Category Archives: Arizona

Locale: Arizona

Silver Peak Trail Hike – 03/13/2022

April 10, 2022

This is the 2nd half of our first camping trip of the year, returning to Cave Creek Canyon in the Chiracahua Mountains. After a day of hiking and a day visiting Douglas, AZ and Agua Prieta, MX (see the post for the first half of our camping trip), we set out to hike the Silver Peak trail. The next day we drove across the middle of the Chiracahuas to the Chiracahua National Monument, then back to Agua Prieta to eat at the restaurant we discovered and attended a cross-border Binational Play.

The Drive In

For the hike, from Stewart Campground drive back towards Portal for half a mile; park at the trailhead on the left (north side of Cave Creek Road/Forest Rd 42).

The Hike

Notes about the Google Earth screenshot: the graph at the bottom shows elevation of the track (pink area) and speed (the blue line).

This hike proved to be one of the most challenging that we’ve done. The trail is well used; for the 1st mile/800 feet it is a constant slope on fairly flat terrain, but the surface is broken/flat rocks all the way – tough walking. As we climbed, the views out across San Simon Valley and beyond are what we came for.

After that 1st mile, trail changes to a traverse along a very steep slope as it continues gaining elevation. The trail becomes quite narrow, in places -very- narrow, generally with a gravel surface. This required constant attention and great care because any slip would likely lead to a tumble down the steep slope, encountering yucca and prickly pear along the way.

‘Tho the trail continues on another 2 miles and 1,400 elevation gain to the peak itself, our 2.6 miles and 1,600 feet was enough for us. We found a nice place to sit and have lunch, then headed back to the trailhead.

Epilogue

After the Silver Peak hike, we skipped more hiking in favor of investigating the drive through the heart of the Chiracahuas, over to the National Monument. FR 42 and Pinery Roads are examples of well maintained Forest Service roads – graded gravel surface and generally wide enough for cars to pass. Having said that, for us most of the route was daunting – like the Silver Peak trail carved out of -very- steep mountainsides. And for emphasis, for much of the distance in the heart of the mountains it was 1,000 feet (seemed like more) from the road to the bottom of the canyon. And the road has many turns; no fast driving.

Our visit to the Chiracahua National Monument was brief – we had visited it years ago, even hiked the Echo Canyon Trail. The rock formations are most interesting, quite different from Cathedral Rock and the other formations above Cave Creek Canyon.

To return to Cave Creek, one has a choice – go north to I-10 to circle around the north end of the Chiracahuas, or go south to Douglas – each is about 110 miles. We opted to return to Douglas and cross into Agua Prieta to eat at the cafe we discovered on our earlier trip, the Bizio Cafe – a very nice lunch.

Along the way we learned of an event being held that evening. There is ongoing effort to build connections between the communities across the border. One example is an event in which people on each side of the border present a multidisciplinary play about the history and conditions at the border (see the link below). The event began at dusk with participants on both sides presenting a story or dance about life along the border. In some cases participants on each side would make their presentation in turn. At other times the story was interrelated, as though the participants were on a single stage and not separated by the steel slat fence.

So, it appeared that the two communities were sharing the same space comfortably. We saw a constant flow of people across the border; families from Agua Prieta returning home with groceries from the nearby Walmart, cars with Arizona license plates returning from activities in Agua Prieta, and a few like us – visitors exploring.

Statistics

Total Distance: 5.18 miles
Elevation: start 4,973 ft, maximum 6,587 ft, minimum 4,973 ft
Gross gain: 1,614 ft. Aggregate ascending 1,960 ft, descending 1,957 ft
Maximum slope: 34% ascending, 36% descending, 12.6% average
Duration: 5:11

Silver Peak Trail Hike.Pat.2022-03-13 (KML)	107 Downloads
GPS Track Files for Download
Silver Peak Trail Hike.Pat.2022-03-13 (GPX)	60 Downloads
FR 42 Through the Chiracahuas.Pat.2022-03-14 (KML)	92 Downloads
FR 42 Through the Chiracahuas.Pat.2022-03-14 (GPX)	106 Downloads

If you haven’t explored these hiking tracks with Google Earth, I urge you to try it. With the virtual 3-dimensional presentation, achieved by panning and tilting the view, you can get a much better idea of the hikes and terrain than you can get from the screenshot above. For some ideas, check out Using Google Earth Track Files.

References and Resources

USDA Forest Service: Silver Peak Trail #280
Chiracahua Mountains Hiking Trails: Silver Peak Trail #280
AllTrails: Silver Peak Trail
Hike Arizona: Silver Peak Trail #280, AZ
STAV is LOST: Hike Silver Peak

The DriveAcross and Douglas/Agua Prieta
USDA Forest Service: Pinery Canyon #42 Scenic Drive
Arizona Republic: Youth-led binational play at the border wall …

George's Photos w/ Captions: Click on a Photo for Gallery Show.

