Bagging Gold Hill, Mule Mtns south of Bisbee AZ

 I finally got to bag this peak, thanks to Ryan.  He emailed me and a few other women asking if we were interested, and I volunteered.  We were a group of five: Ryan, Barbara, Lindsay, Deb and I with Zeke. We met in Bisbee by the roundabout, then convoyed to the trailhead off Yuma Trail in Bisbee-Warren.   I only knew Deb from three previous hikes with the Bisbee Muleteam.It was a breezy 54F at the start with sunny skies.

We hiked the first mile along the same track I led with the Huachuca Hiking club earlier in the month, through blooming ocotillos, and then down the drainage south around the big conglomerate mound, which Lindsay named Poop Mountain.  Lindsay was the naturalist in this group, who easily got excited over the fairy dusters, rainbow cactus and other flowers we encountered. She found an egg sack of a praying mantis later, which she took home to watch it hatch.

We then were briefly on the main path that takes one up to Patio Peak, but then diverted to ascend a spur on the north side of Gold Hill.  This was heavily covered in bunch grass, agave, bear grass, mountain mahogony and emory oak.  We kept our distance as we climbed.  The biggest obstacle was the thickets of catclaw and other shrubbery, but we made it to the first saddle without any injuries.  By now the winds were picking up as forecasted.

We rested briefly at the first saddle, looked at the peak, and agreed we should continue ascending on the north slope.  This was easier than it looked.  Maybe I'm in better shape than I thought as not once did I feel winded.  Perhaps the cool wind helped.

It was very windy on the summit, which consists of two high points within a small saddle.  Ryan said the more western peak is higher.  We could see the lower shaft of the Gold Hill mine on the east side of the mountain.  Everything looked dry as the views in all directions were mostly hues of brown.

We sat by a rock wall and near an emory oak as we ate our lunch and gazed out to the north with Patio Peak and its trail visible.  Lindsay had brought a homemade loaf of moist banana-nut-coconut bread which helped fill me up as I only brought tangerines to eat.  Zeke got his usual chicken jerky treats and a small pouch of chicken. 

Our return route was following the ridge to the west.  We stopped only once to admire the skull of a javalina which Ryan had come across on his ascent. Again, this appeared easy despite the many rock steps we had to take.  But when we reached the western edge of the ridge we had a steep climb down that required our attention.  Barbara and I took the more northern route which took us through an ocotillo grove, while the other three climbed down further south.  We all met up again just south of the Ivanhoe shaft and took the drainage back the way we came.

We made it back to the cars just after 2pm.  The winds had stopped and it was in the low 70s. I took the southern route out of Bisbee and got home just before 3pm.  I greeted Kevin, played a bit with the puppies, then took the pack with Minnie (no Sadie) for a 3.5-mile river ramble, the first time this year Susan and I waded through the water.

     

***

Global cases 128,079,744

Global deaths 2,811,285

US cases 30,962,751 (+41,139)

US deaths 562,526 (+486)

AZ cases 839,888 (+554)

AZ deaths 16,918 (+6)

IN cases 684,020 (+944)

IN deaths 13,023 (+12)

PA cases 1,018,605 (+1575)

PA deaths 25,113 (+14)

Texas Canyon Trail Run

This is an annual run/walk held at the Amerind Museum in Dragoon, AZ, 14 miles east of Benson.  I had never been to the museum and wanted to take the chance doing the run to see the area.  I registered for the walk in mid January.

I didn't sleep well the night before, perhaps out of fear of oversleeping.  I was up at 4am to shower, wrapped my right foot with masking tape to protect the healing wound from last Saturday, then drove off at 4:45am as a near full moon was sinking in the western sky.

Nights have been busy lately, with reports of illegal migrants coming across in large numbers.  I saw a white sedan pulled over at the Circle K gas station off Buffalo Soldier Trail with five illegals on the ground and the car's trunk open.  Further down the road, there were three USBP vehicles with their lights on, parked on Fort Huachuca property.

