Courtland and Leadville ramble outside of Gleason

Today's hike was lead by Karen and David S of the hiking club. 
We were a group of 11:  Karen and David, SteveA and SteveS, JohnS, JimA, Will and Irene, Peggy, and I. They walked us around the massive mining complex outside of Gleason, the Courtland-Leadville mining complex that contains copper, zinc,  silver, gold and lead mines. Tours are led by the owner who charges several hundred dollars for a small group.  We got our tour for free. Karen and David are friends of the owner.

The worst part for me was getting up before sunrise to walk Gretchen and Sweetie before driving out at 6:15am to meet the group at the Gleason jail at 7:30.  It was cold this morning, and there's no place convenient to stop in in Tombstone for a good cup of hot coffee.

I was the first one at the meet-up site by the Gleason Jail.  I walked around the historical site, climbed up the hill that sports a gazebo, watched the sunrise.  Soon the first people arrived and Fritz got nervous.  He snapped at Will, a man who approached me without warning to pet Fritz.  I wanted to warn him not to get any closer when Fritz swiped at him.  He missed the man, but he was banished to the leash for the rest of the walk.  Just when I think I'm making progress with that dog, he relapses.

He wasn't any friendlier toward Karen's dog Roma, a spunky young heeler with quite the personality.  She couldn't understand that any dog would not like her.  Whenever she got close to Fritz, he would snarl.  Twice he lunged at her.  I had to keep my distance from Roma to avoid any conflict.

The mining complex was interesting to walk through.  Karen gave an interesting history of the area.  There were even plenty of small turquoise chips on the ground.  The mines are located along the hillsides of the Gleason hills.  Old ruins, abandoned railbeds, incomplete diggings all still remain and make a visit here worthwhile.

There was no water running in the drainages, so we were able to walk through them during our ramble.  We even spooked a startled barn owl that flew out of a mine shaft (I'm sure it was not expecting humans to barge in on its privacy!) and later a ground dove that we found frozen to the ground, its wings splayed out and its eyes vacant of any life.  I did not capture the startled owl fly away.

The ramble was only 4.2 miles, but that's a good distance for a historical walk with plenty of ruins and mine shafts to explore.  The last half-mile was on Ghost Town Trail, a dirt road connecting Gleason Road with US Highway 191.

The hike finished off at the home of Karen and David, as we sat outside in the increasing cool breeze.  Fritz stayed in the truck to avoid any more tension between dogs. Karen had already told me "I can't believe you didn't discipline Fritz!" when he lunged so forceful toward Roma that he pulled me down.

Council Rocks, Dragoon mountains

I always enjoy hiking around the Dragoons in the cooler seasons.  The rock formations alone are mesmerizing.

Hiking here was SteveT's idea; he wanted to hike a fairly level hike and I came up with this hike. This is my 5th or 6th time walking this route.  I took Fritz.

We started the hike at the Slavin Gulch trailhead. One can park directly at Council Rocks, but this way we can make a hike out of the visit. I soon discovered however, that the trail past the saddle is heavily overgrown.  I couldn't find the trail past the saddle.  We ended up following the foot path to the dirt road, then walking part of the dirt road until we came up to the first campground, and walked the rest of the trail from there.  So, either I've forgotten that the route goes partly on the road, or I missed the faint turn-off entirely.  It's still a nice walk in the high desert, with interesting rock formations to admire.

It was a lovely walk nonetheless, walking past hoodoos, stepping on the tall, dead grass. looking at snow-capped peaks in the distance.  Skies were clear and starting temperatures were in the upper 40s.

Fritz and I kept our distance from Trace, as that dog loves on everyone, but Fritz doesn't want any other dog near me.  It took Trace a few attempts to realize he's better staying away from me.  What I do like about Fritz is that he never strays far.  He takes his job as my protector very seriously.  He cautiously watched several equestrians stroll along the dirt road in the distance while we took a rest break by a large boulder.

Water was running in the drainages and water was also in any rock depression.  Our hike was out and back.  I avoided the wash on the return hike to prevent possible wet shoes.

