This was one hike I was looking forward to: taking Kevin and the dogs to the Dragoons for a short but strenuous 4-mile hike closeby.
Nine of us met at the Po’Folks Restaurant parking lot at 7:30am: Leaders Gordon and Brenda, Bob, Coco, Paul, Kevin and I plus our dogs Sara and Sammy. Rod and Casi met us at Middle March Road.
It was chilly and a tad windy at 8:30am when we got started, and even though I packed a windbreaker in my backpack, I never had to put it on.
I started ahead of the group so that the dogs wouldn’t bother anyone. Sara took the lead while Sammy was right behind me, dabbing dog snot behind my knees. We never went
further than visual contact with Brenda.
The first mile of this popular local hike is an easy grade up flat meadow and then foothill trails. Once the trail approached the nape of the Sheep’s head, though, the trail turns into a steep switchback up to the saddle, an elevation of just over 5800’. It was at the saddle that we had planned on stopping with the dogs while the rest of the group continued to the top of the sheep’s head.
Several rock climbers were getting their ropes ready for their morning ascent up Sheep’s Head. They were half-way up the rock when we came back down a few hours later.
We rested at the saddle, drinking fluids, joking and enjoying the vista toward Tombstone and the San Pedro Valley, with the Huachucas and Whetstones to our west.
The others took off after their snackbreaks. Sammy, who had befriended everyone in the group, wanted to go on with them, as I held him back by the collar. Even after Paul, the last one up the trail, had left our line-of-sight, Sammy wanted to continue on with them. After a good 15-minute break I finally relented and continued on the trail with the dogs, planning to turn around when it got too tough for them.
It never got too tough for them going uphill. While I slid a few times going up a short but narrow slot, the dogs clamored ahead of me, stopping to wait for me. Sara followed the scent of the others to the top, and we made it to the top with the rest of the group resting on the warm limestone. We were now at 6430'.
Bob was resting against his backpack, Brenda and Coco were leaning against an outcropping, and the rest were still enjoying their lunches. This was perfect for Sammy, who always enjoys a free lunch.
The wind on top was surprisingly mild, and the rocks reflected a warmth that added to our comfort. We could see our cars parked at the distant trailhead, and cars driving east on Middle March Road reflected brightly in the late morning sun.
Kevin remained in the saddle as he patiently waited for the rest of us to climb back down. Again I took off first, allowing the dogs to maneuver the rock obstacles ahead of everyone else. Both dogs did surprisingly well, but at one ten-foot drop Sammy froze, whimpering for help while Sara slid down and continued on. Sliding lose rocks had frightened Sammy into sliding down after Sara.
We had to let the others get ahead of the dogs, and with us all below Sammy (other than me) he had no choice but to slide down, receiving praise from the rest of us. The rest of the hike down was easy for the dogs, catching up to Kevin in the saddle and resuming their lead in the front of the group.
Brenda and Gordon did an excelling job leading this hike, with Gordon in the front with the fast hikers, and Brenda in the rear with the slower ones. No one was left behind and we rested several times to allow the entire group to catch up. At one stop Coco stretched out in positions previously unseen to human eyes. (She is quite limber!)
We arrived back at our cars at 2pm, with a waning quarter-moon rising over the Dragoons. After some small talk we went our separate ways. My thighs were again sore, as if I had run a marathon, feeling just as exhausted as I did last weekend during the trail clean-up in Bear Saddle.
Nine of us met at the Po’Folks Restaurant parking lot at 7:30am: Leaders Gordon and Brenda, Bob, Coco, Paul, Kevin and I plus our dogs Sara and Sammy. Rod and Casi met us at Middle March Road.
It was chilly and a tad windy at 8:30am when we got started, and even though I packed a windbreaker in my backpack, I never had to put it on.
I started ahead of the group so that the dogs wouldn’t bother anyone. Sara took the lead while Sammy was right behind me, dabbing dog snot behind my knees. We never went
further than visual contact with Brenda.
The first mile of this popular local hike is an easy grade up flat meadow and then foothill trails. Once the trail approached the nape of the Sheep’s head, though, the trail turns into a steep switchback up to the saddle, an elevation of just over 5800’. It was at the saddle that we had planned on stopping with the dogs while the rest of the group continued to the top of the sheep’s head.
Several rock climbers were getting their ropes ready for their morning ascent up Sheep’s Head. They were half-way up the rock when we came back down a few hours later.
We rested at the saddle, drinking fluids, joking and enjoying the vista toward Tombstone and the San Pedro Valley, with the Huachucas and Whetstones to our west.
The others took off after their snackbreaks. Sammy, who had befriended everyone in the group, wanted to go on with them, as I held him back by the collar. Even after Paul, the last one up the trail, had left our line-of-sight, Sammy wanted to continue on with them. After a good 15-minute break I finally relented and continued on the trail with the dogs, planning to turn around when it got too tough for them.
It never got too tough for them going uphill. While I slid a few times going up a short but narrow slot, the dogs clamored ahead of me, stopping to wait for me. Sara followed the scent of the others to the top, and we made it to the top with the rest of the group resting on the warm limestone. We were now at 6430'.
Bob was resting against his backpack, Brenda and Coco were leaning against an outcropping, and the rest were still enjoying their lunches. This was perfect for Sammy, who always enjoys a free lunch.
The wind on top was surprisingly mild, and the rocks reflected a warmth that added to our comfort. We could see our cars parked at the distant trailhead, and cars driving east on Middle March Road reflected brightly in the late morning sun.
Kevin remained in the saddle as he patiently waited for the rest of us to climb back down. Again I took off first, allowing the dogs to maneuver the rock obstacles ahead of everyone else. Both dogs did surprisingly well, but at one ten-foot drop Sammy froze, whimpering for help while Sara slid down and continued on. Sliding lose rocks had frightened Sammy into sliding down after Sara.
We had to let the others get ahead of the dogs, and with us all below Sammy (other than me) he had no choice but to slide down, receiving praise from the rest of us. The rest of the hike down was easy for the dogs, catching up to Kevin in the saddle and resuming their lead in the front of the group.
Brenda and Gordon did an excelling job leading this hike, with Gordon in the front with the fast hikers, and Brenda in the rear with the slower ones. No one was left behind and we rested several times to allow the entire group to catch up. At one stop Coco stretched out in positions previously unseen to human eyes. (She is quite limber!)
We arrived back at our cars at 2pm, with a waning quarter-moon rising over the Dragoons. After some small talk we went our separate ways. My thighs were again sore, as if I had run a marathon, feeling just as exhausted as I did last weekend during the trail clean-up in Bear Saddle.
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