I was ahead of schedule.  I was slated for the 0700 hour start time.  Instructions told me to show up 30 minutes earlier for packet pick-up.  I arrived just before 0600 hours as volunteers were still setting up the drive-thru registration tent.  I was the first vehicle in the parking lot.

The race/walk was well organized and very rigid as to avoid coronavirus contamination.  We all had to wear a face mask while mingling and had to stay six feet apart. Participants were staggered every 30 seconds.  Instructions said that late arrivees would not be compensated.  We had to bring our own water.

I registered for the 0700 start time because I expected warmer weather and not the 34F we had at sunrise. I didn't want to be running or walking in 70F.  The cold seemed welcoming to turkey vultures who gathered in the ash trees near the start, as well as in trees off in the boulders. It did warm up to 56F by the time I was done with the walk 90 minutes later, but a cool desert wind made the warming temperatures less noticeable.

The entire course was on Amerind property which is normally closed to the public.  I was expecting running around the boulders that Texas Canyon is known for, but instead the course was on dirt roads and exposed.  Views were expansive in all directions, with agave. catclaw, sage, creosote being the common flora around.  I could hear interstate traffic on the north end of the course. The more interesting rock formations were near the Amerind museum and not on the course. I explored them after the official powerwalk and away from any crowd.

The race was open to 500 people.  A total of 442 registered by race day.  Participants could start as late as 11am. I was never near any crowds or large groups of people because of how rigid the start times were spread out.

The race/walk event got busier after 9am. I sat in the Honda after I finished, waiting for 10am so that I could see the museum.  The final quarter mile went past the parking lot, and I saw many more people finishing in groups: families and older people walking together. 

The museum covers all the western tribes of the United States.  Pottery, jewelry and history of the various tribes are on display, but it's only a small part of the historical Felton house. I did not go into the art gallery.

I finally left by noon. I was tired and hungry now and wanted to stop in Benson for lunch before driving home.

***

Global cases 127,591,012

Global deaths 2,804,816

US cases 30,917,090 (+68,307)

US deaths 562,013 (+929)

AZ cases 839,334 (+776)

AZ deaths 16,912 (+14)

CA cases 3,659,164 (+3327)

CA deaths 58,449 (+194)

IN cases 683,076 (+977)

IN deaths 13,011 (+9)

MI cases 723,700 (+5245)

MI deaths 17,047 (+24)

Potter Mountain, (6532') Mule Mountains

Distance: 10 miles

Elevation gain:2414'

Significance: views, solitude, really sore feet

This is a true bushwhack to a remote peak in the Mule Mountains near Bisbee.

SteveS from the Huachuca Hiking Club led this hike.  We were originally a group of 9: SteveS, SteveA, DougB, JohnS, RodC, RyanD, Susan and Deb from Bisbee and Zeke and I. We all met at the Old Divide in Bisbee and then drove up Juniper Flats to the trailhead just below Juniper Peak.  We began this hike at 7:45am under sunny skies and 50F as we hiked down a rocky road and continued on a single track down the steep north slope of the hill.

I had taken Sadie, Zeke and Minnie here to explore back in January 2017, but never went down the hill to explore further.  Today the group continued on singletrack and game trails in a north, northwest direction.  Once we got off the first hill, we were mostly on exposed and rocky ridges dotted by agave, emory oak, prickly pear, alligator juniper.  We had to watch our footing carefully as the many rocks were hidden by dry grass.

The path we took offered open views of Wildcat Canyon to the south.  SteveA said that about ten years ago a housing development was proposed, but that proposal was quickly shut down.  One can see a meandering dirt road traveling down the canyon, and more faint smaller roads go up treeless spurs.  Further east I could also see a dry waterfall.

It quickly got warm.  I removed the wind jacket and now exposed my arms as I was not wearing my usual white Royal Robbins hiking shirt.  Thankfully Ryan let me use some of his sun screen, which I spread across my face and arms.  Zeke, too, was getting warm in the sun.

The hills were dry.  We came across small bundles of purple verbena, but otherwise saw no wildflowers. The emory oak that dotted the ridge also looked parched. Several groves of ocotillo that we walked past were just beginning to bud.  The dry landscape thus offered no colorful contrast to the otherwise browns and greens of the terrain.

