Hiking up near the top of Baboquivari Peak

Friday, February 5.

Didn't do much riding, but did get a 5 mile or so hike in to pass the time.  Not much else got done except reading in the VRRV and doing a quick ride with Yagi to the "Mormon Corral".  Nothing to report there, just the expected corral hardware/fencing used to process cattle when needed.

Saturday, February 6.

Rode Yagi over to the Baboquivari Peak Ranch's gate where there is a small amount of trailhead parking.  Hiking access, per the sign on the gate, is the only access granted on what is private land owned by the Baboquivari Peak Ranch.

The trail, such as it is, it not maintained and there is a plethora of spine bearing vegetation bordering the trail so wear suitable clothing!  Also, the trail isn't really well marked at its beginning so the chances for losing the trail are actually pretty good.  

Further on, the trail starts to be better marked with pink tape hanging from tree branches and bushes along with small rock cairns giving you guidance.  But yeah, the beginning of the trail, isn't well marked and I lost time both going and coming back.

I started at 11:20 AM and by 13:15 I was as close to the top of the saddle terrain feature next to the Baboquivari Peak.

I believe that small ledge, which is visible from camp, is the one where I photoshopped a picture of Yagi, a couple of years ago or so, for an April Fool's Day joke.

April Fool's Day 2020

View of the top of Baboquivari Peak, see the small bush

on the ledge on the right?

Zoom view of the small bush 

This is what I could see, via zoom, of the top of the peak

another view of the peak, from the furthest point up

up the trail that I achieved.

I stopped, when the trail basically seemed to end on

steep rocky surfaces, not safe for me to do alone.

The view down Thomas Canyon which is what the 

trail borders, following the creek bed formed eons ago.

This is a view down from the furthest point I made,

it was a bit steep you might say.

Coming down was actually slower than coming up, taking about an hour more than the ascent took!  Lots of friable rock which caused me to slip and fall four times, the first time being the worst.  My coccyx isn't very happy with me right now, but am hoping the Vitamin I (Ibuprofen) will help things.

I'm very happy that I brought along the hiking poles that Martha normally uses when hiking!  I wouldn't have been able to get back down without them!  The shoes I had one were running shoes, totally unsuitable to the hiking conditions!

A view of the peak from a bit further down, perhaps

halfway from the furthest point and the creekbed?

Once I was back at creek bed level and approaching

the ranch buildings, one final shot of the peak.

Finally made it back to Yagi at the trail head, I was beat!  Geared up and although I did manage to drop her once on some moss (I think) at the creek close to the gate; managed to ride back to camp with no further issues.

I think, tomorrow is going to be a R&R day, rest and recuperation!

T-Dubing towards Baboquivari and also within the BANWR

Spent a lot of the last two days riding about what are now very familiar to me routes.

It was a joy to reconfirm, that riding off road in sometimes very rocky terrain, with the lower air pressures in Yagi's tires felt much more sure-footed.  Not that she hadn't been before but she's even more so now, in spite of my lack of skills.

First was a ride to check out road conditions on the way to the Baboquivari Trail Head area.  I wouldn't end up going all the way to the trail head mind you, just enough to ascertain conditions.

The above pic is the closest point I reached with Yagi before the trail head.  Trail conditions have worsened since the last time I was here with the Sammy but nothing major for the TW200!

On the way back towards the campsite, I stopped at this large water tank:

You see the closer formation of rocks in the distance?  That's where I headed next with Yagi.

I rode for several miles, winding along FR 235, 228, 2000, not much to report in terms of scenery and trying to get closer to the mountains above.  Finally, the afternoon was closing down so I stopped here for a picture:

I retraced my route, easily guided by the sight of Baboquivari Peak looming tall in the west.

Once I returned to camp, I realized that the cap had gone missing from the tool tube I carry mounted to the cargo rack on Yagi!  The folding tripod I carried in said tool tube was missing as well.  Damn it.

So I hurriedly retraced my route, long story short, I didn't find either the cap or the tripod.  I did find part of the tripod, the head portion on the way to Baboquivari but that was it that evening.

