Ramsey Canyon

HIKE RAMSEY CANYON TRAIL
Join the Muleteam this Saturday for a hike through a beautiful nature preserve in the Huachuca Mountains. This trail climbs to a vista point and crisscrosses a running creek to the old Hamburg mine making a roundtrip of about 6 miles. Bring water and lunch but no dogs. Back mid-afternoon. Meet Nov 16 at 9am by the Old Bisbee courthouse fountain to carpool to the Brown Canyon parking lot adjacent to Ramsey Road. We will shuttle to the Ramsey Preserve parking lot from there in exchange for a reduced group entry fee. The fee for county residents parking in the Ramsey parking lot is $5 per person. The hike itself is free but gas donation is appreciated. For more details contact John at 319-325-3605 or johnbroz1944@yahoo.com.

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BACKTRACK - Pinery-Horsefall
After leaving the courthouse a little after 9 AM, our crew of seven hikers and no dogs reached our trailhead at a little before 11 AM. We were few enough that giving all their names won’t be an imposition. The five women—Molly, Sandy, Elizabeth, Jan, and Laura—all crowded into Jan’s buggy while George and I traveled in his truck. I was expecting some occupied campsites along the forested sides of the road during the last few miles, but the balmy weather must have really brought out a lot more than the few hunters that usually turn out in this season. Fortunately, conversing with a volunteer at the boy scout camp that filled the open area along the short road leading to our trail, informed us that little hunting activity was noticed since they had arrived. Just in case, we were able to put together a little bright garb to show any hunters we were not legal game, Molly volunteered to be the one not in the group photograph she took of us, and we headed on past the smaller camp of uncordial grumps who glowered at us as we reached the end of the road. My description of the rest of our hike will only include that differing from the report I made of my earlier hike during our campout last May. I am sending a copy of this to Larry again for him to possibly attach it, or interested hikers can contact him or me to be sent one by email. The water flow was a lot less along the stretch of Pinery Creek we followed before we reached the sign where the trail began its ascent out of the bottom of the canyon. In fact there was no flow at all until just before the trail bid its adieu to the stream. Grass along the trail was thicker and taller than in May, but we were able to make our way with little difficulty. This may have been partly because I was able to maintain the lead on the way up. I was in the last half of the group during our return trip, but no one up ahead was delayed by losing the trail at that time. The gate we passed through was closed this time, unlike on my earlier hike, and we made sure to keep it closed. The purple thistle blossoms found just beyond the gate were gone in this Fall season, together with the spectacular abundance of Lupine and small bright yellow blossoms seen in May as we reached the bottom of Horsefall Canyon. We were able to find a remnant of the flagging I left in May as a marker of where the trail begins its ascent out of the canyon, to guide us on our way back. Also clearly seen was the arrowhead I had carved into a tree trunk for the same purpose. As a back-up noticeable from greater distance, some loose tree branches were leaned against a standing tree in an unusual fashion sure to be noticed by us on our return. Iron Spring was in the same state as in May where the trough was filled to its brim with hardly more than a slight trickle still escaping over the edge. There were two or three large tree trunks that had fallen over the trail since May—one badly charred—but the trail was in excellent shape in all other respects, especially in having few rocky sections so wearing on hikers feet. The weather for the hike was ideal not only during the exertion of hiking but also during lunch and our infrequent rest breaks. We had lunch at a scenic spot overlooking Jhus Canyon  beyond a gate through which its trail proceeds just after leaving the Shaw Peak Trail. After finishing lunch around 1:30 PM, we met a couple of women resting at the junction we were returning to after having reached it earlier where the Horsefall Trail reaches the Shaw Peak Trail. They were on an extended hike which started at Silver Peak near Portal and was intended to end at Klondike in the vicinity of Aravaipa Creek after an indefinite time. There was some uncertainty about where they were going to find water for their next night’s camp, and were appreciative of offers of some of our own water. After our late start, we made good time on our way back to the trailhead, arriving back at about 3 PM. Following one last photo session—this time including Molly while taken by someone from the scout camp—we started the drive back. George and I stopped for refreshments and arrived back around 5:30 as darkness was beginning its descent into Tombstone Canyon, the other vehicle presumed to have gotten back before we did.   -- Brad

All photos are at muleteam.shutterfly.com.



SIDETRACK - Video
Mike Foster has created many videos about this area's nature, culture & history. Here is a link to one about the Huachuca Mountains: https://vimeo.com/331069950



CALENDAR

Nov 23 - Perimeter Trail in the Huachucas with Anne
Nov 30 - Bisbee Ridge in the Mules with John Broz
Dec 7 - Garden Canyon in the Huachucas with John Broz
Dec 14 - Zacatecas hike & potluck with Marty & Charlie
Dec 21 - Hike to the Bisbee Cross with Doug & Anne
Dec 28 - Mt Ballard in the Mules with Sandy
Jan 5 - Mural Hill in the Mules with Larry
Jan 12 - Parker Lake & wine tasting with John Wasser
Jan 19 - ??
......

Thanks for hiking with me,
Larry

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