Dixie and Wildcat Canyons, Bisbee AZ

https://www.strava.com/activities/8039283777

This hike was led by Stephen S,  with a PhD background in microbiology/virology/biochemistry who calls Bisbee his home, with the Huachuca Hiking Club.  He has hiked the Mule Mountains for decades, knows all the canyons and many property owners through whose land he leads hikes.  I enjoy his hikes very much because they tend to go over ridges or riparian canyons.  These are hikes that few people experience.

I invited Susan on this hike.  (There were a few others, but they didn't respond or couldn't make it.)  We met at the meet-up place above the Mule Tunnel in Bisbee.  She was already waiting when I came by at 7:50am.  StephenS  was also already waiting in his bright green SUV so I introduced Susan to him.  Susan and I had hiked on one of his earlier hikes a few years ago to a pretty canyon with a dramatic drop-off.

"Your taking that dog on this hike?" Stephen asked, pointing at Hansel who was whining; he didn't like being leashed up to a pole to prevent jumping up on people.

"Is that ok?" I replied, a bit stumped at his response.  I've taken Zeke on his previous hikes and there was never an issue with dogs.

"There's a six-foot rock wall that he won't be able to climb up" the doctor explained.  I looked at Susan perplexed.  I don't remember anything like that in the hike description.

"We can always turn around when we get to that point," added Susan.  We both agreed that Hansel most likely could find his own path up the route as he's very athletic.

It turns out we never had any issues.  Hansel is 2.5 years old and in great shape, being able to jump up and leap tall boulders with a single bound. He performed flawlessly throughout this hike.

Two more women drove up shortly after we had arrived, but neither were club members nor knew of this hike.  Karen B and her friend Beverly are members of the Bisbee Muleteam hiking group who came to the same meeting point to start their own hike. They simply had planned on parking above the tunnel and walking up Juniper Flats.  They ended up joining Stephen's group with his approval and did very well.

We were a group of 12 by the time we got started:  Stephen, SteveA, SteveS, JimA, RyanD, DougB, KarenF (all club members), MikeS, Susan and I and the two add-ons KarenB and Beverly.  After the usual delay due to grumbles and snarls among the men, we finally got going at 8:12am.

It was 47F. We were in the cool shade the first mile walking downhill on a private dirt road that ends at the bottom of the canyon at a cattle trough.  Susan and I were eager to get into the sun.  

Hansel was onleash to prevent any encounters with some of the pissy dogs that live off this road. They had attacked Zeke a few years ago. That memory put me on the offense this morning.

There were no pissy dogs this time, and I took him off leash once we were off the public road.  He kept pulling on his leash anyway, so I needed to get on ahead.  Had he caught the scent of a predator?  Or prey? He kept running into the brush along the hillside.  Unlike the other dogs besides Sahne, he always comes back at recall.

Two miles into the hike, we took our first break at the bottom of the canyon, at a solar-powered power station that supplies energy to a cattle trough farther away and off the trail.  We could see the high cliffs toward the radio towers on top of Juniper Flats road.  That is where we had to hike. Stephen said that dirt road traveling in a northeast direction where we took our first break continues on for 14 miles to High Lonesome Road.  

We continued in the opposite direction, though, then turned south to a drainage with pools of water.  Just what Hansel needed!  We stayed along this drainage for the next 2.5 miles, until we were back on Juniper Flats road.  Susan and I both were excited about the water.  We soon took our outer layers off and warmed up in the sun.  

She and I both enjoy hiking along or in shallow water and we reminisced about the early summer of 2020 when we did a lot of water wading in the San Pedro River with our dogs.

Hiking this drainage was slow going.  We had water all throughout this stretch as the drainage provided scenic spots of small cliffs, swimming holes, one walled-up mine, and vistas to the north.  We climbed over large boulders, slinked under low-hanging emory oak tree branches,  crouched around cat claw and other prickly desert flora and took several breaks to make sure everyone made it.

JimA likes to explore and was briefly separated from the main group when he opted to hike high on the ridge rather than stay with the main group in the drainage.  He joined us just above the swimming hole. 

There was only one tough area for Hansel.  Luckily Doug was right next to him and pulled him over a ledge by his collar.  I thanked Doug for helping Hansel. Hansel was not traumatized by the head pull. He's developed into an easy-going dog I can safely take on group hikes.  I wish all the pups were like that.

Despite the presence of water, we saw little wild life or wildflowers.  We spotted one submerged canyon tree frog, one dead submerged spider (that looked like a crab) and some flox.  Perhaps our large group and Hansel kept any critters safely at a distance.

The grade got steeper the higher we got.  We had to walk through narrow passages single file at times, although some of us hiked around the jams to get ahead.  I did that at times to get ahead and turn around for some snap shots.  This way I could get head shots instead of butt shots of people.  

A large swimming hole was the highlight of the hike and where Stephen insisted on stopping for lunch.  It was indeed a pretty area.

(Photo of me feeding Hansel his lunch by JimA)

My thighs were feeling the grade as we continued uphill.  Miles three, four and five were 37, 33 and 34-minute miles with a grade at times greater than 50 percent.  Visions of the Donner Party climbing up mountain sides flashed through my mind.  What kept me going was knowing we were getting closer to the road.  The power lines that parallel the road were the noticeable landmark.

