7:09 and late to school!

Our cold snap coming down from the Northwest arrived late Monday into Tuesday, making my daily morning walks with the dogs a bit nippy.  We had overcast, grey clouds all day Monday but winds were calm.  Rain was in the forecast for Tucson and points east late Monday.  Sierra Vista got some rain on Tuesday, but our 'hood was dry.  The cold weather was a nice relief after a week of hot, sunny days.

I came home Tuesday  at 4pm.  I wanted to take the dogs up Miller Canyon and texted Susan for company, who quickly replied that she was in town at the moment.  I ended up not taking the dogs for an after-school walk and just spent time with the dogs and pups in the back yard.

Fatigue set in quickly and I went to lay down.  I was feeling tired by 5:30pm.  I figured I just needed a quick nap.

Something jolted me awake at 7:09.  Oh shit, I thought. I've overslept!  I didn't hear my usual 4:15am alarm. Why didn't Kevin wake me up?  He was still snuggly in bed when I jolted awake, ran to the bathroom to brush my teeth and comb my hair, then to the kitchen to put on a pot of coffee. What was I going to tell my students why I was late, the second time this school year. The dogs and pups were all following me to and fro, perhaps wondering why I wasn't paying them any attention or feeding them the obligatory morning treats in the kitchen while I rushed to get the bare minimum. 

I left the house at 7:20 with a big mug of coffee in my hand, drinking the hot juice while driving to school under dark clouds.  The thick rain clouds had hidden any sunlight but I still felt I was in a twilight zone.  Why was it so dark?  Where the clocks around me correct?

I made it to the school parking lot at 7:40pm, just 20 minutes late.  But where were the other teachers' cars?  The school bus and the maintenance vehicle were the only vehicles in the parking lot.

And then I realized:  It was 7:40 PM, not AM.  I must have fallen asleep when I went to lay down, then fell asleep in a short but deep sleep. That explained the dark skies and empty school parking lot.  Realizing my panicked mistake, I quickly drove right out of the school parking lot and headed home.

It began to rain hard as I drove through town.  Hallejulah, we need the rain!  But as soon as I got south of town and into my 'hood, the rain had stopped.  But at least I was back home where I should have been in the first place and not late for school. 

Sunnyside Canyon to Copper Glance Mine

This was a hike that Ellen had planned and routed.  Rob and I joined her.  I brought Hansel and Gretel along for protection.  Susan was also invited, but she chose not to go because her neighbor, who works with the US Border Patrol, advised her against going where smugglers and drug runners are known to traffic.

It's been a few years since I was in Sunnyside Canyon, a canyon rich in mining and social history as it was in this canyon where a religious commune was created.  Many abandoned buildings still remain.  We didn't have time to tour the old town, as we spent all day hiking in the shaded canyon and looking at various mines.  This was Ellen's hike, afterall, and she is passionate about caves and mines.

It was a good day for a long hike. Temperatures were forecasted to hit 81F and sunny in town, with a breeze developing in the afternoon. We met in Hunter Canyon and then carpooled.  Ellen rode with Rob and I drove myself.  The dogs were restless in the 50-minute drive to the canyon, paralleling the border and then continuing north on S Sunnyside Road/FR228.  At the 1.5-mile mark the dirt road forks and we continued on the left.  FR228 continues to the right to the old settlement.

We parked across the street from the Arizona Trail.  We were the only cars parked here.  We saw a large encampment that was part of the America Conservation Corps, a group of mostly young college students volunteering to cut down dead trees.  The forest right now is looking bleak from lack of any water and many of the younger, less established trees have died this year.

Other than a few ATVers leaving the forest as we arrived, the only other people we encountered on today's hike was a young couple hiking up to Rattlesnake Springs, three miles from the trailhead.  There were no signs anywhere of recent illegal immigration passing through.  The only trash we encountered was old trash at some of the mines.

The first mile from the parking lot was exposed, but soon we hit the treeline and stayed in the shade.  The trail at times was a wide, rock-free mining road with a gradual grade. Sadly, there was no water in Sunnyside Creek.  Even the grass along the creek has died back, lacking the lush green that's normally along this bubbling creek.  The springs were also dry.  It wasn't until we were climbing uphill after the second mile that the dogs found a few leftover pools in the creek.

The dogs were excited to get started.  They chased each other along the entire trail, running up and down and at times hitting us as we walked.  This was Gretel's longest hike this year and neither dog seemed tired.  

The best water sources were in two of the mines we explored.  The dogs enjoyed the cool air and the refreshing mud between their toes.  Our first big mine was covered in rusty tuna cans (!!!) but lacked other typical migrant trash like water bottles and backpacks or clothes. 

