Middlemarch Canyon Trail #277 • Hike • Arizona • All Triplogs • HikeArizona.COM

https://www.instagram.com/skyislander22/

Tucson, AZ

Hiking		May 21 2024
		SkyIslander18 • Triplogs 2,611

Hiking	6.00 Miles	1,000 AEG

Hiking	6.00 Miles
	1,000 ft AEG

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AddSanz

Historic sightseeing/hiking trip in the Dragoons.

Started out along Dragoon Rd with stops at -
Rattlesnake Ranch Sculpture Garden. Very cool roadside attraction with many dinosaur & Indian metal sculptures.
J.H. Smith Grocery Store & Filling Station. On the National Register of Historic Places.
Dragoon Springs Stagecoach Station. Great ruins with a scenic backdrop.

Then off to Cochise Stronghold for the day's hike. We hiked the Middlemarch Canyon trail up to it's high point. Outstanding views on top down into Middlemarch Canyon & the back views of Cochise Stronghold.
Met lot's of friendly people along the way and mush have seen a dozen or so white tails on the drive out.

On the way back home we made a quick stop in Cochise to see the old Cochise Hotel, also on the National Register of Historic Places.

Lot's of Old West history with a great hike added in ... good time in Cochise County!

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Feb 29 2024

markthurman53

Guides 187
Routes 991
Photos 12,084
Triplogs 866

72 male

Joined Jun 27 2015
Tucson, Arizona

Cochise Middlemarch, AZ

Hiking		Feb 29 2024
		markthurman53 • Triplogs 866

Hiking	9.70 Miles	2,123 AEG

Hiking	9.70 Miles	6 Hrs 47 Mns	1.63 mph
	2,123 ft AEG	51 Mns Break

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mamakatt22

Ginny had never been to the Dragoons so we decided to hike the Cochise trail to the west side. We changed our mind mid way into the hike and decided to just hike to the saddle and do the west side another time. Since we cut off about 3.5 miles of the hike we opted to hike the Middlemarch Canyon Trail to the saddle.

The Cochise trail is a fairly easy hike up to the saddle, well maintained trail. Not a lot of hikers in the morning but quite a few later in the day. Creek had a light flow in both the cochise trail branch and the middlemarch trail branch. Halfmoon tank was full (don't recall it ever being anything other than full). Magnificent views of rock formations along the trail and West Cochise Canyon from the Saddle.

Middlemarch Trail starts out as an easy walk but the last mile is as steep as any trail I have seen. I didn't remember much about this trail but when I got to the part where it heads straight uphill it all came back to me. Reminded me of a jeep trail that sees where it wants to go and heads in a straight line right to it. The good part is there are very few step ups so a slow steady pace works well. Once at the top there is a view overlooking Middlemarch Canyon, nothing to write home about though. Took a short break at the saddle and headed back. We did make a stop at a tank in this canyon that we noticed as we were hiking up. This tank is located about a half mile in from the Cochise Trail, there is no sign indicating that it is there. Much bigger than Halfmoon Tank. Well worth the .1 mile side excursion. We did not see anyone on this trail.

Good day for hiking, temps in the upper 50's and very little wind. The ground was still wet from yesterdays rain.

Halfmoon Tank

76-100% full

	Johns Well	Quart per minute	Quart per minute
	Creek running

Trail 277 Spring Tank

76-100% full

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Nov 26 2022

ShatteredArm

Guides 12
Routes 192
Photos 863
Triplogs 356

42 male

Joined Nov 30 2015
Phoenix, AZ

Cochise Stronghold Nature Trail

Tucson, AZ

Hiking		Nov 26 2022
		ShatteredArm • Triplogs 356

Hiking	11.65 Miles	2,220 AEG

Hiking	11.65 Miles	4 Hrs	2.96 mph
	2,220 ft AEG	4 Mns Break

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Decided to check out Cochise Stronghold for my first time venturing into the Dragoon Mountains. Getting there was not super difficult, and didn't have to wake up super early to get a 10am or so start. Started out poking around the campground a little, strolled around the interpretive loop, and then headed up the trail. Gradual grade all the way up to the divide, and there was water in most of the drainages on the east side.

