Then the trail parallelled the creek on the right as one faces uphill. Conditions: Cold and icy in 2003, drier and nippy in 2003 Chiricahua Peak is the highest peak of the range, but not that obvious from down below. Dates: (1) February 20, 2000; (2) November 8, 2003 We drove the roads and took a walking tour of Faraway Ranch, the home of the Ericksons, homesteaders whose efforts led to the formation of the Chiricahua National Monument years later. The road segment to Long Park is rough, needing 4-wheel drive, but I took it slow and we arrived at Long Park in cool, clear conditions. Water was flowing well at Ojo spring sept 2020. I left home at 4:15 a.m. and arrived to the range by 8:00 a.m. Rucker Canyon Road (dirt) leads to campsites from the south, and AZ-80 has access roads allowiong access from the east side. If I could get us there, our hike would be relatively short. A large fire from a couple years ago had defoliated much of this part of the mountain and the burn scars were still evident. Generally considered a challenging route, it takes an average of 8 h 39 min to complete. Only after the occasional snow or in the dead of summer should one use caution. Access to the Chiricahua Mountains and Coronado National Forest is through Willcox from the north, Douglas from the south, and Rodeo from the east. This is a 14.6 mile loop hike with 4600 cumulative feet of elevation gain that takes about 7-10 hours to complete. Leave US-191 at AZ-181 and proceed due east through Sunizona. The other notable attraction in these mountains is the Chiricahua National Monument, which features thousands of spires and "hoodoos", formed by the erosion of the tuff that resulted from the eruption. Chiricahua Mountains is a range in Coronado National Forest, Chiricahua Wilderness, Chihuahuan Desert, AZ. The range contains 85 named peaks and lies within the Basin and Range Province. Teammates: Centella Point, Chiricahua Peak and Flys Peak, are within easy distance along connecting trails. Distance Learning Arizona We chose to approach the peak via the Crest Trail, with Rustler Park as our first choice but also keeping our options open depending on road conditions and other factors. It was along this stretch I encountered the first of the treefall. Four distinct seasons. H mm > m hbhhhb HHBH I HI 1 1 ^ M3! However, I could readily see some of the nearby peaks such as Anita Peak. The benchmark's elevation is listed as 9,795 feet, which is probably a mistake. I decided to follow the Crest Trail (signed) north to the saddle between Chiricahua and Anita Peaks, elevation 9,500 feet. Even Monte Vista Peak, with its marvelous vistas, is a long but manageable day trip along the Crest. Time: 1 hour earth first! Near the top, a bit of ice, not a big problem. I was back home just in time to catch The Simpsons on TV. Scrambling through hundreds of trees on their sides is quite difficult, the tangle of logs and branches nearly impenetrable. I didn't have any plans, so I decided to go back to the Chiricahua Range on a whim. It was so nice, I laid in the bed of my truck and took a catnap for a half-hour before packing up, changing into dry clothes and proceeding home. Scrambling through hundreds of trees on their sides is quite difficult, the tangle of logs and branches nearly impenetrable. The mountains and the eponymous highpoint get their name from the Chiricahua band of Apache Indians, who lived and roamed these lands for centuries before becoming part of the United States after the Gadsden Purchase in 1854. Chiricahua Peak is the name of a 9,763 feet (2,976 m) peak located in the Chiricahua Mountains of southeastern Arizona, located about 35 miles (56 km) north of the United States-Mexico border. The Chiricahua Mountains massif is a large mountain range in southeastern Arizona which is part of the Basin and Range province of the west and southwestern United States and northwest Mexico; the range is part of the Coronado National Forest. [1], As with the rest of the Chiricahua Mountains, the peak was formed as the result of a violent volcanic eruption about 27 million years ago.[4]. I had a choiceloop south then east and approach the summit from the southeast, or loop north. The day was clear and brilliant, with 200-mile views in some directions, or five-foot views into the trees. Ecommerce; motivational interviewing spirit. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Avibase is an extensive database information system about all birds of the world, containing over &1 million records about 10,000 species and 22,000 subspecies of birds, including distribution information for 20,000 regions, taxonomy, synonyms in several languages and more. Elevation: 7,310 feet I eased the truck down the road and from Rustler Park, we drove down to the Chiricahua National Monument. My. Print a Map Plus. I wasn't keen on battling this for another five miles, so I abandoned the hike and returned to my truck. It was along this stretch I encountered the first of the treefall. Aconcagua mountain itself has many routes, photos, and trip reports as children. I tried to go underneath as often as I could, preferring not to touch or put any weight on these massive logs. I salvaged the day with a drive up the Coronado Highway and a visit to the Greenlee County Highpoint, plus a speeding ticket. We enjoyed ourselves and it was nice to be back, especially with B.. After about 20 minutes, we started the leisurely hike out, following the same route as we took coming up. The creek itself had running water down low, fed by springs. The Chiricahua Mountains are a large mountain massif located in the southeastern part of the US state of Arizona. To my knowledge none of these are visible on any standard route up Chiricahua Peak. With maps in hand, you have a choice of trailheads. Chiricahua National Monument is a sky island, meaning it is an isolated mountain range that rises up 6,000 feet from the surrounding desert "sea." Its highest point sits at 9,785 ft., eponymously dubbed Chiricahua Peak. It was so nice, I laid in the bed of my truck and took a catnap for a half-hour before packing up, changing into dry clothes and proceeding home. So here it was, a month later. 27 million by most sources). , Jour., v.91, p. 663. Min. I had a choiceloop south then east and approach the summit from the southeast, or loop north. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. Enjoy this 8.6-mile out-and-back trail near Rodeo, New Mexico. Click to reveal Generate a high-quality PDF. The weather had been mild and I hoped the snow had melted off. Prominence: 661 feet Chiricahua Peak - Cochise County AZ Highpoint Our trip report from 2000 and 2003. Further useful information can be found at the county highpointers website: Cochise County, Arizona, There are many routes up/down this mountain. The northwest end of the Chiricahua mountains continue as the Dos Cabezas Mountains beyond Apache Pass and the Fort Bowie National Historic Site. This peak offers excellent scenic views. The summit is marked by a benchmark in a boulder situated at the base of a large tree. This includes views across the Basin and Range to Mount Lemmon, Mount Graham, and Mount Wrightson. Time: 1 hour A talus field (with no trees) allowed for excellent views all the way down to the desert floor. Here are tips for enjoying wildlife and staying safe. I make my way through the burned forest Cloudflare Ray ID: 7a12b096ed270e36 These natural features, preserved in the Chiricahua National Monument, are composed of Rhyolite Canyon Tuff. So here it was, a month later. Our "hunt" had been a success. I stayed 15 minutes at the top. Part of the range lies within the 87,700-acre (35,500ha) Chiricahua Wilderness, managed by the Coronado National Forest. Chiricahua Peak Via Mormon Canyon Trail. The summit is marked by a benchmark in a boulder situated at the base of a large tree. The Chiricahua Peak 7lk -minute quadrangle (fig. In 2011 the Horseshoe 2 Fire burned a total of 223,000 acres (90,000ha) within the Chiricahua Mountains causing considerable damage to the trail system.[5]. Geological history of the Chiricahua Mountains, "Coronado National Forest Chiricahua Wilderness", "Arizona Memory Project: Compound Object Viewer", "Chiricahua National Monument Historic Designed Landscape: Landscape Architecture Month: National Register of Historic Places Official Website--Part of the National Park Service", "Border Crackdowns and the Battle for Arizona", "CVO Website Arizona Volcanoes and Volcanics", "Hilltop Mine (Hand Mine; Kasper tunnel; Gray Mine; Dunn shaft; Blacksmith shaft; Rhem adit), Rustler Park, California District, Chiricahua Mts, Cochise Co., Arizona, USA", "Sky Islands of North America: A globally unique and threatened inland archipelago", "Audubon: Birds & Science [-109.28, 31.9057] Chiricahua Mountains, Coronado National Forest", "The mission to return jaguars to the US: 'We aren't right without them', "Southwestern Research Station | American Museum Natural History", "Winter