Snowshed Trail Hike – 03/11/2022

April 10, 2022

This was our first camping trip of the year, returning to the Cave Creek Canyon in the Chiracahua Mountains. ‘Tis a long drive so we left Albuquerque on the 9th, so we spent a night Deming which left us with a short trip to Cave Creek Canyon. On the 10th we left reasonably early so we could arrive at the first-come-first-serve campgrounds by midday which would give us a better chance to get a campsite.

The Drive In

From Albuquerque, we drove south on I-25 to Caballo, then west on NM 152 to Hillsboro, south in NM 27 to Nutt, continuing southwest on NM 26 to Demming – 233 miles. After a good nights rest at the Wagon Wheel RV Park, we continued west on I-10 to the turnoff on NM 146 south to Hachita, then west on NM 9 to NM 80, south to Rodeo and west into Cave Creek Canyon (this route was much more scenic than continuing west on I-10 to NM 80/Road Fork, and with the R-Pod we can’t make interstate speeds anyhow).

Across from the Chiracahua Desert Museum, we turned right on NM 533, soon we crossed State Line Road and into Arizona, and in 7 miles through the village of Portal, AZ. Continuing on we entered Coronado National Forest, passed the Idlewilde CG (closed), the Stewart CG, and on to the Sunny Flat CG where we hoped to find a campsite – all were full. We returned to Stewart and quickly occupied the one campsite available, #6, the last one around the loop, next to Cave Creek (which had some water running in it). It was a tight fit for our R-Pod, but served us well.

Prologue

Cave Creek Overlook Trail Walkabout.Pat.2022-03-10

The trail to Cave Creek Overlook as it leaves from near the entrance to Stewart Campground.

Having arrived around noon on the 10th, and not requiring much time to get the R-Pod set up, we had ample time to stretch our legs after a day and a half of driving. We had noticed a sign pointing to a Cave Creek Overlook up the road a half mile from Stewart. Not knowing otherwise, we walked up the road to the “trailhead” and up to the Overlook. It affords a great view ‘upstream’ on Cave Creek and its South Fork. (The GoogleEarth screen shot above gives one an idea of what Cave Creek Canyon is like, looking from above the entrance to the Canyon. ‘Tis a beautiful, amazing place.)

The climb up from the road is only about 200 feet and a couple of hundred yards. On the Overlook, we noticed what appeared to be a trail heading through the woods back towards the campground – we took it. It proved to be a much more pleasant walk than the road, an easy trail – to follow and to walk on. And we ended up at a trailhead at the entrance end of the Stewart Campground.

The Hike

Notes about the Google Earth screenshot: the graph at the bottom shows elevation of the track (pink area) and speed (the blue line).

After another good night’s rest in the R-Pod and a nice breakfast, we set off for our first hike of this trip, to the Snowshed Trail. There are many choices in this vicinity, including a loop around to Herb Martyr Campground, or continuing up to Snowshed Peak (8+ miles), with other trails branching off from there (for the backpackers); check it out on GAIA. We chose to go up Snowshed a distance that was comfortable for us.

To get to the trailhead, drive further into Cave Creek Canyon on South Fork Road, turning right at Sunny Flat Campground (don’t continue straight ahead onto South Fork Road). Almost 2 miles up Cave Creek Road you will come to the Southwestern Research Station; turn left, proceed for half a mile and park on the left for the Trailhead.

Trailhead to Snowshed Trail #246, just off of Cave Creek Road.

The trail begins with a crossing of Cave Creek. There was some water (from snowmelt high up in the Chiricahuas), but well placed rocks that allowed us to cross with dry feet. Signs confirmed the trailhead as well as directing attention towards other trails leaving from there. Snowshed Trail was well used, easy to hike on, fairly level for the 1st 3/4 mile – an easy grade. The trail then began ascending up onto a ridge, continuing a nice path ‘tho now with more rocks than earlier. The views across the canyon to the walls of the canyons east and south were beautiful.

The trail along steep slopes – wide enough but requiring caution.

Reaching the apex of the ridge, the trail continued to ascend but then on the side of a steep slope, up and down. We continued another half mile, then decided it was far enough, and time for lunch. Seeking a vantage point with great views, we scrambled up onto the top of the ridge to find views of the amazing mountain cliffs all around, including a view down-canyon between canyon walls and out into the San Simon Valley.

From there it was back to the trailhead, including a crossing of Cave Creek.

Highlights

Cave Creek Canyon is simply a beautiful place to visit, to camp, and to hike. Stewart Campground is small and sites are located among trees with reasonable privacy. Sunny Flat is larger and in the open with few trees. Cellphone/Internet service is nil. We drove back to Portal where we would have a beer and use WiFi at the Portal Store Cafe & Lodge – quite satisfactory.

Epilogue

The next day we did some sightseeing – we drove down to Douglas, AZ. ‘Tis an hour drive across -empty- desert terrain. Douglas is a pleasant small town on the border with Mexico, across from Agua Prieta, Sonora. We explored the downtown district and visited the historic Gadsden Hotel. Built in 1907, it has been restored to the grandeur of that era.

