Portal, AZ - Rodeo, NM

Hiking

April 30 - Chiricahua National Monument. 

Meet at the Silver Peak Trailhead to carpool at 8:00 a.m. AZ, 9:00 a.m. NM

Carol Simon  (520) 558-2433  casimon1947@icloud.com

Elaine Moisan (520) 558-5204 emoisan2011@hotmail.com

Elly Van Gelderen (520) 558-3715 or  ellyvangelderen@asu.edu 

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Six hikers drove to the Wood Canyon at the northern end of the Chiricahuas. There are multiple Wood Canyons in the area and we have visited all of them at some point. The roads into this Wood Canyon are surprisingly good, much better than the Foothills Road. Coyote Song and the Wood Canyon Roads are both county roads and the very few local residents must have a wonderful relationship with the road crew. Look at how smooth that road is! And it always seems to be like that. Note that Cochise’s Head is visible above the road and toward the left.

The entrance to Wood Canyon is interesting. There is a large cattle ranch and the rancher’s wife has show goats. They are very handsome animals. On this trip we saw only a few, but on past trips we have seen as many as 25 or so. The Internet tells me that these goats sell for $500 - $2000+ each!

Once past the ranch, after walking almost a mile on a side road, we reached the Wood Canyon/Indian Creek Trail. Depending on your reference, this is either a continuation of the Indian Creek Trail that begins on the other side of Wood Canyon Saddle, or it is uniquely called Wood Canyon Trail. I like the later, and so did Rick Taylor in his Chiricahua hiking book. We were, after all, in Wood Canyon. The canyon seems relatively flat and is easy to walk. But we were definitely climbing for our 4 1/2 miles in. This canyon is heavily grazed and sometimes we were on the remains of the Wood Canyon/Indian Creek Trail, and sometimes we were on cow trails. You can’t really get lost, however, because you are walking along a fairly narrow canyon and following a stream bed. That is unless you aren't paying attention and wander off into a side canyon. But we wouldn’t be that careless … nah.

The day was very pleasant with temperatures in the high 70’s, a breeze and some afternoon overcast. There are enough trees along the way to insure the ability to rest in the shade at this time of year. There were sycamores, junipers, oaks, walnuts and more. Below I am standing beneath a Hawthorne tree, which can grow in unusual shapes. These trees live in sunny spots in mountainous areas, often along watercourses, and provide food and cover for birds and mammals. The fruits (haws) are edible by the local wildlife and were enjoyed by the Apaches.

        

We had lunch at the washed out remains of an old car. Yes, a road used to access this area. One hiker commented “This is what we came to see?” Often It’s the journey, not the end point. 

This is as far as we went but only 3/8 mile from here is the old Taylor place where Mary Bridger, buried at the Chiricahua National Monument, once lived. And a mile or so above this site is Wood Canyon Park. We used to visit this park regularly before the Horseshoe II Fire. It was regarded as one of the most special areas in Chiricahuas with huge Douglas Firs and an outstanding collection of Bigtooth Maples. We know that this park had a severe burn but none of us has been back since before the fire. It would be worth checking out with a long day’s hike dedicated to reaching that point again. Beyond Wood Canyon Park is Wood Canyon Saddle. From there you can drop into Whitetail Canyon, climb Cochise’s Head or take the Horse Trail into the Monument. Don’t imagine that any of those trails are in fine form.

Before you view the three photos below, note that all hikers finished the walk with energy to spare. Nevertheless, some of us needed a bit of a rest at lunch time. Our group’s average age today, after all, was 77! So if you are sitting at home on your couch reading this and thinking you are too old for a hike like this, think again.

Wood Canyon has permanent water and we found it running intermittently along the way.The trees and bushes in the canyon looked much better than last year, with lots of leaves present. But this canyon has a dearth of flowers and insects, and we did not see one lizard over the 8 1/2 miles we walked. The northern part of the Chiricahuas does sit in a rain shadow and perhaps that is why? The area is also heavily grazed. There were some (very) scattered flowers, however, like the Apache Plume and Penstemon below.

Next week, on the last day of April, we will visit a hiker favorite, the Chiricahua National Monument. Meet at the Silver Peak Trailhead to carpool at 8:00 a.m. AZ, 9:00 a.m. NM. If you are coming from another direction we can meet between 9:15 and 9:30 AZ (or 10:15 and 10:30 NM) in the visitor center parking lot at the Monument. Please let us know if you will meet us there so we wait for you. Once there we can decide what trail(s) to take. But a good bet is to walk from Massai Point down to the visitor center, with various side trail options, leading to hikes of about 6 - 8 miles. Shorter hikes are also possible. Or longer. The ambitious (said nicely) sometimes chose to walk UP and then down. Bring lots of water, a good sunhat, sunscreen and lunch. It will be long day with the drive. There is a gift shop and exhibitions at the visitor center.

Happy trails!

Report by Carol

Photos by Eskild and Rolf