RyanD, KarenB, Beverly and  KarenF had all gone on ahead by the time Susan and I made it to the road.  SteveS, SteveA, Doug, Jim and Stephen were the only ones behind us now.  We had another 0.3 mile of uphill walking before the descent finally began.  Hansel stayed off leash and stayed close by, but he jumped into the murky stock pond near the end for one final cooling off.

Everyone took off once back at the cars.  We had hiked for 5:30 hours.  We were all exhausted. There was no post-hike meal today.  I got back home at 2:30pm and it was at this time that my thighs were tightening.  I was too tired for an evening meal.

 

These two photos by KarenF  

I got tired in the end.  Most likely dehydrated.

Cold front moving in

Colder weather was forecasted to move in Sunday and bring with it cooler temperatures.  The Pacific Northwest got its first snow in the mountains on Saturday.  Hurricane Rosyln moving up the Mexican Pacific coast brought rain to Texas and overcast skies for us.  Morning temperatures both days were in the low 40s.

Despite the ideal hiking conditions, I stayed reclusive.  I just wanted to sleep in and tidy up around the yard and spend time with the dogs.

Wolfie is coming around.  He walks well on leash but he still can't grasp commands.  When he's by himself and without Gretchen to distract him, he is responsive and gentle.  He's still very reactive to other dogs. His facial scars haven't healed at all, either.

I took the current four-pack:  Hansel, Gretchen, Wolfie and Sweetie on short walks both days.  These are three-mile walks that Sweetie can handle.  On Saturday I took them to the Lehrer Kill site trail head to walk the river (2 miles r/t).  This path is seldom used by hikers, although I saw Bob the Rancher riding his horse from a distance. Weather was mild that afternoon, but winds were picking up as I headed back home in the late afternoon.

The trees along the river shielded us from the wind.  I didn't feel the gusts until on my way home, when a downed power line off Hereford Road closed off traffic in both directions and I had to divert around residential streets.  The downed power line caused loss of electricity to people in the area, but I didn't realize that since I'm on solar power exclusively.

The winds ended up raging for ten straight hours.  We never got a wind advisory.  The storm had moved in a whole day earlier.  The winds kept the backyard dogs quiet for the night.  I had Hansel and Sweetie napping in the truck, with Gretchen and Wolfie with me in the RV.  The RV rocked all night long and kept me awake.

Things calmed down Sunday morning.  I slept in and missed the sunrise.  Skies were cloudy.  Wolfie, Gretchen and Hansel walked at once (!!!) with not too much fuss, but instead of heading out to Tucson to photograph some murals, I stayed local to save time and money.  I missed out on a perfect hiking opportunity to see leaves changing around Mount Lemmon, judging by many photos I saw on Facebook by fellow hikers.

I love cool, cloudy weather.  Sunday afternoon I took the four-pack down to the river again, this time behind the abandoned Palominas Trading Post (now closed since 2005) to walk down to the former LDS Boy's campsite.  This was a hike I had to abandon a month ago due to heavy flooding and standing mud that closed off the trail.

The flood waters are gone and the mud has dried up, leaving deep vehicle ruts in the path.  The campsite is long overgrown, but its presence still remains.  The campsite was most likely abandoned after recurrent and damaging flood waters over the years, that made repairs cost-prohibitive.  A picnic are, several tables, a basketball hoop and old utility boxes still stand.

Evidence of foot prints along the water line were clear when I took the dogs down to cool off.  The dogs were oblivious to any human presence and sprinted on ahead.  I kept vigilance and carefully proceeded on my walk, getting away from the river and back on the open path that creates a triangular path of three miles.

It's a quiet walk, but the sense of abandonment is strong in me when I walk along this stretch of the river.  Downed trees, overgrown and dead grass, weather-worn foundations and rusty mining equipment dot the landscape.  It's also a popular route for migrants, as is evident in the many tossed water bottles along the route.  The only migrants I saw today were the raptors above, as hawks screeched and flew in circles looking for a meal.

Dogtoberfest and walking part of the Pantano River Park in Tucson

Would I have energy to walk at all today after a second hike to Chiva Falls yesterday?  SteveT and I had a visit to Dogtoberfest in mind, and I went ahead to agree to it.  I wasn't too tired after a good sleep the night before.  My only complaint today were several imbedded cholla thorns in my upper left thigh from yesterday's climb to the upper falls. 

This year's Dogtoberfest was held at the Three Canyons Beer and Grill bar on North Sabino road, a pretty part of town with vast views of the Catalinas.  I had never been to this beer bar before, so curiosity got the best of me.  Plus it was dogcentric, so our dogs would feel welcome.  This annual event promotes adoptions, dog health, daycare and hospice,  and there are contests for best dressed dog and other such categories for dogs to participate in.

Unfortunately, the venue was simply too small, too narrow.  There were too many dogs too close together meandering along the narrow pathway between tents.  Trace was loving all the butt sniffing, but Hansel was not comfortable.  At all.   

