Another jaunt to the Babocomari

Susan once again talked me into leading a hike along the Babocomari with a day's notice. I opted to make this a public hike with a 24-hour notice on the local hiking MeetUp. I let BillK know I was hosting this, as he showed an interest in exploring this area. I told any hikers that this would also include some exploring along the river. We were a total of four people: Susan and I, BillK, and Laurie, who first walked this route on New Year's Day Bill was eager to get started and went straight to the trail head. But I had to stop at both meet-up locations I posted in the write-up in case anyone showed up without RSVPing on the site. There were no other hikers, so we all met at 9:40am at the trailhead to get started. It was already warm, but there were no cows distracting us. We took the shortcut across the desert both ways. TBC

Keystone Peak

Distance: 9.14 miles

Elevation gain : 1643' 

Significance: vistas, old mining community. Tallest peak at 6170' in the Sierritas 

Route is on private property, but hikers are allowed to walk the road.

https://www.strava.com/activities/8732266274

I felt a thousand times better today. After a late wakeup, I took Fritz and Sahne and drove to the trailhead west of Sahuarita. Weather was ideal: upper 60s with a cool breeze and partly cloudy. I typed in "Keystone Peak" into my google maps and it took me via the shortest route taking SR90 to SR82, SR83 to Sahuarita Road.  I crossed I-19 and Sahuarita Road becomes Helmet Peak Road.  Turn south on Mission road (which is also the auto route for the Juan Bautista de Anza trail), then east on McGee Ranch Road.  Google did not realize that the road is gated and had the distance to the peak and not the trailhead.  A large ivory water tower is next to the gate.  There is room for two cars.

The trailhead is the gate at the end of McGee Ranch Road, a freshly graded wide dirt road. It didn't look like much, but I didn't start until 1: 30 as others were coming down and finishing.  A group had just done a lower-elevation loop away from the peak. Locals who work for the mining company have keys to the gate.  All others must park here and walk in.

The first two miles were mundane, with the only good thing being the vistas: Mount Wrightson to the east and kit peak to my west. The higher I got, the prettier the views.  There was some water in the drainage next to the road.

 

I passed a old miners cabin with a skeleton display up front at the two mile mark.. A small pond came in at a good time for the dogs and both jumped into the water.

I got to the peak in 1:34 hours. I didn't stay long as there wasn't much to do with radio towers around me. I gave the dogs their snacks and looped back down via a single track trail

This half mile trail got me back on the road I had walked up. I wanted to explore more of the lesser used trails and detoured to another peak before looping back down.

It was now past 4pm. I had Two good hours of daylight left, but twice the dogs made me wait on them when they chased after something.  I saw several trails I could have taken and made a big loop around the area, but that meant walking and not waiting on dogs 

There are several trails up in these hills but I didn't have time today to explore them. The main road to the peak was the fast route up, but the lesser used trails were more scenic.

I took a third trail off the main road near the end, a trail that parallel the main road through grasses and a Ridgeline meandering back down to the main wash. I even stopped briefly at the community cemetery. 

Although other websites about Keystone Peak mentioned this was open range and to watch out for cows, we didn't see any until we got back to the town. We saw plenty of cow paddies along the road, so I know the cows wander up the road.

I stopped in Rancho Sahuarita for a quick Indian meal of chicken curry but then drove straight home. It's a pretty drive, from the low valley of Santa Cruz and its many large strip mines, to the foothills of the Santa Ritas.

Tinker Pond

 My plan was to meet some friends from the local hiking MeetUp to walk up Garden Canyon, but instead of just one dog rushing out the door, three pulled through.  I couldn't in good faith take all three.  I know Hansel and Sahne would be ok around other dogs, but Gretel lately has been unpredictable.  So I changed my plans and took them to Tinker Pond.  This way all three could run free without bothering anyone.

I hadn't been near Tinker Pond since January 2021 with Susan, when we hiked the ridgeline.  The trails are all still there, some more eroded than others.  Looks like the post is trying to dig a ditch parallel to the main trail to prevent further erosion.  One can drive to Tinker Pond in a high-clearance 4X4 vehicle, but anything lower than that would be troublesome.

There was water running in the drainage and all three dogs took advantage of that.  The hillsides looked dry despite the rain and snow from last month.  Even Tinker pond was low.  And there were no wild flowers.  At least trees are leafing out again.  Spring is here!

It's still a pleasant walk though.  I sat by the pond for other 30 minutes to allow the dogs to run around, but even they were eager to get going and kept nudging me to move on.

I diverted from the usual route and added a short loop up to a rocky ridge with views into Garden Canyon.  I had been up here years before with the dogs, but had continued up toward the cliffs.  An overgrown trail I was following had suddenly disappeared, forcing me to walk on the rocky ridge,  

 

We hiked 4.76 miles in just under three hours.

We stopped at the Middle Pond afterwards so that the dogs could enjoy the cool water one last time.

https://www.strava.com/activities/8714706796

I wanted to stop at Fry's foods to get the dogs raw meat, but was told that the credit card system was down and only cash was accepted.  Luckily this was only applicable to Fry's, as I was able to gas up and have lunch at McD's instead, where I got the dogs 20 nuggets.  I know it's not as nutritious as raw chicken, but I knew they were hungry.  They were also tired and didn't mind resting in the truck when I went to the backyard. 

