November 19 -- A Montezuma Quail, and A Hike To Pine Park and Snowshed Trail

It was COLD on the morning of Wednesday the 19th -- 26 degrees when I first ventured out around 7:30am. A sheen of ice was on the window of my rental car, and of course there was a stubborn section right on the driver's side that just wouldn't melt or be removed, so there I was trying to get on the road, at the side of the road, muttering oaths...I had a breakfast burrito at the Rodeo Grocery and Cafe, and later the "proprietress" made available to me 3 slices of ham from the cafe when I asked if they had an lunch meat for when I make lunches for hiking -- THANKS! Otherwise, I'd have to travel 50 miles one-way to, say, the mercantile store in Animas, New Mexico just for that...People here are VERY accommodating if you ask kindly. The ice on the windshield eventually melted, and I headed up the Portal road, stopping by the house I'm buying for a quick photo of the amended "For Sale" sign put up by my friend and real estate agent Helen Snyder --

I like that extra "enticement" of "Birder Special"...Just past the Portal Store and Lodge there's a view up canyon that is classic, with little evidence of houses or other signs of "civilization" --

Then I stopped at Vista Point once again; the day before I took a photo of "Cathedral View" at the top, but it was earlier in the day and more in shadow. This time, an hour later, the scene was bathed in light --

And finally, a 4-photo panorama of the view; panos are really the only way to get the "you are there" feeling as most lenses "push" the scene back from how you would view it if you were actually there. The autumnal colors in the forest canopy are Arizona sycamores --

My Good Bird of the day came at the outset, on the drive up Herb Martyr Road to the trailhead. I passed what looked to be a black/brown "bowling ball" with eyes on the side of the road. I KNEW what it was as I'd seen it before, and still didn't have a photo of it, so I reversed back slowly. It was gone, but somewhat blending into the earth colors were 3 others -- Montezuma Quail, and the "bowling ball" was a male. The others were standing still, probably thinking I didn't see them, so I stopped the car and put my 500 f/4 lens on the ledge of the passenger-side window to stabilize it, and shot photos. They were probably at the most 15 feet away from me -- perfect as the minimum focusing distance on the 500 f/4 lens IS 15 feet -- 

This is a female Montezuma's Quail. The National Geographic Guide to Birders of North America says these quail are "uncommon, secretive, and local in grassy undergrowth of open juniper-oak woodlands", and that is just where I found them. The range map shows them to be in SE Arizona, bits of southern New Mexico, and parts of southern Texas, but the Chiricahuas are probably the best place to spot them as there has been an increase here in the population -- though they're still rare. But it just goes to prove once again that you can find ANYthing here in the Chiricahuas; all you have to do is SEE...I come to the trailhead at the end of Herb Martyr Road, take a photo of the frozen Winn Falls, at 365 feet one of the longest cascades in Arizona -- 

park the car, load up my gear, and head down the trail, beginning at the same place as the day before. But instead of going to the open, grassy juniper-oak area of the Basin Trail, I'm heading up to the pines of Pine Park and Snowshed Trail -- 

The path goes down into a creek bed, and if it weren't for pink markers tied around trees, it would have been hard to find the actual trail route as the September flooding opened up the creek bed and brought down debris, rock and gravel --

Once out of the creek, the trail is in a dry arroyo, and there are spiny plants everywhere, seemingly bent on sticking you. I learned that the best tactic is to step on them if possible while walking; if you brush past them, they can get you on the rebound. I'm lucky to be wearing Levis, hiking boots, ankle-length gaiters (so no dirt, pebbles, etc get into your boots) and my Lance heavy jacket, which all help to ward off the sharp needles. Here's a closeup of one of those "needle plants" -- 

Pretty, yet nasty...The trail climbs along the left side of a steep canyon -- 

and enters into an area of burned trees and dense undergrowth, with the "needle plants" on both sides of the trail. 

You can barely see the trail; the barely-visible part runs below the center of the photo. And you not only have to deal with sharp stickers, there is also deadfall across the trail --

Apparently this is not a popular trail... ;o) You have to go around, which means more "needle plants". The trail winds relentlessly up, and eventually the burned area gives way to a scattering of live pine trees -- 

Though I'm carrying the 500 f/4 lens, bird life is somewhat surprisingly quiet, except for Yellow-eyed Junco; I end up seeing about 30 YEJs along the trail.  The views as I climb become more spectacular --

It's now around 12pm, and the trail hasn't really opened out yet, so I take one last photo -- 

have lunch, and head back. It's all downhill from this point and I make good time. I come back down to the creek --

And gratefully put my gear down back at the car -- 

WHEW! It was a great hike, full of fantastic scenery, but I think I'll opt for an easier one to give my screaming quads a rest..I head back to The Cowboy Room, my digs at Mountain View Lodge and RV Park in Rodeo, New Mexico, look at the sky, think "this has the makings of a great sunset" -- and it does... 

WOW once again, as the wild sky settles over my rental car -- 

I think -- well, I KNOW -- I'm gonna love living here...