We were moving slowly. I thought this hike was only going to be six miles and brought enough water for six miles, but Rod and then SteveS told me that this was a ten-mile hike.  I was concerned about running out of water, especially for Zeke who needed to stop often to drink.  I contemplated turning around at the 3.5-mile mark, when Doug and then Rod and John decided to turn back.  It was 10:30am and they made it back to Doug's truck at 2pm.

The group was now down to six.  Steve said that Potter Mountain was only 1.7 miles from where the three turned around.  That didn't sound like much so I opted to stay on.  We contoured around one steep hill and could see the base of Potter mountain, but getting to the summit took us until noon as we climbed up rocky slopes, dodged agave and ocotillo, and made sure we didn't slide down the hillside.

Ryan and Susan were the first on the hilltop.  Zeke and I made it a few minutes later, seeking shelter under an oak tree where Zeke quickly plopped down with water and lunch.  Everyone else snacked on the exposed summit.  My right shoe was pinching on my foot and I removed the shoe to adjust the tightness, only to discover that the top of my foot was rubbed raw from the sock.  Thankfully this didn't hinder my movement.

Potter mountain offers expansive views to the north. The oak tree we were under was near a barbed-wire fence which ran across the north side of the mountain.  Why was that fence there? Would free-roaming cattle dare come up these steep hills to graze here? The north side of Potter is steep and covered in cane cholla and oaks; not exactly terrain cattle like to graze on.

We stayed for 40 minutes on the top. We were feeling the heat of the day, but now a gentle breeze and growing cloud cover offered some relief on our return hike.  We opted to stay high on the ridge line rather than contour around the hills, stopping to rest every half mile.  SteveS looked to be suffering from heat exhaustion.

We got back to the cars by 5pm.  Zeke jumped in the back and napped and I took off my right shoe again, this time showing a very raw foot. I kept the shoe off for the drive home.

https://www.strava.com/activities/4981513356

***

Global cases 123,672,534

Global deaths 2,736,304

US cases 30,482,075 (+56,770)

US deaths 554,871 (+960)

AZ cases 835,765 (+735)

AZ deaths 16,733 (+42) 2% fatality

IN cases 677,135 (+888)

IN deaths 12,926 (+15) 1.91 % fatality

Mica Mountain 8688'

Distance: 19.57 miles

Elevation

Significance: hiking up several biospheres; bragging rights, views

https://www.summitpost.org/mica-mountain/153827

Mica Mountain had always been on my bucket list.  I never did it because it's located within the Saguaro National Park and no dogs are allowed.  However, when hiking club member Jim suggested bagging the peak today, I jumped on the chance, as I am on an abbreviated spring break right now.  It was a good decision.

The hardest part was the early wake-up and meet-up with the group.  We met at 5am at the Pizza Hut Bistro in SV, before sunrise.  We were a group of five: JimA, BillC, RyanD, BarryD and I.  I rode with Jim and Bill in Jim's Tacoma truck.  I dozed off to Jim's classical music playing in the background as the sun rose as we rumbled on the dirt road to the trail head.

I'm glad I carpooled as there is no way my Honda CRV could have made that last mile on a rutted ridge trail.  There was already one truck parked where we stopped to start hiking.  It was 6:40am when we got started, just after sunrise.  Jim took the lead and led us on the unmarked trail at a moderate pace.

The closer we got to the giant mica-studded mountain, the more intimidating it became.  The first two miles were on gentle slopes, past the typical desert flora so common around Tucson: agave, prickly pear, desert bunch grass, emory oaks. The one flora absent here is the saguaro, as our starting elevation of 4600' was too high for the cactus to grow.  We entered the Saguaro National Park just before the two-mile mark.  Another half mile and the trail began its steep switchback up the northern slope.

We hit the snow level at just below 7000'.  First it appeared in shaded north slopes below firs and spruce.  Past Mud Hole Springs and another 1.5 mile past to Deer Head spring, and snow became more prevalent, along with the sweet aroma of pine and pine needles.  Pine needles softened the trail that was not covered in snow.

