Chiricahua National Monument in the Coronado National Forest

Well sports fans - talk about saving the best til last - this was it!  Our hiking outings ended with a bang with us hiking several trails of the Chiricahua National Monument. 

Our group - consisting of Stan, Barbara, Jorge, Gina, Ernie and myself - starting out at 6:00 a.m. (I admit to being half asleep) with Stan behind the wheel.  It would be approximately a two hour trip from Tucson to the visitor's center.

As with most of the hikes I have been fortunate to be a part of, the weather was beautiful.  Blue skies and warm temperatures were the predictions for the day.  We were hoping to finish our hiking before the late afternoon heat.

From beginning to end the hike that had been hyped as magnificent by several fellow hikers during the winter and spring lived up to all the hype.  The towering rock formations were awe inspiring (although we didn't hike to Inspiration Point).  The rock pinnacles were called "standing up rocks" by the Chiricahua Apache who lived in the forests and lands surrounding the Chiricahua Mountains for hundreds of years.

We took the shuttle at the visitor's center in Bonita Canyon which took us up to the trail head.  The shuttle driver told us a lot of the history of the Monument, including how it was created.  27 million years ago eruptions from the Turkey Creek Caldera Volcano, which was one thousand times greater than the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens, laid down two thousand feet of highly silicious ash and pumice. This mixture fused into a rock called rhyolitic tuff and eventually eroded into the spires and fascinating rock formations of today. In 1924 President Calvin Coolidge set aside this wonderland to be preserved as the Chiricahua National Monument.

Cochise Head (see the nose pointing to the sky?)

The driver also talked about how it became the stronghold for the Apache leaders Cochise and Geronimo and their people.  If you are a history buff like myself, you can let your imagination run wild!  I had a tendency to blend history, John Wayne movies, and documentaries into one.  I could see Native Americans on horseback on ridges, or women and children in camps grinding corn.....until the food ran out and they eventually surrendered to Union soldiers in 1886.

Mushroom Rock

Big Balanced Rock

We were dropped off at Massai Point and began our descent via several connecting trails and loops.  Some of the trails were named after some of the famous rock formations.  We traveled on Mushroom Rock Trail and Big Balanced Rock Trail.  The elevation at the trailhead at Massai Point was 6,870 and we did a mostly gradual decline to 5,400 ft. at the visitor's center.  We made frequent stops along the trail for rest and water.  It is noticeably cooler in the Chiricahuas than in Tucson because of the elevation, but still very warm for hiking.  This was a truly enjoyable hike in almost every way.  The one very sad thing that was so striking was the devastation left behind from the wildfires in 2011. 

The Horseshoe 2 Fire began on May 8, 2011 in the Horseshoe Canyon area of the Chiricahua Mountains and burned nearly 223,000 acres, destroying 23 homes or buildings.  

Devastation the 2011 wildfires left behind

Investigators were unable to access the area immediately and unable to pinpoint the fire’s ignition point because of subsequent fire-fighting activities.It was heartbreaking to walk through burned out areas that were once plush forests. We agreed that we could have endured the pain a little easier if the fires had been from natural causes such as lightning strikes, but knowing they were of human origin made it harder.

I can only imagine how beautiful this tree was before......

Jorge made the observation of how you can find beauty everywhere if you look.  He then found this burned out tree from the fire and I realized what he meant.  This tree - even burned out and barren, was a thing of beauty.

Sadness at loss of vegetation and wildlife

We hiked a total of approximately 8 miles.  We started at Massai Point and traveled the Mushroom Rock Trail, Big Balanced Rock Trail, Heart of Rocks Loop, Sarah Deming Trail and finally the Lower Rhyolite Canyon Trail back to the visitor center.  We had a little welcoming committee waiting when we got back, a group of 3 white tail deer feeding near a campsite.  As our group approached they continued to feed on new vegetation, showing no fear of us.  Ahhh nature, you got to love it! 

White-tailed fawn having lunch

More random pics from an excellent hike!!!

Camel's Head

Formations at the Heart of Rocks Loop

 

Kissing Rock

Punch & Judy

BREAK TIME YAY!!!

Happiness is a PB&J sandwich

Jorge unloading his gear

Ernie always has the best sandwiches!

On the trail again.....

These look like sentries guarding the monument

I named this one Sly and the Family of Stone


Happy Trails to you, until we meet again!

Green Mountain Trail, Santa Catalina Mountains in the Coronado National Forest

Our small group of 4 – Stan, Gina, Ernie and me – started out at 7:30 a.m. and made our way through town to the Catalina Highway.  So extraordinary that within an hour or two you can leave town and be out among the ponderosa pine, Douglas fir, and Arizona cypress.  This is a nice short one-way hike which can be done in any season, although spring and fall are the best times to do it. The trail goes through different types of forest, and there are very nice views at the upper end. There are also a number of short side trails that you can take.

