Morse Canyon Trail #43 • Hike • Arizona • All Triplogs • HikeArizona.COM

Tucson, AZ

Hiking		May 03 2025
		GrangerGuy • Triplogs 111

Hiking	15.39 Miles	4,105 AEG

Hiking	15.39 Miles	1 Day 2 Hrs 31 Mns
	4,105 ft AEG		23 LBS Pack

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Crest Trail #270C - Jct Sdl to Sentinel Peak

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I led an Arizona Backpackers Club hike for an overnight adventure in the Chiricahua Wilderness. After an overnight at the Sycamore Campground along Turkey Creek Road (nice outhouses), we headed out on the Morse Canyon Trail. There is limited parking at the trailhead. Be sure not to block the turnaround, as people come up here with trailers. The dirt road coming in was a little rough, but easily driven with a small SUV.

The climb up to the ridge went surprisingly fast. Morse Canyon trail is in great shape, as it must have been maintained recently. Turtle Mountain Trail had a few deadfalls, but not bad. I wasn't sure about my conditioning, and most of the crew was much more athletic--and younger--than me. At Monte Vista Peak, the view was somewhat obscured by the haze from the Stronghold Fire about 50 miles to the west; I couldn't smell it but some in our party could. There is an outhouse at the summit. I thought it seemed fine, but some of our party were not impressed.

There is a lot of dormant stinknet weed (Globe Chamomile) along the ridge. This invasive plant will probably lead to yet more fires up here. Crest Trail 270B was in pretty good shape but Crest Trail 270D was the worst with lots of deadfall, and the the last half mile to Aspen Saddle was very sketchy and hard to find.

We camped at Aspen Saddle; from there it is about 0.6 miles to Eagle Spring which had plenty of water in the concrete springbox. It wasn't difficult to filter out the green stuff. There was a 25 MPH wind blowing most of the night across the saddle, and in the morning, with temps around 38F, we were anxious to get going.

Crest Trail 270C up to Chiricahua Peak is mostly missing, but the direction to the peak is obvious. We were freezing in the wind, though, and we actually missed the summit by a few yards in our anxiety to get out of the wind. The trail down the north side of the peak is in great shape, however, and from there, we were out of the wind and started to warm up.

We took Crest Trail 270B back to the Mormon Ridge Trail 269, then down the Mormon Canyon Trail 352, which again was in excellent shape.

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Stinknet

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Eagle Spring

Wildflowers Observation None
Nothing in bloom yet.

	Eagle Spring	Dripping	Dripping
	Spring box was full of water. It was easy to filter the algae out, and we pulled lots of water for our party.

2 archives

Mar 29 2025

Jackluminous

Guides 1
Routes 262
Photos 864
Triplogs 266

51 male

Joined Mar 24 2021
Tucson, AZ

Monte Vista Lookout via Morse Canyon, AZ

Hiking		Mar 29 2025
		Jackluminous • Triplogs 266

Hiking	8.54 Miles	2,782 AEG

Hiking	8.54 Miles	8 Hrs 2 Mns	1.43 mph
	2,782 ft AEG	2 Hrs 3 Mns Break

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On a family camping trip to West Turkey Creek, wifey and I set off to the fire lookout on Monte Vista peak. She was pretty nervous since it would be the most challenging hike she’d ever done. Unfortunately all the hikes out of Turkey Creek aren’t particularly easy, and Morse seemed the least among evils.

We got away a little later than we wanted, but made Morse Saddle by lunchtime. Morse Canyon was in beautiful shape. The sign at the saddle was back up, too. Still a lot of deadfall at the saddle, including a big one across the trail for anyone headed west on Turtle Mountain. Easier to go around it than over it.

It was a windy day, too, with most of southern AZ under red flag conditions.

Trail conditions declined somewhat headed east to the lookout, mostly due to occasional deadfall across the trail in burn scars. The worst of it was on the slopes below Monte Vista peak, where the burn was particularly bad.

Wifey was pretty exhausted just below the peak and she contemplated turning around, but I showed her how close she was and she decided to press on.

We made it to the lookout and set up our chairs on the porch out of the wind to relax a bit and eat some calories. The view up there is great, especially into Rucker Canyon.

On the way down wifey rolled her ankle and banged her knee on a rock. Ow! No injury thankfully, she was able to press on. We found a patch of snow on Morse and she iced her knee a bit. It hurt but she could hike without a hobble.

As far as wifey was concerned, I was fairly certain this hike had moved from Type 2 fun straight out of the fun category altogether. But within a couple days she was bragging about her stats and asking to hike again the next weekend.

Sep 20 2024

pseudalpine

Guides 59
Routes 1,100
Photos 1,191
Triplogs 1,290

male

Joined Jan 01 2023
Arizona

Chiricahua Peak loop, AZ

Hiking		Sep 20 2024
		pseudalpine • Triplogs 1,290

Hiking	19.83 Miles	5,837 AEG

Hiking	19.83 Miles	8 Hrs 36 Mns	2.44 mph
	5,837 ft AEG	28 Mns Break

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Paint Rock 9375 - Chiricahuas

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Essentially followed LJW's great route from May 24, 2020 but did it CCW and added Raspberry Peak for seven summits total. Only significant wildlife was a black bear at the Chiricahua Peak summit. Really windy on the crest, but this made it a more beautiful day. Saulsbury is a primitive trail when compared to Morse.

5 archives

Sep 30 2023

Jackluminous

Guides 1
Routes 262
Photos 864
Triplogs 266

51 male

Joined Mar 24 2021
Tucson, AZ

Chiricahua traverse loopy thing, AZ

Backpack		Sep 30 2023
		Jackluminous • Triplogs 266

Backpack	24.11 Miles	5,525 AEG

Backpack	24.11 Miles	49 Hrs 43 Mns		0.67 mph
	5,525 ft AEG		25 LBS Pack

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Greenhouse Trail #248

Booger Spring Trail #347

Bear Wallow Trail #333

Centella Trail #334

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Last month I got to go up Saulsbury into the Chiricahuas for the first time in 25 years, and now I got to do it again!

My friend Corey wasn't able to go with us in August, so he asked to go in September. We did a similar circuit starting in West Turkey Creek, ascending Saulsbury Thursday, spending two nights at Cima Cabin, and descending Morse Canyon this time instead of Pole Bridge. On Friday we did a day hike to Centella Point and summited Flys Peak.