We took our first short break by Mud hole springs.  Our more significant break was at Man Head overlook, with expansive views to the north.  We were now on the broad plateau of Mica Mountain, traversing a meadow, hiking under various conifers, and resting briefly on top of the viewless peak where once a fire look-out tower lingered.  We had hiked 10.1 miles to this point.

The best spot was yet to come.  After resting on the official summit, we continued on to Spud Rock, a boulder overlook named for the potatoes that once grew here from a long-ago settler.  We could see into Tucson, the Catalinas, and views south as well.  The views made the long hike worth it, but we now had just four hours of daylight left to get back to our cars before dark.

Jim lead us around a big loop atop the peak.  From Spud Rock we continued on to Manning Camp, which once was the summer retreat for politicians and mayors in the area.  No one was at the camp and we didn't stay long.  We had now completed more than half of the loop and needed to get to the trail that took us back to Turkey Creek on the northeast side of the mountain.

  

Global cases 122,617,340

Global deaths 2,717,726

US cases 30,358,828 (+64,253)

US deaths 552,470(+1742)

AZ cases 834,607 (+284)

AZ deaths 16,645 (+59)

IN cases 675,388 (+958)

IN deaths 12,907 (+14)

Apache Peak (Whetstone mtns, AZ)

Apache Peak at 7711' is the tallest peak in the Whetstones. There are no defined trails to this rocky top; it is a bushwhack for the entire 2.5 miles.  Driving the 18 miles on a rutted dirt road takes as long as hiking to the top.  Anyone planning on bagging this peak must plan for an all-day adventure. 

I had always wanted to bag this peak and today I had the chance when one of the Huachuca Hiking Club members, BarryD, invited me to join him, Ryan, and Doug.  The original date was yesterday, but Barry changed that to today because of yesterday's storm.  

We met at the Pizza Hut Bistro in Sierra Vista at 5:30am.  We drove off two minutes later.  I rode with Doug who didn't mind Hansel riding along, although the poor dog was getting stomach upsets after the bumpy ride and took a shit right after we got to the trailhead.  At least he didn't relieve himself in the cab of Doug's Nissan Forester!

The trail lives up to its reputation.  I had read trip reports from previous hikes on peakbagger.com and all said the drive was long and the hike was strenuous because of the rocks and flora, but there was no mention of shin daggers and tree cholla cactus being the two floral obstacles.

We got to our trailhead parking 2:10 hours after leaving the Pizza Hut Bistro. We entered the forest road from the Empire Ranch access off SR83. This is the Las Cienegas National Conservation Area, which is managed by the Bureau of Land Management.  We didn't reach the Coronado National Forest until the last few miles. The road came to a dead end at an overhang.  There were no signs anywhere that this was the route to Apache Peak.

We were all anxious to get started, and started we did by an immediate incline at 5405' for the first 0.3 miles as we ambled southward through desert flora which included shin daggers and cane cholla.  Hansel kept stepping in those pesky cholla stems, forcing me to stop many times to pull them off his legs and paws.  My right knee was also hurting--it's my meniscus again--and it hurt with every step I took. Carrying 1.5 gallons, food for two, plus a first-aid kit surely came to a 20-pound pack, forcing me to bend forward many times to relieve my back of its chronic pain. 

The route to Apache Peak was fairly direct. We had reached the first hill after that 0.3 miles, entered a level saddle, the followed a ridgeline in a northeasterly direction.  We could see the snow-covered top of Apache Peak from this ridge.  The adventure was now ready to begin. We took off our wind gear and headed up the mountain from the south. 

The hardest and steepest part of the route began after the 1.2-mile mark, when we reached the base of Apache peak.  The grade at times reached 40% as we meandered around cholla, shindaggers, prickly pears, catclaw, small oaks, and limestone containing fossiled brachiopods, crinoids and coral. 

