Fresh

In the past I have blasted the Forest Service for closing the Cochise Stronghold campground for 3 months during the summer. But this morning I changed my opinion after doing our standard conditioning hike, the Stronghold Divide trail, which starts at the campground. It is a popular hike, about 3 miles one-way, with a steady elevation gain, and a lot of campers walk the trail during the 9 remaining months of the year.

The closure allows for the trail to get a breather, and that was obvious this morning. Plants get rejuvenated, especially with the good monsoon rains we have had, and the path was almost overgrown in places. All grasses and a lot of vines are blooming, young plants are popping up along the trail, and the entire path looked fresh and healthy. What a nice side benefit, as I am sure that that was not the Forest Service's intent in the campground closure. The latest showers have contributed to the filling of Half Moon tank (Emma approves), and there were a lot of side streams that contributed to a good flow in the creek.

With all the cycling I thought that I would be flying up the trail thanks to an improved physical condition, but that proved not the case. We made it up to the viewpoint in our regular time. Cross-training is a good thing and we should hike the trail once a week again, now that it's more accessible.