Garden Canyon

Today was my last chance to walk with the hiking group up Garden Canyon (I go back to school on Thursday), but I didn't get there until 8am. I wanted to take one of my pups, but the pups are inseparable and I didn't want to terrorize others with my two dogs.  So I just brought Zeke and drove 1.2 mile past the last parking area and parked on the road.  I knew I'd be catching the group on their way back down, so this way I was cutting out 2.4 miles and walking back with them.

The colors haven't hit their peak yet.  Even when I was out of the shade and in the sun, the reds and yellows didn't pop.  The sycamores are going from green to brown (no vibrant orange).  Some monsoonal rains would have helped with a more dramatic color change, but we are in a La Nina year and that means dryer and hotter.

The creek along the side of the road is also drying up, but the lower water level allowed me to walk down to a few watering holes that a few months ago were overflowing.  There were a few monkey flowers still in bloom but there were no masses of flowers as I saw two months ago.  I spent some time here since the others in the group had already left and I had no one waiting on me.  The canyon was otherwise quiet.  No hikers around me. I walked 3.17 miles when I got back to my Honda. 

I walked the pups seperately just before sunset, and totaled over 5 miles walking today. 

My covid test result came back today: I am negative.  I kinda figured that since I had no trouble with deep breathing while hiking up Carr Peak last Saturday.  Being unable to breathe deeply is one common sympton of covid19.

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CNN is reporting a global surge in covid again.  Here we go for round two...

https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/13/health/us-coronavirus-tuesday/index.html

Global cases: 38,399,140

Global deaths: 1,096,959

US cases: 8,090,203 (+50,644)

US deaths: 220,873 (+776)

AZ cases 226,734 (+684) 1984 in Cochise County (+19)

AZ deaths 5767 (+8)

MT cases 19,611 (+486)

MT deaths 217 (+5)