11/14/2010 (Sun) - Chiricahua National Monument Park - Part 1

Last night we decided to get an early start so we were up and out of the motel by 7:15am this morning.  When we got to the restaurant there were icicles hanging from the roof.  Can not figure out how we can be so far south and have it so cold.  Do you think it might be that we are up in the mountains.

The park opened at 8:00am and we arrived at 8:15am.  It was almost to early because not only was it colder than heck but the sun was hardly up.  Chiricahua (pronounced Chair-ah-cow-a) has a six mile road that you drive on.  This takes you to different places where you can hike.  We ended up not hiking a lot because when Jim got out of the truck he did something to his back and it was bothering him.

We did take the hike at the highest point of the mountain, which was called Massai Point Nature Trail.  What a view we had from there.  I had a really difficult time cutting these pics down as every where we walked we saw new and unbelievably beautiful rock formations.  You really need to see this in person as there is no way a photo can show just how magnificent this park is.

Organ Pipe Formation

On the Massai Trail

This is the famous landmark of Cochise' Head. 

Can you see him?

Acres and acres of rock formations

That green rock cover is called lichens

My pic of the day

This formation made me think of a cross with a hole in the center. 

The entire Chiricahua Park was caused by a huge volcano that threw hot ash all over the place.  This ash heated and melted together forming layers of gray rock.  Cooling, heating and uplifting created joints and cracks in the rock.  Weathering by ice and erosion enlarge the cracks. Loose material washed away leaving behind endless spires, balanced rocks, and other shapes.  This of course has taken millions of years.  I've never seen anything like it. 

This park is the only park that is an island.  By that they mean all around the mountain range there is grass.  It's a grass island not a water island.  The park was referred to as The Wonderland of Rocks by President Calvin Coolidge and he made it a national park on April 18, 1924.  The park is 11,985 acres of just the most amazing rock formations you'll ever see.

We also took a short hike to a place called Echo Canyon Grotto.  Jim said this area was the highlight of his trip.   I will post that hike tomorrow.