Hiking The Brown Canyon Area

Most of the time I have a plan for what I want to do the next day, especially since I am feeling better physically. I am still "listening to my body" and that dictates if I ride my bike or if I take a hike or take a day off. With the sun showing up later due to the change in seasons, the hounds are sleeping later and I am sleeping later. Stella usually wakes us up a little after sunrise with that whine she has when she wants to be fed. The only plans I had on Saturday were a bike ride and the rest of the day watching college football ... things changed.

I got home from my :58 minutes of riding and my hour visit at the bike shop halfway in the trip I had a gut feeling my day of having outdoor fun wasn't over. I had ridden where I wanted and felt good pushing my leg and hip a little further down the road. As I was having my lunch snack watching a game on tv ... the desire was to be outside was strong because it was such a nice day. I have noticed this change in lifestyle on Sundays now, where I will do something outside rather than watch the NFL. These mountains and the scenery literally drag me outside at times.

I felt good enough to go hiking. I had no place in particular I wanted to go, so I grabbed this book off the coffee table to see if something really interested me. The author of this book has hiked every one of the trails he writes about. He updates the trail information and publishes a new book to reflect those changes. I knew I didn't want anything steep or breath taking like Carr Canyon but I wanted to explore some new trails I had seen on my way to the Brown Canyon Ranch House last summer.

As you can see there are a ton of choices in this area. You will notice the Montezuma Pass trip in the different cars or truck and with or without the hounds is at the bottom of the page starting on the road F and shows how much gravel road we travel to get to Parker Canyon Lake. It looks like I need to get back on top of that mountain and check out some of those forest roads that branch off of the West Montezuma Canyon Road.

Instead I chose to go back to the Brown Canyon trailhead and park the FJ there. Its a little over a mile to the ranch house but plenty of roads going left and right off the main road.

This time I took my small backpack with the 64oz of water bottle, my Nikon and the 70-300mm lens just in case I needed it. It would give me a good chance to compare photos of the same landscape to the iPhone camera. 

I knew that Heidi would not be able to finish a hike like I planned but I thought Stella would find it interesting. It wasn't that hot outside but she had her tongue hanging out and was panting after her sun bathing on the patio ... so I decided to leave her home. I had the crate door open, she was about to walk in on her own when I thought "it's such a nice day outside, I can just shut the living room window and leave the patio door open for her." That had worked the other day when I drove to Patagonia for a 3.5 hour trip. So she had the house to herself along with Heidi.

Just past that sign showing a trail to the right, I could see if I made that right hand turn it would be mostly flat and would circle all the way out to where they park the Aerostat and back behind the ranch house. By the time I had walked this far I wasn't interested in flat land, I wanted to see how high I could get on the hills to the left of me.

The  trail was not an "official" trail. I started by following a one track atv/car path that led into the field where a path was barely visible. As you can see I had climbed some elevation and could barely see a path under those tree limbs. It was quite a workout for the new hip and I was using the two trekking poles I had brought this time. I was going to take this as far as it would take me.

Someone had walked this way before. I wasn't making my own path but at times it was hard to see which way I needed to go. There were a lot of rocks on the way too. Sometimes those rocks were the only surface and too large of a space to step over. I cautiously walked on them on my way upward.

I thought this finding was a little strange. Obvious someone or something is buried there that people loved. Was it their pet? What was it?

You can barely see some sort of path snaking it's way to the left under more tree limbs. By this time my watch was telling my my heart rate was only 120bpm, about the same that an easy bike ride would be before my accident. It was nice and quiet, a cool feel to the air and temps only in the low 70's. I wasn't at the panting stage nor did I feel tired, and I didn't feel any negative responses from my new hip. I continued climbing.

The area I wanted to get to was higher than what this picture shows but this small path was leading me away from the highest point left of me. I would still have a good vantage point for taking photos back towards town.

At this point in time, the path disappeared. Past this slab of rocks I didn't see anyway to go further. I had climbed fairly high but not as high as i thought I could get. I knew when I started going down would be the adventure, not the climbing part. You can see the road I was following before veering left. That road is used by hikers, cars, trucks, ATVs, and mountain bikes. There are plenty of trails behind the ranch house that everyone likes to use.

