Yes, indeed…it’s walking season.
The weather is great now, mostly 80’s, the flowers are a’bloomin’, and everyone (and their dogs) have been cooped up for way too long. So, lots of Sun City folks have hit the sidewalks, walking paths, and nature trails.
(Bicycling is popular here, too. I have a fancy bike that I purchased from a friend last year but haven’t used much. Today, we’re taking it down to the bike shop for a tune-up and some minor repairs. If I can swing it, I might take it on our summertime RV trip.)
I am trying to do about three miles of walking a day with Baby and Bon-Bon. Between the sidewalks and specialized walking trails, there are numerous routes that we can take in the morning (when the temperature is around 70 degrees). The dogs live for this daily treat, as they must investigate other dogs’ pees and poos, smell all the emerging flowers, and greet passersby with wags and kisses. “What cute dogs!” is a common comment. I’m so proud of them, particularly since they are so well-behaved around strange people and other dogs. They are just out to have a good walk; it’s all good with them.
At least once per week I go on a hike with my buddies Lloyd and Mac. We do a minimum of six miles and normally a max of ten miles per hike, rarely on any kind of established trail. The shorter hikes usually involve some altitude gain, sometimes several thousand feet. We’ve hiked in the snow, in sandy riverbeds, up and down rock-strewn slopes, across barren desert landscapes, and into barely-accessible “secret” locations that have historical remnants (like petroglyphs, Indian rock stables, mines, and petrified wood forests).
Yesterday, Mac and I hiked ten miles in the Valley of Fire. It is a State park located between Mesquite and Las Vegas that encompasses a variety of dramatic terrain.
A valley running through part of it was once used by Mormon settlers traveling from Salt Lake City south to the Las Vegas area. We hiked that Old Wagon Trail yesterday which passes close to this dramatic arch.
We found a few remnants from the wagoneers, like rusted tin cans and harness hardware, container caps, and such. We saw a dozen Bighorn Sheep at one location and a bunch of large lizards, including a nice fat Horned Toad that ran right under our feet.
I like the long walks with Mac alone, as we have many things we can talk about and have much in common. He’s a solid guy who came from humble roots in Virginia. Mac was in the Air Force like me (he was an Air Police dog handler in Korea) and later enjoyed a long civil service career with the Department of Defense in procurement (at the Pentagon, I believe). Both he and I understand how government works (and doesn’t) and have lots of stories to share. Both of us think that American democracy is circling the drain.
Our hiking “gang” has lots of hiking opportunities in this area: the Beaver Dam Wilderness, Virgin Peak, Gold Butte, Grand Canyon Parashant, Snow Canyon, Flat Top Mesa, the Mormon Mountains, the Virgin River Gorge, and Pine Valley.
In most of these remote areas, off-road vehicles are common. My 79-year-old widowed nextdoor neighbor, who can’t walk very well, has an ORV and she belongs to a club that goes on weekly outings to some pretty rugged areas. She’s a spunky lady. Hiking buddy Lloyd has a tricked-out Toyota 4-Runner which can handle most of the crappy BLM dirt/rock roads that we encounter. Lloyd likes to drive and is expert at negotiating the dangerous areas in 4×4 mode.
Zion National Park is located approximately 80 miles northeast of us and is one of my favorite places to hike. However, it has become too crowded in recent years, and the Covid-19 restrictions re: the Valley tram have made this place unworkable for serious hiking. You can’t take your car into Zion, you must take the tram within the Park, and you must get a reservation for a tram ride. It has become Disneyland; I’m not going back.
On May 5th, Lloyd, Charlie and I will take the RV up to Arvada, Colorado to visit with Jason Friedman. He’s an Iron Man competitor and a big outdoorsman who likes to hike in the Rocky Mountains with his dog Ashka. Jason is planning a couple of interesting treks for Lloyd and I.
Hopefully, we can handle the cardiovascular trauma that Jason is orchestrating for us.