the Dynamite Road powerline trail
Posted by Zonie on January 01, 2024 at 03:28:27
Rather than do frequent laundry, I decided to alternate between my civilized clothes and my mud clothes for the rest of my vacation. I was wearing relatively clean clothes for yard work, vacuuming the swimming pool, and visits from my brother and niece. I also wore my civilized clothes for hiking with Dr. Ceranski, as we socialize at his house afterward.
My knees had been troubling me on my days away from mud hikes, and I applied some Capsaicin ointment to them this morning. That seems to have improved matters. I had been wondering if it was the arthritis or the fatigue, and it seems to have been a combination of both.Â
This afternoon I changed back into my unlaundered mud clothes. Overalls with splashes of dried mud are a thing of beauty. I headed to Dynamite Road for the northerly approach to Coyote Central. I figured I'd check out the mud holes along that powerline trail.
It was cooler than Friday and mostly cloudy, so I didn't feel a need to wallow, but I did find some deep holes and do some high splashes. Jumping into one, I got mud spatter up to my arms and chest.
The start was fairly quiet. South of Jomax I encountered a couple mountain bicyclists. I heard the noise of motorized vehicles to the southeast.
When I got to Coyote Central there were a few young men on dirt bikes and several young men on ATVs. As I started churning up the mud pits, those on the ATVs stopped on the ridge and observed me for a while, but then they lost interest. Naturally I'd have yielded if they wanted to ride through, but they never came near. Actually I'm pretty sure they'd have become stuck if they had tried. It ended up being a bit much even for my boots.
I noticed my left boot was leaking. Naturally I didn't mind, as my feet were soaked anyway, but I was a bit concern it might mean damage to the boot. Further inspection revealed that the sole was separating from the heel. These are old-style cowboy boots, so once they're clean and dry, I can have the cobbler repair it. To avoid further damage, I'll wear something else if I go mudding tomorrow, maybe my wellies or my jungle boots. The wool socks are still doing very well.
This was the turn-around, so I got to splash and puddle-stomp my way back northwestward to Dynamite Road. I encountered an equestrian on the way back. Fortunately there was no trouble, and I wasn't playing in the mud when we met. Historically horses tend to react badly to seeing me play in the mud. Those at the rodeo arena in Apache Junction last February didn't, but they're used to seeing humans do all manner of peculiar things.
I got back as the sun was setting. I managed to drive home while most of the drivers were still sober, but I already heard the fireworks and gunshots from my neighborhood when I got there. No staying up for the countdown for me. I definitely could use some rest.