I was hungry after this hike. We both looked forward to a stop at Tombstone Brewing.  It's been a while since stopping by and I wanted to find out from an employee when the Tombstone-West location in Sierra Vista location will open up. Its opening was initially planned for last October!  Now it looks more like this coming April.

I was very impressed with the Czech pilsner and Wild West Wheat ale.  Tombstone Brewing has perfected its craft since its opening five years ago.  It seems to have its loyal local following.  Some of the customers look like they stepped out of the 1880s.  They look rugged but are friendly.

We topped the evening off with a quick meal at Ringo's on the other end of Tombstone.

Our second winter storm this month

Saturday was a nice day to get out, but weather quickly changed on Sunday.  I woke up to cold, blustery winds.  I managed to walk Gretchen, Fritz and Sweetie a block around the hood, then stayed inside.  That 20-degree drop in outside daytime temperature was hard to get used to!  I never did make it to Keystone Peak over the long weekend.  I don't like driving on unknown roads when there is a wind advisory.  I only tracked 1.35 miles for the day.  My daily goal is 5.5 miles.

The rain came early Sunday and lasted all day, with a few breaks between each shower.  I was not about to let the rain force me inside all day, so I went to Walmart early in the afternoon for some errands.  I went to get birdseed and ended up getting $150 worth of stuff that had been on my shopping list for a while.  Fritz and Sweetie were with me and waited in the truck, so afterward I walked them on the maintenance road for some off-leash time.  They always appreciate being able to run across the grassy fields to chase after rodents.

Winds and rain kicked in again late at night and into this morning during my before-school dog walk.  It was 48F with a 78% humidity, making that cold feel even colder. And when it was time for me to drive to school, I discovered that I had left the keys in the ignition AGAIN, forcing me to jumpstart the truck in a drizzle. I hate being late! A rainbow burst open as I got ready to leave. I got to the school with a few minutes to spare, with damp pants and cold feet.  Not the best way to start the work week.

Rain persisted for most of the school hours, preventing me from walking a mile during lunch and prep hour. Another bout of rain formed over the mountains in the afternoon.

Morning temperatures this week are forecasted to be in the upper 20s, but it will warm up again before the weekend.

Walking The Loop: Harrison Greenway

My stepdad has been on my mind all week.  My friend Karen, who lives in Aptos, CA, is also on my mind as California's central coast is getting pounded with its 10th storm this winter.  We are due the southern edge of that storm Sunday and Monday.  That means today is the only non-rain day forecasted.

I should have left the house early to drive toward Keystone Peak.  Yet I didn't.  Sweetie looked like she wasn't feeling very well and lay in the doghouse for most of the morning.  She ate and drank and did her usual loop around the block, but otherwise acted lethargic.

I finally took off in the early afternoon for a Yelp Event in Tucson, at a craft coffee truck nestled in the back of a plant nursery off 22nd Street.  The owner is Persian-American and very focused on making a good product.  I had a very sweet Coconutella, a latte made with espresso and Nutella.

I noticed The Pit (also on 22nd Street) was open so I stopped by there to talk to the owner, Chris, who usually is in the beer store.  A few days ago Tucson Foodie, a website that covers all things food and drink in the Tucson area, reported that the Pit was forced to close immediately due to some code violations.  I wanted to hear the latest from Chris.  He gave me the rundown of the latest.  

According to Chris, Councilman Paul Cunningham, Representative for Ward 2 which covers northeast Tucson, worked his butt off to allow Chris to keep The Pit open for the next 45-90 days as long as he works on getting some changes going.   I'm happy for that, as I like The Pit and the concept of a diverse food truck plaza on an empty lot that once was home to an old gas station.  It's right off The Loop and makes for a great place to take a break and have food or drink.  There are even doggie bars.   The Pit offers cornhole for families.  Some changes include making sure food trucks are at least 100 feet apart from each other, and that they must leave the premise at night (?!) The bathroom inside the beer shop is not a designated customer bathroom because the piping is outdated.

I couldn't stay long, though, as I wanted to walk more of The Loop since I was in town.  I was losing daylight and had to get started.

Clouds began to move in by mid-afternoon, the front of the big storm from California.  This made for perfect hiking weather had the clouds moved in earlier and I had started an hour earlier 

I parked on Irvington Road, walked with Fritz north to the northern end of the Greenway on Sellarole Street, where SteveT and I turned around the last time we walked the Pantano Wash section late last year.

