I finally got myself torn from the internet to take a hike this afternoon with the dogs. In hindsight, I should have done this in the morning, as it turned out to be a hot and dry hike in the beginning.
I took the dogs to the most southern terminus of the San Pedro River Trail, a 40-mile long trail in the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area, or SPRNCA. This pretty section is managed by the Bureau of Land Management, is free and only 11 miles from the house.
I took the dogs to the most southern terminus of the San Pedro River Trail, a 40-mile long trail in the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area, or SPRNCA. This pretty section is managed by the Bureau of Land Management, is free and only 11 miles from the house.
I didn't get to the trailhead until 2:20pm, taking the dogs first to the river to let them splash around before starting on the hot and exposed path southward to the border.
"The Girls" love to run in and out of the water, take a drink, run back up the shore to romp, then run back down to the river to do their antics all over again. ) Sam stays on dry land watching the "girls" and sometimes I wonder what he thinks of them. "Those silly girls" he must be thinking in Caninese.
I had no idea how far I was going to make it, knowing that it gets dark by 5pm now. I only had water with me and wore shoes meant for the backyard and not the frontier.
Hiking for me is like eating potato chips. It's hard for me to just stop and turn around. I decided I would hike as far as the dogs would let me, as Sara or Sammy will lay down in the shade to let me know they need a break.
I figured I'd walk an hour south, rest, then turn around. But then I came across a surveillance tower halfway through the hike, then saw a windmill and some homes further down the path. I made the windmill my absolute turn-around point. The dogs could get some water, refresh and we'd head back north to the parking lot.
The river is one of the few free-flowing rivers left in Arizona. It's not a long river, and certainly not a wide river, but it's wellknown for birding. Hawks, owls, vermillion fly catchers, mallards call this riparian area their home.
But I saw none of the big birds today. I only saw lots of coyote scat along the trail.
Kevin and I have already done most of the rest of this pretty trail along the river in the years we have lived here, but not this section. Normally when we go to "The River" we walk along the stream on trails blazed by the illegals. Downstream there are a few historic sites of old ranches or mammoth finds. I saw jasper and agate along the trail.
I left the house wearing my eight-year-old leather Timberland open-toe sandals, shoes not fit for walking eight miles. I’ve seen Haitians with better shoes than the ones I wore today. I only wear the sandals around the house; the soles are getting thin and the leather is cracking.
I had never hiked this section before. Kevin and I walked nearby about a month ago, with the dogs, but we were following the dry wash and not the official trail.
And quite frankly, I most likely won’t walk this stretch again soon. It would make a great winter hike with some frost on the trail, but the exposed trail, the wide path and the lack of any water makes this stretch of the SPRNCA rather boring. Illegals coming across the border could also make this section potentially dangerous. (I saw little trash and no illegals today)
I did this section because it’s close to the house and the trails in the mountains are busy with hunters shooting deer. It also gives me an excuse to say I did this section of the long trail.
The dogs got hot fast. They let me know when they needed a rest when they’d stop and lay down in the shade of a mesquite tree. I had enough water for the hike, but I rationed what I had.
The trail was nothing more than an exposed jeep trail used by the Border Patrol to monitor illegal traffic. A satellite tower was two miles from the border. The San Pedro River was a half mile to the west. Despite the name, the trail never came close to the river, and what little water there was was warm mud on the trail. Tall grass with mature seedheads lined the trail
I saw few birds: ring-neck doves and finches dotted the smaller trees, but they would fly away when we approached. The only living thing I saw walking south was a centipede crawling across the trail. (We saw more wildlife coming back in the cooler shade, as the dogs chased some mule deer and the birds came out to sing in the dead branches of stray cottonwoods)
It took me 90 minutes to get to the border. A row of shack homes was visible on the Sonoran side. The windmill and water tank for cattle that I saw from a distance turned out to be south of the fence.
I had never hiked this section before. Kevin and I walked nearby about a month ago, with the dogs, but we were following the dry wash and not the official trail.
And quite frankly, I most likely won’t walk this stretch again soon. It would make a great winter hike with some frost on the trail, but the exposed trail, the wide path and the lack of any water makes this stretch of the SPRNCA rather boring. Illegals coming across the border could also make this section potentially dangerous. (I saw little trash and no illegals today)
I did this section because it’s close to the house and the trails in the mountains are busy with hunters shooting deer. It also gives me an excuse to say I did this section of the long trail.
The dogs got hot fast. They let me know when they needed a rest when they’d stop and lay down in the shade of a mesquite tree. I had enough water for the hike, but I rationed what I had.