The last 700' was covered in an inch of snow, much of the lower and exposed snow having melted by the time we descended.  The wind also picked up, so when we arrived at the rock-covered peak two hours after starting this hike, we all sought shelter on the north side of the peak to have our lunch. Hansel got his shank steak, I had my tangerines and a meal of fettuccini as we all hunkered down in the wind.  Had it not been for the wind and snow, we would have wanted to go farther and bag French Joe peak (7675'), adding 1.5 miles to this hike with much of the same terrain.

The panoramic views on top of Apache Peak are worthwhile.  It's quite noticeable how much higher Apache Peak is from all the other peaks in the Whetstones.  There are no trails visible anywhere, but one can see the topography very well: three ridgelines positioned at a northwest-to-southeast direction.  Granite Peak (7420') is the most southern peak in this range.

 

We descended the same way we came up.  The last half-mile was the most treacherous, as we got off course and ended up bushwhacking along dense brush and steep slopes.  I took a fall right on my right knee that caused a half-inch cut.  I could feel the wet blood trickle down my leg, but I didn't have time to patch it up; the pants kept the cut covered.

We were back at the cars by 3pm, an hour earlier than what Ryan had predicted.  We were all tired, even Hansel, who stayed in the cab and rested, farting a few times for his amusement on the drive back to Sonoita. 

My right knee was hurting badly during the drive out of the national forest and preserve, so when Doug and I stopped at the Copper Brothel Brewpub for a meal, both legs were cramped and I had to walk around to loosen the muscles.

Barry and Ryan drove on home, but I enjoyed a quiet meal with Doug.  The parking lot was crowded, but it wasn't too bad inside the brewery.  We were seated in a corner table that cushioned the noise.  I had a grilled chicken sandwich with a tasty winter ale and a mediocre cranberry-fig porter.

We got back into town at sun set.

https://www.strava.com/activities/4948959081

***

Global cases 120,616,870

Global deaths 2,679,726

US cases 30,081,605 (+38,294)

US deaths 547,234 (+669)

AZ cases 832,743 (+649)

AZ deaths 16,553 (+7)

CA cases 3,623,603 (+2218)

CA deaths 55,813 (+178)

IN cases 672,554 (+695)

IN deaths 12,856 (+10)

Cold front blowing through

It began snowing at 4am.  The morning was cold, just above freezing.  I cancelled any plans for a sunrise walk with the dogs.  The weather forecast said "snow".  The backyard was coated with a light layer of dry snow which melted by sunrise, but the peaks were shrouded in grey storm clouds for much of the morning.

I finally walked the dogs by 3pm, just along the maintenance road for three miles.  I could see fresh snow around the peaks, but no snow in our neighborhood.  Even the ground felt dry.  However much we got in precipitation, we needed it.   So glad our hike up Apache peak was changed to Sunday.

The central states are expecting another ferocious storm with Xyli and we got the far southern edge of her today.

***

Global cases 120,296,602

Global deaths 2,669,611

US cases 30,043,610 (+53,678)

US deaths 546,605 (+1199)

AZ cases 832,094 (+262)

AZ deaths 16,546 (+27)

CA cases 3,621,406 (+3968)

CA deaths 55,633 (+325)

IN cases 671,859 (+836)

IN deaths 12,846 (+22)

PA cases 969,119 (+2472)

PA deaths 24,677 (+7

Drug runners in the area?

It was a busy day. School got out at 10:30am in preparation for next week's spring break.  I took advantage of the early release to get my covid hair cut short to my chin and pick up curry chicken from Golden Dragon Chinese.  It was windy out and that wind discouraged me from walking along the river in the early afternoon, so I stalled heading out with the pack.  Susan wanted to join me, but she had Holly and Robert over and couldn't join me until 3:30pm.  That's when I finally got going.

Naturally all the dogs wanted to join me, but this time even Minnie opted out.  It was just the pups with Zeke and Sweetie.  I wore a sweatshirt over my shirt to keep the wind out as we headed north along the San Pedro river.  Without Minnie with us we could walk a little farther a little faster and made the beaver dam our destination.