We got to the Copper Glance mine at 1pm.  I was ready for lunch!  I had a cheeseburger that Kevin had made earlier in the day.  The dogs each got a can of dogfood.  They then went to Rob and Ellen who were sitting away from me.  They associate Rob with the fresh salmon treats he makes and shares with us.

TBC

Carr peak with Susan, Gretel and Zeke

My original plan was to hike up Huachuca Peak but only Susan was interested.We then both agreed that Carr would be a better choice due to its popularity and less chances of encountering big wildlife. We met at 845 and began our hike just at 9:11am to an empty parking lot at the Old Sawmill trailhead.  We were expecting crowds, as the lower parking lot had many cars and a converted school bus, so where was everyone? 

Weather was forecasted to be partly cloudy and in the low 70s in the valley. It was in the 50s and breezy and sunny for our hike.  The clouds didn't materialize until we were on our descent.  The sky was mostly cloudy once we were back at the Honda.  I never took off my blue rain jacket that I kept on for warmth.

My biggest concern on this month's peak hike was how dry the flora is.  Even driving up Carr Canyon one sees the yellow leaves of the roadside oaks. Even the moss near the upper springs has died back.  There is no water in Carr Creek, which means that all other water sources going up the canyon would be no different.  Even the springs in Old Sawmill trail was low.

The lack of any water means few wildflowers.  While pink penstemons are now in bloom in my neighborhood, there were none in bloom along the trail.  The only flowers we saw were the alpine yellow flowers above 9000'.  The trees and bramble are budding.  The common white stalk flowers that bloom in late summer and are a favorite among the bees are also just now emerging, much to the delight of the local deer.  In fact, the lack of any water along the trail resulted in the wildlife foraging for roots to eat, as was indicative of the many hoof marks we saw on and off the trail.   The terrain looked like it had been plowed over all around us as the wildlife desperately looks for things to give them some water.

What I called "dry" Susan called "bleak."  There was no color anywhere unless one searched hard for it, as in the red buds of the Douglas firs near the peak, or the tiny yellow flowers on the peak.  The sky was also full of dust.  What made this hike enjoyable despite all this was the cool temperature.  April is when the dry heat and high winds and we got a reprieve of both this weekend.

We do desperately need water, though.  And lots of it.  I don't want a fireseason like we had in 2011.  There is no rain forecasted for the next ten days, either.  Even the upper falls and the pools of water there were dry except for a small pool of stagnant water from which the dogs drank out of.  The tree frogs that mate this time of year need water for the reproduction.

Susan noted the many blowdowns in the higher elevation.  There was one new snag across the trail just before the spur trail to the peak.  The lack of any color made the area of burned trees from the 2011 stand out. 

At least the dogs behaved.  We were just a mile into our hike when Gretel took off after a deer (?) and went missing for a few minutes.    We both called for her and she did come back, panting and with her tongue flapping.  Whatever she ran after had tired her out and she remained nearby for the rest of the hike.  Zeke, as usual, stayed by my side the entire time.  

It took us 1:50 hours to get to the peak.  We made two stops for the dogs to relax and have water.  They got more on the peak.  

There was no wind near the peak as we had feared.  We enjoyed the views, ate our lunch, fed the dogs (and they still wanted Susan's cheese bagel!)  One delight I discovered while on the peak were the wild onions. The wild onions are now coming up.  I dug one up to show Susan what the bulb of a wild onion looks like.  I found many dead ladybugs around the one I did dig up. Did the ladybugs die from the cold, or did they live a natural life cycle under austere conditions?

Onionweed is an (ob)noxious weed that is best removed from yards. Onionweed, which grows in the neighborhoods, does not have a bulb as its root.   In the fall the wild onions will bloom and emit their odor.  For now, they just need water to thrive. 

The only wildlife we encountered were ravens above, and a bluehued headed bird with an orange chest near the peak that seemed bothered by our presence.

  

We never came across another person. When we got back to the Honda three hours later, there was one black jeep next to me, but no sign of humans.  This is very unusual for a Sunday.

https://tucson.com/news/local/wildflower-bloom-goes-bust-after-last-years-dry-weather-across-southern-arizona/article_710450de-9d7b-11eb-b169-f38edfef3e2b.html

Cochise County

Total cases 11,823 11,823 +9 +9

Recovered -

Deaths 282 282

Arizona

Total cases 854K 854,000 +711 +711

Recovered -

Deaths 17,153 17,153 +2 +2

United States

Total cases 31.7M 31,700,000 +40,482 +40,482

Recovered -

Deaths 567K 567,000 +352 +352

Worldwide

Total cases 141M 141,000,000

Recovered 80.4M 80,400,000

Deaths 3.01M 3,010,000

A near perfect day

I had no hikes planned for today. Today's mission was to get Hansel and Gretel recertified in rattlesnake avoidance training at 1030. Susan and her Allie were slated for the same time slot.