The Loop: the last three miles of the Harrison Greenway

 My plan today included three things: drop off the aluminum cans in Tucson, complete a quick Yelp review for a popcorn shop, and ask a TruckOutfitter if they have any new or used truck caps for the Ridgeline.

I left at 11am with Fritz.

I only got $6.70 for the cans.  That money paid for the lunch later.

It was already in the upper 70s as I drove to the popcorn store, stopping twice to photograph two Joe Pagac murals on Grant Road.  The shop was very small so I took everything to go.

My one disappointment was being told that truck caps for my Ridgeline are no longer being made, due to the age of the vehicle, but that I should try Phoenix.  A second Pagac mural was next door to the shop so I photographed that one as well.

I stopped at Borderlands to let Fritz cool off in the taproom,  I was only there an hour but it was now past 5pm. I realized I had enough time to walk the last three miles of the Harrison Greenway. I stopped at a small Mexican taco shop for two chicken street tacos.

I lost some time driving to the wrong trailhead, heading to Kolb Road when I should have gone to Rita Road. The sun was 30 minutes from setting so I had to walk fast -- and I did-- as the Loop officially closes at dusk.

The first 1.5 miles walking north from the eastern Julian Wash terminus was on a standard sidewalk right next to the street.  This was not a quiet, dedicated multi-use path.  Cars were driving past us going 40+ miles per hour.

It was now officially dark when I got to the Harrison Greenway at Nexus Road.  The path turns straight north at Mesquite Elementary school. I let Fritz off leash so he could have at least one mile of running.  I don't worry about him taking off on me. Military planes from the air base were landing and taking off, but there was no other action.  I never came across another person on this fast walk.

I recognized the palo verde tree where I turned around the last time.  This tree was right at the three-mile mark. 

The six miles took me 90 minutes.  Now the last two miles are at the Tucson Mall, where I first walked the Loop with Sadie in 2015 

Exploring caves in the southern Huachucas

Susan invited me to join a small group of Sierra Vista Hikers for a late Saturday morning exploring a cave.  She didn't post the message as a cave exploration, though.  She simply said to "bring a flashlight."  I'm not a passionate spelunker, but came along to do something different.

I had no trouble picking the dog of choice.  Sahne had squeezed herself through the six-inch gap at the gate and came running toward me.  She seems to have (thankfully!) grown out of the dashing-down-the-street-to-fence fight-neighborhood-dogs stage. She came right up to me with her tail wagging.   She made it easy for me, as I usually have to open the gate and quickly close it when the first dog rushes out.  Often more than one dog makes it out and I end up taking more than one dog on a hike.

We met at 10:30am at the Coronado Visitor's Center.  The parking lot was packed because of hikers taking advantage of the shuttle to Montezuma's Pass, so we had to park at the nearby picnic area parking lot. We were a group of six people:  Susan, Ellen, SteveD, Chris, Terri and Corinne.  The drive to Cave Canyon Road was 30 minutes of winding mountain road before we could start the hike, parking by an old water tank and walking north.

We hit Happy Jack's Shacks at the mile mark.  I had been here a few times in the past but never explored the area around the shack.  Water was rushing nicely and Sahne took advantage of it.  We had only hiked a mile on the trail. 

I came along for the hike and the camaraderie and was willing to wait outside the cave with Sahne while the others were inside.  A sign outside the cave said it was closed 1 April through 1 October for bat breeding. 

Once we got to the first cave I saw the spacious cavern and went inside.  It was Ellen who sat outside the cave.  She had been in this cave many times and wanted to avoid breathing in the dust.  She agreed to hold Sahne for me while I went down with the others.

The walk down was slippery as the rock was well-worn by past cavers.  My Pixel6's flashlight works well but is not very bright, however, the flashlight turns off when I use the camera.  All the shots that turned out were due to the light of the other flashlights.

Graffiti from the late 1890s, a dead turkey skeleton and an underground pool were some of the attractions.  Sadly, many of the cave formations had been broken off by previous explorers.  

We didn't stay long. There are many smaller crawling spaces, but that is best done with a hard hat and proper gear, which no one had.

To add some mileage, we explored a second cave and this one was protected by a heavy iron gate. But it wasn't locked.  Ellen said  people should not be posting the location of this cave, so I won't.  This cave was steeper and deeper and I opted to turn around because Sahne was panicking without me. Terri stayed outside with her and said she was very well behaved.

The entire adventure was 2.75 miles  Weather was ideal, in the upper 60s and overcast.

Ellen and I met at Culvers for a late lunch.  She confessed that soon she is leaving for Washington, DC for six months.  If this trip works out for her, she may get transferred there.  Oh man, I'm going to miss her.  She will enjoy the many great trails of northern Virginia, though.

I also found out that my nephew is finally pregnant!  His wife is due in October.  They have been trying since their May 2017 wedding to conceive. 

