Carr Peak with Hansel

https://www.strava.com/activities/5708836537

This was my last day to attempt the hike before school opens up. I had garden chores in the morning and wasn't ready to head out until after noon. It was 73F at the start. Skies were cloudy and there was a 30 percent chance of rain mid afternoon. I started the hike at 1: 12 pm.

I took Hansel. He was eager for this hike. He was off leash the entire time. We only met four people and they were coming from the peak. 

What a change from last month. It was green, the usual flowers were out and there was water both in the springs and along the waterfall.  The dominant flower was the sunflower.  Red Penstemons were near the top, but not in the abundance of earlier years. 

Humidity was high. I was drenched from the start. There was also no wind. Hansel was warm in the sun at the start. We didn't reach cooling shade for another mile.

It was good to see the forest lush out, with water  in the drainages. What a change from last month, when all the flora was struggling. Even the panorama was mostly green. There were grey clouds over the mule mtns in Bisbee, and it rumbled a few times from that direction, but nothing fell over the Huachucas.

It took us almost two hours (!!!) to get to the peak.

The only thing that was absent was the presence of lady bugs.  They are normally on and near the peak mating in late July, but this year there were no beetles.  I'm thinking their long presence on the peak into the winter months has thrown the beetles' cycle off kilter.

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We came across two young men running down the trail to avoid the storm that never came, and then a young couple with two friendly offleash dogs.  They apologized for their dogs being offleash, but I told them that dogs are more friendly when they aren't leashed.  I didn't have Hansel on a leash and didn't even pack one.

I decided to bushwhack a bit on the return hike, but ended up taking longer to finish the 5.7-mile hike.  I came back on the trail just below the trough.  Terrain was very steep and loose and I don't plan on doing that bushwhack again, but it was interesting to see deer trails (or were they human trails?) along ridges.  I had a northern view most of the time. Hansel had caught a scent and took me right down and back to the trail.

I like these afternoon hikes.  There are usually fewer people on the trails then and today there were no other people around as I drove down the mountain.

It was driving down the mountain that I realized I had my first day of school tomorrow!  Oh wow, where did the summer go?  It's all classroom prep stuff; kids return on Wednesday.