November 12, 2008

November 12, 2008

It is time for us to get our lazy butts out of the apartment and back into the hiking world. And why not start at one of our favorite spots, Chiricahua National Monument. Unfortunately it is a good two-hour drive east of Tucson. But with gas prices finally back down to reasonable levels, I don’t feel bad about traveling farther afield.

On our way to Chiricahua we make a stop to visit Fort Bowie National Historic Site. Fort Bowie is way off the beaten track. Just north of the Monument, we turn off the pavement and follow a dirt road eight miles to the Fort Bowie trailhead. We aren’t there yet. It is still a 1.5-mile hike thru arid rolling hills to the Fort and Visitor Center. Fort Bowie, atop Apache Pass, was the focus of the Apache Indian Wars after the Civil War. For almost twenty years, Cochise and later Geronimo battled the US. Both sides wanted control of Apache Springs, the only water source for miles along the southern stagecoach route. There is not much left of the fort except for a dozen foundations scattered around this mountain saddle’s grassland.

After spending a couple hours exploring Fort Bowie, we move on to Chiricahua National Monument. It is getting late so we quickly head toward the Echo Canyon trailhead. We do a 3.3-mile loop hike thru the heart of this rock wonderland. Chiricahua is a true hidden gem. And this short hike easily makes it as one of my top ten in the US.

We get a bonus on the ride home. Southern Arizona has some of the most consistent beautiful sunsets. About once a week the setting sky turns a beautiful shade of red. Usually it lasts just ten minutes. For some reason as we drive west back to Tucson we get to enjoy a gorgeous sunset framed by mountains in our windshield for what seems like an hour. Till now Aimee and I have been dead set on only buying a house with an eastward mountain view. Hmmmm….maybe we need to add a westward sunset view in the front yard to the requirements.