It was a nice place to take a break, drink some water and just observe. I tried to figure out where I was in relation to my house "down there."

That gives you some idea of the incline I climbed, not as high as I wanted but not bad for a first time, stepping up continuously on the new hip. At no time did I feel any pain or soreness making this hike, even after my 58 minute bike ride earlier.

I looked at this going down and knew I was going to have to be extra careful. The trekking poles I brought were an important factor in getting down these rocky slopes without falling on my ass. "Falling" is no longer in my dictionary for permissible acts as the doctor told me weeks ago. Not in those words of course but "don't fall" was.

From the time I left the FJ in the parking lot out by Ramsey Canyon Road I kept my eye out for rattle snakes and scorpions. Why ?? Well on two different occasions friends had posted photos Facebook of a rattle snake crossing the main road and once in the parking lot of the ranch house the same day I was there in the morning. So I was alert so to speak.

As I walked down the hill I had finally come back to the small one track road I had used to turn off the main road. I could see any of my vehicles making this trip. Some of those rocks were not going to move so it would be a good test for my off-road tires that each use. I took my time walking over the rocky surface.

That rocky ledge in the center of the photo is as high as I went. I stood on those rocks taking the photos you saw of the valley back to the Huachuca Mountains.

It was good to see the ranch house come into view as I walked over the small hill that is steep riding a bike the other direction. I was going to use that bench on the front porch for my break of sitting down and having more water. I might even switch out the Nikon lens to the 70-300mm for the trip back to the FJ.

Like anything else, things change quickly. As I approached the house walking to the left of that porch for the entry way ... I hear a bike rider, taking a break in back under the shade trees, ask me something. I couldn't hear him clearly so I walked back and we ended up talking the time used for my break. All of those cars parked in the parking lot did not mean there were a lot of people taking the ranch house tour ... no one was around ... they were all out hiking the small trails behind the house.

I can't remember if I took a picture of this on my last trip so I made sure I did this time. Looking at the activity app on my watch, which automatically downloads to my phone, I saw I had close to a 1.2 mile walk back to the FJ. I didn't feel that tired at the ranch house but I knew I'd be tired after that 1.2 miles added to the activity of the day. It was a great hike and I'll be back in this area to explore the other trails. There are so many that I have not tried yet.

The next time I go back to Brown Canyon or any canyon for that matter, or the next time I take a ride on my bike ... no questions asked ... Stella will be put in her large indoor crate with the four small padlocks at key locations to prevent her from hurting herself since she has tried to force her way out of that. As I drove in front of the house before making the turn into the driveway, I glanced to the living room window to see if my blinds were to the left like I left them.

I saw instantly "Houston we have a problem" (Apollo 13 movie) ... I saw a bloodhound standing with it's front feet on the window sill and the last of the hanging blinds ALL in her mouth for one final jerk, pulling them down from their holders. I honked my horn with hopes of stopping her final jerk.

Stella is a great dog with some huge mental problems. Yet she is consistent and has been since I drove down to Kentucky on a four hour trip to pick her up in August 2015. Guess why they were giving her away? You guessed it. Same stuff different location. I was her 4th owner in her first 6 years of life.

So for those readers that have emailed me over the years telling me that crating a bloodhound is not right ... here is living proof on why I have to. This is NOT the first time I've taken pictures like this, I just haven't blogged about most of the damage I have witnessed over the 4+ years. Drywall attempted escape anyone ????

Luckily in this case, the blinds installer told me when he was finished installing new blinds on three different windows back in August "these come with a lifetime guarantee AND IF YOUR BLOODHOUND TEARS THEM DOWN AGAIN ... you get free blinds and installation JUST ONE TIME"

Well I will believe that when I see it. I'll find out if that is true when I call first thing Monday morning after they open their business. If not I will be using the old debit card again for a new set of blinds. Last time it took 4-6 weeks before the blinds to come in for installation. I assume for just one window that wait will be the same.

Since I didn't want an open view into my house at night I rehung all the blinds she had pulled out to the floor. Luckily every one of them would connect and if I used my fingers to turn the mechanism because she tore down the long arm to use to rotate, they rotated to closed. They don't look good and straight but good enough not to let the whole wide world see my living room at night.