Today, spent the morning again retracing my riding yesterday but no luck.  Fortunately it was an "expendable" tripod from Amazon; and I've got another one ordered already.  More annoying is the loss of the tool tube's cap since buying another one involves having to buy an entire tool tube.  I may forego that cargo method since it appears "faulty".

Today was sunny but not as warm as I'd like it to be, high temps were only in the 50s.  It's supposed to get over 60 degrees tomorrow so here's hoping!

Groundhog Day - Baboquivari Style

 Ah yes, Groundhog Day, when people in at least two places in Canada and one in Pennsylvania turn to a large rodent to forecast when Spring will arrive.

The movie by the same name, with Bill Murray, is definitely worth watching over and over....ba-dum-pump!

Spent most of the morning in the VRRV as things were quite brisk outside due to early cloud cover and then some pretty brisk winds from the west.  By 1130 or so, the outside temperature had reached 50°F (4.4°C) so it was time to ride!

Got geared up and took Scarlett, my 2014 Ural Patrol Sidecar Rig the 18 miles or so to the small village of Arivaca.  It's a nice road to get there, with some sharp turns that will make life way too interesting if you aren't paying attention!

Note: The starter isn't seemingly engaging on Scarlett so I started her each time today using the kick start pedal.  No worries, but I'll have a go at cleaning it once the weather warms up a bit.

Got there with no issues and did some shopping for condiments and some groceries at the general store/gas station.

Then I rode Scarlett the extra five miles or so to Arivaca Lake to check out the sights.  The place was almost empty, it being a weekday, somewhat cool temperatures and a bit of luck.  

That is, with the exception of the Border Patrol vehicles one sees in this area of Arizona.  Two near the lake and one on the road going and coming back.

I'll have to return later this week or early next week, saw some interesting trails and such that needed exploring.

On the way back to Arivaca, one has the Baboquivari Peak in one's sight for a lot of the time while on the road.  I stopped and posed Scarlett at a spot which allows for the use of the zoom lens to create a long depth of field shot:

The above shot, was inspired by my loving wife Martha who said I should use the day's motif.  So here goes:

Baboquivari Peak, today, saw it's own shadow at Noon, predicting six more weeks of desert time for me!  

I drove on home with no issue, feeling the winds get stronger and stronger as I neared my campsite.  The rest of the afternoon was spent inside again, sheltering from the cold wind even though it was clear skies and the sun was out.  That wind chill you know...

One more day like today in terms of weather predicted for tomorrow and then a rather gratifying warming trend by the weekend!  I'm looking forward to it as you might imagine.

Sunrises and Sunsets as Omens....

 You've probably have heard or read this expression:

"Red sky at night sailors delight; red sky in the morning sailors take warning"

I'm near the Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge and the above expression came to mind as I thought about the photos I took today.

I googled the expression and found this:  LINK (in case you're seeking perhaps for the science behind it)

Here's the sunrise today which started this train of thought, it was quite a nice sunrise I might add.  The temperature was a balmy 44°F (6.66°C) so not very cold as I stood there framing the shots.

The sun rises above the hills to the east

Baboquivari in the first minutes of the sun's rising 

above the eastern hills.

The rest of the morning and all afternoon looked mostly like the below picture.  So perhaps the omen of a red sunrise was accurate?  

Spent the morning chasing down a wiring issue involving the tail lights for the trailer.  Turned out to be a broken wire (my fault) when I'd earlier last month inserted a wooden support under the fresh water tank.  Anyways, I spliced in a bypass wire, all good.

Spent the afternoon in the VRRV, reading mostly.

Sunset was also pretty good, which hopefully presages good weather tomorrow.  I've my doubts you see as Storm Landon slams into the Midwest and points east.  The next couple of days here will see temperatures in the low to mid 50s at best, not the Arizona I'd been hoping for, but this too shall pass by the weekend.

At times, it looked like a huge wild fire on the

other side of the hills to my west.