Walking the old Killsite trail to the river

 I'm slowly getting my energy back.  I will reserve Carr Peak for next week, though.

The only hiking I did this weekend was walking from the Lehner killsite off Palominas Road down to the river both mornings. This  was the trail head that Susan showed me two years ago.  She and I walked this section quite a bit then, before reverting to parking near the B&B Casa de San Pedro.

Morning temperatures were refreshingly cool.  Both mornings it was in the mid-to-high 60s.  I needed this cool-down to get me going.  I never had to worry about walking into birders.

On Saturday I took four dogs: Hansel, Fritz, Sahne and Wolfie and we began at 7:30 to an overcast sky.  I owed the dogs this pleasure, as I can't walk them all everyday.  They were all happy to get out and run. 

I had forgotten how isolated this trail is.  I never saw anyone on this three-mile loop.  The only thing I came across was a small harmless ringneck snake that the dogs were all oblivious to.  Ringneck snakes are usually out in the late afternoon and early evening, so this poor guy was perhaps traumatized but not harmed by my pack.

On Sunday I started from the same parking area at 6:30am.  This time I only took three dogs: Hansel, Gretel and Sahne.  Susan had wanted to meet me, but she overslept again.  Again, there was no one on the trail.

But this time I took a longer loop, walking the 2-mile field before heading north along the river before turning west again toward the wash that leads back to the killsite.  There was so much overgrown flora that the smaller trails were hard to note, but we managed just over four miles this time.

And then the dogs spotted a deer.  They took off barking up the hill, just within site of the Honda.  Just great.  It's best to stay in the area a dog is laste spotted, but I walked up and down that dirt road yelling for Gretel.  The dogs stay together, so if one dog hears me and takes off running, so will the others.

This time the pack decided to panic me for a few minutes before Hansel, then Gretel, and finally Sahne came back panting from the race.