This gave me time in the early morning to get Zeke and Sweetie and then Hansel and Gretel walked at sunrise. It was in the upper 50s with a cool breeze. I walked the older dogs first, completing 2.5 miles around the 'hood. Then I switched dogs. Little Sahne snuck out the gate so she got to walk around the block with her parents, prancing right next to her mom with her stubby puppy legs. One block was enough for her. 

When I got back to the house, little Fritzi wanted to walk as well, so I gave him a private walk. The little guy got scared at Sally and Buster's barking at him and he ran back to the house. Sally and Buster are two big GSDs. I had to pick up the scared pup and carry him past Sally and Buster. When Fritzi and I finished our block walk, I took Gretel out for another mile. I thus managed over 6 miles in two hours and all the dogs were walked. I felt good about that.

The snake avoidance training went quickly. The trainer from last year recognized our dogs and took Hansel and Gretel together. Both showed some fear of getting too close to the snake. Allie didn't even want to look at it.

We were done by 1040. I suggested we walk the dogs by the river north of the San Pedro House. We had never taken our dogs down this way. 

We started on the official trail going north, then cut east at the first wash. The flora here was recently burned. Susan said it was from a carelessly tossed cigarette.

It's a mile to the river from where we parked. An elderly couple from NJ were there, but luckily the dogs all behaved. The water was deep, too, which surprised us both. It was even deeper as we continued north for another mike. This was our first time along this section of the river and no one else was here. My phone died shortly thereafter so I can't post more photos.

We both think the river here is fed by springs as it's much deeper here than five miles farther south by the Hereford bridge. The banks also look reenforced by humans. It gets more natural a bit farther north where we turned around. 

It was 84F but it felt cooler under the trees and the diffused sunlight. A breeze even began. We had hiked 3.7 miles by the time we got to our cars at 1233. That gave me just enough time to drive to Tractor Supply Company to meet Steve, as he had left his backpack in the Honda yesterday. 

Steve had come for the 130 vaccine clinic, but the team didn't get in until 2pm and still had to set up. He almost gave up, but was eventually seen by 230. Trace is now up-to-date on his vaccines for another three years.

We stopped at Harbor Freight where I picked up a new luggage rack that was on sale. The cashier was Nikki, the former Animal Control Officer from the Huachuca City animal shelter where I volunteered back in 2013. We were courteous to each other. The past is in the past and Nikki has a hard enough time living with that felon husband of hers.  She recognized me but I didn't recognize her until I saw her name tag; she has regained all the weight she once was so proud of losing.

To cheer Steve up and to thank him for all the help he has given me lately, I treated him to a milk stout at Rookies on the south side of town. Music once again was loud, but our server turned it down for us, which we appreciated.

Thus ended a busy day. I was home by 430, Kevin as usual was already in bed, and I did some more gardening until just before sunset.

Papago Springs, a 4.7-mile ramble

https://www.strava.com/activities/5104911144

 I will always enjoy walking through this hilly landscape popular with ATVers, campers, hunters, equestrians.  The springs are located south of the town of Sonoita.  The trailhead parking is three miles south on Papago Springs Road, just past the Y in the road and the cattle guard.

Finding one's way around the area requires good navigation skills.  I would never want to venture here with a good tracker, as all the trails are unmarked, many converge and many more run parallel to forest roads which may dead end. 

My problem today was my lack of sleep last night.  Kevin's Chromebook got me up at 1am and I could never get back to sleep. I don't know why he insists on playing loud videos while I'm in a deep sleep. By early morning I was already feeling fatigued, but not too fatigued to walk, talk and listen.

I took Hansel and Zeke for this trip. I picked up Steve and Trace at 9am and together we drove to the trailhead.  It was already getting warm when we started at 10am.  We parked near the horse trailer area and walked in a southwesterly direction.  Steve said he wouldn't mind heading back to where the big trough was that we came up to on our last venture here, but this time we couldn't find the right path.  Instead we came across a campground with lots of left-over brass from the target shooters.

We couldn't find the old windmill, either. as we stayed on the main forest road walking south.  My navigation skills this time failed me!  I then suggested we stop at the two-mile mark and go back the way we came.  Steve wanted to explore the drainage so we did that instead, adding almost a mile to our return walk, walking that last ridge back to where we had parked just as the heat of the day became intense.

