Winterstorm Uri blew to the east of us overnight, sparing us an arctic blast, but dropping light rain. It looks like a dusting of new snow fell on the peaks.
I missed the sunrise, but when I got up at 8am to look at the mountains, the peaks were still shrouded in clouds. The ground was damp from rain. I knew I had to take the pack up to Hunter Canyon for a romp in the cool air. I planned for 11am and invited Susan. She was able to join me at 11:30am and I took the dogs on a warm-up lap on the mountainbike trail off the parking area.
I used to come to this canyon quite often, but started going to the river instead because of Minnie's arthritis. I had forgotten how pretty this area is. There were already four cars in the parking area, a reminder that many other people think this is a pretty area, too.
The plan was to walk the dogs in Hunter Creek, a well-trodden wash seldom filled with water. This way I could walk the dogs off-leash while the mountain bikers stayed on the trail. The destination was Kelly Springs, two miles from the parking area. The wash meanders along rock walls and oak groves, providing for some shade, and opening up to nice expansive views of Carr Peak.
Three of the four cars had left by the time Susan joined me. I had already walked the dogs 1.4 miles. They were ready for more. We went straight to the wash and stayed in the wash until we intercepted the Hunter Canyon trail (the sign indicating the turn off is missing), then resumed our hike on the trail until we reached first the turkey trough where the dogs drank, and then finished off with a short break at Kelly Springs
While there is water in the pool where the springs originates, there was very little in the drainage flowing from this pool. There was some mud there, but even that didn't travel far. This is just an indicator that we still need more rain.
We sat here for a bit to let the dogs splash in the water. Hansel had a blast diving into the water and then coming out to shake himself off right in front of Susan and me. He has developed into quite a lovable, playful goofball, a contrast to the more serious and protective Gretel. It was sitting here and chatting that Susan realized that she had lost her leash along the way, but we found it on the return walk.
She had dropped the leash early in the walk, less than a half-mile into the trail. Once we found the leash, we continued what we had left to walk on the bike trail, where we had to make way for two bikers at separate times. Both were very courteous, and the second one told me that my rear passenger tire had a nail in it and was losing air. Lovely
Luckily the nail was tightly in the rubber. I had enough air to get safely back home. I'm glad nothing blew on the three-mile drive back home, as I only brought one leash with me.
I had walked 5.4 miles in the 2:22:50 hours we were in Hunter. What a pretty little place to seek out some solitude, although more people are now coming here since the Forest Service has begun charging an $8 day use fee at Brown Canyon Ranch and other popular gathering sites.
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