Over the time I have had her, she does this exact same thing in Indiana and Arizona. I give her a little more leeway as she is showing me she can be trusted with no damages. I start with short trips and gradually extend the time I am away from home. When living in Indians she actually passed a 7 hour period where I was gone from the house. A few days later when I ran to town and was gone only 12 minutes ... total destruction.

Just like the past few weeks I had this same situation set up and was gone for over 3 hour each time with no damage. Then just like the past ... destruction.

I've tried meds, downers whatever the first month I lived here. See those photos? That was the same photos I took after she finished the month and a bottle of doggie downers while I was gone. For those readers that think leaving her in the backyard since the temps are cooler now ... well I have tried that numerous time. I even took a 29 minute video just last month ... let's see ... has tired digging under the gate, has tried digging though the concrete patio floor, tried to grab the door knob of the steel screen door to open it, tried to pull the steel screen out with her paws, howls non stop at times ... need more info?

When I looked at this house before I decided to buy it, I though the fenced yard would be perfect to Stella to stay in 10 months out of the year when I was gone.

So as I have said before ... for her safety and my sanity ... anytime I am going somewhere she will be left in a large indoor crate where she can turn around, plenty of room to sleep and in a cool environment. I have even walked back inside the house when I return to find her sound to sleep in the crate. 95% of the time if I hold the door open she walks in on her own.

I'll wait to see how my hip feels today before deciding if I go for another hike or bike ride. So far this morning it feels normal so I doubt that I can sit inside as we have another beautiful day.

Note:  As I was about to click the publish button I hear Heidi doing something I had not heard in the 8+ years I've had her. She was barking nonstop in the backyard. Did we have our first rattlesnake in the yard or any other kind of snake? As I turned the corner of the patio to see what it was ... there were no snakes but she had smelled my neighbor's brand new black lab puppy!!!

There is never a dull moment in the 'Wild West' especially when you own a bloodhound!!

All Of Us Got Zapped

I am not sure what happened but my free app called Sleep Watch recorded 10 hours of sleep Thursday night included my Friday afternoon siesta.  63% of it was called 'restful'. I have found that app is pretty accurate as it records every time I get up at night whether I'm awake or not. It reminds me what the actual time was that Heidi decides she needs to go outside and it tracks my sleeping heart rate. I felt great waking up Friday morning but as the day progressed I could see what hit me also hit the hounds.

As they use to say in the 60's we were wasted. Both hounds slept through their normal breakfast time. There was no howling or barking for early kibble. Afterwords there was no begging or whining to go on the daily walk ... they slept, they ate and they slept again. That took place throughout the day even after a feeble attempt at a walk a little past noon. Heidi's tongue was hanging out and we had not crossed the street yet. Stella had more interest in sniffing and tracking literally every inch between the house and our turn around point. I cut the walk short and headed home. It lasted more than we normally walk and covered a lot less ground. When we got back, they went back to sleep!!

After all the excitement yesterday how could today top that? For the first time this week I did not have the urge to go for a bike ride. I did not have the urge to grab the keys and take off with my camera to see what I could find. I didn't have the urge for anything and following my doctor's advice "listen to my body" ... my body was saying take a total day off from all activity. So I did.

Yet it was nice to sit out on the patio and watch the sky change. Temps were going back and forth between 70° and 68°,  cargo shorts and a sweatshirt seemed to be the uniform of the day. I let my mind drift with the wind and didn't move out of that ugly chair for quite a while.

Like I said, since they missed their walk Friday morning I thought they might be interested in taking one mid-day. Stella didn't even flinch when I asked if she wanted to go. I had to lean down and touch her to see if she even had a pulse ... she was off in dreamland, dead to the world.

Friday was Heidi's day to protest taking any photos of her. Everyone I took she looked away. She would wander out in the yard to walk laps since I was no longer doing that but when I would speak to her, she just kept on walking all the way to her bed in the back bedroom. She wanted nothing to do with what the day offered, no belly rubs, ear scratches or conversation.