The northern section of the Harrison Greenway isn't very exciting.  The path is too close to the busy road; not very calming for dogs.  This section is only 1.3 miles, so at least it was quick to finish.

What I did like is the section south from Irvington Road.  Here is where the greenway takes on a whole different character as it travels due south between a desert mountainbike park and the eastern perimeter of Davis-Monthan Air Force Base.   

I began this section at 4:20pm.  That gave me just a little over an hour of sunlight.  Cholla, creosote, saguaros and palo verde lined the pathway.  This must be a very fragrant section in the spring.  Lots of cyclists of all ages, including familes, joggers and powerwalkers, used this section.  Two javelina were watching me. I was averaging 3.6 miles an hour.  We walked 7.45 miles out-and-back.  This helped me finish the first 100 miles of the Run the Year 2023 program I am in.

I couldn't finish on time.  I turned around with a little over a mile left, just past a shrine dedicated to a young cyclist, to make it back to the truck at sunset, 5:42pm. This section has no streetlights nearby and gets dark after sunset.  I didn't want angry javelina attacking me.

Fritz was tired when we were done and I was hungry.  I stopped at a cheap Mexican fast-food restaurant, Los Betos, on Golf Links Road, then drove on home.  No beer stop tonight as I wanted to get back to the dogs.

I now have just under two miles of the Harrison Greenway to complete.  I may also have a few miles of the western Julian Wash to walk before declaring The Loop completed.  My next endeavor is walking the southern part of the Santa Cruz River walk.  This is a historic section, as Father Kino traveled the river north on his way to California, back in the 17th century.

I made it home just before 9pm.  Sweetie was waiting by the gate, looking much better. An hour later the winds began to pick up and  the winds kept getting stronger. Rain is forecasted for late morning, but it looks like the brunt of the rain will come Monday.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzeGwQkEDYY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qq3iOBuJiZU

https://weather.com/news/video/californias-lake-cachuma-at-100-capacity-due-to-recent-storms

https://weather.com/news/weather/video/big-changes-in-drought-monitor-in-california-after-series-of-storms

My stepdad has passed

I'm glad I had an early work-out before heading out to school.  Things quickly changed once I got to the high school.

My sister Iris called me while I was driving to the high school.  I don't pick up the phone while driving, and the truck isn't set up for bluetooth to take  hands-free phone calls, so I let it ring. She called me again once I got to school.  I texted her to apologize for not answering earlier.  Why would Iris call me twice?  This had to be urgent.  I thought of my stepdad Tom.   I feared the worst.

Then I noticed a text message from my nephew Ulrich (Iris' son)

Hey Connie, I messaged you on FB but I know you are not on it that frequently.  

I'm sorry to hear about Tom.  Let me know if you want or need to talk.

I knew then that Tom had died and Iris was simply wanting to tell me the news. And here I was in a classroom unable to just excuse myself and take a phone call. I messaged Mike (Tom's youngest son from his second marriage) and then Jason, his oldest son from his marriage to my mother. Mike is also the executor of Tom's will and a licensed lawyer in MA and RI.

My heart sank.  This is news I had been dreading.  Tom had been in failing health for years, from his colon cancer, diabetic episodes, and most recently, his dialysis which he began last fall. He had been losing steady weight the last few years, like Kevin, and walked with a cane, like Kevin.  Neither man took care of their diabetes. He always downplayed his health issues.

He had survived so many health disasters but survived them all, starting with a heart attack in late 1984 after which his doctor told him if he didn't quit smoking, he wouldn't live to see his younger sons Michael and Stephen graduate from high school.  I was preparing to begin basic training that December.  Jason was just 13 years old. That heart attack forced him to quit smoking, but he never gave up his processed food/high sugar diet.

I've always felt close to Jason.  Of my four other siblings, he's the one I'm comfortable with.  He's the one I share the love of the outdoors and travel with.  We have similar likes and passions.  We have the same humor.  And even though he's lived most of his 52 years in Germany, whenever we do get together, we act like we hadn't been separated by a vast ocean.  We always pick up where we had left off from our last visit.  Our last visit was Christmas 2017, when we both traveled to Culver, IN to be with him after another Tom's scary lower intestinal infection over winter break during which he needed 24-hour care.

