Notes From The Oregon Coast To The Chiricahua Mountains
by Jim Gressinger on Aug. 15, 2012, under Chiricahua Mountains, Picture of the Day, Scenic Back Roads, Things To Do With The Kidz, Uncategorized
A cool day on the Oregon Coast.
Ms. Karen & I are traveling along the Oregon Coast. Here it’s cool & a little foggy at times. We visited my Mom’s ashes on a high bluff overlooking Cape Perpetua, then headed north to Newport.
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Chiricahua Mountains. You can see Paul’s lookout tower in the background.
On another note, Paul Bovee sent me some photos from his outpost in the Chircahua Mountains. Paul is an avid hiker. He’s a retired teacher whose art is show in Bisbee galleries. Some months ago, I asked Paul if he would share his mountain experiences with my viewers. Here’s his first guest column.
Most of these photos are self-explanatory, and most were taken in the high country. The hikers are on Morse Canyon Trail, which begins at the end of Turkey Creek Canyon. From the trail head to Monte Vista Lookout (photo of lookout included), it’s four miles. It’s a tough hike (all up) but the trail is good. One of the high country photos pictures Chiricahua Peak as well as the area of the Crest Trail, another popular hiking area.
Hikers along a trail in the Chiricahua Mountains.
The Horseshoe 2 Fire last year damaged the north part of the range, including the Monument, Wonderland of Rocks National Park, and areas in the southern end of the range pretty extensively. The high country was burned in areas, but there’s still a lot of green left. There are also lots of designated camping and picnic areas open.
Monsoon rains over the Chiricahua Mountains.
Please caution people without much outdoor experience that this is wild country (bears, rattlesnakes, etc.) that summer storms come up suddenly and drops in temperature of 30 degrees in an hour are common. In addition to soaking you, the drop in temperature can leave you in danger of hypothermia. Plenty of water is always a must. Also, sad to report, UDA traffic and drug smuggling are a fact of this area as they are anywhere in southern Arizona.
