Today was my day in Tucson and Zana was the lucky dog. She's great to take anywhere as she travels well in the car and stays close on walks.
I was already driving when I decided to finish the Canada del Oro section and parked at the Thorneydale Road parking lot. It was past noon and the path was busy with cyclists. We walked south and turned around at the Orange Grove lights, then turned around and walked over two miles on the north Santa Cruz river walk. This part is not part of "the Loop" but a mere extension of the river path. This section continues to Marana but I made Ina Road my turn-around. I'll leave the Marana section for another trip.
It was 71F when we started but Zana got warm fast. The black asphalt was probably too warm for her. I then opted to continue the walk in the wide wash where there was shade. We rested a bit here. The heavy rain from two weeks ago must have flooded this wash as the grass was a bright green and parts of the wash were muddy. We even lucked out and came across a section with reclaimed water that Zana rolled around in. She came back to life! I took her off the leash here as we were alone, but I could see equestrians and ATV riders on the western bank.
The Santa Crus wash here is very wide. The flood from two weeks ago must have saturated the entire wash, even the cholla and saguaros (!) must have gotten drenched.
The river near the turn-around at Ina was also heavily treed. The shade was very welcoming. The city must release reclaimed water regularly here as the flora was dense. The water was also very clear. A homeless person had set up a cozy tent area to include a fishing pole! ATV tracks were also well-used.
By this point we had walked three miles. Six miles was good enough for me but in the end we walked 7.3 miles as I had walked too far south and missed the bend for the Canada del Oro wash where there was more water for Zana.
Flowers were already up. Brittlebush were everywhere! Those yellow clusters pop out after heavy rains in early spring. They are early this year. I also saw plenty of orange mallow. There were plenty of tamarisk trees as well. They stand out for their long, thin leaves (like pine needles). It's a small tree that grows in washes in the low desert. If it weren't for the clusters of homeless trash, this section in the wash would have been nice. I took as much trash as I could fit in my small backpack.
I'm going to take a mini road trip over spring break to see other wild flowers this spring. I'm expecting a banner of wildflowers.
I stayed in the wash for the return walk to keep Zana cool and off leash. We were back on the path for the last half mile. Zana was glad to be back in the car and now I was hungry for some Mexican food.
Google Maps told me the closest restaurant was La Parrilla Suiza on Ina. Having eaten at the Speedway location and liking it, I opted for this second location (there are four in the greater Tucson area). It was 4pm and the place was empty, so I had good service. I ordered the chicken mole enchiladas, a dish I tend to order at most Mexican places.
We were back home just after 7pm, with a quick stop at Fry's. The other dogs were happy to see me as they were outside all day.
I'm slowly regaining my endurance. A few months ago seven miles would have exhausted me.
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