Saulsbury Trail #263

See my August triplog for a more detailed description. Notable changes this time were: no more water in the creek, and somebody cleared the thicket of locust trees that we had to crawl through before. I'd brought some clippers this time but didn't need them!

Crest Trail #270, Greenhouse Trail #248, Cima Cabin

Not much different to report since last month, though I missed the sign for Greenhouse Trail because I was looking on the ground, and someone had hung it back up on a tree using cord. You can't miss it unless you are expecting it to be lying on the ground.

Lots more rodent activity in the outhouse, with piles of nesting material accumulating on a nightly basis. BYOTP.

Booger Spring

We took a side trip to Booger Spring so I could show Corey where it was. The trail is totally clear and free of deadfall; I hadn't been through in a while; last time I was there I remember quite a bit of deadfall. It was nice not having to scramble over giant tree trunks. At the spring, as predicted the box was full. What I didn't expect was the overflow trough to have water in it, too. I stand by my estimation that Booger Spring is the best of the Crest.

Bear Wallow #333

I guess someone must have taken all the deadfall from Booger Spring trail and moved it to Bear Wallow. Last time I was on Bear Wallow there was no deadfall and it was clear the whole way. Now, just past Bear Wallow Spring moving toward Centella, there are many large downed trees covering the trail. Pink flagging tape marks the route, but don't go this way unless you're fit enough to scramble over a series of giant trunks.

Bear Wallow spring was full, though no flow across the trail as I've seen in the past. Every time I've been by here the lid is off; I left it as I found it.

Centella Trail #334

This is a really nice trail. I'd been on it once in the past to Centella Point. The leg east of Bear Wallow junction is quite lovely and varied, with patches of meadow, young forest, old forest, aspen groves... all punctuated with impressive views, especially to the south. The trail is in good shape with a few exceptions; minor deadfall here and there (nothing you can't step over), and one stretch through a meadow where the trail disappears in the wildflowers and grass. The aspens around Centella Point have definitely grown since I was last there, and the views are starting to get obstructed to the east and northeast. From the grassy clearing though you get a nice panorama to the south, southeast, and southwest. It's a great view.

On our return we took Centella to Flys Park. This is a cool, shady stroll through a densely vegetated tunnel of aspens and remnant old growth pine. There is an unmarked drainage about halfway between the Bear Wallow junction and Flys Park that had water flow and a useful pool by the trail. Tub Spring is a bit further west but was less useful.

Flys Peak Trail #337

After a brief debate about returning to Cima via the Crest or Flys Peak, we settled on the climb to Flys Peak. It was a bit of a workout but not too bad. Like Centella, the trail up from Flys Park is mostly a hike through an aspen tunnel, though the peak is still pine forest. There is a nice campsite, the foundation of an old lookout tower, and a log book. There are also lots of fascinating gnarly old trees and a halfway decent view to the west. We passed a couple hikers from Apache Junction on the way up, and chatted with them a bit when they met us at the summit.

We descended the south slope, which was badly burned. The trail is in good condition and easier to follow than I remember from a past trip. The trail does completely disappear in the last couple hundred feet as it enters Round Park, but you can see the sign and just walk toward it. It seems finding the trail headed up from Round Park might be a bit more difficult.

Crest Trail #270B

The only notable difference about this leg between my August trip and this one, is that the crime scene I discovered over a month prior was still there. That was a big disappointment, since I had reported it to the Forest Service who then reported it to law enforcement. Corey had a large enough trash bag with him so we gathered it all up and I lashed it to my pack, then tried to restore the area to a more natural state.

Turtle Mountain Trail #219

We passed the only other hikers we'd see all day, a couple headed in the opposite direction.

Morse Canyon Trail #43

In August I'd hiked out Pole Bridge, but we opted for a shorter route to the car and took Morse Canyon instead. It's probably the best maintained trail I've been on in the Chiricahuas. It's also really pretty, and mostly healthy pine forest with lushly vegetated burn scars yielding raspberries in season.

We hiked the road back to the shortcut to the car, and bushwhacked the rest of the way. Saw two deer while bushwhacking.

Overall a fabulous and enjoyable trip with lovely weather, though it was windy on Saturday. Dead quiet, abundant solitude, and amazing nature.

Autumn Foliage Observation Isolated
Aspens just starting to turn.

Wildflowers Observation Substantial
Huge meadows of wildflowers throughout the crest. Somebody did something about the raspberries, as I only found a half dozen in 24 miles.

	Bear Wallow Spring	Quart per minute	Quart per minute
	Spring box is full. As always it seems, the lid is off.

	Booger Spring	Gallon per minute	Gallon per minute
	No visible flow in the drainage but there’s plenty in the spring box, clear and easy to collect. Even the overflow box had some but it’s better straight from the spring.

	Cima Spring	Gallon per minute	Gallon per minute
	Some flow and large pool to collect from. Finally found the developed spring box. It’s got water but it’s easier and cleaner in the creek.

	Saulsbury Canyon	Dry	Dry
	No more pools.

	Tub Spring	Dripping	Dripping
	Nothing in the tub but there is a trickle and small puddle on the trail. Not particularly easy to collect from but technically possible. There's a better spot in a drainage a ways down the trail to the east.

2 archives

Sep 14 2023

Mike_W

Guides 104
Routes 256
Photos 16,118
Triplogs 528

53 male

Joined Dec 30 2005
Tucson, AZ

Tucson, AZ

Hiking		Sep 14 2023
		Mike_W • Triplogs 528

Hiking	11.20 Miles	3,086 AEG

Hiking	11.20 Miles	8 Hrs	1.40 mph
	3,086 ft AEG

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Note: all stats are for Johnson and Turtle peaks which I hiked on the same trip...

Also Note: Pole Bridge Trail was marked #243 , not #264 which was indicated in the lookup...

I arrived Wed PM around 6:40 pm, just as it was getting dark. My plan was to camp overnight and meet up with Tim T. in the morning at 7 am. I found a great camp spot right at the Morse Canyon trailhead. I started setting up my tent, put the 4 stakes in, and the rain came quickly. My tent was flat on the ground. I zipped the door shut to prevent water from getting inside, then went inside my truck for shelter. After about 1 hour, the rain stopped. I finished setting my tent up and realized that I had at least a gallon of water inside. The window was left open a few inches and that's what must have allowed water to get in. Luckily, all of the water flowed to the low corner and I was able to use a towel to mop up some of the water in the main area of the tent. I was comfortable in my tent but wasn't able to get much sleep for whatever reason. I had my alarm set for 6 am, but heard a car roll up at 5:55 am. Tim arrived an hour early. I got up, had breakfast, and it was a little chilly so we needed to put a jacket on.

