RENEGADE RAMBLE. Day 14: 11.6 Miles. Total Distance Thus Far: 93.7 Miles
I am seeking $20 donations for each mile but will accept any amount: ProtectOurPreserve.org/donate. We only need another $1500 to meet our goal of $25,000 by the end of July!
Brown’s Ranch Trailhead. Upper Ranch Trail. Brown’s Mountain Trail. Brown’s Summit Spur. Brown’s Mountain Trail. Wrangler Trail. Vaquero Trail. 118th Street Trail. Latigo Trail. Jane Rau Trail. Brown’s Ranch Road. Maverick Trail. Powerline Road #2. Brown’s Ranch Road back to Trailhead.
A lightning-induced disco scene kept me up rather late last night; thankfully, Joe Durnell volunteered to keep me company on my hike today. I was forced to stick to the plan, and once I had stretched for a few minutes, I was game to behold the cool cloudy outset of this steamy day. As we started out on the trail this morning, I had the pleasure of introducing Joe to Regina and Stan, friends I have met in weeks past. Meeting so many vibrant, mindful souls has been the great serendipity of this endeavor.
The heartfelt sunrise and gratifying greenery jockeyed for attention as we scampered along Upper Ranch Trail toward Brown’s Mountain. While we stood gasping for breath at Brown’s Summit, the vista greeted us with restraint. On our way down, Joe pointed out a delicate purple flower belonging to a plant called range ratany. According to Joe, they only bloom after a rain, so the Preserve must’ve seen more than a lightning show last night.
Joe and I connected through Protect Our Preserve and promptly drew lines to several mutual friends and acquaintances. Our conversation rambled from our shared passion for the Sonoran Preserve, to native seeds and vegetarianism, to a woman’s place in society [leadership, we agree]. Joe is very knowledgeable about the natural and political history of Arizona’s Preserves, and it was fascinating to gather a few bits of his expertise. He recommends the following book for starters, which I for one plan to acquire in short order: Natural History of the Sonoran Desert. He also suggested books by Gary Nabhan:
https://www.garynabhan.com/
Thanks again, Joe, for sharing your morning with me and for your offer to “run shuttle” for me. I look forward to seeing you soon!
If you’d like to hike a leg with me, or if you have suggestions about how ProtectOurPreserve.org might raise money and awareness, please contact me.