Santa Cruz River walk and the Juan Bautista de Anza trail

Now that I have walked the Loop around Tucson (minus the three miles between two points), I want to discover other urban trails in the area.  I had picked the Juan Bautista de Anza (JBA) trail next.  The historical trail, which begins at the US-MEX border at Nogales, continues in a NW direction and ends in Monterey, CA.  Interstates 8 and 10 in Arizona and Interstate 5 and US Highway 101 in California follow his route for the most part.  He had many beautiful Spanish missions erected along the way to help convert natives to the Catholic religion. I had driven most of the trail while stationed in California in the 1990s without realizing it.  Now I want to explore some of the missions here in Arizona.

I took Sahne as my sole canine partner today and she did great. She never once pulled on the leash except for that one other dog on the trail...

https://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/american_latino_heritage/juan_bautista_de_anza_national_historic_trail.html

I wanted to start the JBA trail at the southern-most terminus of the Santa Cruz River walk off Valencia Road.  This is a busy road and I was surprised that there was no dedicated parking area for the path here.  I parked in a medical clinic parking lot facing the loop and started walking north along the western bank of the wash.

This walk isn't very scenic, and I was surprised that there were no historical markers along the path dedicated to JBA.  But perhaps I just didn't see them, as I walked part of this section in the wash so that Sahne could drink some water.

The wash here is beset with trash.  I picked up enough aluminum cans that I could fit into my backpack, including six golf balls (!!!)  Discarded shopping carts, old mattresses and sun-dried clothing littered the wash here.

The terrain here is also very fragile.  The walls along the wash get eroded with every flood.  Signs prohibiting off-road vehicles also warn of vehicle seizures.  Deep crevices along the banks could also be dangerous for wildlife.

Effluent gushes into the wash at the two-mile mark.  It looked clean enough and Sahne didn't mind.  She lay in the water, splashed around and came back to life.  I had enough water for both us in my pack, but always prefer that dogs refresh themselves in creek water.  The wash from a distance looks inviting when there's water in it, but the trash up-close is revolting.

The diffusing overcast sky didn't happen until the turn-around point just south of Silverlake Boulevard, where the loop meets up with the Julian Wash.  I was tired as well and Sahne looked exhausted.  I had taken two breaks to let us rest.

Most of the trail north of Ajo Way in Tucson looked familiar to me, so I must have walked this section unknowingly over the years.

There are many homeless camps along this section.  Some areas are heavily taken over by small groups  taking over rest areas.  While the people seem to leave path users alone, it's the trash that bothers me.  If these people can carry bottles and boxes down to their camps, they certainly can carry the trash back out.  Instead, the litter trashes the wash and then gets swept away in the next flood.

One such camp had a life-sized stuffed Golden Retriever standing guard by a tent.  Even I was fooled by its lifeness, as was Sahne who lunged and barked at it.

There are also a few grave markers along the path, but they seem to be victims of bike-car accidents.

One thing I was surprised about was the lack of wildflowers.  I was expecting the poppies to be all along this route.  Instead, I only spotted one batch.  Most of the yellow flowers were small batches on the southern end of this route.

I was relieved to get this section done with.  I was tired and hungry.  My next plan was to stop at a new Mexican place and then have two beers at MotoSonora and its dog run for Sahne before driving back home.  

I did a slight detour and stopped at the San Xavier del Bac mission since it's not too far from Valencia Road. This mission is on the Tohono O'odham reservation.  It was almost 5pm and the mission was already closed, but visitors were allowed to walk the grounds and walk up the nearby hill and its cross.  Several residents were still in the parking lot selling fry bread.

My meal was chicken enchiladas at Maico's off 22nd/Park Avenue, then two different wheat ales at MotorSonora. Sahne lay next to me, exhausted.  She did so well today.  Her leash manners are the best of all the younger dogs.  Her only flaw is that she does not want other dogs near me.

It was just past 7pm now and still warm.  Looks like spring is around the corner, as morning temperatures will be in the 40s all week.

More snow!

 A winter storm waning came across my weather app last night, then I got an email from the school district saying school is closed today due to ice and snow.  At least this time I got a fair warning and slept in a bit.  This winter is turning into a very cold and wet winter.

There was snow on the ground when I walked the dogs shortly after 8am, but there was no wind.  The dogs didn't seem to mind, but the snow on the ground meant the 30F was more like 20F and my hands were cold!  

I drove to McD's for two large cups of coffee, then walked Fritz and Sweetie on the maintenance road on my drive home.  The oak tree where I always park off the dirt road was toppled in this last storm.  The tree had been slowly dying anyway, judging by its many dead branches.

I was enjoying my first cup of coffee when the FedEx truck rolled around the corner to deliver my newest solar battery, this time a Bouge RV 1200W.  Reviews looked good and Amazon offered $306 off the price and I couldn't resist passing that up last week. The company emailed saying delivery would be 4-6 March with signature required, which is always a pain because the FedEx warehouse is in town and closes at 4:30pm. Being home at 10:30am because of a snow day made this home delivery a nice surprise.