We started hiking at 7 am and had a pretty good pace up to Johnson saddle. I was a bit rusty because I hadn't done any long hikes or high elevation hikes since early Aug (about 1.5 months ago). It will take a few more hikes for me to get back into shape. At the saddle, Tim turn left to go toward Monte Vista peak, and I continued right going toward Johnson peak. There was a lot of deadfall at the saddle. I counted at least 20 fallen trees and had to walk way around a huge pileup. Johnson was pretty steep but I kept working my way up and reached the summit around 9:30 am. I had cell service at the peak. I looked around for a registry and didn't find one so I left a jar that I brought and made a nice rockpile around it. Tim would later find this registry and sign it on his way back down. See my timeline for more details of my entire day adventure...

Timeline:
------------
7 am (0 mi) - started hike at Morse canyon trail. this trail was very well maintained all the way up to Johnson saddle. Any deadfall that crossed the trail was sawed and moved off the trail. Thanks to those who maintained it.
8:40 am (2.5 mi) - reached Johnson saddle, took short break
9:05 am (2.88 mi) - summited Johnson peak, left a new registry
9:30 am (2.9 mi) - left Johnson peak, this time walking down the Southwest ridge, to save some time
9:55 am (3.3 mi) - reached the bottom of Johnson peak and came to a junction with the Pole bridge trail and Turtle mountain trail. I took the Turtle mountain trail from this point. This trail was unmaintained and there were areas from this point where I got off the trail. But, I knew where I needed to go and kept going in a straight line. There was also a lot of deadfall on this "trail" which I needed to step over. I put trail in quotes because for 1/4 of the time I wasn't even sure if I was on a trail.
11:30 am (5.0 mi) - reached the saddle North of Turtle peak. From here it was a pretty steep bushwhack. I did see tracks at times but couldn't tell whether they were animal tracks or human tracks.
12:20 pm (5.46 mi) - summit Turtle mountain, had lunch, took pics/videos. This peak did not have a registry but I did see some broken glass. Luckily, I had a jar, so I left a new registry here.
1 pm (5.5 mi) - left summit, followed a similar route down sometimes veering as much as 100 feet off my original route.
1:35 pm (5.98 mi) - back at the saddle North of Turtle mountain
3:18 pm (7.78 mi) - back at the Pole bridge and Turtle mountain trail junctions
3:39 pm (8.32 mi) - back at Johnson saddle. Noticed a huge rock pile but it was not the one Tim left for me. Tim had already started heading down the trail at this point. The rock pile must have been there earlier but I didn't notice it. I started heading down the trail and ended up taking a few water breaks and snack breaks along the way.
5:28 pm (11.17 mi) - back at the trailhead.

Stats for entire trip:
-------------------------
AEG for both peaks was 3,086 feet
Round trip mileage was 11.17 miles
Strava moving time was 6 hrs 41 mins
Strava elapsed time was 10 hrs 27 mins

_____________________

Michael Williams
IT Professional
Rocky Point Vacation Rentals
Ocean Front Condo in Rocky Point, Sonora, Mexico
www.beachfrontmexico.us

Oct 15 2022

Jackluminous

Guides 1
Routes 262
Photos 864
Triplogs 266

51 male

Joined Mar 24 2021
Tucson, AZ

Tucson, AZ

Hiking		Oct 15 2022
		Jackluminous • Triplogs 266

Hiking	9.14 Miles	2,766 AEG

Hiking	9.14 Miles	6 Hrs 26 Mns	1.68 mph
	2,766 ft AEG	59 Mns Break

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Spent the weekend car camping near Sycamore Campground, which was mobbed. We did find a nice dispersed site walking distance from the campground, and the huge group at Sycamore was very well behaved, so a pleasant time was had by all.

Saturday I led Bob and the kids up Pole Bridge, with the thought of descending Morse and walking the road back to camp.

I was expecting Pole Bridge to be a sketchy bushwhack with lots of deadfall, but was pleasantly surprised by the quality and beauty of the trail. There are a few stretches through old burns, but the forest is recovering nicely and there was only one creek crossing where the cairns were hard to see and I needed to check GPS to find the trail.

Tons of water in Pole Bridge Canyon, almost all the way to the switchbacks. The forest is mixed pine and oak, at times quite dense, and reminiscent of trails in the Santa Ritas.

The upper section is very steep, be prepared for a cardio workout! Like all the trails coming out of West Turkey Creek, the uphill is relentless until you reach the spine of the mountains.

We were very slow heading up.

We broke for lunch at Pole Bridge Saddle. The signs were lying on the ground and definitely not pointing the right directions, so I made some adjustments and managed to rehang the John Long sign using my multi tool. Next person up here should bring a longer screw! :-)

After Pole Bridge Saddle, the burn areas get worse and the trail conditions with them. The trail is generally easy to follow but there are exceptions. We did lose it fairly quickly after the saddle, but equally quickly found it again and never lost it after that. The remainder of Pole Bridge and the upper section of Turtle Mountain felt like “real” Chiricahua trails: sketchy, overgrown, and infrequently maintained whilst simultaneously exceptionally well built.

It was a cloudy day, but as we rounded Johnson Peak we saw the rain coming. It swallowed Monte Vista, then hit at Morse Saddle, moderately heavy with tiny hailstones. We began a somewhat hurried descent down Morse Canyon. The rain didn’t last long though, maybe 20 minutes.

Morse is a much easier descent than Pole Bridge would be, but still steep. The trail is excellent and very well done, even through a few burned sections higher up. While the drainages in the canyon have signs of intense flow, they were all dry.

The road was a road. I don’t much care to hike roads but this one isn’t bad.

Overall it was a great day and much fun was had.

Autumn Foliage Observation Isolated
Some fall color low on Pole Bridge. Leaves just turning yellow.

	Pole Bridge Canyon	Medium flow	Medium flow
	Plenty of water and very clear.