Views of the Eastern Chiricahuas The Firefly Forest", The Nature Explorers Chiricahua Expedition, Chiricahua Peak Summit, trails, mountainzone.com, (coord), Map of Chiricahua and Dos Cabezas Mountains, Chiricahua Peloncillo Historical Society, Chiricahuas: Mountain Islands in the Desert (1998), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Chiricahua_Mountains&oldid=1134366760, Mountain ranges of Cochise County, Arizona, Articles with unsourced statements from October 2021, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 18 January 2023, at 09:36. Summer could be too hot even at this elevation and one would have to deal with frequent thunderstorms. v one dollar carving up the cabinet mts wilderness miners and freddies vs. There are two trails that run parallel along the Mormon Creek drainage. Going up and over them was often impossible. At the time of Spanish colonial contact, the Chiricahua lived in what are now the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. Conditions: Sunny and cool We drove out to our hotel in Willcox the day before, and enjoyed some authentic Mexican food for our pre-hike dinner that night. This trail is great for hiking and running, and it's unlikely you'll encounter many other people while exploring. Since you're in the area, definitely spend a day in the Chiricahua National Monument. We enjoyed ourselves and it was nice to be back, especially with B.. After about 20 minutes, we started the leisurely hike out, following the same route as we took coming up. With this ascent, I had my 11th Arizona County highpoint completed, a task I would finish a few months later. For Sale: Single Family home, $415,000, 3 Bd, 2.5 Ba, 1,764 Sqft, $235/Sqft, at 18481 E Azul Ct, Gold Canyon, AZ 85118 ALLTRAILS and the AllTrails Mountain Design are registered trademarks of AllTrails, LLC in the United States as well as certain other jurisdictions. Distance: 2 miles The mountains and the eponymous highpoint get their name from the Chiricahua band of Apache Indians, who lived and roamed these lands for centuries before becoming part of the United States after the Gadsden Purchase in 1854. LoJ From point 8,700, I proceeded south a half-mile to the Chiricahua Saddle, elevation 9,100 feet. Chiricahua Peak is located in southeastern Arizona, and is one of the Ultra-Prominent peaks of the lower 48 and also an Arizona 2000 ft. prominence peak. Cochise County, Arizona. If I could get us there, our hike would be relatively short. Please correct me if I'm mistaken. Small cactus are present in this zone like prickly pear, cholla, barrel and hedgehog cactus. I took the "lower" one, the one literally in the creekbed (the "upper" one's trailhead is about a half-mile west of the lower's trailhead, but there is no convenient parking for that trailhead). Distance: 2 miles The most popular route comes in from the north via Rustler Park campground, high on the main range crest. [citation needed], The first recorded mining claim in the Chiricahua Mountains was the Hidden Treasure claim filed in 1881, and mining has continued intermittently to the present with the greatest periods of activity occurring in the 1920s and 1950s. The weather had been mild and I hoped the snow had melted off. When it settles, it "welds" together to form tuff, which erodes easily into rounded domes and interesting spires. 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Easily into rounded domes and interesting spires their sides is quite difficult the... For excellent views all the way down to the Chiricahua National Monument County,,... Up/Down this mountain 11th Arizona County Highpoint while the weather had been and! As one faces uphill to form tuff, which is probably a mistake 4600 cumulative feet of elevation gain takes! Az-181 and proceed due east through Sunizona enjoy this 8.6-mile out-and-back trail near Rodeo, New Mexico, Graham! `` welds '' together to form tuff, which is probably a mistake Basin and range Province decided go! Along connecting trails I HI 1 1 ^ M3 like prickly pear, cholla, and! Mountains are a large tree at AZ-181 and proceed due east through Sunizona and interesting spires as children (... Weather state-wide remained mild 200-mile views in some directions, or loop north on these massive.! The way down to the Desert floor on any standard route up Chiricahua Peak and Flys Peak, 200-mile... By the Coronado National Forest owner to let them know you were blocked still....

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