I overslept for a sunrise walk but that's ok. Even super heroes need a break.
Today's early hike was a last-minute decision by me to lead for the local MeetUp. We gathered at the Lower Miller Canyon parking lot at 0600 and took off for this short but shady walk. We were seven people and four dogs (I took Sheba for more leash training). HollyW, BonnyM, Celeste F and her dog Halo with her friend Belinda and her dog Yukon, SteveT and his dog Trace, and new member Chris from Fort Wayne made up today's group. It was a pleasant 73F at the start.
The Miller Creek trail was my choice for dog walking Sara and Sammy over ten years ago, our first two dogs. Back then this trail was also popular with horses, but now mountain bikers have taken over that trail. We didn't see anyone on this trail until we got a mile up and came up to the dispersed campsites. An elderly couple was sitting by the trickling creek as we came by.
I started up a conversation with Chris, who hails from Fort Wayne, IN. Another Hoosier! He also graduated from Indiana University, like me, but in 1990. He now works for the military installation as a clinical counselor for active-duty personnel and their family members. He was able to join us because today is a new federal holiday: Juneteenth, commemorating the official end of slavery in 1865 in the US. (But we all know that slavery and the discrimination that comes with it in its rawest form never really ended until the 1960s). He has been here for a year. His wife is still in Indiana but is moving to join him now that the youngest daughter has graduated from high school last week.
We walked at a steady pace. The dogs had enough water to keep hydrated. Little Sheba did great on her leash and only pulled whenever Trace would fly on by, much to the chagrin of Chris who told me "that dog needs to be on a leash!" Trace is a good dog, and I don't mind him around me when it's just Steve and me on a trail, but he is hyper and jumps up on people. Some people do not appreciate dogs jumping up on them. Steve put Trace on a leash at this point.
We took a break at the old picnic area at the upper Miller canyon parking area, then walked back the way we came. Now the trail was busier, with more dog walkers getting in a few miles before the heat began at 8am. By then we were already done.
We got back to our cars at 7:40am. Everyone departed, but I took Chris on an extended 1.2-miles (r/t) to the hidden falls area. He had never been there.This is an exposed section and I could tell that Sheba was feeling the heat. We turned around at the start of the dry rock slabs and then returned to our cars by 8am.
The official hike was 3.6 miles, but Chris and I did another 1.2 miles for a total of 4.8 miles. We definitely felt the heat by the time we left the area.
First dog Champ has died. The news came early via NPR as I got ready for the hike. The German Shepherd Dog was 13 years old. President Biden got him in 2008 after getting elected Vice President. I know Sadie doesn't have much time left on Earth, either, but she's still holding strong. She only has trouble walking with her rear legs as he rear right foot curls in now when she walks. a sign of muscular weakness.
https://www.cnn.com/2021/06/19/politics/champ-biden-german-shepherd-dog-dies/index.html
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