Land of Standing Up Rocks.

March 23, 2014: Chiricahua National Monument – A Sky Island.

Today we venture off to the “Land of Standing Up Rocks”.  We leave Benson and merge onto I-10 and drive east to the next little town of Wilcox.  We turn south on SH186 and head to our destination – Chiricahua National Monument.

(Pronounced: cheer i cow ah)

We travel another 35 miles through Sulphur Springs Valley, then turn east onto SH181 and drive the 4 miles to the entrance station (Senior Pass = Free Entry!).  The park lies within the boundaries of Coronado Wilderness Area in the Chiricahua Mountains.

Organ Pipe Formation.

From the golden grasslands, the road winds 8 miles up Bonita Canyon to the summit, Massai Point.  Along the way we stop at the Organ Pipe Formation.  The rock formations in the park are called pinnacles, but also go by the names of columns and totem poles - or as the Chiricahua Apache called them, “standing up rocks”.

 

An island in the sky.

As we ascend through the canyon beautiful rock columns line the road in many areas.  The grasslands give way to sycamore, juniper, and oak trees.  As we near the summit of the “island in the sky” we enter woodlands of cypress, pine, and fir.  Not only has the vegetation changed dramatically, but we now find that a sweatshirt or jacket feels mighty good at this altitude.  By the way, what is a “sky island”?

This information board is located in the exhibit building at Massai Point.  It gives a great explanation of "sky islands".

The exhibit building sits on the hilltop overlooking the rock formations.

We trek along the very easy Massai Nature Trail and enjoy the exhibit building.  

There are miles of trails that snake through the canyons, meadows, and rock formations.  Since we didn’t come prepared for serious hiking we opt for the nature trail that circles the summit.

Lichen covers the rock formations.

Aptly named "Balancing Rock".

This lizard was totally indifferent to our presence as I approached for a close up shot.

Standing Up Rocks with Sulphur Springs Valley below, and the Dragoon Mountains in the distance.

  

In perfect balance.

Panoramic view across the "standing up rocks", Sulphur Springs Valley, and the Dragoon Mountains in the distance.

Sugarloaf Mountain and the Turkey Creek Caldera.

On the far right side of the preceding picture you can see the upslope of Sugarloaf Mountain.  Echo and Rhyolite Canyons are over 1,000 feet below the summit.

Sugarloaf Mountain with Echo Canyon far below in the foreground.  The tiny object on the top of the mountain is the fire lookout.

Nature trail plaque describing the eruption of Turkey Creek Caldera 10 miles to the south, and the impact on this area over 25 million years ago.  Eons of erosion has created what we see today.

Jack leads the way along the trail.

Exhibit building with a 360-degree view.

Checking out the “Big Blast”!

Here’s what we glean from the NPS exhibit building:

“Nearly 27 million years ago the earth shook as huge clouds of ash, gas, and pumice began erupting into the atmosphere.  When the eruptions stopped, more than 1,200 square miles of the surrounding area were covered with layers of volcanic ash.  So much material was blown out of the volcano, it collapsed forming a caldera, a huge crater-like depression, 12 miles across and 5,000 feet deep.  Today, it is difficult to see signs of the volcano.  Travel south from the park 12 miles to Turkey Creek and you will be inside the dormant volcano.  Geologists estimate that the Turkey Creek eruption was 1,000 times larger than the 1980 eruption of Mount Saint Helens in Washington.  The Turkey Creek Volcano blew out 100 cubic miles of material while Mount Saint Helens produced one tenth of a cubic mile.”

Off we go to the volcano!

Armed with a little information, we wind our way back down the mountain, into Sulphur Springs Valley, and head south – into the remnants of Turkey Creek Volcano.

Looking across the grasslands toward the Dragoon Mountains.

And here we are - standing inside the dormant volcano.  Anticlimactic?  Well, yes.

What was a catastrophic event 27 million years ago is now beautiful ranch grasslands encircled by the Chiricahua Mountains.  We wouldn’t know we were driving through a dormant volcano if it weren’t for the NPS information.  Glad we took the time to learn something new today.

Homeward bound.

