Fear at the border

The weather is so fantastic and so soon to turn hellish.  I really want to go back to Miller Canyon and try that trail, described as "everybody loves it" for about 2.5 miles until it takes off to climb up to a peak.  I could easily do the five-mile round trip now.  But I'm nervous.

In both Carr and Miller Canyons, when one drives into the National Forest area surrounding the canyons and trails, there are scary signs warning that illegal immigration and drug smuggling may be encountered in the area.  The recent heating up and boiling over of this drug gang stuff across the border, and now they say crossing the border, gives me pause.  I don't want to be paranoid and deprive myself, but on the other hand I don't know how to evaluate the actual risk in the specific areas I'm interested in.  Maybe I should call a ranger station and see if I can get any clarification.  I anticipate liability-fearing gobbledegook devoid of content, but maybe it's worth a try.

Both canyons are conspicuously underpopulated compared to Ramsey Canyon, which not only has the Nature Conservancy Visitors Center but is tightly packed with private homes for a couple of miles on the way to it.  People were crawling all over the place, mostly grayheads like me carrying binoculars, on a weekday.  Deer don't even spook until you are about ten feet away, and even then they don't run far. 

The smart thing to do would probably be to visit Garden Canyon instead.  Situated inside Fort Huachuca, it's a good bet that smugglers and gangsters don't go there much!  The attraction is very specific directions to an elegant trogon nesting site.  Also, I just read about Cave Creek Canyon over near the New Mexico border -- that looks to be a prime spot I've missed.  Okay, now I think I can leave Miller Canyon alone for a bit and rest my mind.

I must be tiring of good weather, as I'm off to Portland Thursday to visit older son J. over a long weekend.  I'm packing my raincoat and snuggly warm stuff.