We decided to explore further and cross into Mexico. Going through customs was easy in both directions; we needed to have only TSA approved identification to return to the U.S. (our New Mexico drivers license with the star in the upper left corner was sufficient). We wandered around Agua Prieta, purchased drinks at a small coffee shop (paid in dollars, received change in pesos), and came across an interesting patio and restaurant; might return for a meal some day.

Statistics

Cave Creek Overlook Trail (one way):
      Total Distance:   .5 miles
      Elevation: start 5,029 ft, maximum   5,121 ft, minimum 5,029 ft
      Gross gain: 92 ft. Aggregate ascending 57 ft, descending 189 ft
      Maximum slope: 18% ascending, 36% descending, 8% average
      Duration: 0:16
Snowshed Trail:
      Total Distance: 3.96 miles
      Elevation: start 5,489 ft, maximum 6,485 ft, minimum 5,489 ft
      Gross gain: 996 ft. Aggregate ascending 1,252 ft, descending 1,252 ft
      Maximum slope: 43% ascending, 42% descending, 10.4% average
      Duration: 4:50

Cave Creek Overlook Trail Walkabout.Pat.2022-03-10 (KML)	45 Downloads
GPS Track Files for Download
Cave Creek Overlook Trail Walkabout.Pat.2022-03-10 (GPX)	59 Downloads
Snowshed Trail Hike.Pat.2022-03-11 (KML)	142 Downloads
Snowshed Trail Hike.Pat.2022-03-11 (GPX)	86 Downloads

If you haven’t explored these hiking tracks with Google Earth, I urge you to try it. With the virtual 3-dimensional presentation, achieved by panning and tilting the view, you can get a much better idea of the hikes and terrain than you can get from the screenshot above. For some ideas, check out Using Google Earth Track Files.

Over the Ridge to Paradise Hike – 03/22/2021
Basin Trail #247 Hike – 03/23/2021
Cave Creek Nature Trail Walk – 03/21/2021
Echo Canyon Loop Hike – 11/20/2018

References and Resources

USDA Forest Service:
   Snowshed Trail #246
      Map of Snowshed Trail #246 (.pdf download, great resource)
Chiracahua Mountains Hiking Trails:
   Snowshed Trail #246
Showshed Basin Trail
AllTrails: Snowshed Trail #246
Douglas & Agua Prieta:
      The Historic Gadsden Hotel
      Bizio Cafe
Portal, AZ
      Portal Peak Lodge, Store, and Cafe
      Wander Wisdom: Visiting .. Portal, AZ ..

George's Photos w/ Captions: Click on a Photo for Gallery Show.

George's Photos, Agua Prieta, w/ Captions: Click on a Photo for Gallery Show.

Basin Trail #247 Hike – 03/23/2021

April 16, 2021

This is the 3rd post for a 5-day camping and hiking trip to the Chiricahua Mountains with our friends Jay and Nancy. Having taken a short walk on the Cave Creek Nature Trail the day we arrived at the Stewart Campground (post #1), then the Over the Ridge to Paradise Hike the next day (post #2). There are a number of trails from which to choose, but on this 3rd day in Cave Creek Canyon we chose another point-to-point hike, a portion of Basin Trail #247.

The Drive In

As for the Over the Ridge hike, we first left a car at the end-of-hike trailhead, then drove to the start-of-hike trailhead.

For the end-of-hike trailhead: From Stewart Campground, drive west on FR 42 until just past the Southwestern Research Station, where turn left onto FR 42A towards the Herb Martyr Campground. This is a primitive campground (tents only, although there was a small pop-up camper set up down a short rough road); there is ample parking for the trails that emanate from here.
For the start-of-hike trailhead: From Herb Martyr, on FR 42A return to FR 42, turn left at the Research Station and continue for 2.7 miles, 1.5 miles beyond the trailhead for the Over the Ridge hike. There is a parking are a bit off of FR 42 to the left, and a sign for the “Basin Trail No 247”.

The Hike

Basin Trail #247 Hike.PatJayNancy.2021-03-23

We chose a north-to-south hike so that we would have the ascending portion of the trail to start and the longer downhill portion to finish. Most of the trail easy easy to follow, well used. It proceeds through open piñon and juniper forest, with a a few switchbacks during the 500′ climb to the highest point on the trail (1.1 miles). Once crossing over the ridge, the trail becomes a bit more rocky (still well used, easy to follow) and one leaves the forest for more open, desert-like landscape.

The next .7 miles is an easy descent with some switchbacks, then the trail follows the contour of the terrain for 1.2 miles. From these portions of the trail, the views of this of the southeastern Chiricahuas are really great. Then the trail makes an easy descent for the next .8 miles with a wide variety of desert plants: lots of yucca, cholla, varieties of cacti, agave, manzanita, and other scrub bushes.