Despite his frequent hospital visits while in Culver, this was the place he wanted to settle in after retirement.  Massachusetts, where he worked and retired from, didn't appeal to him.  Everyone there was a "Mass-hole."

I began texting with Jason non-stop while still in the school parking lot after school let out. Jason is not taking Tom's death well.  Like me, this is the day he had feared since that 1984 heart attack. He had visited Tom last September with his German wife Ela when Tom still lived with Iris in Lititz, PA. Tom was already very weak and spent most of his time in bed.  Iris already then was telling Jason he needed to make new living arrangements for Tom because he had become a burden on her busy work schedule, especially now with her latest boyfriend spending nights there. Tom was always demanding of everyone's time, especially Iris' since she has training in nursing.

There was so much to talk about with Jason and I still needed to get home.  Students were busy with after-school activities and it was comfortable in the truck. Fritz was napping but glad I was with him. I wasn't worried about being locked in campus, but I felt I needed to wash my sorrow with a strong G&T and drove on home.  It was 2331 hours in Munich and 1531 hours in Sierra Vista.  Jason already warned me that he had been drinking beer and was looking awful, but that we could do a quick video chat once I got home and settled.

Video chat.  Why had I never done that before with Jason?  It's the only way to talk to someone outside the domestic calling area without outlandish telephone rates.  I don't have Whatsapp or Facetime apps, but Facebook's video chat works well enough.  Jason suggested we try that mode and it worked.  I was able to connect right away. I could see Jason's exhausted face and he could see mine.  We ended up talking until 1711 hours (5:11pm); we chatted nonstop for over an hour.  I drank my triple-shot G&T and he vaped his nicotine.

None of the front yard dogs gave me any hassles while I was talking with Jason.  They were all glad I was back home and didn't cause any drama. I never did take them out for an evening walk. I was emotionally drained by the end of tonight's event.

The longer the night drew on, the more sad I became.  Tom's death sank in.  Tom had always been very family-oriented.  He was a great stepdad when I was a teen living with him in Landstuhl, Germany. We did grow apart these last few years when his nationalism under Trump came to surface.  Despite that, he always made it an effort to see me, Erin and her boys whenever I was in Indiana.  Even if that meant making the uncomfortable drive from Culver, IN to Valparaiso or Crown Point, IN, a drive of an hour to 90 minutes each way.  He had his favorite restaurants we always went to and he always insisted on paying the bill. We all knew to acquiesce to his demands.  And he always, always adored the young boys Ethan, Owen and Benjamin.

I talked to Eric, I talked to Erin and Ethan before the night got too long, then spent the rest of the night, way past 2am, reading old blog posts of my visits to Indiana to see Tom and Erin.  I regret now not posting photos of the family for privacy reasons, but I will add some photos of Tom now.

Death is inevitable, but what bothers me with Tom's death is that he was supposed to move to Lititz so that Iris could be there for his many medical issues.  He trusted her medical knowledge. He wanted to be closer to family so that they didn't have the burden of traveling to off-the-beaten-path Culver, IN whenever he was hospitalized.  He didn't want to be alone and I'm sure he didn't want to die alone.  But in the end that is what happened because Iris couldn't handle his demands anymore, especially with a new boyfriend.

 Three months before his death he took the heart-broken demand to return to his hometown, Culver.  I knew he was scared the day he called me last October to tell me that he had to start dialysis or else he would die.  I could hear the trembling in his voice. He was never very good at following doctor's orders. Perhaps he knew that his end was near.  According to Jason, Tom was found dead in the walkway between his house and his garage early yesterday morning at 5am, by his caretaker contracted to drive him to his 3x weekly dialysis in Indianapolis.

Tom lived to be 78 years old. He served the US Air Force (USAF) for 20 years and was a Vietnam War veteran.  He would have served longer had he not had his heart attack and three-month inpatient stay at Walter Reed Army Hospital outside of Washington, DC.  He was proud of his service and always spoke well of the Air Force, even after being forced to medically retire before making the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. I'm sure his pride in the USAF is what convinced my son Eric to join the service, instead of the army that I joined. 