The southern end of the dam is 1.9 miles from the casa when following the bird trail along the river.  We had just turned into the bend area along the river when Susan saw two men.  I saw one man and only his head and shoulders.  He had seen us.  He whistled and the dogs ran toward him but didn't bark.  Not to bother him, I called the dogs back to me.  They came back running to me so there was no close contact.  Susan immediately told me we needed to get out of the area, as people do not naturally call other peoples' dogs to them.  "Those are illegals!: she said.  "Let's get out of here!"  I was willing to just make a wide berth around the two men and continue the walk north, but this time I went with Susan's gut feeling that there were not just two illegals taking a break along the river.

So our walk to the dam was quickly cut short.  We walked right back to our cars and left. While I never felt in danger, Susan's years on Long Island have made her more suspicious of any activity than I.

Not even an hour later, now safely back home and not thinking much about that short incident, Susan called me.  She normally texts me (and she had) but I didn't hear the text message.  She called to tell me she stopped a US Border Patrol (USBP) agent on her way home who was near the Hereford bridge and told him about our experience.  The agent told her we had most likely walked into a drug smuggler who was not calling for the dogs to come to him, but to warm other drug smugglers in the area that two civilians were approaching and to lay low.  The agent then called in for reinforcement near the Hereford bridge as that is where the smugglers were most likely headed to. 

The agent also told Susan that drug trafficking is on the rise.  With the current influx of migrants coming up from Central America, many of whom were held back on the Mexican side while awaiting asylum under Trump, drug smugglers are taking this opportunity to come across as well.  Too many USBP agents are busy at migrant processing shelters to be available to surveil the San Pedro river.  The agent also told Susan that there is an increase in drug smuggling in Ash and Lutz canyons.  Too many "bad people" are getting apprehended by USBP.  We should practice caution when hiking alone.

Our immediate neighborhood has been calm, but I've seen two groups of illegals get pulled over on SR92 either on my way to the high school, or on my drive home this past week.

***

Global cases 119,924,990

Global deaths 2,663,073

US cases 29,993,371 (+69,491)

US deaths 545,544 (+1763)

AZ cases 831,832 (+1367)

AZ deaths 16,519 (+55)

CA cases 3,618,594 (+3787)

CA deaths 55,455 (+283)

IN cases 671,023 (+949)

IN deaths 12,824 (+22)

PA cases 966,647 (+3405)

PA deaths 24,639 (+41)

The pack along the river

It had been too long of an absence.  I got home by 3:30pm and had the urge to take the dogs to the river.  Minnie hadn't been walked in over a month.  All but Sadie flew out the backyard gate to the Honda, barking with delight.  

I met Susan at the trailhead.  Together we walked 2.86 miles, first going down the official trail to bypass a mother-daughter in the water, then on the return walk we bypassed four more B&B guests who were in the treeline looking for birds. Despite the many bird chirps today, I was surprised how little the cottonwoods had not budded yet when compared to the cottonwoods along the Huachuca foothills.

Minnie clearly had trouble walking, but she managed the long walk.  We walked at her pace,  letting her swim a bit to enjoy the water.  Hansel and Gretel splashed around in the water, chasing each other.  Gretel was besides herself and nipped at Allie and Minnie.  Basically, the dogs were their usual self and acted as they always do along the river.

I was still wearing the same shirt and shoes from school.  I should have thrown on my jacket, as the breeze picked up and I was developing a chill in the last 30 minutes.  Another cold front is coming down from Alaska and should hit us Friday with colder temperatures and stronger winds.  I hope we get some rain out of this front, but so far nothing is forecasted for our area.

                                                                                  ***

Global cases 119,220, 222

Global deaths 2643,550

US cases 29,925, 902

US deaths 543,721

AZ cases 830, 465

AZ deaths 16,464

CA cases 3615,395

CA deaths 55,137

IN cases 670,074

IN deaths 12,802

Walking the Loop: from Columbus Park to el Camino de Tierra parking

 This may be the last cool weather walking for a while as spring is coming soon.  It was in the upper 60s with a cool breeze in Tucson.

