Sheepshead

CLIMB SHEEPSHEAD

Join the Muleteam this Saturday at the earlier time of 8am for a hike in the Dragoon Mountains to the moonscape terrain of a popular climbing rock with great views. This is a tough hike. It's a steep 1460 ft climb with a total hike distance of 3.5 miles and estimated time of 4.5-5.5 hours. Bring water, lunch and gloves, but it's not a dog friendly hike. Back late afternoon. Meet Mar 14 at 8am by the Old Bisbee courthouse fountain to carpool (over an hour each way). Free, but gas donation is appreciated. For more details contact Steve A at 520-458-6185 (landline) or safall04@gmail.com.

Detailed hike description on Hike Arizona - https://hikearizona.com/decoder.php?ZTN=16469

Even better Sheepshead photo album - https://photos.app.goo.gl/gthnHgHadpJDyIgx1

We will meet the Huachuca hikers (and anyone else) at the the beginning of Middlemarch Road to drive to the trailhead.

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BACKTRACK -  Patio Peak

As I sit here cozily composing the report of yesterday's hike, I observe how different those perfectly clear skies and cool, breezy-- sometimes windy--conditions were from the wet weather of this morning, with its steady, moderate drizzle and low clouds everywhere obscuring the not so high peaks normally visible from my house as well as to our hiking party on yesterday's trek. I marvel at the bullet we dodged by less than a day. Twenty one hikers and about four dogs set out from the Yuma Trail trailhead after finding sufficient parking for our vehicles just below where the gate lies that we passed through on our entrance into this land of mystery's maze of old roads, picking out the ones that guided us to our destination. No cattle were visible at all though the ages of many droppings indicated an abundance of bovines not so long ago. Normally dry gullies had trickles of water in them as  clues to our moister than usual winter this year, and the impoundment or stock tank we passed at the beginning of a corner cutting had a really respectable pond lying therein, attractive in its aspect though I would not want to drink from it. Orange flagging was placed at intervals along the way to aid in our returning along tried and true paths as we retrieved them after they had served their purpose. The steepest ascent up the old bulldozed road to the ridge along which Patio Peak lies, was trying as usual in its rockiness-- though not as much so on the way up as on the later descent. Once gaining the old road passing just below the undulating ridge on its way to the peak, the only nuisances were the acacia bushes which the road was not wide enough to keep from intruding at random intervals along its edges. The grade here was moderated up to the peak by the meandering curves of the road as it wound its way up. The Border Patrol photo arrays were in an even more obvious location than ever, and a liesurely lunch was had, surrounded by unusual views of the Warren and Bisbee patterns of human settlement. Following an unerring route back thanks to our temporary flagging, we arrived back at Yuma Trail in mid afternoon, weary but with a sense of accomplishment. --Brad

Slide to see complete photo below (taken by Ken), and a couple more by me are at muleteam.shutterfly.com. 

SIDETRACK - Hiking Options
Sierra Vista has other hiking groups that meet on different days of the week: Monday, Tuesday, Friday(Bisbee stairs) and another Saturday choice. If you're interested in any (or all) of these I can send you the current schedule/info for each. Thanks to Lawrence for this idea and collecting the info. Email your request to Larry at sunstudio@cableone.net.



CALENDAR 

Mar 21 - Annual San Pedro River hike & gourmet picnic with Doug
Mar 28 - Joe's Canyon in the Huachucas with Ken & Sandy
Apr 4 - Carr Canyon to Bathtub Spring in the Huachucas with Molly
Apr 11 - Eclectic art walk along Old Bisbee stairs with Larry
Apr 18 - Brown-Ramsey Canyons in the Huachucas with Brad
Apr 24-25-26 - Camp-hike at Rustler in the Chiricahuas with John Wasser
May 2 - ??
May 9 - Last hike & potluck ideas?? 

Thanks for hiking with me,

Larry