Tom wanted to be buried in the family plot in Culver, IN.  Michael will let us know when that can be arranged.  Getting the entire Curtis family together, however, will be an issue because his second son Stephen is Stationed at Fort Lewis, WA; Michael in Boston; Jason in Munich; Tom's sister Colleen in Florida; brother David in South Carolina; youngest brother Lindon outside of Atlanta; me here in southern Arizona, and various nieces and nephews across the Midwest.

Photo taken in June 2017

Walking the Fitness trail

It's been a few years since I walked the fitness trail in town with Zeke.  Today's cool and overcast sky made it a perfect morning for a work-out. 

The fitness trail is a paved, unmarked route that goes around The County Club Estates off Buffalo Soldier Trail and SR92.  You do cross three streets, but the entire path is for cyclists, walkers and any non-motorized vehicle.  A few metal benches along the way allow for rest breaks, but there are no water fountains or trash cans.

This morning I did it the trail again with Fritz after realizing I signed up for a half-day assignment starting at 11am instead of 7:20am.  Darnit, I could have slept in!!! Not wanting to drive all the way home for three hours, I walked the fitness trail at 7:30am.  I've never done this path in the morning.  It was a cool 51F when I started and 54F when I finished 90 minutes later.

There weren't too many people on this path.  Normally this path is busy with retirees doing their workouts but today there were only a few people walking or cycling. Fritz didn't mind any of the people, but he did get uncomfortable around the few dogs that passed us with their owners.

The best part of this path is the 1.5-mile section along a drainage area near the golf course.  In the spring and summer this section is chock full of wild flowers.  Today it was showing a badly-eroded path that will surely flood over in the next big rain (due Sunday).  

I did my good deed and picked up the beer and soda cans along the way.  What started out as a lone Diet Coke can quickly ended up being a collection of eight cans.  Really, people?!?!?

The five miles tired out Fritz.  He napped in the truck while I had an early lunch before heading back to the high school to finish out the day. Saw a healthy coyote trotting down a main road.  No big deal, that's life in the desert. A mountain lion was recently spotted in another subdivision.

https://www.strava.com/activities/8369432643

Walking the Loop from Kolb Road west to Sanderling Court

Yesterday's visit to Tucson to walk more of the Loop encouraged me to do more of the same thing today, but with SteveT and his dog Trace.  Fritz did well around other people and dogs and I wanted to see how he would do around Steve and Trace, people that I hang out with on a regular basis.  I called Steve early to see if he were interested in a trip to Tucson.  He said yes.

That means I had to walk the other front yard dogs for a good work-out before meeting Steve at 11am.  I took Gretchen, Fritz and Sweetie down to the Hereford Pit.  The perimeter lap is just over a mile around, but I add mileage by walking among the mesquite and along cattle trails.  The dogs enjoy the open space and being able to run off-leash.  This is especially important for Gretchen, who is tethered up the rest of the day when I'm gone.  She needs 2-3 miles of non-stop running at each exercise to relax.

The exercise started out with the usual happy dogs off leash. They were having fun galloping along the dirt paths and among the desert grasses.  Sweetie stayed by my side while the other two dogs ran with each other.  But when I was ready to leave after two miles around the pit, Fritz and Sweetie came back but Gretchen was out there somewhere.  I then heard her bark.  Oh geez: she found a lone bull she was barking at.  There had been a herd of cattle lulling around just east of the pit, hidden by mesquite and watching us.  I hadn't noticed them earlier due to their black hides.

In the end she came back, tired and happy and willingly jumped into the truck for the return drive home.  Her delay then delayed me in taking off at 10am.  At least she got a good run in early and would be less stressed on her own.  I didn't get to Steve's place until 11am.

My next hurdle was seeing how Fritz would act around others in his truck.  Would he resent having another human in the truck, taking away his passenger seat?  How would he behave around Trace, who was trained not to fight?  Steve was willing to test Fritz with me as I parked a block away and walked Fritz on leash, approaching Steve's place.  He was sitting up front with Trace by his side, prepared.