I picked up Steve and his dog Trace at 9am and drove to north Tucson after a quick drive to the recycling center.  (I discovered today that the recycling center is a block north of the Loop and the Kino Sports Complex)  I parked at the soutern end of Columbus park and we walked north along the Loop.  We had to walk around Silverbell Lake, a popular fishing lake and water fowl habitat.  I had originally wanted to start at the Silverbell Gold Course, but there is no access to the Loop from there.  So technically there may be a mile disconnect between the two sections I did here.

I enjoyed this section.   While we were always within sound of the interstate, there was water in the wash for the dogs to run in.  This was reclaimed water and smelled as such, but this is water that is constantly pumped into the area.  Water plants and palo verde grow along the wash.

I had miscalculated the distance.  I had planned on a four-mile section, but we had walked 5.4 miles one-way before turning around at the Camino de la Tierra parking lot on the Rillito River section.  It had taken us 2:10 hours and we were tired and hungry.  We knew that walking this distance meant walking the same distance back, making for a long day.

The northern boundary of Tucson ends at Sunset Road.  We were now in the town of Marana, walking past a large open pit mine and what looked like an old pecan orchard right off the interstate.  The Santa Cruz river and the Rillito River come together north of the open pit mine.  

The 54-mile Loop route turns east here and continues toward the Rillito River, while a spur trail on the Santa Cruz River trail continues northwest into Marana. We saw a lot of cyclists on this stretch as we walked from an industrial area to a more business area with fast-food and shopping.

Flowere were visible.  I saw some pink penstemon, and yellow and orange flowers in bloom.  Tucson always blooms earlier than Sierra Vista because of its lower altitude.

We were tired and hungry as we got back to the car at 4:30pm.  We had a late lunch at Popeye's. Our next plan was a stop at Button brew.  Steve had never been there and I wanted him to try it out.  The tired dogs stayed in the car while parked in the shade.  I only had one beer, their #13 fruit wheat beer which I had the first time I stopped in this place.  We sat outside but it was now getting cold for me.  The owners had their work crew then sit outside and drink several pitchers of beer.  One guest had her dog with her, which annoyed me because Button brew does not allow dogs of any kind on its patio or taproom.

We stopped at Catalina Brewing next.  This is one block away from Button brew.  The dogs were welcome in this place.  We sat in a small room away from other customers so that the dogs could rest.  Hansel by now was getting annoyed at Trace and barked at him several times.  I figured Hansel was jealous of Trace being near me.

A quick stop at the Costco gas station ($2.89; another 20 cents higher since my last visit) and I had Steve take over the driving for me as by now the lack of sleep for the third day in a tow got me very tired.  He drove back to Whetstone where I dropped him off at his place and I continued the drive back home, arriving at 8:10pm.  

I have now walked 14.6 miles of the Chuck Huckelberry Loop in Tucson. SteveT has walked nine of those miles with me.  The next section looks to be another 5-mile section, starting at the Camino de la Tierra parking lot to the east end of the Tucson mall.  This should be a busy but scenic section.

https://www.strava.com/activities/4926340501

 

***

Global cases 118,875,252

Global deaths 2,643,249

US cases 29,862,072 (+61,394)

US deaths 542,191 (+1606)

AZ cases 828,630 (+1393)

AZ deaths 16,404 (+78)

CA cases 3,611, 810 (+2138)

CA deaths 54,888 (+159)

IN cases 669,164 (+856)

IN deaths 12,775 (+13)

Patio Peak with the HHC and Zeke

Distance: 6.5 miles

Elevation gain: 1500'

Significance: walking through an ocotillo forest and interesting conglomerate rock mounds; vistas

Today was the big day: I would lead members of the Huachuca Hiking Club to Patio Peak.  Weather was near ideal with temperatures 50F-67F during this hike and "mostly sunny" skies.

We were a group of 12: JimA, DougB, BarryD, SteveS, JohnS, BillC, GeneS, RodC, RyanD, couple Mike and MaryannL, Zeke and I. Most of us met at Frys and convoyed to the trailhead off Yuma Trail in Bisbee-Warren.  Mike and Maryanne met us there shortly after we arrived and we took off at 0740.  A resident of the area stopped us and asked where we were hiking to.  I told him "Patio Peak!" and he looked a bit puzzled.  "I've been to Black Knob" and walked off.  Black Knob is another peak further east of Gold Hill.