The Green Mountain Trail starts at over 7,000 feet and winds down about 1,000 to the General Hitchcock campground, the 3.9 mile trail (one way) offers excellent views across the San Pedro Valley.  This hike is a one-way hike where you usually would do a car shuttle to get back to your starting point. Keep in mind… our hikes are becoming more and more abbreviated and modified because of the weather.  We have already had temps of 100 degrees so we have had to alter the normal trails to suit our very selfish need to hike as long as we possibly can.  That being said, we started our hike in reverse, starting at the General Hitchcock campground and climbing up. 

We started out with temperatures a gorgeous 67degrees, knowing that it wouldn’t be long before they would begin to climb.  The views were absolutely wonderful.  There were hillsides covered with rock formations and thin scrubby forest of pine, oak, manzanita, chaparral and juniper. From some points along the trail we could see Bear Canyon and see Thimble Peak framed at the far end of the canyon. The smell of the pines was amazing, but even more amazing was the sound of the wind blowing through them. 

The group was small and quiet for the most part so we could really enjoy the sounds of nature.  I tried to sing at one point – as I am known to do on hikes – but my song was very short-lived as I was having trouble with the altitude. 

 

We had to make frequent stops because of the altitude.  It wasn’t hot, so we didn’t have to make stops for drinks….it was only because we would become short of breath after the steep climbs.  I say “we” but maybe I should speak for myself.  I am the novice hiker and I am not ashamed to admit when I am out of breath.  The others seemed to be doing fine, but it got harder and harder for me to face another steep incline.  Finally, at about 90 minutes or so in, I felt I was really pushing myself and decided it was time for me to stop.  I offered to stay at this point while the others went ahead to the saddle – our turnaround point (which was actually in view) but the others decided we should stay together as a group.  You have no idea how happy I was at their decision, because I am a big chicken when it comes to lions, tigers, and bears! 

 I don't remember what Stan was teaching us on this one :-(

We took about 20 to 30 minutes to have our lunch before starting back down.  It seemed I picked a really nice spot to give out.  There were some incredible rock formations all around us.  One even looked sort of like a totem pole. 

Thimble Peak

After our light lunch, which did wonders to renew my strength, we started our hike back down to the campground.  Going down was much easier (as usual) than the climb up. We had a wonderful hike, no misadventures, no rattlers, bears, mountain lions or anything.  We were just enjoying each other’s stories and nature’s beauty…..until we reached the end of the trail – the campground – where we were met with a camper in the all-together walking around his campsite.  We weren’t prepared for this much nature, so agreed it was time to call it a day.

Modesty prevents me from posting pictures of the camper....

Oh yes, I would like to take this time to also mention that I didn’t mention any of our group’s unmentionables or wardrobe malfunctions.  lol

Sweetwater Trail in Saguaro National Park



Me and cactus flower

Well, I’ve been off the trail for several weeks because of personal obligations.  Translation: I had family visiting for a week, I had jury duty the following week, and the third week I was a no account slacker.  That being said, our hikes are dwindling down to a precious few now.  The main group disbanded last week because the temperatures reached way up in the 80s and several people showed signs of heat exhaustion.  We are now operating with a much smaller group and we are abbreviating the length and difficulty of the hikes because of the heat. 

  

We have decided to gather an hour earlier figuring we can get started earlier and end the hikes before the heat gets dangerous.Whereas our normal hiking group ran between 12 and 18 members per hike, we only had four in our abbreviated group Wednesday.


We left the community center bright and early at 7:30 a.m., which means I was up at 6:00 a.m. so I could walk my dog before starting out. Needless to say….I was not bright eyed or bushy tailed in the least!   

BrickleBush

This week we hiked the Sweetwater Trail in Saguaro National Park in the Tucson Mountains.  We were aiming for the 3.4 mile mark as our turnaround spot.  This point is called Sweetwater Saddle and is the point where the trails from the west side of the park meet the Sweetwater Trail and from here all the trails share the same route to Wasson Peak, the highest point in the Tucson Mountains.   

Jumping Cholla Cactus

We had agreed at onset to hike 1 ½ hours one way, stop for a brief lunch and head back.  We had plenty of breaks to drink water and take pictures.  The scenery was absolutely breathtaking! 

The most notable thing of this hike was the flowers.   The desert was definitely in bloom and we had a wonderful time just trying to identify all of the flowers, cactus, plants and birds along the trail.  There were blossoms of every size and color.   We even took picture of this one cactus flower that looked as if it were coming out of a rock.   

