Feb 18, 2021 - Tombstone to Chiricahau National Monument, Arizona

Well the weather didn’t get as cold overnight as predicted – only 30! We heated our rice bags and popped them at the foot of the bed so we were pretty snug all night. Yes, we are sissy campers.

We had sunny skies as we headed back into Tombstone to walk around the historic district one more time. At 9:30 in the morning it was pretty quiet.There were some folks going for a stagecoach tour through town.Tombstone was originally the Cochise County seat. The original courthouse is now a museum since the county seat was move to Bisbee.Ed Schieffelin came to this area in 1877 searching for silver. Soldiers from Fort Huachuca warned him that the only thing he would find was his tombstone because this area was patrolled by the Apache warrior, Geronimo. Ed did find silver and jokingly named his claim “Tombstone.” Other prospectors soon followed and the town of Tombstone grew to be one of the greatest silver camps in the west. We were lucky enough to go past the town library and I was able to post yesterday’s blog we before heading east to Chiricahua.About 75 miles and a couple hours later (after a lunch stop!) we arrived at Chiricahua National Monument. This area is called a “sky island” because it is an isolated mountain range rising above the surrounding grassland sea. The Chiricahua Apache called the pinnacles “standing up rocks,” and you will see why later.Our first stop was the visitor’s center to get a map and hiking guide. The ranger gave us a couple suggestions so we were off to the end of the road and the Massai Point Nature Trail. The scenic Bonita Canyon Drive is eight miles and wound through oak, cypress, and pine forests. When we got to the top, there was an amazing view over the Rhyolite Canyon and valleys. The pinnacles originated 27 million years ago when eruptions from the Turkey Creek Volcano spewed ash over 1,200 square miles. The superheated ash particles melted together forming layers of gray rock called rhyolite. Cooling and subsequent uplifting created the joints and cracks in the rhyolite. Weathering by ice and water erosion enlarged the cracks. The weaker materials were washed away, leaving the spires, balanced rocks, and other shapes. Some of the formations are named, others are not.This rock didn’t have a name, but we thought it looked like a sea turtle popping its head out of the water.Massai Point Nature Trail was about 1/2 mile long and the elevation was 6,870 feet. It was sunny, but chilly, so we wore our winter jackets and hats.Cochise, a famous Chiricahua Apache chief, often hid in this area of the Dragoon Mountains. He died in 1874 and was buried in a deep grave within the Stronghold. It is said that is followers ran their horses over his grave to erase any trace of it. To this day, it has not been found.Harris Mountain was named after a pioneer family who died at the hands of Apaches in 1873. They were part of a westward bound wagon train who attempted to take a short cut through the Chiricahua Mountains and disappeared. Several years later, soldiers from Fort Bowie found one of the the Harris girls in an Apache camp in Mexico! She told them what had happened and led them to the spot at Harris Mountain where the family was killed. They found the remaining bones and buried them. A headboard marks the gravesite.

Looking to the northwest we could see the rock formation which resembles a man resting on his back. It is named Cochise Head. From Massai Point we headed back to the Echo Canyon turnoff to hike the Sugarloaf Mountain Trail. The 1.8 mile trail climbs 470 feet up the mountain reaching an elevation of 7,310 feet. We passed through a small tunnel cut by men of the Civilian Conservation Corps who built the trail. At the summit we came to the fire lookout station which was also constructed in 1935 by the CCC. It is still used today to monitor fire and lightning activity in the area in the summer. Tobey was searching for fires but, fortunately, didn’t spot any!We both decided the trail was MUCH easier going down!  Yes, that is snow on the ground!The side of the cliff was so white! We don’t know enough about geology to explain it.The views were spectacular.After the hike, we headed back down the mountain to the Bonita Canyon Campground where we will stay for two nights. There were some beautiful rock formations we stopped to see along the way back down the hill.Tomorrow will be the real challenge. We are hoping to complete the Heart of Rocks trail. Leaving from the campground, it will be over 8 miles. No internet service here so we will post later.