Fritz reacted to the yapping of the smaller dogs in the area as I walked toward Steve.  I had to pull on his leash to keep him focused on walking on ahead, keeping his head forward.  He barks when others bark first but seems to understand not attacking others.

He kept his cool as we neared Steve, but Trace was visibly afraid and hid behind Steve's chair.  Trace remembers Fritz snapping at him during earlier encounters.  I calmed Fritz down and he did calm down with constant encouragement.  We got Trace's crate in the truck, and then Steve sat in the passenger seat (that's Fritz's seat!). Fritz didn't snarl or bark at either intruder

But here is when the German shepherd drama began.

Fritz didn't get aggressive, but he was unwilling to give up his seat to Steve.  No way.  And he stubbornly refused to budge or hop in the back behind me.  He was not going to relent easily with me pulling on his leash. He instead took his position on the middle console with his body leaning on me.  I couldn't safely drive like that for 75 miles with a 70-pound dog on my right side obstructing my line-of-sight.  I had to pull over at the Love's Truck stop before entering the interstate at Benson to coax him to take the back seat.  He eventually did. 

We finally got started on our walk at 12:46pm from the Roy Schoonover trail head parking lot on Kolb Road, the same place I had turned around yesterday.  This trail head has flush toilets, a bike repair station, and benches to sit on. This is a busy parking and resting area I feel safe in.  The palo verde trees lining the perimeter surely provide cooling shade in the hotter months.

There were a lot of cyclists on the trail again.  The path going west is along a newer housing area, barren of mature trees and landscaping.  Fritz wanted to walk on the black asphalt but I wanted to take up as little room as possible for the speeding cyclists.  There was no equestrian parallel trail along this route, forcing me on the uneven gravel off the path while Fritz stays on the asphalt.  This was most likely not a pleasant experience for Fritz.

The first mile from Kolb Road to Wilmot Road is nondescript.  This will be a much better walking area when trees are planted, mature, and there is more shade along the way.  The Union Pacific railroad line, which follows the I-10 corridor,  rumbled along with freight cars on a regular schedule.  Scenery is lacking along this section.  The only thing of interest are the various air craft taking off from Davis-Monthan Air Force Base on the east side of Tucson.

We crossed Wilmot and walked another half-mile before stopping at Sanderling Court, where I last turned around in August when I came from the opposite direction with Hansel.  Fritz seemed glad to take a break here as we sat on a cool concrete bench and just chilled.  We were now in the middle of an older housing development with mature palo verde and other desert flora.

After a 20-minute break we returned to the truck the way we came.  We had walked 4.6 miles. It was now almost 4pm and almost the same time it was yesterday when I finished the walk.  

Fritz was clearly tired and this time didn't fight me so much for the passenger seat.  We stopped at Nico's Mexican on Broadway for a filling and cheap meal, then took a break at Borderlands on 6th Street for a beer each, and again at Arizona Beer House for a second round, and then drove home. 

Fritz seems to have learned to tolerate others now.  Yes, he still needs to work on his trust of other people as he snaps easily when things startle him.  It will take time for him to completely relax, just like it did all the other dogs I've had.  It helps that Steve understands dogs and is patient with Fritz, but I also want Trace to feel comfortable around Fritz.  So, more training is in the future but at least I have confidence that Fritz will become a much more friendly dog toward others.

Walking the Loop from Rita Road to Kolb Road

I couldn't get out of bed in time for today's club hike to the Tortolitas north of Marana.  Last night's episode with Gretchen and Fritz wore me out emotionally.  As much as I was looking forward to today's hike among the saguaros, I emailed SteveS to cancel.

And then I just lay there for another hour before getting started with the day.

Gretchen always looks so peaceful when she's sleeping next to me, curled up and huddled next to me.  She is not an imposing dog when she's resting.  She doesn't look like a dog that can do a lot of damage, create a lot of mischief, or cause a lot of grief.  She always looks at me with that goofy drool and cocks her head to one side.  I love that dog nonetheless.

I'm not about to let anything ruin my plans for today.  I havr all the recycables packed and loaded in the truck.  I now need to get going.  I am wasting daylight otherwise.