The maps and GPS tracks I was following tracked well the trail as we found it. However, nearing what we thought was the end, a combination of inconsistent GPS tracks and trailside signs created some confusion. At one point, where the trail intersected a two-track, there was a sign pointing down the two-track. My interpretation of the map – that would lead us to FR 42A a half mile or so from where our vehicle was parked, then nearly a half mile walk up the road. It appeared to me we could avoid the road by continuing across the two-track onto a continuation of -a- trail (which one?). After some indecisiveness, we chose the trail. The choice made for a somewhat longer hike, but it was easy ambulating and led us to the parking area. This was a great hike.

Note: After-the-fact reviews of GPS tracks that I had collected, it became apparent that we had stumbled onto another trail published widely, the the Ash Spring Loop.

Highlight

A highlight of this trail was the varied plants and especially the agave that we passed all along the descending portion of the trial. I was taken back to our visits in Oaxaca where agave abound (and are -the- ingredient in Oaxaca’s special spirit – mezcal).

The Drive Out

We enjoyed a 3rd night camping, ‘tho like the night before, it was a bit chilly and … during the night wet weather set in with drizzling rain, sometimes mixed with soft popcorn snow. Jay & Nancy needed to get home, so they headed out into iffy weather and road conditions. Not wishing to face possibly poor road conditions, Pat & I chose to remain in Stewart for another day. The weather in the area remained drizzly, and at higher elevations – snowy. That did make for some beautiful scenes, looking at snow-capped mountains, — here in extreme southeastern Arizona —.

For our lay-day, we drove back towards Rodeo and visited the Chiricahua Desert Museum – what an amazing museum to find in this remote location. It’s focus is on rattlesnakes with a few turtles, many alive. The display cases recreated the natural habitat of the snakes with a quality that I would compare to the Smithsonian’s. In addition, they have a collection of artifacts from the tribes local to the Chiricahua and Peloncillo Mountains. And the gift shop is excellent. — And next door is the Geronimo Event Center where very well done posters gave an excellent review of the history of the the Apaches in this area, especially the famous Apache leader Geronimo. These are must-see as part of a trip into this “remote” part of New Mexico.

A note here about “services” in the area.

Cell phone service is spotty, even out on the plains beyond Portal towards Rodeo, and in Rodeo as well.
WiFi service is available at the Portal Peak Lodge Store & Cafe; an ‘open’ WiFi is available, but if you eat there ask for the password for their secure WiFi – that worked quite well (even when we stopped on the way through Portal and parked in front of the Store.
“Essentials” that one might need (didn’t bring or ran out): The Portal Peak Store has a limited selection. However, a much larger inventory is available back towards Rodeo, at the Sky Island Grill and Grocery.
Eating Out: sandwiches, pizza, and a limited selection of beer are available at the Portal Peak Cafe; we had lunch there when Jay & Nancy arrived on the 1st day. A larger menu is offered by the Sky Island Grill.

After a night in Stewart Campground with rain and snow continuing, the weather cleared in the morning and we set out for home; leaving Cave Creek Canyon we looked back to see the Chiricahuas covered in snow – what a beautiful site. We planned to split the trip over 2 days, to spend a night near Truth or Consequence. After some research, we settled on the South Monticello Campground where we could make reservations. The site overlooks the northern end of Elephant Butte Lake with well designed and well kept campsites. The sites are spaced far apart, good because the surroundings are quite open – no forest here.

The next day, driving up I-25 we were surprised to see snow on all the “mountain islands” – the San Mateos, the Magdalenas, even Ladrone, and the Manzanos.

Statistics

Total Distance: 5.52 miles
Elevation: start 6,246 ft, maximum 6,704 ft, minimum 5,825 ft
Gross gain: 458 ft, Aggregate ascending 1,143 ft, descending 1,563 ft
Maximum slope: 36% ascending, 25% descending, 7.5% average
Duration: 5:17

GPS Track Files for Download
Basin Trail #247 Hike.PatJayNancy.2021-03-23 (KML)	65 Downloads
Basin Trail #247 Hike.PatJayNancy.2021-03-23 (GPX)	187 Downloads
Basin Trail #247 Drivearound.PatJayNancy.2021-03-23 (KML)	60 Downloads
Basin Trail #247 Drivearound.PatJayNancy.2021-03-23 (GPX)	63 Downloads

I urge you to explore our hiking tracks with Google Earth. With the virtual 3-dimensional presentation, achieved by panning and tilting the view, you can get a much better idea of the hikes and terrain than you can get from the 2-dimensional screenshot above. For assistance: Using Google Earth Track Files.

Cave Creek Nature Trail Walk – 03/21/2021
Over the Ridge to Paradise Hike – 03/22/2021

References and Resources

USDA Forest Service: Basin Trail #600
Blogging from the Boot Heel: Basin Trail
TrailForks: Basin Trail #600

Chiricahua Desert Museum, and check out their Facebook space
Portal Peak Lodge Store & Cafe
Sky Islands Grill & Grocery

Jay's Photos: Click on a Photo for Gallery Show

George's Photos: Click on a Photo for Gallery Show

Over the Ridge to Paradise Hike – 03/22/2021

April 4, 2021

This is the 2nd post for a 5-day camping and hiking trip to the Chiricahua Mountains with our friends Jay and Nancy. We had driven from Albuquerque, spending a night at the Rockhound State Park Campground before making the last leg to the Chiricahuas and setting up our R-Pod in the Stewart Campground in Cave Creek Canyon.