West side generally offered better views, but a little drier and still chilly in the shade. Got to the west trailhead and decided to turn around. Most of the way up to the saddle I located a side trail, which based on Strava heatmaps may offer an option for a loop via a saddle near Rockfellow Dome. Probably would've tried this had I known about it.

On the way back, I decided to head up Middlemarch Trail, and took a noticeable side track up to Shaw Tank (as labeled on the FS Topo), where there were some deer hanging out. Followed a path south that looked like it would reconnect with Middlemarch Trail, but it faded and I went cross country back to the trail. Decided to call it a day and headed back down to TH, completing the nature trail on the way down.

	Halfmoon Tank	76-100% full	76-100% full
	Slight trickle into the tank.

	Trail 277 Spring Tank	76-100% full	76-100% full
	Not quite 100% full, but within a couple feet of the high water line. Looks like there's cow traffic in the area now.

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1 archive

Nov 25 2019

markthurman53

Guides 187
Routes 991
Photos 12,084
Triplogs 866

72 male

Joined Jun 27 2015
Tucson, Arizona

Cochise Middlemarch Trail, AZ

Hiking		Nov 25 2019
		markthurman53 • Triplogs 866

Hiking	13.97 Miles	3,048 AEG

Hiking	13.97 Miles	7 Hrs 8 Mns		2.44 mph
	3,048 ft AEG	1 Hour 24 Mns Break	15 LBS Pack

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And now for something completely different (for you Monte Python Fans). Still a hike, not that different but hiking in the Dragoons and on actual trails for a change. I had not been to the Dragoons in over 20 years and like then they did not disappoint. After the Chiricahua Mountains I was beginning to think I could no longer do the longer hikes on the short days. I found that on actual trails I could still manage a 2.5 MPH moving pace (of coarse the next day my joints are begging to differ). The trails were pretty empty with the exception of a couple hikers near the east trail head. Finished the hike around 2 in the afternoon. There is a lot of interesting Apache history in the Dragoons and the Chiricahua Mountains, I found myself contemplating what it must of been like for Cochise living in this area. Cochise was an interesting man who made the Dragoons his stronghold and is only fitting that he was buried somewhere here.

The trails are in excellent condition, leaving you time to ponder and enjoy the scenery. Due to the recent rains the creeks had water in them intermittently and the tanks full. I started on the Cochise Trail from the East trail head and went the almost 5 miles to the West trail head. There were a couple of campers at the west end. The climb to Cochise divide is steeper from the west end but good trail design and maintenance made it fairly easy. Halfmoon tank was filled to overflowing (trickle overflow). As a side trip I took the Middlemarch Trail south to Middlemarch Canyon. This trail is fairly steep going up to the saddle with about 800 feet of elevation gain. The trail follows an old road so it tends to attack the hill straight on. At the southern trail head in Middlemarch Canyon is a dirt road that appears to be in pretty good condition making taking this trail from the south quite feasible.

There are not a lot of long distance views along this trail, although at a couple of points Rincon Peak to the west and Mount Graham to the north were visible. Most of the viewing entertainment was very close up. The rocks outcrops interlaced with Oak, pine and juniper made for interesting scenery. This is definitely a winter time area to hike.

Cochise Spring was running

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Halfmoon Tank

Autumn Foliage Observation None
a little but probably a week late

Wildflowers Observation None
I saw 1, count em, Indian paintbrush

Halfmoon Tank

76-100% full

Trail 277 Spring Tank

76-100% full

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1 archive

Mar 18 2017

HikingBuddy

Guides 1
Routes 13
Photos 444
Triplogs 12

76 male

Joined Nov 10 2014
Peoria, AZ

Cochise Stronghold to Divide, AZ

Hiking		Mar 18 2017
		HikingBuddy • Triplogs 12

Hiking	6.03 Miles	1,119 AEG

Hiking	6.03 Miles	4 Hrs 6 Mns	1.50 mph
	1,119 ft AEG	4 Mns Break

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Camped friday and saturday nites at the Cochise Stronghold campground with a group of super folks from "Friends Hiking and Camping Club". The campground was real nice but filled to max with a mixed bunch of young & old hikers/campers. Saturday we hiked to the divide on the Cochise Stronghold trail #279. Some clear pools of water along the way but little flow from springs. Next time we'll camp on west side of Stronghold.