SteveS sends me a short text at 8:49am:  "Traffic issue. Doing Gabe Zimmerman Trail instead."  I look up the traffic issue on the ADOT website.  There's a crash off the Wilmot exit.  The guys decide to hike elsewhere instead and pick the Gabe Zimmerman trail off the Marsh Station Road exit off I-10, exit 281.  This is an easy trail with a creek crossing.  By the time I see the message, though, the guys are surely done with the hike.

I drive into Tucson instead with Fritz.  I want to test him on his reactivity to other dogs and people unfamiliar with him. I begin the training day with a six-mile walk along the Loop, beginning at Rita Road and walking west to Kolb road and back.   It's 2.8 miles one way.  This is the eastern terminus for the Julian Wash.

The Julian Wash is not a very scenic section of the Loop.  It follows along the Union Pacific railroad and Interstate 10, along new and soon-to-be homes.  Along the western part of the section is industry and homeless people.

Despite the less-than-spectacular experience, good weather will always make a walk or hike more pleasurable.  Today it's in the upper 60s with no clouds in the sky.  I take off my outer shirt to keep from overheating.  Fritz doesn't have that option and soon tells me he's feeling warm.

It's a busy day on The Loop.  Cyclists, joggers, families pushing strollers pass me.  Some of the joggers wear race bibs, participants of the Run Around Tucson (RAT) even today.  RAT uses the Loop for its event and I'm passing joggers of Leg 6.  "I love your dog!" yells one woman in a group wearing red, white and blue. Fritz is oblivious to any admiration.

What this section lacks in beauty it makes up in history and information.  Informative signs along the way talk about the history of the railroad here and how the land east of Tusosn often flooded, forcing the railroad line to shut down for repairs.  I'm walking on "The Stormy Line," the section frequented with flash floods and water surges.  It's an important route going East as it meanders across valleys.

Now the land, the signs continue to inform, talk about the local wildlife.  Burrowing owls, hawks, desert hares and venomous snakes live in the area.  So all those holes in the ground are not just from mice and snakes, but owls as well?

Other signs inform of the mountain ranges in all directions.  There are the Catalinas to the north, the Rincons to the northeast, the Santa Ritas to the south and the Tuscon mountains to the west. There are other mountains, but are harder to see.  I stop to read all the informative signs while giving Fritz more water.  He tells me he doesn't want to go any further than the next major road crossing.  That is Kolb Road.  The section passes along the Pima County watershed before coming to the Roy Schoonover trail head.  Schoonover was an advocate for safe bike route and encouraged the development of The Loop.  He died in 2015.

 https://webcms.pima.gov/cms/One.aspx?portalId=169&pageId=199872

The Schoonover trail head parking is a nicely-designed rest stop along the Loop and easily accessible off Kolb road.  It has room for 30 cars and is shaded by palo verde trees.   I let Fritz drink water from the toilet and pose to take pictures with him.  The best selfies of humans are with dogs and he cooperates.  Then I turn around and walk the way we came, now focused on keeping a good pace, staying out of the cyclists' path, and finishing.

We are both tired and hungry in the end.  I drive another ten miles north into Tucson and stop at the new Borderlands on 6th Street.  I like Borderlands beer and this new location is a former gas station.  Its one flaw is that it is on a major street corner with a traffic light and there are only eight spots up front.  Getting in and out of the small parking lot is not easy.

This is Fritz's big test.  The front patio, covered in astroturf, is crowded with young families with dogs.  Two boxers bark at Fritz; I quickly find an empty corner table and walk in, holding Fritz tightly by a short leash.   He does not lunge back at the dogs.

I am happy for this.  Perhaps Fritz is simply too tired to fight back.  He lays down on the cool astroturf.  I give him his water and a can of food while I order a Prickly Pear Wheat Ale and a dish of Sonoran-style chicken tacos. More people come in after the kitchen opens shortly after 4pm.

I order a second beer, a German Chocolate Cake Porter.  This is one of Borderland's flagship beers. It's served in a 12-ounce tulip glass because of its 7.3% alcohol.

I am proud of how well Fritz behaved today.  He simply needs more exposure to real-life experiences like other dogs and people and strange noises.  He will have more slip-ups, but today he did not bark nor attack other dogs and people even when I saw him wanting to.  He learns fast.