The Drive In

A lot of research went into planning this hiking trip. I found many sources and many trails, long and short, large and small elevation gain. We had many to choose from, but not having visited the area before, the decision was difficult. Something about this trail intrigued me, especially since it was presented as a point-to-point hike. And having two vehicles made it possible.

The drive from the campground was straightforward:

First step was to leave a vehicle at the northern terminus of the “trail”:
- Drive east on Portal Road for 2 miles, take the hard left onto Paradise Road. (We missed the turn and went halfway to Portal before realizing our mistake and had to backtrack.)
- Then it’s 6 miles on Paradise Road to the “trailhead”. On the way you will go through the “residential area” of Paradise.
- Parking is just off Paradise Road on the right where a 2-track heads north. A sign at the turnoff warned us – the road beyond was “Impassable” (no explanation). But FR 42 passes through the Chiricahuas to the western side, so we suspect an explanation was missing, and it was meant as a warning for larger vehicles (like may signs we had seen previously on FR 42).
Then it’s retrace that route:
- Returning to Stewart Campground continue west on FR 42 for .75 miles
- At a Y in the road bear right (don’t go straight onto S Fork Rd).
- Continue for 3.2 miles to the “trailhead”, which is a large parking area and corral; there were wranglers and pack horses and mules there that day.

[With the quotes (“) above I’m suggesting that the idea of a “trail” and “trailhead” is being quite generous, as you will see in what follows.]

The Hike

Over The Ridge To Paradise Hike.PatJayNancy.2021-03-22

We “packed up” for the hike and went looking for a “trailhead”; nothing was obvious, ‘tho there was more than one “trail” leaving from the perimeter of the corral’s parking area. We chose one and off we went, on “trails” that were at times easy to discern, at other times barely discernible. And in some places there were Ys in the “trail”. I was following our route with a GPS track with which I attempted to choose the “trail” that most closely followed the track. That worked most of the time, but in one instance I chose a “trail”that took us on the east side of the ravine, away from what we concluded would have been closer to the GPS track. Facing more a difficult route, we managed to find our way back to a better “trail”. And that was characteristic of the hike – uncertain just where the “trail” was, which path to follow (we came to suspect they were mostly pack animal trails) – but I believed that staying in or near the ravine would take us “up and over” to Paradise (tho’ some among us were skeptical).

The GPS track that we were using as a guide identified a point off of the trial that afforded a better view of Silver Peak and more of the Chiricahuas. Inspecting closely the Forest Service map on USTopo, we noted that it was a 2-track and would make for easier hiking than we’d experienced so far, even ‘tho it was uphill. The view as great; the sheer rock outcroppings, hundreds of feet high, are impressive. Then we headed back down, stopped for our mid-hike break, and continued to the “trailhead” on a 2-track.

Highlight

Highlight? Maybe it was overcoming doubts about whether we were on the “trail” or had wandered afield. But to find that we had made it “Over the Ridge to Paradise” – the ‘highlight’?

Camping

The camping was most pleasant. The sites are far enough apart to give one a sense of privacy, especially with the rocky streambed adjacent to the site. The weather both days was quite pleasant daytime; the temperatures dropped to 40 or below at night, so it was a might chilly for Jay & Nancy in their tent. Pat & I were happy to have our R-Pod, tho’ it too can get cold during the night (but the heater warms the small cabin quickly in the morning).

Statistics

Total Distance: 3.17 miles
Elevation: 5,671 start ft, maximum 5,993 ft, minimum 5,618 ft
Gross gain: 375 ft. Aggregate ascending 751 ft, descending 800 ft
Maximum slope: 23% ascending, 32% descending, 8.0% average
Duration: 3:29

Over The Ridge To Paradise Hike.PatJayNancy.2021-03-22 (KML)	86 Downloads
GPS Track Files for Download
Over The Ridge To Paradise Hike.PatJayNancy.2021-03-22 (GPX)	184 Downloads
Over The Ridge To Paradise Drivearound.PatJayNancy.2021-03-22 (KML)	93 Downloads
Over The Ridge To Paradise Drivearound.PatJayNancy.2021-03-22 (GPX)	130 Downloads

I urge you to explore our hiking tracks with Google Earth. With the virtual 3-dimensional presentation, achieved by panning and tilting the view, you can get a much better idea of the hikes and terrain than you can get from the 2-dimensional screenshot above. For assistance: Using Google Earth Track Files.

Cave Creek Nature Walk – 03/21/2021
Basin Trail #247 Hike – 03/23/2021

References and Resources

USFS: Stewart Campground
Portal Rodeo Hiking Club: Over the Ridge to Paradise
Chiricahua Mountains Hiking Trails: Washburn Canyon Trail

Jay's Photos (with captions): Click on a Photo for Gallery Show.

