Monday, March 19th
First, I want to thank some people who have made our having and using these tech
no-toys possible. JOHN ZINKL helped us choose and order this laptop, and then he taught Dick the basics on how to use it. LEE PIERSON ordered and set up our GPS unit and taught me the basics of it's use; BILL GAVIN helped me and Ron learn how to use it on the trail .

Some bios on the cast of characters on this trip: We three humans are in our early to mid 60's.

Ron's mule, Rosie, is 13 years old, 15 hands,sorrel molly mule. My mule, Billy, is 7 years old, 14.2, sorrel john mule.

We also have with us our two dogs, Jane, and Jesse.

We're using Ron's rig ; a pickup and stock trailer; FULL of hay, kitchen, beds, tack, shower tent, tables, chairs, dogs, and sometimes mules .
Ron's family, Paula and Steve, let us stay at their place near Sonoita on the "staging night" of our trip. Nice people; nice place !! Thank You !!
Today's trail was through the Canelo Hills which were not very big hills but we were always going up or down ! The weather was sunny, not hot; a fine day to start our adventure ! We were on the trail about 6 hours to go 14.5 miles . When we were at the trailhead, there was a man who was also starting the trail, Richard from Sierra Vista. We were on the trail "with" him for the next two days; he was tough and not too far behind us each day.


Tuesday, March 20
More Canelo Hills but more rolling country with vistas of small grass covered valleys, windmills, grazing cattle . A red rock cliff with a rusted windmill in front of it. The new green of cottonwood trees. An open hillside of waist high pale yellow grass rippling in the wind. Whitetail deer flashing their tails as they bound up a wooded draw. Circling hawks flying with theis legs and tallons extended .

There was recent trail work done on both of these Canelo Hills passages; thank you Segment Stewards Zay Hartigan and Richard Corbett !!


Wednesday, March 21
Wow, what a day ! Wow, what a climb ! Over a shoulder of the Santa Rita Mountains.
Started out trailering out of Patagonia as far as we could (no road riding, please). Continued riding on this road but at this point it was in a pretty little riparian canyon with many placesof running water; cottonwoods leafing out. Black cattle; cut tiny calves; not so cute bulls.
And then the climb began, and went on, and on; steep and rocky. What had been a beautiful sunny morning began to turn into a WINDY ordeal. Glad to be riding those calm mules ! So on they struggle up the nountain. Clouds threw off the GPS readings (our average speed was faster than our top speed !) But not to fear, there is no other place to go but the trail; and on we go ! Top out, down the other side; how can it still be windy ? Starts to rain a little; put on the slickers in the wind; glad to riding these calm mules. Down in CasaBlanca Canyon there is a stream of beautiful clear water flowing past giant Sycamore trees. Farther down we see the ruins of a dam from the days of placer mining, and the trail is on the course of an old pipeline/ aguaduct for 2 1/2 miles ending at a tunnel through the mountain for the water to continue down the mountain to the placer mines . Rain has stopped. A few tricky places in the trail; glad to be riding these mules. Glad to see the trailer in the distance; glad to see Dick when we get there .
And SO GLAD for Paula and Steve to let us come back to their place and be out of the storm !!