On Sunday, after our normal run (the first one in AZ), we went on a hike in Horseshoe Canyon (while tivo’ing football). This is the canyon that is directly behind our property at the end of Sunrise Road. At the end of the road, which is about two or three miles from our property, there is a gate (currently closed to keep the cows on the mountain side for the winter) that you can drive through. About a hundred feet or so past that gate is a sign marking the entrance to Coronado National Forest.

We drove for a while until we found a place where we could pull off and park, which was the first of several campsites we saw. We parked and started our hike.

The pictures here pretty much tell the story of the amazing beauty of this area. We saw many different types of environment on our 5 mile or so hike, ranging from grassland prairie to dense oak forest to very rocky mountains.

Among the interesting things we saw on this hike were several large drinking water pools for the cows. (The cows, however, were all at the front gate. We didn’t see any further back in the canyon. And despite all my efforts to be friendly, the cows seem pretty terrified of me, or anyone I guess, on foot. Weird since they are unfazed by cars.) One was a smaller trough fed by an enormous metal container the size of a swimming pool. Brad fished a dead bat out of it though so I wouldn’t recommend swimming in it.

We didn’t see another person or vehicle the whole time we were there.

We mostly hiked on a dirt road that seemed to go on and on with several branches we’ve yet to explore. There are a lot of interesting places to go next time, not to mention the many other canyons in this area. We’re also anxious to do some camping. It’s amazing to think that this is just a few miles from our new home, and that we are finally actually living here!