There weren't many vendors this year, perhaps because of the lack of space.  This was disappointing as Tucson is so dog friendly and offers many businesses for dogs. After a quick walk around the vendors and getting all the free pens I could muster, we decided to sit up front and have lunch with beer.  Again I picked a chicken sandwich and had two Tirrito beers from Willcox.

Dogs were passing us by, some in costume.  Some harassed Hansel, some encouraged Hansel to play with him.  He was restless.  The sun above us heated our heads.  I was actually glad to leave the place but disappointed I couldn't participate in any of the events because of all the dogs so closely together.  I hope next year's event is at a larger venue with more open space for anxious dogs.

We left to walk another section of the Chuck Huckleberry Loop, from the Kolb Executive Park south to The Pit, a total of just over six miles round trip.  

This stretch is along nicely landscaped apartments and condos and parts are shaded by palo verde.  Lowe's and Home Depot also share the path. Memorial trees for departed loved ones line parts of this section. Cross streets like Broadway and Speedway also have restaurants and fast food places along the way.

The clouds from the morning were now gone. It was warm at first and few users were on the path, but once we resumed our return walk along the Pantano wash, we had to make way for several groups of cyclists.  The sun was dropping low and the heat was not quite so intense.

My phone had died in that last mile, but we walked at least six miles, knocking out three more miles off the total Loop mileage.  This was a pleasant way to finish my fall break. 

Chiva Falls with the Huachuca Hiking Club

Today was the big day: leading the hike to Chiva Falls with a group of strong hikers with the Huachuca Hiking Club.  My big concern was hot weather or no water in the falls, but it turned out to be all good in the end, although I was six minutes late to my own meet-up and some of the guys were wondering if it was going to rain.  We were a group of seven:  JimA, Steve A, Steve S, Barry D, JohnS, Ryan D.  Dark clouds loomed toward our northwest.

"That's seventy-percent chance of rain for Tuscon," I claimed, "and that's 20 miles east of Tucson!"  I was determined to do this hike, and a few diehard men agreed.

So we seven convoyed in three trucks, with SteveA and Hansel riding with me. I once again used Google Maps to navigate to the trailhead, taking us on narrow roads that dubiously dipped into a few dry washes before reaching Redington Pass and the trail head.   It sprinkled briefly during our drive and clouds to the north remained dark and menacing, but it never rained during the hike.

We got to the trail head at 9:10am.  We were the first ones there and I was so glad not to have to share the road with ATVers, but as soon as we all dismounted, a group of eight trucks hauling ATVs came in and filled the parking lot.  So much for solitude, but at least the ATVers were polite and we gave each other space. Many more ATVs passed us throughout the hike.  We quickly took off while the ATVers continued to prep for their rides in the parking lot.  This bought us time.

It was 67F at the start, but it continued to warm up as we hiked.   

I hiked with SteveS and RyanD, staying on the route.  At the two-mile mark SteveA found an unmarked trail that he, Jim, Barry and John took.  This unmarked foot trail diverted away from ATVs and cut out 0.3 miles each way.  We all took this on the way back.  A mature juniper tree grew in the middle of this trail, one of few shade trees along the route.

The water level in Tanque Verde creek was running normal again after Monday's deluge.  We were able to rock hop across the water to avoid cold, damp feet.  This last mile nearing the waterfall gets more shaded and more elevated, and we soon came across the falls that included all the ATVers who passed us earlier.

I was famished, not having had breakfast before, so I quickly sat down to eat some sweet cranberry-pecan salad.  The falls captivated the others, who found boulders to sit and have lunch on.  John's knee kept him from finishing the hike and he stayed back.  Hansel wanted to play fetch with SteveA and me, and I wanted to climb up to the top of the falls since SteveA didn't want to go up there on Monday.

After a quick exploration of the shelter cave behind the falls, Jim and I rock scrambled to the top.  Ryan soon followed. It was here that we were able to get away from the ATV engines, gushing water, and people chatter; away from the noise. 

It was so much more quiet up here. Climbing up here was like entering a new habitat of trickling water, sun-warmed boulders and yellow-blooming turpentine shrubs sprinkled with solitude. 

We couldn't stay long as the others were waiting for us below.  Jim scrambled back down and Ryan and I took the high ATV road down.  This road intersects with the road down to the falls, 4405.

I was now starting to feel exhausted from the climbing temperatures.  I was determined to pick up as many aluminum cans along the way, which I did on Monday as well but today there were as many as before.  They weighed me down. Once we crossed the creek again I fell behind, and the last two miles were unbearably hot for both Hansel and me.  I sauntered to the finish in 5:16 hours where the rest of the guys were waiting.  Hansel jumped right into the back of the truck and wouldn't move again until I was back home.

Both Steves, Ryan and I stopped at Hops Sports Grill for a post-meal.  It was loud at first, which got even louder when the thunderstorm broke out, sprinkling the inside patio tent with water.  One customer opened her umbrella to stay dry.  I had a Coronado Brewing Company Blood Orange Hefeweizen with a BBQ chicken sandwich.  That filled me up for the rest of the day.

We had a sunny and clear ride back to Sierra Vista.  We really lucked out missing the rain directly.