I didn't feel restless today as if I needed to do something. I did a lot of reading, had a call from my old friend that was hiking today in the Indiana National Forest in cool damp/rain weather. He likes that kind of weather so its not a problem for him. All that land you see behind my fence has dirt trails and one track roads for 4x4 trucks, cars or gravel bikes. You will be able to go as far east as the San Pedro River but will have to take a highway bridge to go further east.

I love watching the open skies throughout the day. At least at ground level there is not a lot of strong wind but you can see above, things are happening.

The hounds were about like I was Friday. Totally undecided what they wanted to do. If they were awake, there wasn't a spot that felt comfortable enough for them to lay to long. They went in and out a million times, and slept it off the rest of the time. I did catch Stella poking that "infamous" window in the living room to see if the window was closed or not. She would not have tried to escape since I was around but she likes to check on different occasions that the windows and doors are shut ... just s quick nudge of her nose gives her the answer she is looking for.

I took this photo at 6:58pm. It was dark outside and I turned off the kitchen light in the background. I didn't use the flash so I am a little disappointed in this photo taken by the phone you see on all the commercials the past month. It looks like daytime but it was dark in real time. Probably user error.

This is a prime example that Stella never lets me get to far away from her. Now, she will sleep overnight in the living room on the floor or in the computer room in the corner but whenever I take an afternoon siesta she plops right down next to the bed and right in the landing zone for my feet when I get out of bed. So basically she is making sure that I am going nowhere without her knowing. She will also sleep in the same spot at night.

She moves around a lot, has a lot of different overnight sleeping spots whereas Heidi loves that new bed I bought for her and will spend all night and most of the day on that bed. It was money well spent.

By the time you read this it is "Football Saturday". There were be a few good or great games to watch, Alabama vs LSU for one. Penn State at undefeated Minnesota will be interesting. My two favorite teams, IU and Washington do not play on Saturday. IU has the weekend off and "UDub" played last night on Friday.

I found out today I will be driving back to the top of Carr Canyon Rd November 16 in a support capacity. If you remember my first trip up there, I found about three to four switchbacks with no guardrails where the pucker factor kicked in. I was too scared to stop and didn't want to take a hand off the steering wheel to take a photo as I crawled around the corners.

I will be hauling water, food and a table to the top to support the mountain bike ride that goes to the top of the mountain. It's a two day ride not to the top but two days and about 150 miles around and in the Huachuca Mts. I will be interested in seeing who makes it to the top of Carr Canyon Rd where the Ramsey Vista Campground is located. I'll take photos of that day and write about it later.

I know it's repetitive but I'm honest I guess ... it was another great day in the Wild West.

Stella Gets Out Of The House !!

Thursday morning started like all the others. I can say that things really are back to normal and it's nice to be able to get out when I want and go when I want. These first two pictures were taken with the same camera (Nikon) but the second one I used the flash. That made the sky just as I was seeing but I didn't care for the bright fence the camera captured. Thursday proved to be a very interesting day and Stella provided most of the entertainment.

I wasn't planning on riding my bike while I was drinking morning coffee but I was planning a road trip back to a town I had visited in June with the two hounds. The problem was it was too hot to keep the hounds in the car while I walked around to check out Patagonia. So we drove through it and around it then but just a quick look. Yesterday I went alone and looked a little bit closer.

So far the mornings after riding my bike the previous day a little further each time, my hip is feeling normal. No signs of swelling, no soreness and and no pain the hip area. It seems like I have been doing something active almost every day and in my mind that can't do anything but help getting those hip muscles stronger. Yesterday was Day 60 since my surgery. They say that hip joint where the ball fits into the pelvis takes two to three months to totally heal, so I might have another month go to go.

Heidi has come up with her own routine after breakfast or after the sun comes up. She will smell the entire fence line so slow it's almost like she is taking in each rock.

Once she reaches the corner of the backyard fence she will then cut diagonal towards the house.

I decided I would do test #2 with Stella. I mean what did I have to lose, just time to have the installers come back and install any vertical blinds she might tear down? I still thought she would be okay even if I were away for three to four hours. Everything was set up the same way as Wednesday when I was gone for a little over two and a half hours. Now to some this might not seem blog worthy but long time readers will remember she has driven me crazy with her destruction at times. It is totally random when she does this.