The trail was nothing more than an exposed jeep trail used by the Border Patrol to monitor illegal traffic. A satellite tower was two miles from the border. The San Pedro River was a half mile to the west. Despite the name, the trail never came close to the river, and what little water there was was warm mud on the trail. Tall grass with mature seedheads lined the trail
I saw few birds: ring-neck doves and finches dotted the smaller trees, but they would fly away when we approached. The only living thing I saw walking south was a centipede crawling across the trail. (We saw more wildlife coming back in the cooler shade, as the dogs chased some mule deer and the birds came out to sing in the dead branches of stray cottonwoods)
It took me 90 minutes to get to the border. A row of shack homes was visible on the Sonoran side. The windmill and water tank for cattle that I saw from a distance turned out to be south of the fence.
I saw no life on the other side of the border.
The new 14’ tall metal fence is already erected in this section, and a wide border road parallels the fence into the horizon. The steel slabs are about six inches apart so that small animals can get through, but not humans or large animals.
The fence threw long shadows in the late afternoon sun. I didn’t get to the border until 4:20pm. We stayed long enough to take some photos, but I knew I had to beat feet back to the car before sunset.
I barely made it. The sun sunk behind the mountains at 5:26pm. The light went quickly to dark red to purple. By 6pm it was dark. It took me 70 minutes to walk back.
A lone Border Patrol stood near my truck as I got back to the parking lot. Sara stopped in her tracks when she saw the agent. That was an alarm for me. At first I thought the person in that dark uniform was a Mexican waiting for a ride out of the area, but once I spotted the shoulder patch I felt safe. The dogs barked at the man but he knew they were harmless.
“I am a legal citizen of the United States and so are the dogs!” I jokingly told him. He was alone.
“You don’t have a partner out here?” I asked him
“No, I am just here to check out the wash”
“I didn’t see anything or anyone on the entire trail, but we stayed on the trail” (and not the wash where many illegals walk instead because the wash is lower than the trail)
The agent walked down the wash a bit, but as soon as I drove off, he did too. He was probably waiting for me, the driver of the parked car, to return to make sure I wasn’t picking up any illegals, and only used the excuse to walk down the wash to prevent me from being suspicious. (It didn't work!)
The fence threw long shadows in the late afternoon sun. I didn’t get to the border until 4:20pm. We stayed long enough to take some photos, but I knew I had to beat feet back to the car before sunset.
I barely made it. The sun sunk behind the mountains at 5:26pm. The light went quickly to dark red to purple. By 6pm it was dark. It took me 70 minutes to walk back.
A lone Border Patrol stood near my truck as I got back to the parking lot. Sara stopped in her tracks when she saw the agent. That was an alarm for me. At first I thought the person in that dark uniform was a Mexican waiting for a ride out of the area, but once I spotted the shoulder patch I felt safe. The dogs barked at the man but he knew they were harmless.
“I am a legal citizen of the United States and so are the dogs!” I jokingly told him. He was alone.
“You don’t have a partner out here?” I asked him
“No, I am just here to check out the wash”
“I didn’t see anything or anyone on the entire trail, but we stayed on the trail” (and not the wash where many illegals walk instead because the wash is lower than the trail)
The agent walked down the wash a bit, but as soon as I drove off, he did too. He was probably waiting for me, the driver of the parked car, to return to make sure I wasn’t picking up any illegals, and only used the excuse to walk down the wash to prevent me from being suspicious. (It didn't work!)
But I understand and support his mission. Our border needs to be protected and I don't want to stand in the way of his job. There are plenty of illegals who use the river as a crossing point; I see the USBP pick them up on my way to Bisbee in the mornings.
A sign at the trailhead reminds visitors that the trail was for “Day Use Only.” I had barely made it!
Kevin called to see where I was. He had driven to the parking area just before I arrived back at the car.
The dogs were exhausted and so was I when we got back. Kevin made a delicious roast beef meal, with home-grown beets, beans and butternut squash.
A sign at the trailhead reminds visitors that the trail was for “Day Use Only.” I had barely made it!
Kevin called to see where I was. He had driven to the parking area just before I arrived back at the car.
The dogs were exhausted and so was I when we got back. Kevin made a delicious roast beef meal, with home-grown beets, beans and butternut squash.
Sara got a warm bath after dinner. The mud she rolled around in had crusted thickly around her belly. She would have left mud crumbs all over the house. Oh, how she hates baths!
http://www.discoverseaz.com/Attractions/SPRNCA.html
http://www.discoverseaz.com/Attractions/SPRNCA.html
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