It’s time to head for home.  SH181 to SH191, north past the Dragoon Mountains and the turn off for the Cochise Stronghold that takes you to the remote hiding place of the Apache chief of the same name.  We head west on Dragoon Road, drive through the little hamlet of Dragoon, and a short while later merge back onto I-10 westbound for the short drive back to Benson.

But, one last thing before I end this.

I nearly forgot to mention the most fun we had all day.  While driving on a spur road in the park that takes you to the fire lookout trailhead, we pull off on a turnout to take a few pictures.  Photos and viewing complete, we hop back in the Jeep.  Jack looks in the rearview mirror before pulling back onto the road.  Take a guess what comes scampering across the road just behind the Jeep?  A coatimundi!!!  We both jump back out of the Jeep to get a good look at this critter.  He heads into the brush and, of course, we follow.  This elusive creature loses us before I can get a picture.  We give up the hunt, so my only option is to link you to a Youtube video of a coatimundi (I love that name!) that was taken in Chiricahua National Monument.  This is the very unusual critter we saw – minus the snow.

Coatimundi in Chiricahua National Monument 

We had a great time exploring today, but we both agree the coatimundi sighting was the best part of the day.  Neither of us had ever seen one of these animals in the wild, so it created some real excitement for a little while.  Life is good – another fun day.  Until next time – be safe.      

Sandhill Cranes, Tombstone, and Gallery of Dreams.

March 17, 2014: Whitewater Draw SWA, Tombstone, Gallery of Dreams.

A new home base.

We arrived in Benson back on March 10^th.  It’s less than an hour’s drive southeast of Tucson on I-10.  We’re going to spend the next four weeks here because of its proximity to some day trips we are planning.  It’ll make a good home base.  

Today we are taking a trip with three points of interest in mind – the Sandhill Cranes at Whitwater Draw SWA, Tombstone, and the Gallery of Dreams.

We leave Benson driving south on SH80 and meander through St. David, spotting the gallery that we want to stop at on our way back.  Farther south on SH80 we slow down as we pass through Tombstone.  This looks like a good place for lunch when we come back this way.  A few miles outside of Tombstone we turn left onto Davis Road and head east, and several miles later take a right onto Coffman Road and go 2-1/2 miles south to the entry to the wildlife area entrance.

Whitewater Draw State Wildlife Area and the Sandhill Cranes.

Entry to Whitewater Draw SWA.

A short distance beyond the entry we find camping space for several RVs with vault toilets and a trash dumpster in a central location.  There are a couple of 5^th wheel trailers parked along the perimeter, having spent the previous night in the SWA.  The great news here is that this is a free boondocking site.

  

We drive through the camping area and park next to the trailhead.  We’re not expecting to see thousands – or even hundreds – of sandhill cranes as most have left the area by mid-March, but we do hope to at least see a few. 

Sandhill crane plaque at trailhead.  Here's some interesting facts.

At the trailhead we turn to the right and walk between the pond and wetlands.  Some of the trees are starting to bud.

Trees along the water's edge bursting to life.

At an observation deck Jack watches a total of three – yes, three – sandhill cranes in the distance near the trees on the far left side of the photo.

Jack searching for sandhill cranes.

First we hear them, and then spot them circling in the sky preparing to land.  We estimate about 40 or 50 cranes while we watch them glide in from a morning of feeding. 

You can just barely see the cranes in the sky.

Enlarged for a slightly better view. 

Not many buds peeking out on these trees.

A mossy green pond.

What can eat up to 1200 mosquitoes an hour?

If you guessed bats, you’re right!  There are 11 species of bats that visit the wildlife area at any given time.  The little brown bat can eat up to 1200 mosquitoes every hour.  A large Mexican free-tailed bat colony can eat up to 500,000 pounds of insects every night.  Imagine what the insect population would be without these wonderful creatures.

Jack next to the bat house.

Checking out a bat house from the bottom up.  I don't see any bats, but it doesn't mean they're not nestled up in there.

Riparian habitats in Arizona: Where the animals go.

Only 1 percent of the land area in Arizona is riparian habitat – an area along or around any body of water.  At Whitewater Draw, which lies within the Sulphur Springs Valley, you’ll find cottonwood and willow trees, many varieties of shrubs, cattails, reeds, and grasslands.  Sandhill cranes, a multitude of waterfowl and many other bird species call this home – at least part of the year.  It’s easy to locate tracks of raccoons, rabbits, javalenas, mule deer, elk, and turkeys in the soft ground around the water’s edge.