It was a great day to take a drive. This is heading west on Hwy 82, a highway that has turnouts just at the right spot to take some photos.

When I was searching for a small town to move to in Arizona I'd asked my friend that lives in Phoenix and at one time traveled the whole state for a job he had years ago. I would mention a town I found and he would give me a review in full detail. At times he would suggest some based on what I was looking for. Patagonia was a town on my list until I decided I needed more conveniences. I was tired of having to drive 25 miles to get to the stores I liked. I would have had to drive further than 25 miles in Patagonia.

I like traveling in this open country as I have mentioned before. I find the scenery beautiful and the open skies are beneficial to me.

Just past the 82/83 intersection in Sonoita there is a rest area that the hounds and I stopped at in June. Today I stopped for different reasons. I needed to make a point of getting out of the car and stretching my lower back and hip area. Sitting too long in a car or a chair is not a good thing, so this rest area is the perfect place to get out and walk around a little. Of course there are mountains to look at on both sides of the car.

I was a little surprised just how short of a drive it was from the house. The trip meter said a little over 35 miles. As I entered the town, the small high school was there to greet me. The orange and black school colors of the Patagonia Lobos. There is something about seeing a small school baseball diamond that makes me want to pull over and watch a little bit of the game ... but no baseball is being played today, it's November.

The biggest change I saw as soon as I pulled into town, a LOT less people and cars than what I saw in June. Tourist season was over and parking spaces were basically anywhere I wanted to park. I decided to start my exploration at the west end of town and walk eastward. The RAV4 drove smoothly, very quiet even with the off-road tires on them. My gas mileage is almost at 28mph from the time it hit the showroom floor.

This nice park splits Hwy 82 and the main street of town. I could have sat here for hours but I wanted to this to be a four hour trip for Stella's sake not eight hours like I would want. Even with the main highway next to the park, it was extremely quiet. It wasn't quite 10am and it seemed like I had missed the morning rush.

The health food store on the right was tempting to go in and take a look around but what caught my eye was the lot next to it that had all kinds of stuff for sale. No plans to buy anything and no cash in my billfold for a reason, I decided to go take a look.

There must be something about me and bicycles. What are the odds of walking into a 'flea-market' type of business and finding a very nice and very expensive 'road' bike in a place called Patagonia? I knew it was expensive so I asked the business owner David, "how much?" ... He was told by a friend that gave him the bike to sell it would bring $2,000. It would have cost much more than that new but this is a used bike, a good used bike. I had NO plans on buying this bike under any circumstances. Besides, I could tell the frame was too big for me and I was right ... I ride a 54cm-57cm depending on the bike and this bike was a 58cm. Yes ... that 1cm makes a world of difference.

I didn't bother looking around at much he had for sale. I wasn't in the mood to buy anything but he had some great stories about Patagonia and the area. He had 33 years worth of experience in that town and it was amazing to hear all of the changes that he had seen from the time he moved there. I had the impression he did not have any interest in having his picture on my blog so I didn't ask.

To get a 'feel' for a town, especially a small town, is there any better place than stopping in a coffee shop? I thought I saw something and headed that way. Luckily the coffee shop was that second business building with the yellow painted building. As you an see in this town you will find all kinds of vehicles, from 'vettes to FJs. As I was lining up this picture I dropped my month old overpriced iPhone ... the Tech21 case not only protected it but helped it bounce a couple of times off that hard dirt gravel you see. No damage and not even a scratch on the corner of the case itself. I immediately looked at the three lenses for the camera ... not even a scratch.

I was not even inside the door when I could smell good coffee and good food.

Of course that friend I told you about that traveled the state of Arizona for his state job years ago, stopped in this place many times he said and if nothing had changed, just their basic house coffee would fit the bill. As I stood in that short line to pay I came up with another plan. The food they were carrying out of the small kitchen just to the left of those coffee cups (were for sale) looked fantastic.

I knew I had time for two huge pancakes and their 16oz cup of coffee. They tasted just as good as they looked.