George's Photos (with captions): Click on a Photo for Gallery Show.

Camping Photos: Click on a Photo for Gallery Show.

Cave Creek Nature Trail Walk – 03/21/2021

March 31, 2021

This is the first post for a 5-day camping and hiking trip to the Chiricahua Mountains with our friends Jay and Nancy. The Chiricahuas are in the southeastern corner of Arizona, just across the state line from Rodeo, NM. I have been interested in visiting there since a fly-in to Amigos Del Cielo Airport with our friend Lanny. We heard great things about hiking (and bird watching) on the eastern slopes of this small mountain range.

The Drive In

‘Tis 331 miles from Albuquerque, almost a six hour drive with our R-Pod camper/trailer. Campsites at our destination, Cave Creek (Sunny Flat and Stewart) are first-come-first-serve, and we had been advised to be there soon after noon when people would be leaving. So we took 2 days, spending the first night at the Rockhound State Park south of Deming. This is a dandy campground with large site pads (with full hookups), each separated from nicely for the others, and offering great views of the Little Florida Mountain range to the east and across the plains to the west. Sites are by reservation and we were fortunate to get a nice site for Saturday night.

View of Dragon Ridge near Sunset from Rockhound State Park.

Sunrise of Dragon Ridge the next morning from Rockhound State Park.

On Sunday it was up and get going the 125 miles to the town of Portal at the entrance to Cave Canyon and into the Canyon to check out the campgrounds. For truly great video tours of the campgrounds (see Resources below for YouTube videos), we favored the more informal Stewart Campground. The road through the campground is gravel as are the sites; there is one vault toilet centrally located; and the trees create what I describe as a ‘cozy’ environment. Driving through Stewart we found 3 sites that were available and one being vacated – we preferred the latter (#5) and weren’t disappointed. We set up our R-Pod and soon Jay and Nancy arrived and set up their tent on a nice tent pad, a feature of nearly all of these campsites.

We had been advised that there were no services nearby – no gas, food, lodging, or internet service; fill up your gas tank in Lordsburg. We found otherwise: yes, no gas, but a small general store in Portal with the basic necessities (and a small menu plus beer) and lodging (Portal Peak Lodge, Store, & Cafe), and the Sky Island Grill and Grocery with a larger inventory of groceries and cafe menu. Internet service is available at both places courtesy their WiFi; cellular service is not available in the canyon and spotty even out in the open on the road between Portal and Rodeo.

The Hike

Cave Creek Nature Trail Walk.PatJayNancy.2021-03-21

Having set up our camp by mid-afternoon, and having spent the last 2 days (1 day for Jay and Nancy who drove from Placitas), we needed to stretch our legs. We suspected there was a trail across Cave Creek (15 yards across strewn rocks, no water), so we ventured out. And .. across the creek and Cave Creek Road (FR 42) we found a nice, easy trail. We headed up-canyon towards the other campground, Sunny Flat. This campground is more formal with paved road and large RV sites, and more open without the forest close at hand.

Statistics

Total Distance: 2.08 miles
Elevation: start 5,024 ft, maximum 5,161 ft, minimum 5,017 ft
Gross gain: 144 ft. Aggregate ascending 190 ft, descending 312 ft (return half of out-and-back)
Maximum slope: 33% ascending, 60% descending, 7.5% average
Duration: 1:18

Cave Creek Nature Trail Walk.PatJayNancy.2021-03-21 (KML)	62 Downloads
GPS Track Files for Download
Cave Creek Nature Trail Walk.PatJayNancy.2021-03-21 (GPX)	65 Downloads

If you haven’t explored these hiking tracks with Google Earth, I urge you to try it. With the virtual 3-dimensional presentation, achieved by panning and tilting the view, you can get a much better idea of the hikes and terrain than you can get from the screenshot above. For some ideas, check out Using Google Earth Track Files.

References and Resources

NM State Parks: Rockhound State Park
NM Bureau of Geology & Mineral Resources: Rock Hound State Park and Spring Canyon Recreation Area
USFS: Stewart Campground
         Sunny Flat Campground
AZ Camp Guide: Stewart Campground
                               Sunny Flat Campground
Camp Arizona: Stewart Campground
                            Sunny Flat Campground
The Dyrt: Stewart Campground
                   Sunny Flat Campground
High Desert Camper (YouTube): Stewart Campground, Arizona
                                                            Sunny Flat Campground, Portal AZ
Chiricahua Mountains Hiking Trails: Cave Creek Nature Trail #603
Friends of Cave Creek Canyon: Hiking

George's Photos (with captions): Click on a Photo for Gallery Show.

Ft Bowie Hike – 11/21/2018

December 1, 2018

Leaving the Chiricahuas after two nights camping and hiking in the Wonderland of Rocks, on our way to Tucson for Thanksgiving with family, we took a short detour to visit the Fort Bowie National Historic Site. The drive in from the west included 8 miles on a gravel/dirt road, in fine shape on our visit but I wouldn’t tackle it after recent rainfall. We drove out going east from the Site, towards the town of Bowie; the road became paved just a couple of miles form the Site’s parking.