Sep 25 2022

johnlp

Guides 1
Routes 14
Photos 7,202
Triplogs 5,208

68 male

Joined Mar 16 2008
chandler,az

Tucson, AZ

Hiking		Sep 25 2022
		johnlp • Triplogs 5,208

Hiking	13.50 Miles	4,227 AEG

Hiking	13.50 Miles
	4,227 ft AEG

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trekkin_gecko

Second day of our Chiricahua trip. Main goal was to hit the high point of the range, Chiricahua Peak, and add on extras as we had time and energy.
We started with a short bushwhack from camp to the Mormon Ridge trail. As we gained elevation the views opened up and were fantastic.
After a bit we crossed a talus landslide area about a hundred yards wide. There were no cairns or obvious signs of a trail on the other side. Taking the best looking possibility proved to be wrong. An hour later and after half a mile of difficult bushwhacking, we finally found the trail again.
Once we got to the Crest Trail we made our way up to Chiricahua Peak. Views are limited from the top. On the way to Paint Rock, the views back towards the peak are impressive.
It took some route finding to get through Paint Rock, then it was on to Monte Vista Peak. We got rained on by our own little private cloud that followed us all the way from Paint Rock to Monte Vista Peak. We took a break under the porch of the cabin at Monte Vista until the rain slowed.
We decided to skip Johnson Peak on the descent since we were running behind schedule and it was still raining. The descent down Morse Canyon was on nice tread in big forest. Not overgrown like most of what we had been hiking on all day. Great way to end a tremendous hike.

Wildflowers Observation Substantial
Extreme above 8500 feet.

_____________________

“Good people drink good beer.” Hunter S Thompson

Sep 25 2022

trekkin_gecko

Guides 10
Routes 673
Photos 7,281
Triplogs 4,660

67 female

Joined Nov 17 2008
phoenix, az

Tucson, AZ

Hiking		Sep 25 2022
		trekkin_gecko • Triplogs 4,660

Hiking	13.50 Miles	4,227 AEG

Hiking	13.50 Miles
	4,227 ft AEG

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johnlp

this looked like a solid loop with two peaks, right from sycamore campground
got going around 0800 or so after coffee and breakfast with randy
cut straight up the hill to mormon ridge
nice trail with good views, right up until where we lost the trail crossing an avalanche/rock field
took us a long time to find it again, with plenty of bushwhacking and climbing around on loose rock
"someone" forgot to import the pieces to this loop, which would have been helpful

trail found, we continued to the crest trail, then north to the chiricahua peak trail
took a little break on the high point, then retraced our steps to chiricahua saddle
headed for monte vista peak, with another route finding adventure near paint rock
the crest trail was very overgrown and hard to find in places
lots of sharp raspberry bushes and other pointy vegetation
it would have been nice to have shin guards
got a few sprinkles and then some light rain
at the peak, went partway up the tower then took a break under the cabin overhang until it stopped raining
steep descent down turtle mountain and morse canyon trails, finishing with a road walk
enjoyed the loop and fun to do something new
was surprised at how little traffic the trails seem to get - we saw no one all day
my phone died on monte vista peak, so i used @dixieflyer's stats for the remaining mileage

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Yarrow's Spiny Lizard

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Benchmark

_____________________

hazhole

Oct 02 2020

MAP

Routes 137
Photos 1
Triplogs 105

44 female

Joined Oct 21 2016
Tempe, AZ

Monte Vista Chiricahua & Flys Peak Loop, AZ

Hiking		Oct 02 2020
		MAP • Triplogs 105

Hiking	17.50 Miles	5,251 AEG

Hiking	17.50 Miles	10 Hrs 38 Mns	1.87 mph
	5,251 ft AEG	1 Hour 16 Mns Break

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Monte Vista Trail #221

Raspberry Ridge Trail #228

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Parked at Saulsbury TH (HC & probably 4wd needed for this road), cut over to Turkey Creek Road, & started hiking up Morse Canyon Trail #43 around 7:30 am.

Morse Canyon Trail is a good incline the entire way up but it is short, shaded under tall trees, and the trail is super nice & well maintained. I talked with someone from the Forest Service (who came up on a horse shortly behind me) and he said Morse Canyon Trail is the main route up to access & supply the lookout on Monte Vista Peak so they make sure to keep the trail well maintained. Continued over to Monte Vista Peak (don't know what trail it was but it was the one the FS guy took & still very well maintained) & took in the spectacular views for a bit.

From Monte Vista, I took Raspberry Ridge Trail over to Chiricahua Peak Trail. The Painted Rocks area of Raspberry Ridge is very cool but the views along the whole trail are pretty gorgeous, especially with Fall colors covering slopes. Chiricahua Peak Trail seemed like a never ending climb. The top is lovely though and lots of space to relax for a bit.

Down Chiricahua and on the Crest Trail over to Flys Peak. More lovely views and more Fall colors. I figured I would fill up a bit more just in case at Booger Spring because I liked the name. An older couple coming off the trail to the spring told me it was just dripping & there was a very heavy lid that they were barely able to open. I ended up turning around before making it to the spring and decided to visit Tub spring instead (which I didn't end up going to either but the couple told me that was just dripping too). Flys Peak was probably the least picturesque of the three but pretty to see the colors & views coming down.

Now for my big error - not listening. I told the couple I planned to take Saulsbury Trail & they said "that trail is crazy". They said it was very overgrown & that I shouldn't take it. I'm used to overgrown & we all have different versions of "crazy". Plus I was parked at the TH. Overgrown is one thing but this trail runs along slopes where the trail is gravely & worn down to a few inches where you really have to dig the sides of your feet in to keep a grip. Along these steep gravely sides there will suddenly be a tree or thick bushes to navigate around surrounded by fallout & dead branches - not fun. A little over a quarter of the way down the trail disappears completely & this was a pretty hot area to be trying to navigate in. I ended up following a wash to drop into the canyon I needed to exit through. Saulsbury added a lot more time to my decent & I should have taken a larger loop & followed the trail the couple suggested. Oh well. Lesson learned - Saulsbury sucks.

Great day. Got pretty warm though. I carried 3 L of water but refilling to get a total of 4 L would have been perfect.

Autumn Foliage Observation Isolated
Isolated slopes covered in yellows & oranges.

