After visiting the Patagonia area in the morning it is time to relocate to Ramsey Canyon for the afternoon. We had no plan to visit Ramsey Canyon when we started on the trip but when we found out that our Sonoita Creek ticket doubles for entry at Ramsey Canyon we couldn’t let the opportunity pass. So we take the one hour drive and arriving later in the afternoon to our surprise there is available parking and we can enter the preserve after showing the Sonoita Creek ticket.
The volunteers point to us that there are two trails, the one through the canyon we did before but also an overlook trail that is a bit longer and more difficult but goes to a nice view of the valley. Or so we understand and we decide to try it, it seems we have just enough time to do them both.
And then on we go following the creek on the beautiful trail. There are very few other people now and it is quite nice to see this, usually full, preserve almost empty.
Halfway up the creek trail are a couple ruins from the ranch times built so they can enjoy some great views of the surrounding mountains.
Unfortunately you cannot enter the ranch houses, it would have been cool to see how they lived back then. At least we find out when exiting that they are used by ringtails, quite a fun use of the abandoned buildings.
On the way we also find one of the specialties in the canyon, the Arizona woodpecker. It is quite high up but we get nice looks of it while it surveys the area.
Another specialty here that didn’t exist last time when we visited is the Chiricahua Leopard Frog. It seems the ponds have been built since then or that they were hibernating at the time but now they are out in force and we really enjoy watching them for a while before moving on.
And then we reach the Hamburg Trail which leads up the mountain to the overlook. And we think that it was undersold as it is more exhausting than we understood. In fact another group of much younger people give up quite soon after a couple of flights of stairs while we soldier on past them.
We are helped in our endeavor by the many benches along the trail. That we use almost constantly as it is great the have a place to sit and catch our breath before continuing the climb.
Quite helpful is also the wildlife, we encounter here deer and a few birds. And of course we are always watched by the government blimp that surveils the area day and night.
And then we reach the top of the switchbacks and now it is just a level walk to the overlook, or so we hope. The transition is marked by a wilderness marker, it seems here we are exiting the Ramsey Canyon preserve and enter the National Forest Wilderness.
The views from the overlook are nice but it seems we misheard, you can see the canyon but not the town and the valley below which is what we were more curious about.
We have a second reason for being here of course, there is supposed to be a geocache nearby and after some searching we find it and even some beautiful flowering cacti.
Returning we stop at a few more possible viewpoints and in the end we find one that with some stretching gives us a nice view of the valley. Now with our desire fulfilled it is time to start on the descent, it is getting quite late and the preserve closes at 5 PM with the parking gates also closing at that time.
We return just in time to the entrance to exit at the official time and to see a deer at the parking lot feeders, quite fun. And then it is time to return but given that it is still light we decide to try one more stop at Brown Canyon on the way.
Brown Canyon has quite a large parking lot and soon we learn that this is the free parking lot. There is another one paid inside but you can park outside and then walk in which is what we plan to do as there is not enough time for a thorough exploration.
We walk along the road for a while seeing deer and looking for birds while avoiding bikes and other cars on the surprisingly busy road.
Here we find one cache and also do some light birdwatching before finally returning to the car as we are quite hungry and it is time to find a place to eat before returning to Phoenix.
In the end we decide to eat at a fast food restaurant and we haven’t been at Schlotzsky for some time so that is where we go. The food is really good and we can watch the police outside how it catches speeders which ensures we are really careful when we leave the restaurant. And then it is an easy way back to Phoenix with the only stop being for gas after a nice outing into Southern Arizona for birdwatching and wine drinking.
