Carr Peak with Bill and Zana

Hiking the peak was Bill's proposal and I was all for it.  I hadn't done the peak all year (!) and the last time was last September when I did it with Bill and a few days later with Ellen for the aspen glow. Getting settled in my new home had been my focus all year.  Now that my fence is up and I can "let the dogs out," I have no excuse to not hike anymore.

Bill came promptly by my place at 5am. We drove together to the Sawmill trailhead. The sun rose at 5:15am behind a smokey haze from two wildfires that have broken out in northern Sonora.  It made for a gorgeous sunrise that I didn't capture with my camera.  

I had Zana as my canine companion. I enjoy hiking with her as she doesn't stray.  We started at 5:45am as the only car in the parking lot.  We ended up having the trail all to ourselves.

I had enough water for Zana and me but one bottle ended up having a leak and got my shirt wet.  The Sawmill springs was bone dry and the lack of  spring rains voided any wildflowers save for a few above 8000.'  Even the common mullein were stunted and only a few had stalked with white flowers.  They easily grow over six feet tall, but this time none were taller than Bill.

The drought was visible all throughout the drive up the mountain. The oaks have dropped their leaves. I didn't see healthy pines and oaks until we got near 8000' and here is when i noticed a spike in the growth of the post-2011 fire trees.  Lots of young pines and firs are sporting healthy candles! So not all is lost.

The trail had been trimmed back in the upper portion, making it easier to walk through the aspen. The migrant trash we saw last year had also been removed.  Last year the trail was so overgrown, that branches from young aspen were tickling us on either side.

I fed Zana a can of dog food on the peak and gave her the rest of my water.  I ate a few tangelos but after that snack we were on our descent.  There were no ladybugs on the peak, nor much of a wind save for a gentle cooling breeze.  We really lucked out with the weather, ranging from 73F at the start to a good mid 80s when we got back to the truck.

The total hike took us 4:40 hours. I was back home by 11am but I also felt exhausted from the hike in the sun.  Zana was out the rest of the day and that's ok as she can be a real pistol when she's wound up.

We have a good chance of rain next Tuesday.  I hope we really get hit with hard rain.  The flora and fauna need it and I still have trees and shrubs to plant in my yard.