The oaks are dropping their leaves.  It was a very dry hike. At least the rock formations add some scenery to an otherwise dead and dying dry landscape. I was on alert for snakes but luckily all we came across was the head of a juvenile javelina that Hansel had picked up.

We finished off our day with a visit to the Copper Hop Ranch in Elgin

Huachuca Canyon Loop trail

 I had wanted to lead a hike on Sunday through Huachuca Canyon.  Steve and then Susan  joined me. I had Zeke and Sweetie. We met at the Van Deman main gate on Fort Huachuca at 7am and made it to the trailhead at the 1.7-mile mark where we started at 7:23am.  It was in the 50s and shaded,  We were the first cars in the parking lot.

The cool shade was refreshing.  While Susan ended up putting on a jacket to stay warm, I stayed warm enough in the shade with my t-shirt under my favorite hiking shirt (a long-sleeved white Royal Robbins Expedition shirt).

The first two miles were in the early shade as we walked the canyon road for two miles, passing the turn-off for the Lower Huachuca Peak trail and then the Upper Huachuca Peak trail.  The one thing I noticed was the improvement on the old jeep trail, the same trail that ten years ago was heavily rutted by massive floods that summer.  Today the road was passable in a high-clearance trail for the first two miles, but then two boulders in the middle of the old jeep road now prevents even high-clearance vehicles from going any farther.

We average 30-minute miles.  Susan and I were not much farther ahead from Steve, who was able to keep up for most of the way.

The hardest part of this trail began at the 2.8-mile mark, with a very steep and rocky road.  I remembered this part, just before entering a wide meadow and then the post boundary fence, but when we got to the top of the road, there was no fence, and no view east into the Santa Cruz valley.  Had I taken us up a different path?  We went up a short but again very steep section only for me to realize that I had gone up the wrong trail.  I had forgotten the way to get to the Crest Trail!  My last time here was in May 2018 with Bill, so why was I having trouble remembering?

My track was easy to follow and I had plenty of battery power to lead us back to the cars, but that meant continuing on a just as steep and rocky descent that took all our energy to maintain our balance on.  The dogs were tired, too, and it showed, but at least we were back in the shade for most of this loop.  We had two miles to go before meeting up with the Huachuca Canyon Road again. We made it back in five miles and now we had two more miles on a now sunny but mostly flat section.

We were now meeting people coming and going.  First it was three young soldiers who were returning from an exploratory hike up a high fire break, then several families with dogs and binoculars, then more young people heading into the canyon. I was glad we started early as I could feel the heat rise.

Susan left to go home but Steve and I stayed in the parking area/picnic area.  All three dogs rested under the table, taking occasional breaks in the flowing creek water.  Steve had brought a five-pack of Nitro stout from Left Handed Brewing.  He and I casually drank the tasty beer and chatted.  The older birder returned with his 12-year-old dog and then left and soon there was only one other vehicle in the parking lot before we finally departed an hour after the end of the hike.

 

 https://www.strava.com/activities/5070158897

 

    ***

The heat is on

Warm spring weather arrived on time, 20 March.  My morning walks with Hansel and Gretel before school are getting warmer.  Sunrise  temperatures are now in the mid 50s. This week we have reached the 80s and 90s are due next week.  I'm not sure I'm ready for this heat.  Even Sadie and Minnie are back to sleeping in the shower and bathroom tile floor and the puppies are starting to pant.

It's also Easter weekend.  I had suggested leading a hike up Huachuca Canyon but then Theresa reminded me that this is Easter.  I had nothing planned for today besides working around the house and then Susan reminded me that JEM'S feed had a vaccine clinic slated for today and both Zeke and Sweetie were already past due on their rattlesnake vaccine.  Sweettie also needed her 3-year-old rabies vaccine.  I got to Jem's at 1:15pm and was out of there 25 minutes later and $60 poorer. (Zeke weighs 58 pounds, Sweetie weighs 52).  Susan was right behind me in line with her Allie.  Together we drove down to the Hereford bridge to walk the three dogs down to the beaver dam and back.

I hopefully won't need to take any of the dogs to the vet now until June and July, when the pups will need their annual boosters and the puppies their first check-up.

I still want to explore Huachuca Canyon tomorrow. What started as a public hike will now be a private hike with just a few people.  I'm a little worried it will get too hot and we may encounter snakes. I haven't hiked up that canyon in three years.

***

Global cases  131,573,284

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MI cases 768,892 (+9292); ranked #13

MI deaths 17,259 (+65)