Beyond Zacatecas

HIKE ZACATECAS AND BEYOND
The logistics of a group camp got too complicated this year. Rucker, Portal, Rustler, all closed. No restrooms. No carpooling. Group meals could be a problem. Let’s just keep Rustler and Chiricahua Peak in mind for a later date.

So how about we meet at the fountain 9am for a stroll up the gulch and Zacatecas. Then we will take the old toll road to the next canyon over and do a little exploring. Might be interesting or not, but it will be some exercise.  -John

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BACKTRACK -  Brown-Ramsey

Five hikers and one dog started from the courthouse at about 8:10 AM and headed to the trailhead on Ramsey Canyon Road in social distancing separate vehicles. The lot at the trailhead was open and was practically filled with vehicles when we got there to barely find room still left for us to park. One more hiker jointed the party, and we started off on the well trod foot and bike trail around the gate locked against vehicle entry. After a short hike on the Brown Ranch Road, we left it at the point where an old unmaintained road branched off to the left. A number of other tracks spun off at intervals. but we kept on the one that eventually turned into an official signed hiking trail just beyond where a grave still lay under its partially legible engraved natural stone. After joining the Brown Canyon trail from the ranch house, the rest of the socially distanced hike was uneventful except for the respectable flow in the creek, which was still less than Miller or Ramsey Creeks. Though the season's heavier moisture was noticeable in the creek flow, the concrete trough spring was unaffected at its usual level of algae-filled water. After ascending to the old decrepit fence, four of us had lunch at that first summit-- spacious enough to observe more social distancing-- while two turned back early to keep their aging dog from too much wear and tear. 
We then returned back down to the old trough spring where we added a little variety by detouring back to Ramsey Canyon along the old road so popular with mountain bikers and of memory as the way that Lynn was brought out after breaking her arm. The last stretch along the Ramsey Canyon Road pavement brought us back to our vehicles parked in the open lot we started from. Reports from some of the large number of other hikers met along the way brought news that hikers were being kept from passing through the Ramsey Preserve only sporadically and not at all on the day of our hike, when two local residents reported hiking a loop similar to ours-- through the Preserve in the morning, taking the high connector trail over to Brown Canyon, and returning by the same old road that we took from the trough spring back to Ramsey below the Preserve.  -Brad

Molly took the group photo, and Elizabeth's 360 photo is at 360BrownCanyon.
All other photos are at muleteam.shutterfly.com. 


CALENDAR 

May 2 - Carr Canyon to Bathtub Spring in the Huachucas with Molly
May 9 - Off-pavement hike in Warren area with Elizabeth


Thanks for hiking with me,

Larry