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Sep 07 2012

MAVM

Guides 1
Routes 43
Photos 666
Triplogs 78

60 male

Joined Mar 15 2012
Sonoita, AZ

[ checklist ] Middlemarch Canyon Trail 277 Spring Tank Tunnel Spring

Tucson, AZ

Hiking		Sep 07 2012
		MAVM • Triplogs 78

Hiking	5.35 Miles	1,808 AEG

Hiking	5.35 Miles	3 Hrs 42 Mns		1.81 mph
	1,808 ft AEG	45 Mns Break	16 LBS Pack

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I traveled to the eastern slope of the Dragoon Mountains with Severe Weather Warnings all around - via Smart Phone alerts, and even more telling - slow moving (clearly visible) fronts converging on three sides of the area as I approached the range from Middlemarch Rd. - I moved ahead with caution and began to alter my MTB plans for the afternoon. Middlemarch Road washes had been running with a torrent since I was last through the route just 19 days prior. On my way toward Middlemarch Pass from Tenneco Well the road became almost completely washed-out, with just enough width for one vehicle to squeeze through - another deluge and through access would be gone as large gnarled roots were apparent in the chasm unearthed, making the remaining passageway tenuous at best - this would be my return route after dark as well.

I arrived at the old Stamping Mill in Middlemarch Canyon above FR 345 in the early afternoon and decide to eat lunch and watch how the atmospheric play would develop, as no rain was falling in my location - yet the sky remained bruised all around. I enjoy this kind of environment very much (too much at times), and actually find it quite invigorating! But, with the ground already clearly saturated in the entire region and remarkable erosion omnipresent - I decide to first do some routing research (locate Tunnel Spring & potential future camping sites, etc.) poking about the lower regions while the main storm gathered direction, moving off the Chiricahua Mountains across Sulfur Spring Valley rumbling just out of view. My intention now was to make the hike over to Cochise Campground and back without being caught on the north-side of the Middlemarch Saddle passageway with a flash-flood downpour hampering the return on a somewhat steep already highly eroded route going south late in the day.

I set-out mid-afternoon with the sky offering no guarantee that the round-trip would be feasible just the same. The erosion nearly cut the trail as I approached Middlemarch pass from the south, and a two - three foot deep crevasse now replaced the trail with no alternate on the steeper section available. The downhill toward 'Trail 277 Spring Tank' (my reference) was worse than I had imagined as light rain was now becoming more steady. I decided to make the Tank my turnaround point as it was impossible to understand the scope of the storm behind the eastern most ridge. In steady rain I moved back up toward the saddle - fortunately none of the storm potentials about the range ever manifested in my area to amount to anything and a deep shroud of mist closed in behind my route as I returned to the ruins of the Stamping Mill where I was parked. A most excellent afternoon all-in-all!

TrainingPeaks: TSS@200.3 IF@.77 Avg. Heart Rate @141 bpm

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Alligator Juniper Canyon Live Oak Schott's Yucca

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Black-tailed Rattlesnake

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

Wildflowers Observation Isolated

	Tenneco Well	76-100% full	76-100% full
	Running over with all the recent moisture! If you come upon this site and don't find overflow from the main tanks - be sure to check the tap below the windmill as it a constant reliable source point.

	Trail 277 Spring Tank	26-50% full	26-50% full
	More than a little low as was indicated from the well established waterline perimeter. The water looked good - clear and non-brackish. No evidence of cow feces anywhere near the source (surprising).

	Tunnel Spring	Dry	Dry
	Bone Dry...and likely to stay that way, as it appears to have been an old source long ago lost with the Quarry and Mill works of the area.

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The MaNtiS - Assume & be Damned!
http://www.mavm.com

Jan 14 2012

johnr1

Guides 4
Routes 17
Photos 8
Triplogs 340

78 male

Joined Dec 22 2007
tempe, az

Tucson, AZ

Climbing		Jan 14 2012
		johnr1 • Triplogs 340

Climbing	1.00 Miles	300 AEG

Climbing	1.00 Miles	7 Hrs	0.14 mph
	300 ft AEG

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HAZ - Event

	chumley	Hikergirl81
	JoelHazelton	Jonnybackpack
	juliachaos	RedRoxx44
	tibber	writelots

I did the climbing option for the winter fest and had a bunch of fun on Sweetrock while a bunch of really good climbers were shoing me how far I still have to go.