Booger Spring

Dripping

Tub Spring

Dripping

_____________________

May 24 2020

LJW

Routes 154
Photos 1,505
Triplogs 266

31 male

Joined Jun 02 2019
Phoenix, AZ

Chiricahua Peak Loop, AZ

Hiking		May 24 2020
		LJW • Triplogs 266

Hiking	21.14 Miles	5,720 AEG

Hiking	21.14 Miles	9 Hrs	2.82 mph
	5,720 ft AEG	1 Hour 30 Mns Break

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Paint Rock 9375 - Chiricahuas

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I fixed a hike I did last summer by swapping Mormon Ridge for Saulsbury and turned it into a loop. Ended up on six summits: Little Baldy, Fly's, Chiricahua, Paint Rock, Monte Vista, and Johnson. Basically a longer version of the Chiricahua Peak - Monte Vista Peak Loop with, by my count, 7 obvious summits to choose from: these six and Raspberry Peak. Once on the crest of the Chiricahuas, the peaks never loom too far above.

Started at sunrise parked down E Turkey Creek Road by the Coronado NF sign. The road to Saulsbury involves crossing the running Turkey Creek, which denies access to all but those with a nice enough ride. Saulsbury is in fantastic shape to Saulsbury Saddle. Comes and goes for the middle portion, higher up is clear as well. Much prefer Sauls to Mormon. Nice forested canyon down low and better views higher up. Little Baldy Mountain is right off the trail and very much worth the effort. Not many bare summits in the Chiricahuas, so it's nice to have some panoramic views even if it's not one of the high peaks.

Round Park and the slopes of Fly's Peak are prepping for the summer wildflowers. Few monsoons and they'll be covered yellow. Fly's has the weakest views of the six. Fly's trail is gone from the south, except where it cuts through the aspens higher up.

Crest Trail was in great shape the whole way. Will be overgrown and spotty in the summer, but for now it's clear and smooth. Cut over Chiricahua Peak to Aspen Saddle on Crest 270A. Aspen Saddle has amazing views, enough to placate those disappointed by Chiricahua Peak. From Aspen Saddle Crest 270D heads to Chiricahua Saddle. Very uneven, and the trail disappears in parts come summer, but it's clear now. Worth it to, if nothing else, circle back to Crest that way.

The trip back from Chiricahua Peak to Turkey Creek is the best part of the loop. Crest Trail runs along the ridge right under Paint Rock. Passed it, then worked my way up from behind. Obvious route, sees more hikers than I thought. One wall to scramble up to make the summit. Best views of the day, easy highlight of the loop.

Took Crest down to Monte Vista. Great shape the whole way. Met a second pair of hikers on the summit. Tower unoccupied. More Crest to the saddle below Johnson Peak. Wasn't going to summit Johnson but I met a hiker who was thinking about heading up. Said if he's going I'm going, and we went up. Hundreds of ladybugs on the summit. Views are pretty good despite the trees. Neat little summit.

Morse Canyon in great shape and received recent maintenance. For one reason or another Morse gets the most help of the trails off Turkey Creek. Passed a couple campers who were hiking up to the saddle, exhausted, who asked about big views. Sometimes you can only shrug. Farther down, a group of birders were in town and had lugged out cameras with cartoonishly big lenses to photograph a bird that I guess hadn't been around those parts for twenty-odd years.

Nice to get down there while it's still cool. As a Phoenix resident, in season in summer usually just means beats the hell out of 100F by noon. Temps ranged from high 40s to high 70s. Not a cloud in the sky. Camp sites were packed for Memorial Day weekend, but the trails are never crowded.

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Ladybug beetle

Wildflowers Observation Isolated

Morse Canyon

Light flow

Saulsbury Canyon

Light flow

3 archives

May 07 2020

DixieFlyer

Guides 99
Routes 1,484
Photos 16,072
Triplogs 1,374

male

Joined Jan 07 2017
Fountain Hills,

Chiricahuas: Monte Vista Peak - Johnson Peak, AZ

Hiking		May 07 2020
		DixieFlyer • Triplogs 1,374

Hiking	8.80 Miles	3,133 AEG

Hiking	8.80 Miles	4 Hrs 43 Mns	2.16 mph
	3,133 ft AEG	39 Mns Break

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This was the first of 3 days of hiking in southern Arizona. I had never hiked in the Chiricahuas, and for my first hike I decided to hike up to Monte Vista Peak and Johnson Peak.

We started at the Morse Canyon TH, which is at the end of Turkey Creek Rd (FR 41). The drive in on the unpaved Turkey Creek Road is 11 miles, and when dry most any vehicle can make it. I was going about 50 mph for the first 5 miles or so on the road, but the road narrowed and was a bit rocky over the last 3 miles.

I did not expect to see many other vehicles, if any, at the TH but to my surprise there were at least a dozen vehicles there. It turns out that there lots of birders at the TH doing what birders do.

The Morse Canyon Trail is in pretty good shape and it was nice to hike on; however, there was a fair amount of deadfall to deal with on the upper part of the trail -- hopefully there will be some trail maintenance done before long.

Once we got to the end of the Morse Canyon Trail, we took the Turtle Mountain Trail to just below Monte Vista Peak, and then took a spur trail up to the summit. There were some nice views at the summit, so we hung out there for a while and had lunch.

On the way back, once we got to the junction with the Morse Canyon Trail we we went off-trail up to Johnson Peak. The climb was a bit steep, but it wasn't too onerous. There were some pine trees at the summit, which limited the view. However, there was a good view looking over to Monte Vista Peak.

We then descended down the Morse Canyon Trail back to the TH. We saw a couple of turkeys just before getting back to the TH -- that was the only wildlife that we saw all day.

Once back at the TH, we drove 40 miles or so on FR 42 up and over the mountains to Portal, which is where we hiked the following day.

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Wild Turkey

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Benchmark Fire Lookout Structures Wooden Dwelling

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Monte Vista Fire Lookout Monte Vista Peak

_____________________

Civilization is a nice place to visit but I wouldn't want to live there

Aug 21 2019

LJW

Routes 154
Photos 1,505
Triplogs 266

31 male

Joined Jun 02 2019
Phoenix, AZ

Tucson, AZ

Hiking		Aug 21 2019
		LJW • Triplogs 266

Hiking	21.54 Miles	5,777 AEG

Hiking	21.54 Miles	7 Hrs 15 Mns	3.19 mph
	5,777 ft AEG	30 Mns Break

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9 linked trail guides

Monte Vista Trail #221

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Route Recorded on Route Scout | Pop | Map | Popup | MapDEX

Wanted to do a loop and visit Chiricahua and Monte Vista Peaks and decided it wouldn't be too far out of the way to add in Fly's Peak. Because of the trail conditions/loss of mapped trails, this one was a more difficult than I anticipated.

