Last Stop in Arizona

And more SNOW!

Not “camping in the snow”, here in Willcox, at just over 4,000′, but it was COLD! It got down to 15^o one night. We encountered the snow, hiking!

Two new National Parks, in 3 days, with 15+ miles of hiking

Our stay in Willcox was all about visiting 2 new National Parks and getting in some hiking. We took 3 longish day trips to do just that.

We visited Chiricahua National Monument (#183) on our first 2 days, driving the Scenic Bonita Canyon Drive and hiking ~10.5 miles:

Massai Point Nature Trail (half in unbroken snow!)
Up Sugarloaf Mountain (mostly in unbroken snow!)
From the Visitor Center to Bonita Creek & back, by Faraway Ranch
Up the Lower Rhyolite Trail and back (much in snow & ice)

First View of Chiricahua “Standing up Rocks”, from Bonita Conyon Drive
Mexican Jay at Massai Point
View of Cochise (his face profile)
Need to break trail in the snow, hiking up Sugarloaf Mountain!
Top of Sugarloaf Mountain
One of many Coatimundi in a whole troop on the trail
Main House of Faraway Ranch
View of Chiricahua “Standing up Rocks”, from Lower Rhyolite Trail
End/Turnaround point on Lower Rhyolite Trail

On our 3rd day, we visited Fort Bowie National Historic Site (#184). You have to hike in 1.5 miles just to get to the visitor Center. We did that on the once-a-week Hiking through History Ranger Walk. Took the side trip to see the original Fort Bowie ruins, walked around the 2nd Fort Bowie ruins (more extensive than expected), and hiked out on the Ridge Trail, getting in ~5 miles by the time we were back to The Beast. A LOT of history here…Butterfield Stage Coach line, Apache Wars, life in the late 1800’s…

Apache Spring…instigation of Apache Wars

Yesterday/last day, we visited the AMERIND Museum, a museum of Native American art, history, culture, and archaeology. No pictures allowed. Other than that, we caught up on some things, like organizing pictures attending Zoom Meetings, and stopped at Apple Annies to buy some goodies.