I attempted Thingamajig (5.9) but couldnent figure out the roof at the crux. Than I gave whatchamacallit (140 feet, 5.

and climbed it. Given the lenght of the climb I was thrilled and it had a crux wall which took some time to figure out.

Thanks so much to Liz for her patient belays and encouragement.

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Jan 14 2012

tibber

Guides 21
Routes 1,183
Photos 36,909
Triplogs 1,571

69 female

Joined Feb 26 2004
Phoenix, AZ

Tucson, AZ

Car Camping		Jan 14 2012
		tibber • Triplogs 1,571

Car Camping

Car Camping

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HAZ - Event

	chumley	Hikergirl81
	JoelHazelton	johnr1
	Jonnybackpack	juliachaos
	RedRoxx44	writelots

Thanks to the folks that participated in this event but especially to chumley for keeping us focused and for Hikergirl81 suggesting the event. It's hard to believe it is only our 2nd HAZ event but as usual it was a fun time.

Thanks to Redroxx for the chips and dip.
Thanks to Wendy for the cornbread and wood for the fire.
Thanks to Todd for making the fire and keeping it running.
Thanks to Joel and Jonny for the music. I would love for you to record some kind of audio so that I could use it for my hiking videos.

My photos didn't turn out that well. I guess my camera needs a "shoot through smoke" function

. But some louszy photos are better than none.

Here is the video: http://youtu.be/E4wBYn6iBvY

Until we meet again, Happy Trails.

Angela

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Camp-fire johnr1

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For me, sometimes it's just as much about the journey as the destination.
Oh, and once in awhile, don't forget to look back at the trail you've traveled.

Apr 10 2011

SkyIslander18

Guides 4
Photos 4,732
Triplogs 2,611

55 male

Joined Sep 29 2004
Small Town USA

Tucson, AZ

Hiking		Apr 10 2011
		SkyIslander18 • Triplogs 2,611

Hiking	9.00 Miles	1,853 AEG

Hiking	9.00 Miles	3 Hrs 27 Mns	3.23 mph
	1,853 ft AEG	40 Mns Break

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I found this trail to be just a good exercise hike with some good views from the top of the saddle, the rest of the trail was a little boring for me. After Middlemarch, I jumped on to the much more scenic Cochise trail and took it up to the first big hoo-doos and then back down to the campgrounds. Very clear sky today with some chilly breezes for most of the afternoon.

Wildflowers Observation Isolated

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Feb 23 2011

PrestonSands

Guides 170
Routes 148
Photos 5,914
Triplogs 2,097

48 male

Joined Apr 12 2004
Tucson, AZ

Tucson, AZ

Hiking		Feb 23 2011
		PrestonSands • Triplogs 2,097

Hiking	4.75 Miles	1,070 AEG

Hiking	4.75 Miles	1 Hour 10 Mns	4.07 mph
	1,070 ft AEG

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Hiked from the Stronghold campground up to the saddle at the top of Middlemarch Canyon, then returned the same way. Nice temps and breezy.

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"…you never know when a hike might break out" -Jim Gaffigan

Oct 09 2009

PrestonSands

Guides 170
Routes 148
Photos 5,914
Triplogs 2,097

48 male

Joined Apr 12 2004
Tucson, AZ

Tucson, AZ

Hiking		Oct 09 2009
		PrestonSands • Triplogs 2,097

Hiking	2.50 Miles	252 AEG

Hiking	2.50 Miles	45 Mns	3.33 mph
	252 ft AEG

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A quick sunset hike from Middlemarch Road up #277 to the Middlemarch Mine, after working in the area. It was a nice, cool evening, with the entire area to myself.

Wildflowers Observation Light

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"…you never know when a hike might break out" -Jim Gaffigan

Jan 21 2009

PrestonSands

Guides 170
Routes 148
Photos 5,914
Triplogs 2,097

48 male

Joined Apr 12 2004
Tucson, AZ