Drove up Turkey Creek Road and saw my low tire pressure light came on. Parked at the forest boundary and couldn't hear any air escaping from the tires, so I figured I'd be fine. Left the car there and headed up the road.

Took Mormon Ridge up. This one is overgrown especially once the trail reaches the pines. Sharp bushes and grass crowd the trail. Wanted to take the trail toward Fly's Peak where it intersects with Mormon Canyon, but that stretch of the trail is gone. It would be possible to navigate along it's old course and what's left of the cut, but it is overgrown to the point of nonexistence and had serious deadfall. Decided to take the only available ascending trail toward Chiricahua Saddle. This section is very overgrown as well with minor deadfall, but it's there.

Took the Crest Trail toward Fly's Peak. Trail is very thin until Cima Park. After that the trail is wide and clear until Round Park. A lot of Wildflowers on this section of the Crest Trail. Made it to the sign for the Fly's Peak Trail to find that this one is gone too, but it's a simple walk up through the grass. The trail does appear toward the top, but most of the ascent from the south has been lost. Seems like the trails from the north are alright. Fly's Peak/Round Park is a beautiful area, but the views from Fly's were the weakest of the day's three peaks.

Backtracked to the Chiricahua Peak Trail which gets just enough traffic to push the grasses down and maintain a slim trail. Very quick ascent. The top is very peaceful, and to me it's worth the trip. I would say I was undersold on this one.

The trail off the peak to Aspen Saddle mostly does not exist anymore. It's an easy off trail walk down though, through some really nice forest. Chiricahua Saddle Trail/Crest Trail 270D is in bad condition. It's sliding off the mountain on the backside of Chiricahua and is woefully overgrown. Spent a lot of energy just trying to stay balanced. Had a hard time staying on the trail in parts. That said, the views from here are some of the best of the loop.

The Crest Trail from Chiricahua Saddle to Monte Vista is tricky. It's overgrown with grass, but the grade is mostly still there if you look hard enough. It fades in and out, never more than a thin strip between the grasses. Would be tough without GPS. Easy to get off trail here. This was perhaps the most beautiful section of trail.

Monte Vista LO was unmanned and locked. If it's open, I imagine it's one of the only peaks in the Chiricahuas where you can get above the treeline. Still a very interesting place worth the trip regardless.

Morse Canyon has been worked since I was here in late October of last year. It was the only trail that seems to have been worked in the past few years. It's currently in great condition. At the top of Morse Canyon there were ~30 5gallon water jugs covered in taped cardboard. I imagine those aren't left for desperate hikers.

Never seen so much bear scat on a trip, especially on Mormon Ridge and Crest around Chiricahua Saddle/Monte Vista. The bears in AZ aren't too fearsome, but I wouldn't do this without the peace of mind of having some kind of defense.

Being unfamiliar with the area, I wouldn't do this without some navigation system either. The area is properly remote. I didn't see a soul the whole day, and not one of the campsites was occupied.

Turkey Creek road is liable to hold water in two parts as well. I left just as the rain was starting to pour high on the mountains, and the water was flowing into these sections of the road even before the rain had come that far down. Would have been impassible by my passenger car. The road is extremely well graded though, and when dry it is good all the way to the end at Morse Canyon.

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Sonoran Gopher Snake

Wildflowers Observation Substantial
Heavy wildflowers along parts of Crest and in Cima/Round Park, moderate the rest of the trip. None in Morse Canyon.

2 archives

Nov 13 2016

peculiargalexy

Photos 104
Triplogs 47

32 female

Joined Oct 17 2016
Phoenix

Tucson, AZ

Hiking		Nov 13 2016
		peculiargalexy • Triplogs 47

Hiking	0.75 Miles	283 AEG

Hiking	0.75 Miles	8 Hrs 30 Mns	0.09 mph
	283 ft AEG

no routes

no photosets

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Did this hike as a loop. Started out on Morse Canyon Trail to Crest Trail to the peak then back down Mormon Ridge Trail. The weather was nice and hot in Phoenix when we left but as soon as we got to the mountains it was cold (for me at least). Camped there overnight then headed up to Morse Canyon around 8 am. The trail was pretty easy to follow, covered in pine needles and shaded the whole morning- good on a hot day but bad in the winter. I was pretty cold most of the way up despite it all being uphill. Easy switchbacks all the way up, killer on the cardio though. Reached the top where the trail connected to Crest trail, a sign was waiting for us. Seeing signs marking the trails are my favorite thing. We were finally in the sun and followed Crest towards the next intersection to get to the peak. Got to explore the fire lookout tower as well. This area was where you could split off to go down to Rucker lake but we stayed at the top and followed the next trail towards Chiricahua peak. This was about 3 miles and went along the top of the mountains. Very beautiful views along the way. Finally passed the sign pointing down to Mormon Ridge and headed the last mile to Chiricahua Peak. There was frost along the trail as we hiked to the top but we finally made it. Still cold at this point and it was about 1 pm by now. Lots of trees at the top, so not the best view, but still an accomplishment. Super tired from all the uphill climbing so we headed back the way we came and came down on Mormon Ridge. This trail was more to my liking as it was a bit rougher and reminded me of the Mazatzals (and probably because I was only going down). Trail overgrown a bit with some scratchy bushes but not too bad. Easy switchbacks on the way down. Finally made it to the truck by 5 pm. Would definitely wear warmer clothes next time but in the sun it was fairly nice. The trails were very easy to follow. Crest could be kind of difficult sometimes but cairns along the way helped you along. Cannot wait to go back and explore these mountains further!

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5 archives

Jun 04 2016

DevilChild

Routes 4
Photos 159
Triplogs 23

46 male

Joined Apr 03 2016
Phoenix, AZ

Morse Canyon - Mormon Canyon Loop, AZ

Hiking		Jun 04 2016
		DevilChild • Triplogs 23

Hiking	10.64 Miles	3,196 AEG

Hiking	10.64 Miles	11 Hrs 40 Mns		1.14 mph
	3,196 ft AEG	2 Hrs 18 Mns Break	15 LBS Pack

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linked

[ checklist ] Monte Vista Fire Lookout Monte Vista Peak Mormon Canyon Morse Canyon Paint Rock Raspberry Ridge

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Old but memorable trip so figured I would share. A few weeks prior I had hike around Chiricahua NM and wanted to camp at Turkey Creek and hike around to at least see Monte Vista Peak or Chiricahua Peak. My birthday was over the weekend and got a few like minded individuals together for a nice weekend of camping, hiking, and relaxing as far away from Phoenix as possible.