Another receding pond.

Raccoon tracks.

Muddled tracks in the water.  Perhaps a crane walking the length of the pond, and mule deer tracks in the foreground.

We hope to make another trip back to Whitwater Draw during the peak of the sandhill crane season.  It would be fascinating to see upwards of 30,000 cranes wintering here in Arizona.  I guess they could be classified with the human “snowbirds” that also choose Arizona as their winter home.  But for today, our time is up and we’re ready to get on the road for our next destination.  Back in the Jeep, we retrace the road back to Tombstone.

Tombstone: The Town too Tough to Die.

We’re not really big on “old west towns” that are turned into commercial ventures, but how can you not stop in Tombstone with all the history and legends that go with it?  We park and meander down historic Allen Street and wander through some shops.  We don’t find a single thing we can’t live without.  Actually, we don’t find a single thing we want to live with!

A stained glass depiction of the gunfight at the O.K. Corral.

Horse-drawn stagecoaches give narrated tours of the town.

There are all sorts of things to do here if you’re interested.  Here’s the rundown: 

~Horse-drawn stagecoach tours.

~Motorized trolley tours.

~Live reenactments of the 30 second gunfight at the O.K. ~Corral (surely it’s longer than 30 seconds since there’s a charge to get in).

~The Bird Cage Theater of artifacts.

~Tombstone Courthouse State Historic Park.

~The Good Enough Mine tour.

~Texas Kate’s Wild West Show.

~Rose Tree Museum (home of the world’s largest rosebush).

~Tombstone Epitaph Museum.

~Boothill Cemetery.

~Western Heritage Museum.

Horses tied outside Big Nose Kate's Saloon.

 

Order your Stetson hat here.

Alrighty then!  Enough of this.  A decent lunch behind us and we’re outta here!

Border Patrol Checkpoint.

Back on the highway we drive north on SH80.  As we reach the intersection of SH80 and SH82 we approach a Border Patrol Checkpoint.  I guess this is standard procedure in this area.  When the agents and their dog determine that we’re not carrying and illegal drugs, weapons, or people we are allowed to go on our merry way.  Up the highway to our last stop for the day – The Gallery of Dreams.  

Our final stop for the day at the Gallery of Dreams.

What an original exterior design concept - I love it before we ever get in the door.

Located in Saint David, the Gallery of Dreams was recommended as a “must see” fine art gallery by our camp neighbors.  We park and go inside to take a look around.

Bronze sculptures in the foreground: The gunslinger, Wyatt Earp, and Ed Schieffelin, founder of Tombstone.

A section of the gallery.

We discover that the gallery represents more than 50 artists – not the least of which is the owner, Tim Trask.  His is first and foremost a Master Bronze and Stone Sculptor.   

Tim introduces himself and before long we are following him from the gallery into his studio that is to the rear of the building.  The first thing he does is open a garage door to show us one of his prized possessions behind the building – an old blue car.  He tells us with pride the make, model, and year so I’m sure it’s important.  But, I just can’t remember.  As far as I can tell, it’s just an old blue car that matches his blue building very nicely.

Tim standing next to his 1940-something Ford-something.

Tim's studio is full of amazing items.  Clay figures in varying degrees of completion, meteorites, jade stones, and tools of the trade covering many surfaces. 

Meteorite from Brazil weighting 218 pounds.

This large jade stone will become a custom stone sculpture when the right customer comes along.

 

Tim next to a current project: Ed Schieffelin, prospector and founder of Tombstone.

More meteorites that will become the focal point of a future sculpture.

We spend an hour or so talking with Tim and his wife, Karen, discussing the many creative items they have on display.  I especially like the table lamps made from desert gourds.  Also, the “Thunder Gourds” are very unique and quite a conversation piece.  Oh yes, the Aspen tree sculptures are beautiful.  Purchasing one of each would set us back a bit.  Check them out on their website: Gallery of Dreams

We’ve taken up enough of their time for one day.  We make a small purchase, a lovely bracket for me, thank them for all their friendliness even though we’re not big spenders, and head up the highway.  Until next time - be safe. 

One last look at the very intriguing, very blue Gallery of Dreams.