Jorge snapping pics of flowers

This was a most enjoyable hike.  We didn’t quite make it to Sweetwater Saddle before we stopped and turned around, but that’s okay.   We were close enough and we didn’t have any problems – heat or otherwise. 





Me, Connie, Stan and SAGUARO

Hike Statistics (We only did 3 hours, with a break in the middle so we didn’t make the total mileage )

Distance Round Trip 7.36 mile

Trailhead Elevation 2,543 feet
Elevation Gain 412 feet
Accumulated Gain 536 feet
Average Time Round Trip 3.5 hours

Pima Canyon Trail in the Santa Catalina Mountains

Okay, so if you’ve been following the blog weekly, you know that I admit to being a novice hiker – thus the title of the blog.  I have been fortunate enough to keep up with the rest of the hikers pretty well every week.  Last week I was even talked into taking the more difficult of two hikes and was able to do it.  That being said….I was lulled into a false sense of security and thought the hike of Pima Canyon Trail this week would be a piece of cake.  NOTHING COULD HAVE BEEN FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH!!!  I was told it was an easy to moderate hike.  We were to hike about 6 miles round trip with about a 700 ft. elevation gain.   

Our group was 10 strong this week.  We headed out at 8:30 a.m. from the community center, our usual time.  It only took a short time to reach our destination, maybe 30 minutes or so.  Our group leader Joanne always gives us information on the hike as far as how hard, how long, etc. so I felt pretty good starting out.  The Pima Canyon trail is a beautiful and easily assessible trail.... so assessible it suffers from overuse.  The Pima trail ascends a V-shaped notch carved along the south face of Pusch Ridge.  Views down the canyon get better as you climb.  The riparian area on the floor of the canyon are ecologically diverse and may be home to a wide range of plants, insects and amphibians that make them ideal for different species of birds.  This provides an excellent birdwatching opportunity for resident and migratory birds.  

Well, after nearly 2 hours I started  wondering why it seemed to be taking us so long to reach the dam, which was the turnaround point for us.  It should only have been about 3 miles right?  3 miles shouldn't take so long should it?  I'm new, but I know I was really feeling the burn in my legs after a while.  As we passed hikers on their way back down we would inquire as to how much further and was always told with a smile…not much further.  We were given approximations like another 30 minutes, or ¾ of a mile, or right around the next bend you climb a little and then down. 

Crested Sahuaro

Well, let me digress a little bit….I seem to be whining a little more than usual....  I have to admit that the weather was great.  Sunny and a little on the cool side, which is wonderful for hiking.  The scenery, resplendent with wildflowers, cacti and trees, was beautiful and the trail was clearly marked.  We hiked through cottonwood trees and along a streambed (which was mostly dry) and we crossed it several times.  When we finally reached the dam where we would turn around, I was pretty tired and hungry.  We ate our lunch at this point and rested a little for the hike back down. 

Indentation left by Native Americans grinding meal

There are grinding rocks near the dam that the Hohokam Indians used to grind their mesquite pods into flour.  This was especially interesting for me.  I mean it really brings it home that this area was inhabited by Native Americans that walked, and lived and hunted through these mountains hundreds of years ago.  I took pictures of the grinding area, and could imagine the women there working with children playing in the streams.  Wonderful…..

George & Jim having lunch

Now, the trip back down….RATTLESNAKE!  Yes, I big diamondback rattler decided the middle of the trail on the rocks was a wonderful place to sun itself.  I am so glad the men went ahead of us on the way back down and were able to pick it up with their walking sticks and place it on the side of the trail (or should I label this a trial) in the brush.  This is the first large snake I have seen since I moved to Arizona, and I was amazed at how calm, cool, and collected everyone was.  I wanted to scream!  I wanted to run!  I wanted I wanted…I wanted to take its picture, but they had put it in a position where I couldn’t safely do so.  Oh well.  I was able to get a picture of the next best thing.  We had our very own Sasquatch sighting and I got a picture of it's feet! 

Sasquatch Mike's feet

We made it safely back to the trailhead and one of the guys who had an altimeter (I am the only novice hiker in the group, so these guys have all the tools of the hiking trade with them when we go out) which showed that this hike had in fact been a 1,000 ft. elevation gain just like the one last week to Romero Pools.  That is why it seemed so hard (to some of us) and why it seemed to take longer than a 6 miles hike should take. 

I can say I made it and I am happy I was able to make it.  It is possible I would have had second thoughts if I had known it was another 1,000 ft. elevation gain so soon.  I’m glad I didn’t know when we started out.  Another successful hike under my fanny pack! 

Dog-tired dogs - mine!