Elevation: 5193' - 5355'
Significance: scenic loop walk over hi
https://www.mapmyhike.com/workout/4326775594
Today's "flatland" walk was SteveT's idea and I was his accomplice. He wanted a mostly flat walk of 4-5 miles and then stop at the Copper Hop Ranch Farm brewery afterward. It turned out to be a very enjoyable walk with dogs Trace and Zeke with good beer in the end. I've done a different route every time I've walked in these hills. The many unmarked horse and ATV trails, however, make it mandatory to track the route. My allergies today were in remission.
We met at his place and then drove in separate cars to the trailhead parking off Papago Springs Road (from which FR636 spurs) south of the business district in Sonoita. There were horse trailers, ATVs and RVs already parked nearby. We took the dirt path leading southwest. This was the same route we took on our first visit here in March 2019, but we turned around shortly after crossing a rocky wash. This time we continued on this path for a mile.
Our first break was near a water tank and cement game water catcher located on a hillside. Water here was algaic but both dogs were dunked in the water to cool off. We rested a bit, then resumed our walk going southeast. This route was along a dry, rocky creek bed which would have been very refreshing after a heavy rain. We came across a second water tank at the second mile, again with green algae floating on top and rested here again. We were still walking southeast, paralleling FR636 on my GPS.
Parts of this path were canopied by oaks and flanked by hard rock. Walking these trails are always full of surprises as one never knows if one will come across a scenic overlook, shaded grove of trees, or interesting rock formations. Once out of this cool grove of trees, though, the path started ascending up a hillside and turning southwest, in the opposite direction of where we wanted to go. We were heading toward the Patagonia hills.
Here is where we got off the trail and went underneath two sets of barbed wire. We had to get to FR636. My GPS said we were in national forest land, so why the barbed wire? My track showed us approaching FR636, but now that meant bushwhacking up a hillside. Steve said he wanted a flat hike (impossible in Arizona), so we took it slowly here. I was now following a game trail shaded by emory oaks. When we crested the ridge we were at 3.2 miles and on the southern end of FR636. We had made it back on the exposed ATV trail with views of mountain ranges in all directions. Now all we had to do was walk the known path back to our cars. I had successfully navigated us in a loop that was the length Steve wanted to do. We were now back on the ridgeline, with blooming cactus and lavender.
This walk worked out very well, but now both dogs were getting warmed by the sun, as they darted ahead toward any shade they could find. We had walked exactly 5 miles.
I, too, was getting thirsty and warm and was looking forward to stopping at the farm brewery. I was also very hungry. It had been over a year since my last visit there. Our timing was impeccable. Once back at the cars, Steve navigated to the brewery in Elgin. It was just past noon and there were already cars and people on the premise. Yay! And this place is dog-friendly, too. The owners use the front of their farm house as their business. Fourteen varieties of hops grow in their front yard. In the rear they raise turkeys, pigs and goats.
I saw some big improvements since my last visit. Gone is the white fest tent from last year. The tent has been replaced by a wooden patio shaded by sunbrellas. More open seating is outside the patio toward the Cornhole area, which a group of bikers was already using. There is now a dedicated bathroom for guests. The parking area is still packed dirt, but there is now a paved spot for vehicles with handicapped visitors. A professional banner advertising the farm brewery is now visible from the main road. This is the kind of place I'd stop by on a road trip just because it looks so inviting.
People were coming in fast. I grabbed one small table on the patio for Steve and me. Another young man and his dog were seated at a nearby table and the third table was quickly taken by another couple. Later on i met the owner of 18-month old GSD "Riff," who qualified as a canine sheriff's deputy in a California county when he was a mere nine months old.
I had three very tasty beers in the two hours we were here. My first one was a Copper Coffee Brown Ale (5.5%) pint on tap. My second and third beers were 12-ounce bottles: CHR Brown Pecan Ale (5.8%) and Nut Brown Ale (5.3%). There was no Hefeweizen or Chili beer this time. Owners Tom and Mel walked around the property which was quickly filling up. It was nice to see people out mingling in this open space. This is what I had been missing for two months: gathering with others in an open area without being crowded out.
I staved off my hunger with a grilled cheese sandwich with tomato. Steve had a pulled pork sandwich. We sat at our little table, chatted with others. It was very relaxing. The mood was hampered in the end with a phone call from my sister Iris, who told me she and nephew Uli and his wife Jasmine are in Crown Point, IN with Carol because Carol had another six-day stay at the hospital. Would I be coming to Indiana this summer, she asked? I called Carol once I got back home and I realized that I must make another road trip to Northwest Indiana soon. Carol is not doing very well spiritually. She had over-medicated on her medication and had passed out. At least I'll be able to see the grandsons again, but Lake County, IN is still experiencing a high occurrence of Covid-19. That's the downfall of being next door to Chicago, IL.
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Global cases: 5,502,892
Global deaths: 347,590
US cases: 1686,387 (3299 in Lake County, IN)
US deaths: 99,300 (167 in Lake County, IN)
Arizona cases: 16,339 (58 in Cochise County)
Arizona deaths: 800
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