Somewhere during that time spent in the coffee shop I lost interest walking to the other end of town. There is a large old hotel just down the street but I had seen that in June. The park on the east side looked just like the west side, so I turned left and slowly headed back to the car.

This town has some nice old buildings, a few run down buildings and a few 'fixer upper's for sale.

One thing I do miss where I live is the butterflies. I might see one occasionally on our morning walks but nothing like I would see in August while walking through the field behind the house in 'in the tropics'. For those that are reading this blog from a computer instead of a phone, you can search "butterflies" and find all the photos I took of them while taking our afternoon walks.

It was the wrong time of year, I didn't see one butterfly anywhere near the "Butterfly Garden"

Well it was time to go. My inner clock told me I had seen enough of Patagonia and it was time to hit the road home. I had one more stop to make though .. Elgin AZ, just a few miles off of Hwy 82. This is another place my friend suggested I check out when I was trying to decide where to move. A short trip on Google Maps satellite view last winter, told me all I needed to know ... beautiful area but I am not sure the word "town" would apply. They do have a very nice large vineyard outside of town after passing through what I guessed to be the town.

With little traffic I was able to stop the car to take his picture. I love all the formations out here in the high plateaus.

By the time the wheels pulled up in front of my house I had been gone a little over three and half hours. I noticed the window was still intact and the blinds were still hanging in their proper position but I didn't see Stella at the fence gate nor did I see her at the window looking for me. I quietly opened the door and neither hound came running to greet me. Heidi was back on her bed sleeping and I could see looking straight ahead that Stella was out cold with her afternoon nap.

So again ... no damage for the 2nd day in a row.

That would all change a couple of hours later. I had the urge to ride my bike so I grabbed my helmet, I let Stella sniff it and from that she knows I am going riding. In fact she knows so well that she walked down the hallway to the bedroom thinking I was going to put her in her crate like I had done before every bike ride until the past two weeks.

I didn't do laps around the neighborhood where she could see me pass the house every 7-8 minutes. I rode 38 minutes through residential streets as I slowly increase my time on the bike. I suspected nothing was going on at home while I rode the bike. She never had issues with me leaving before and would stand by the window waiting for my return ... with the window open and a cool breeze coming through the screen window.

I was probably a block or two away from my house when I noticed something about Stella's color was over on one of the driveways but at that time I could not tell what it was. Once she raised her head with drool hanging from each side of her mouth I knew it was Stella. She was trotting nervously on the sidewalk to the next garage door ... she was looking for me I guess.

When I called her name she looked confused. She stood motionless looking at me and didn't move toward the bike. I kept riding and she followed. Once I stopped and gingerly moved my surgical side leg up and over the seat of the bike ... she came up to me wagging her tail a mile a minute, happy that I was home.

I was so happy that I saw her before she got any further away. The school buses had arrived a few minutes after we were inside letting kids out to walk the sidewalks to their home. Stella would have followed any kid that wanted to take her home and of course she would have stayed if they had any kind of food. So I felt very fortunate that I found her when I did.

When I looked at the screen window that had been pushed out I was really happy that the screen had not been torn out like she did in Indiana 4 years ago. I was also happy that the window went back into the window frame with ease and was not bent beyond repair. Funny that a few months ago I tired getting that screen out to clean it and it wouldn't budge. They probably had not been taken out of the frame for the age of the house.

She was able to take the screen out of it's track with no problem at all.

So will I leave her out to roam the house while I am gone next time ... yes I will. Only I will continue to close that window so she cannot get to the screen. Will I let her roam the house on my next bike ride or a walk to the mailbox?  Yes I will ... only this time I will close that window every time I leave so she can't get to the screen.

If she finds a way to bite the door knob and get out that way ... then all bets are off and back in the crate she goes every time I leave ... but the difference here than the door in Indiana where she did open a locked door ... this door as a deadbolt that is locked.

No matter, what it was a great day on Thursday in the Wild West.

Do you like the change of the new post first thing in the morning or at the end of the day writing about that day? I find I have more time to write in the morning than I do at the end of the afternoon. I also don't stay up as late as I use to, so posting late at night about the day doesn't seem like an option. So at least for now, this is how I am writing ... about the previous day and posting early in the morning.