The Hike

The hike into the Site is easy – clean trail, very small changes in elevation. As you will learn from reviewing the references below, the trail passes a few historic sites: the remains (foundations) of a Stage Station on the Butterfield Stage line, the post cemetary, Apache Spring (the reason this valley was so important), the original small fort, and the more elaborate Fort Bowie itself. This was a nice place to visit, to learn more about the history of the Southwest.

Statistics

Total Distance: 3.6 miles
Elevation: start 4,731 ft, maximum 5,017 ft, minimum 4,687 ft
Gross gain: 286 ft. Aggregate ascending 405 ft, descending 503 ft
Maximum slope: 20% ascending, 20% descending, 4.9% average
Duration: 2:41

Ft Bowie Hike.Pat.2018-11-21 (KML)	264 Downloads
GPS Track Files for Download
Ft Bowie Hike.Pat.2018-11-21 (GPX)	46 Downloads

I urge you to explore our hiking tracks with Google Earth. With the virtual 3-dimensional presentation, achieved by panning and tilting the view, you can get a much better idea of the hikes and terrain than you can get from the 2-dimensional screenshot above. For assistance: Using Google Earth Track Files.

References

National Park Service: Fort Bowie
Legends of America: Fort Bowie, Arizona National Historic Site
The American Southwest: Fort Bowie National Historic Site
National Parks Traveler:
Fort Bowie National Historic Site: Conflicts with the Apache
AllTrails: Fort Bowie Trail

Echo Canyon Loop Hike- 11/20/2018

December 1, 2018

Headed to Tucson a couple of days early for Thanksgiving, giving us time for some camping and hiking along the way. Towing our R-Pod trailer camper, we decided on the Chiricahua Mountains where there is a nice campground and some hiking in amazing geologic formations. From Willcox AZ one takes state roads south some 40 miles to the Chiricahua National Monument, situated in a deep narrow canyon on the western side of this isolated mountain range. Camping is in the Bonita Canyon Campground, a nice facility with water near every campsite. Most sites are small, particularly suited for tent camping (and it seemed nearly half of the campers were in tents), but big enough for our 17′ R-Pod. And the visitor’s center at the entrance has some quite interesting displays and information about the mountains and history in the surrounding area.

We arrived as dark was approaching, so we were focused on setting up the camper and didn’t see much scenery (except the flat desert Sulfur Springs Valley between the Dragoons and Chiricahuas on the drive from Willcox). The next morning, gathering our hiking gear (for -cool- temperatures), we drove into Bonita Canyon and were greeted with views of amazing rock formations, the phalanxes of columns for which these mountains are famous. ‘Tis about 4 miles from the campground to the trailhead, climbing some 500 feet through initially the narrow canyon, then ascending up the western side of the canyon to parking for the trailheads.

The Hike

We had been advised to take the loop counterclockwise since the hike back up from lower elevations is more gradual than going clockwise, so that was our choice. The trail is very well used, rocky in places, and where the slope is steep the CCC (who carved out these trails back in the 30’s) has placed “stair steps”. From the beginning we were greeted with a multitude of tall rock columns, with large rocks balanced on the top of many of them. These columns covered the sides of the canyons, from the bottom to near the top. One is constantly wondering how they perch atop the columns (and wondering – what would happen if even a small earthquake were to happen). No written description, nor even photos, can adequately show this marvelous place.

We got up early the next morning and drove back up the road to Massai Point (just beyond the trailhead) to watch the rising sun flow into the canyons of hoodoos. This gave us another remarkable view of this Wonderland of Rocks.

Statistics

Total Distance: 3.67 miles
Elevation: start 6,784 ft, maximum 6,784 ft, minimum 6,261 ft
Gross gain: 523 ft. Aggregate ascending 1,220 ft, descending 1,222 ft
Maximum slope: 40% ascending, 39% descending, 7.9% average
Duration: 4:19

Echo Canyon Loop Hike.Pat.2018-11-20 (KML)	104 Downloads
GPS Track Files for Download
Echo Canyon Loop Hike.Pat.2018-11-20 (GPX)	49 Downloads

I urge you to explore our hiking tracks with Google Earth. With the virtual 3-dimensional presentation, achieved by panning and tilting the view, you can get a much better idea of the hikes and terrain than you can get from the 2-dimensional screenshot above. For assistance: Using Google Earth Track Files.

References

National Park Service:
   Chiricahua – A Wonderland of Rocks
     Bonita Canyon Campground
   Hiking (link to hiking guide .pdf)
Arizona Important Bird Areas Program: Chiricahua Mountains IBA Trip
Anne’s Travels: Finishing the Chiricahua Loop: The Echo Canyon Trail
The American Southwest: Hiking in Chiricahua National Monument
AllTrails: Ed Riggs, Hailstone, and Echo Canyon Trail (and more at AllTrails)

George's Photos: Click on a Photo for Gallery Show.

