Crossing over

There are a few ways to access the Chiricahua Mountains. The more scenic (and paved) route on the east side is through Portal, Arizona, to Cave Creek. That’s where I went this morning for a hike.

There was a group forming at the trailhead and I noticed one of the guys had a sidearm. Hmmm. Did he always carry? Was it in case of an animal attack? Oh well.

I headed up the trail first, but the group caught up with me because I kept stopping to shoot video. They were led by three people in green uniforms—including the armed guy. Ah, Forest Ranges taking applicants or recruits on a training exercise of some sort. Or so I thought.

When I got back to the trailhead there were two Border Patrol trucks. Oh, not rangers after all.

After my hike I wanted to cross over to the west side of the Chiricahuas. According to the Forest Service and Google Maps, there are roads that let folks do that. Google says it takes about an hour to make the 21 mile trip.

If you ever feel like time whizzes by and life is too short, an hour on a bumpy, winding dirt road will feel like two. Or three. But I made it, and it takes less time than driving around the north or south ends of the mountains.

Next up, hiking the trails in Chiricahua National Monument.