Ramsey Canyon

I finally made it to Ramsey Canyon and an uphill hike to test my progress in knee rehab.  It wasn't a long hike.  The trail through the canyon on Nature Conservancy property is only a mile long, the first half-mile only mildly uphill along the bottom, followed by a half-mile climb to the rim that is pretty steep by my standards.

I was shocked at how difficult I found the uphill walking, less so when I realized it was 5500-6200 feet in elevation.  No wonder.  I live and breathe pretty much at sea level in Phoenix.  I guess that helps explain the challenge, but it doesn't feel great being such a wuss.  I was grateful for the nine benches breaking up the half-mile climb.  I used every single one of them. 

The good news is that although my lungs and heart did not shine, my knees were fine.  That is a great relief and my invitation to keep on biking but also to get back to conditioning myself for hiking again.  Though I hiked in my Keen boots, most of the time I've been wearing MBTs, which seem to help a lot in straightening out whatever misalignment was bothering my knee.  I hope this means that one day I'll be a hiker again.

The downside of visiting Ramsey Canyon is staying in Sierra Vista, a decidedly unattractive town.  Maybe it has to do with being a military base town.  The last time I was here I accidentally drove right into Fort Huachuca while searching for someplace to eat.  The gate personnel seemed thoroughly fed up with tourists making this mistake.  Since the single street through Sierra Vista heads straight into the base, I don't know why it surprises anyone that we end up there!  I thought I had simply run across another one of those pesky border checkpoints that try to nab folks after they think they've made it.

Avoiding Denny's, I've eaten twice at Ivey's so-called home-cooked cafe, and I am not impressed.  Out near the canyon I came across a fancy little place, Outside Inn, with tablecloths and indulged myself in spending too much for dinner.  It was good.  But I miss Patagonia.  I'm going through there on my way home today.

Not much to report on birds seen.  In the canyon bottom, acorn woodpeckers showed off shamelessly and non-stop.  They seemed to be checking out a tree hole.  Nesting interest already?  Up higher, another birder saw Arizona woodpeckers, but I didn't.  Back down below, I saw dark-eyed juncos.