Noon Creek Ridge Trail Hike – 09/03/2018

September 26, 2018

Our goal was to get in a hike on the first day of our return from Tucson to Albuquerque, planning to spend the night at one of our favorite BnBs, D and D’s Organic Haven in Pleasanton, near Glenwood, NM. After extensive research, we tracked down trails in the Pinaleno Mountains of the Coronado National Forest in east central Arizona. Some of the more intriguing trails were far into the Pinalenos, but reviewing road and topo maps led us to judge the road would be challenging, not for our appetite. But there were a couple of trails along the road before it started climbing the mountansides: Ladybug Trail and Noon Creek/Noon Creek Ridge Trails (also identified as Round the Mountain Trail, and Sky Islands Traverse on GoogleEarth). We chose the latter expecting that it would afford better views.

The Drive In

To get to the trailhead, drive 7 miles south on US 191 from Safford to Swift Trail Junction. Turn left on AZ 366, Swift Trail, for about 8 miles to the Noon Creek Picnic Area/Campground.

The Hike

The first 3/4ths of a mile or so is on the Noon Creek Trail, quite well used, easy going. Along this stretch we could hear water running in Noon Creek, but there wasn’t anyplace that afforded access. We then turned right to ascend on Round the Mountain Trail (both seem to be marked #302). Still a good trail surface, were then going uphill which continued at an even slope for as far as we went.

We set our sights on getting to the top of Noon Creek Ridge. But the trail became gradually less well traveled, occasionally quite narrow with steep drop-off or covered with brush. At 1.6 miles we encountered -very thick- brush which obstructed our further progress. and because it was a narrow section with very steep drop-off, we decided to go no further.

Despite not getting to the top of the ridge, we enjoyed fabulous views across the canyon of Noon Creek, and across the plains and San Simon River to the east and beyond the White Rock and Peloncillo Mountains.

Statistics

Total Distance: 3.22 miles
Elevation: start 5,244 ft, maximum 6,244 ft, minimum 5,244 ft
Gross gain: 1,000 ft. Aggregate ascending 1,129 ft, descending 1,129 ft
Maximum slope: 32% ascending, 47% descending, 12% average
Duration: 3:04

Noon Creek Ridge Hike.Pat.2018-09-03 (KML)	119 Downloads
GPS Track Files for Download
Noon Creek Ridge Hike.Pat.2018-09-03 (GPX)	114 Downloads

I urge you to explore our hiking tracks with Google Earth. With the virtual 3-dimensional presentation, achieved by panning and tilting the view, you can get a much better idea of the hikes and terrain than you can get from the 2-dimensional screenshot above. For assistance: Using Google Earth Track Files.

References

Trails.com: Noon Creek Trail 302A
Forest Service: Noon Creek Picnic Area

George's Photos: Click on a Photo for Gallery Show,.

Switzer Canyon Trail Hike – 12/29/2017

January 1, 2018

Holiday’s visit with Sarah and Charlotte: Christmas in Tucson, a stop in Phoenix, then to Flagstaff. Hoping for snow – none. Cold at night but warm daytime. Found a trail close to the AirBnB – made for a really nice walk on well maintained and used trails.

The Hike

Switzer Canyon Trail Hike.PatSarahCharlotte.2017-12-29

Statistics

Total Distance: 2.28 miles
Elevation: start 6,984 ft, maximum 7,149 ft, 6,984 minimum ft
Gross gain: 165 ft. Aggregate ascending 201 ft, descending 201 ft
Maximum slope: 14% ascending, 12% descending, 3% average
Duration: 1:32

Switzer Trail Hike.PatSarahCharlotte.2017-12-29 (KML)	229 Downloads
GPS Track Files for Download
Switzer Trail Hike.PatSarahCharlotte.2017-12-29 (GPX)	63 Downloads

I urge you to explore our hiking tracks with Google Earth. With the virtual 3-dimensional presentation, achieved by panning and tilting the view, you can get a much better idea of the hikes and terrain than you can get from the 2-dimensional screenshot above. For assistance: Using Google Earth Track Files.

References

City of Flagstaff: Switzer Canyon Trail
Google: Flagstaff Urban Trail System

George's Photos: Click Here for slide show.

The Drive In

The Hike

Notes about the Google Earth screenshot: the graph at the bottom shows elevation of the track (pink area) and speed (the blue line).

Epilogue

Statistics

Related Posts

References and Resources

Share this:

The Drive In

Prologue

The Hike

Notes about the Google Earth screenshot: the graph at the bottom shows elevation of the track (pink area) and speed (the blue line).

Epilogue

Statistics

Related Posts

References and Resources

Share this:

The Drive In

The Hike

Highlight

The Drive Out

Statistics

Related Posts

References and Resources

Share this:

The Drive In

The Hike

Highlight

Camping

Statistics

Related Posts

References and Resources

Share this:

The Drive In

The Hike

Statistics

References and Resources

Share this:

The Hike

Statistics

References

The Hike

References

The Drive In

The Hike

Statistics

References

The Hike

Statistics