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| Hiking | 10.17 Miles |
1,910 AEG |
| | Hiking | 10.17 Miles | 7 Hrs 9 Mns | | 1.61 mph |
| 1,910 ft AEG | 50 Mns Break | | | |
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| no partners | | Another Southern AZ adventure. This time – Cochise Stronghold. I visited this place back in the 1990s but only stayed around the campground area. On this visit, we hiked from the eastside over to the west side and then back.
The history of this area is as amazing as the scenery. 150 years ago, this was one of the last refuges of the remaining tribes resisting the American advance across the continent. Cochise was a leader of legend for sure, the last of the great war chiefs.
A little chilly at the start, but it took less than a mile before I started shedding layers. Lots of snow still hanging on in the shadowy areas. Speaking with a local walking her dog at the campground before we started up, she told us they got 6” of snow on Thursday/Friday.
The trail winds around the main prominence of the stronghold, up to a saddle/divide and then down to the west canyon. Right off, the amazing granite spires and formations are the star. The trail was in excellent condition, well defined and clear of any obstructions the entire hike. The west side had the more impressive rock formations, but both sides were amazing.
We had the trail to ourselves up until the divide. After that, we saw a steady stream of hikers coming up from the campground area. This is a popular trail for sure.
Once we made it up and over to the west canyon, we took a break and had some lunch. We came across a bunch of rock climbers going up from here. With all of the amazing granite spires, I can see this being a climber’s paradise. I saw a couple of deer hiking back up towards the saddle as well. The only critter sightings all day.
We made it back to the parking area outside the campground and it was packed. Lots of hikers on the trail.
This hike was stunning from the beginning to the end. The weather was perfect. A long day starting in Mesa, but an excellent way to spend a Sunday in Southern AZ for sure. |
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"Jobs fill your pockets, adventures fill your soul."
instagram: @andydilling |
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