today and I took advantage of that.  Susan said that the easiest way to the beaver dam is from the killsite location and walking to the river via the arroyo.  That is what I did both days.

Yesterday I walked it at 9:30am, after a dramatic morning sky that looked like rain.  It only sputtered, but Susan did say she got hail for a bit.  Our homes are seven miles apart, but she is closer to the river and lower in elevation. I took all four dogs and I took my time, knowing that Minnie and now Sadie are showing signs of arthritis and limping.  I wanted to enjoy the mild weather and cool sky before the sun was forecasted for the afternoon.

Minnie held up nicely.  It was nice to walk the arroyo again.  Our footprints were the first signs of recent human activity in the area.  The flowers are all going to seed now, including those painful goatheads that poke the dogs' paws.

It's 1.2 miles to the dam from the killsite.  The actual dam is under water,  Submerged snags hold water back, creating a deep section in the river.  I have never seen a beaver here, but I have seen the damage they have done to the trunks of the cottonwoods. Water is receding now from its monsoonal high, but it was still deep enough for Minnie to swim in.  Once at the dam, I sat along the banks and let Minnie swim for a good 20 minutes while the other dogs explored the area.  Sadie stayed by my side and Zeke took off with Sweetie.  Mallards were to the south of us, and egrets to our north.

The best part of my stay yesterday was watching and listening to the falling leaves.  A gentle breeze carried many of the leaves downward, coating the ground with golden leaves.  The sound of rustling leaves, gurgling water, and splashing dogs was very soothing.

I ended up spending three hours at the river with the dogs, stopping several times to let them in the water.  I tried finding a trail from the dam that followed the river, but it's too overgrown here.  It's best just to head back to the official trail.

Today I went back there again in the afternoon, meeting Susan at the killsite at 1:15pm.  It was five degrees wamer and less cloudy, so I once again worried about Minnie, but she held up strong, perhaps because she knew she was heading toward the river.  We stopped at the same spot as yesterday, but then walked north in the water for a half mile to see the condition of the river.  The dogs enjoyed the water walk.

The walks combined were 5.1 miles long.