Zeke was jumping with joy to be on a hike again. Lately  I had been taking just the pups in the morning for their walk, giving Zeke and Sweetie time off.  Today he acted happy to be on the trail; my faithful hiking partner.

I led the group on the main road through the ocotillo forest, around the microwave dish tower and up the first rocky hills.  The ocotillo won't bloom for another month, so once again the main hues were light browns and beige. 

This was a first time for everyone in this group (hard to believe, with all the combined years of hiking)  so I was the bona fide leader who had to stay up front.  

I started with the route Susan and I took in late January, heading to the drainage around the south side of the conglomerate rock mound.  As expected, all the water had dried up save for a small pool suspiciously colored by bovine urine.  Zeke still drank from that water.

Once around the large conglomerate rock mound and 1.6 mile into this hike, we headed  in a more easterly direction with the saddle between Gold Hill and Patio Peak in full view.  The stockpond was now dry and dotted with cow patties, although no cows were in the area.

The next mile was straight up to the saddle, drudging up a steep and rocky quarter-mile before hitting level ground at the saddle.  We stopped at the saddle to let everyone catch up, some even gawked at the views of the hills further east, then we all continued up the final 0.8 mile to the peak where more new views awaited everyone.

Some people call this peak "Beer can Peak" after the tradition of drinking beer and then scattering them on the peak, or hanging the cans off a small shrub by two small solar panels.  I had picked up two old beer cans on this hike and found a third can at the peak.  Not liking litter in the wilderness, I packed the three cans in my bag so that the peak remains can-free moving forward.  

This was my third time in a year up this peak so my enthusiasm was not as strong as that of the others in the group.  I was focused on feeding Zeke and giving him his water.  A cool breeze refreshed us.  I still had my sweat shirt on and didn't take that off until the final mile.

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SteveS squealed with delight when he heard and saw a train churn on the Mexican side of the border moving toward Naco.  His grandfather had worked on the Pennsylvania railroad, he explained. I like the sight and sound of trains, too, and watched the sun reflection off the train caterpillar while eating my spicy chicken sandwich.

Twenty minutes later we were on our return hike, heading off the peak, then the saddle, then the treacherous 27% rocky slide down that hill before hitting tierra firma.  The vanguard stopped again at the stock pond to let the rear guard catch up before now taking the northern route around the big conglomerate rock mound.

And then I spotted the cows.  Big, black, beautiful cows standing right in the path we had to take.  I put Zeke on his leash before he spotted the Angus.He whimpered and pulled and wanted to herd in those cows.  The cows slowly backed away; even the horned bull relinquished his role as herd protector, and we all climbed up the last big hill on this hike without incident. 

It was now getting warm enough for me to shed my sweatshirt.  I'm glad the start time for this hike was pushed to 0700 instead of 0800.  This hike would have been less enjoyable in the heat.

It was here on the last big hill that I made a wrong move, taking the group 0.3 miles off course before I realized my mistake.  My Strava track had stopped tracking as well, confusing me even more.  A few whines echoed from the more senior hikers, but we did manage to all get back to our cars within 3:37 hours.

It was 11:41 when I took off, arriving at the Old Bisbee Brewing Company just as it opened.  Rod, John and Barry joined me as we enjoyed a beer each.  I had a tulip of Limey Hazy IPA, a very tasty IPA.  I normally prefer wheat beers, but this particular IPA is quite good. The upstairs patio was full of patrons by the time we left.  A man standing guard immediately claimed our table as we got up from our chairs.

I stopped at the Safeway in Bisbee to get all the dogs shank steaks to celebrate Sadie's 13th and Gretel's first birthday.  Sadie and Zeke got the biggest cuts. 

(My Samsung A70 phone's storage is currently full, so I could only take pictures with my more mediocre Motorola One phone.  This phone has great battery life, but takes awful photographs.)

https://www.strava.com/activities/4902075046