Started the day much later than anticipated, planned for start of the Morse Canyon TH about 530 but turned into 7ish. Didn't seem a big deal at first but nearing the end we would miss those 2 extra hours. Morse Canyon was an enjoyable easy to follow trail blanketed with pine needles that just seemed like a never ending ramp. Our group consisted of differing ability levels so very slow speed, plenty of breaks, and many words of encouragement. Great views and fallen logs to pass as annoying as they were it was fun to clear the log obstacles. We all felt like the worst was over once we reached Morse Saddle. This is where my troubles began, had to do some impromptu foot care as I was getting nasty hotspots on the last .5 mile of the trail.

Quick rest and continued on to Monte Vista Peak. Hike was much less of a climb but still noticed the incline especially when nearing the junction for Monte Vista Peak. The trail up Monte Vista seemed to have the most challenging terrain with a few fallen trees that were quite large. We all looked like we were playing in a charcoal grill all soot covered by the time we made it to Monte Vista Peak. Holy cow, the views up here were simply amazing and gave crystal clear views to the surrounding ranges and sky islands.

Originally planned to hit Chiricahua Peak after Monte Vista Peak but our rate of travel and current time had us skip it. We continued along crest trail #270B towards Raspberry Ridge surrounded by encroaching new forest growth, fallen trees, and signs of past forest fire everywhere. In some cases the trail was soft patches of ash. At Raspberry Ridge we got one of the best experiences as two A-10s were doing mock attack runs down the ridge. They circled back and approached us a few hundred feet above. We waved, screamed, and the lead plane rewarded us with a wing tip and thumb's up from the cockpit. Pilot so close felt like you could reach up and high-5 him. His partner was a little more conservative and passed us higher up and only then was I smart enough to grab my camera.

Crest Trail to Mormon Trail Saddle was beautiful especially at Painted Rock but this was where we all started to feel the heat and sun. Trail was mostly exposed here and just felt like it was kicking our pumpkin even though it was mostly level.

We all cheered when we reached Mormon Saddle and started down Mormon Canyon or as we would later call it god-damned Mormon Canyon or never ending Mormon Canyon due to the very rough terrain and poor trail conditions. Got our second surprise of the day when we startled a slumbering black bear and her cub about .5 mile in. They were on the opposite side of the creek and fled full speed away clearing the ridge within 30 seconds. Never expected bear to move that fast. Clearing Mormon Canyon was the greatest feeling ever as it signaled celebration with cold water, cold beer, and junk food.

Things I learned from this trip:

Never, ever, ever open the door to the outhouse on top of Monte Vista Peak. Ever.

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Hepatic Tanager

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

Mormon Spring

Gallon per minute

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Jun 02 2016

kwpapke

Guides 1
Routes 6
Photos 10
Triplogs 16

71 male

Joined Dec 28 2009
Oro Valley, AZ

Tucson, AZ

Hiking		Jun 02 2016
		kwpapke • Triplogs 16

Hiking	2.69 Miles	2,402 AEG

Hiking	2.69 Miles	2 Hrs	1.35 mph
	2,402 ft AEG

no routes

no photosets

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Little overnight loop: up the Morse Canyon, Crest Trail to Chiricahua Saddle, then over to HQ spring where I spent the night. Hiked out the next morning down the Mormon Canyon trail. The latter was much easier to follow than some of the triplogs suggest. A little steep in spots, but not bad.

Wildflowers Observation Isolated
Columbine in full bloom near Mormon Spring. Rocky Mountain Iris in bloom in several places.

	Mormon Canyon	Light flow	Light flow
	Good flow downstream from Mormon Spring

_____________________

Youtube channel for gear testing: https://www.youtube.com/c/KurtPapke

1 archive

May 09 2016

kwpapke

Guides 1
Routes 6
Photos 10
Triplogs 16

71 male

Joined Dec 28 2009
Oro Valley, AZ

Tucson, AZ

Backpack		May 09 2016
		kwpapke • Triplogs 16

Backpack	19.00 Miles	3,133 AEG

Backpack	19.00 Miles	2 Days
	3,133 ft AEG

no photosets

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First trip to Turkey Creek TH. Looking for a longer loop, so hiked up Saulsbury to Crest, and spent the night at Anita Park. Next day took the Crest to Morse and down the latter to the campsites near the TH along the creek and spent a blissful night listening to the waterfalls.

Wildlife: Black-tailed rattler on Saulsberry, awoke to two black bears crashing through the trees at Anita, lots of wild turkeys and deer along Turkey Creek.

Saulsberry looks like it is mostly used by horses. The trail gets quite faint, but is reasonably well cairned. Had to backtrack a few feet, but no real issues. Crest had lots of deadfall and overgrowth after Raspberry Peak. Morse was in great shape, love that trail.

Water: trickling at Anita Spring. Tried to find Aqua Fria and HQ springs. The trail to the latter was so covered in deadfall it made passage nearly impossible and I gave up. Agua Fria was not as impassable, but the trail became too faint to follow and with great chagrin I discovered I did not have the GPS coordinates of the springs loaded :-( I'll make a more earnest effort next time.

This was a very pleasant 20 mile loop, easily done in 24 hours (noon to noon). Next time I'll try my luck with one of the Mormon trails, as I liked the look of the camping area right after Mormon hits the Crest (I'm a hammock guy, need trees!!)

The only humans I saw were in a camper along Turkey Creek. Gotta like that!

Wildflowers Observation Light
Nice Lupine bloom along the Crest

_____________________

Youtube channel for gear testing: https://www.youtube.com/c/KurtPapke

1 archive

Apr 24 2016

Tough_Boots

Routes 67
Photos 2,708
Triplogs 755

89 male

Joined Mar 28 2008
Phoenix, AZ

Tucson, AZ

Hiking		Apr 24 2016
		Tough_Boots • Triplogs 755

Hiking	5.34 Miles	2,094 AEG

Hiking	5.34 Miles
	2,094 ft AEG

no routes

no photosets

Linked

none

no linked trail guides

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partners

	chumley	FOTG
	John9L

This is a pretty perfect trail. Its steep but well maintained and smooth. 9L and Chumley had bigger plans for the day but Lee and I decided just to hit the top of the trail and head back with the dogs-- a nice morning workout for us. I would have liked to have made it out to the fire tower but Lily took a chunk out of one of her pads the day before. It didn't seem to bother her but I didn't want to extend it into a two month healing ordeal like the last time she damaged a pad. We headed back to camp and I had a nice relaxing rest of the morning.

_____________________

Apr 24 2016

chumley

Guides 94
Routes 840
Photos 22,055
Triplogs 1,993

52 male

Joined Sep 18 2002
Tempe, AZ

Monte Vista Peak, AZ

Hiking		Apr 24 2016
		chumley • Triplogs 1,993

Hiking	10.89 Miles	3,291 AEG

Hiking	10.89 Miles	4 Hrs 48 Mns	2.69 mph
	3,291 ft AEG	45 Mns Break

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linked

[ checklist ] Benchmark Fire Lookout Structures Osborne Fire Finder Trail Signs and Markings

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partners

	FOTG	John9L
	Tough_Boots

This was a fantastic day hike from the Turkey Creek area, and a great 2nd day in the Chiricahuas. If I had only one day to do a loop here, I would combine Morse Canyon, Monte Vista, Raspberry Ridge, Chiricahua Peak, and Mormon Canyon for the best possible loop. But you really can't go wrong with any of these options!

Morse Canyon 43
This is one of the nicest trails I have ever hiked. It climbs 2000 feet in 2 miles and you almost wouldn't know it. The trail cut is exquisite! (Seriously, when do you use that word for trail!?) Beautiful shaded pine forest, and consistent, steep grade. We did it in about an hour, and I remember thinking that JJ would probably motor up it in half the time. It would actually be a great trail for running (if you're a crazy person into that sort of thing!)

Turtle Mountain 219
We hiked this trail 1.5 miles around the north side of Monte Vista Peak to the summit spur trail. It's climbs gently through some patchy burn areas but is generally in great shape and there are no problems to hike it.

Monte Vista Peak
There's a short .2 mile spur from the Turtle Mtn/Raspberry Ridge/Monte Vista junction up the east slope of the peak. The views from the lookout were the highlight of the weekend. Make this one mandatory if you're in the area.

Turtle Mountain 219
We backtracked 1.5 miles to the top of Morse where we had come up earlier but continued on Turtle Mountain 2 more miles traversing around Johnson Peak and some other small peaks and ridges. This section of trail was in great condition and included a brief uphill stretch. There were a couple of short sections with easy deadfall, but for the most part this is pleasant hiking in unburned, healthy pine forest.

Pole Bridge 264
Upon reaching the saddle at the top of Pole Bridge Canyon, we began the steep descent. This trail was in fine shape and reasonably nice, but nothing compared to Morse Canyon. The first mile is steep, and features numerous switchbacks through an exposed burn area. There were a couple of spots where finding the trail took a second glance, but nothing treacherous. The grade moderated at the bottom of the canyon and the trail just followed the drainage, which was dry until the last mile or so when we encountered some pools of water. The bottom part of the trail appears to have once been an old road, and an older fire had burned through the area. Recent trail maintenance has made it fairly easy to follow, but the burn has left little shade and the lower elevation here makes it considerably warmer than the rest of the hike.

From the bottom of Pole Bridge, we had to hoof it a mile back up the road to camp in order to finish the loop. There were joined Kyle and Claire enjoying beverages by the fire before packing up and heading for delicious tacos at BKs in Tucson on the way home!

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Gould's Turkey

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Chiricahua Peak Cochise Head Dos Cabezas Mountains Galiuro Mountains Huachuca Mountains Huachuca Peak John Long Canyon Monte Vista Fire Lookout Monte Vista Peak Mule Mountains North Fork Rucker Canyon Paint Rock Pinaleno Mountains Pole Bridge Canyon Snowshed Peak

Meteorology

Meteorology [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Forecast

Wildflowers Observation Isolated

	Morse Canyon	Light flow	Light flow
	Not sure why this is called Morse Canyon, but the creek at the point this is marked on the map was flowing nicely.

	Pole Bridge Canyon	Pools to trickle	Pools to trickle
	The lower mile had some small stagnant pools and areas with very light clear flow. The entire upper canyon was dry.

_____________________

I'm not sure what my spirit animal is, but I'm confident it has rabies.

Apr 24 2016

John9L

Guides 6
Routes 183
Photos 5,612
Triplogs 1,647

male

Joined Mar 12 2004
Scottsdale, AZ

Monte Vista Peak via Turkey Creek, AZ

Hiking		Apr 24 2016
		John9L • Triplogs 1,647

Hiking	10.91 Miles	3,369 AEG

Hiking	10.91 Miles	4 Hrs 49 Mns	2.62 mph
	3,369 ft AEG	39 Mns Break

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	chumley	FOTG
	Tough_Boots

On Sunday our group, minus Claire & Jackie, headed up the Morse Canyon Trail. The four of us and dogs made good time up this steep trail. We were glad to find it in good condition overall. The trail makes a lot of switchbacks and the lower stretch is completely clear. The upper portion has some deadfall but it’s only a nuisance. We eventually topped out on the saddle next to Johnson Peak and discussed our options. Chumley & I wanted to push on Monte Vista Lookout while Kyle & FOTG and the dogs would return back down Morse Canyon.

The going to Monte Vista Peak is fairly straightforward as it follows the Crest Trail. There was more deadfall but none of it was too bad. The last stretch makes a good climb to the peak and you know you’re close when you see the lookout tower and cabin on the summit. The views up top were better than Chiricahua Peak as there aren’t as many trees. We enjoyed this peak tremendously and then returned to the saddle above Morse Canyon. From there Chumley and I continued around Johnson Peak and headed for Pole Bridge Trail. This top section was loaded with deadfall and was a pain to get through. I was a little worried but luckily it didn’t last too long.

The Pole Bridge Trail makes a steep descent through the forest as it switchbacks down the drainage. You eventually hit the creek bottom and follow that down. There was some deadfall along this trail but it was fine overall. The top section was the nightmare! We continued down and eventually hit the road and returned to camp thus completing our weekend getaway to the Chiricahuas. We packed up camp and then made a quick stop at Johnny Ringo’s Grave and then returned to Phoenix.

I really enjoyed the Chiricahua Mountains. I had no idea there were so many trails out here. A return trip is a must!

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1 archive

Apr 24 2016

FOTG

Guides 37
Routes 556
Photos 10,872
Triplogs 1,052

43 male

Joined Jan 21 2013
AZ