This was our 2013 Jayco Flight Swift 198 RD

THIS WAS OUR 2013 JAYCO FLIGHT SWIFT 198RD, PARKED AT THE TOMBSTONE TERRITORIES RV PARK IN ARIZONA



Saturday 23 March 2024

Part 2, From Chiricahua National Monument along the Pinery Canyon Trail to Paradise and beyond.

For me, it was an epic trip crossing the Chiricahua Mountain Range along the Pinery Canyon Trail and over the Onion Peak Pass. So to speak the icing on the cake in excitement and views for a while for sure.



Coming out of the Chiricahua National Monument on the paved road and making a left turn into the sandy Pinery Canyon Road, also named Forest Rd 42, you are back in ranch country with cattle guard and herds of cattle. You have to slow down to 15 to 25 mile speed, otherwise your truck chocks will not like the punishment.




We were passing 2 ranches and after about 3 miles the scenery changed into forest. Almost unnoticed the first couple of deers came into view and a flock of wild turkeys a bit later. This area is as well boondocking material and poking through the trees we spotted RV Trailers, Truck Campers and pitched tents with hammocks strung between the trees. Even the Forest Management had a good looking pad with a Camping Trailer set up. 




Driving along we passed a guy in crocs and swim trunks with a towel slung over his shoulder. We speculated where he was coming from or going to and found it odd. I looked at the wash beside the trail and it was dry. Well, a couple hundred yards further we came across a few cattle under the trees grouping around a water trough and I think we had our answer, although of course, who knows, but it made us laugh.


Along this trail through the mountains I just had to get out of the truck lots of times and take photos which never really capture what my eyes see, but I tried anyway. I can understand that people like to dry camp in this area and just enjoy nature. It was a beautiful day and we had a blast taking the many twists and turns, up and down the trail. I’d do it again in a heartbeat. So I will post photos that might capture what I saw.



We chose the Forest Road 42 over the 42D, because Benno wanted to see the little town of Paradise which turned out to be just a cluster of houses and a cemetery. Kelly and Al Bossence from “Travel with the Bayfield Bunch” were here 15 years ago and had done the same trip. You should read their blog entry of that day HERE. It was Kelly, who triggered our curiosity to do this trip. Thank you Kelly!










Next to the truck the road has cracked up and is falling into the canyon










Also back home I found on the Internet some description of this trail we had just taken and that gives you a good idea what we experienced. That link is HERE.


Paradise Cemetery


From Paradise we turned right into a road that lead to Portal after talking to a Forest Ranger for direction. In Portal the sandy trail changed into a paved road. It was getting late and we had another point of interest in town of Rodeo on our plate, so we could not explore Portal and put the pedal down and chased the Portal Road East, crossing the state border Arizona-New Mexico. At the intersection to Hwy 80 was the Chiricahua Desert Museum, but to our dismay it was almost closing time, so we only took some photos on the outside.





Although disappointed, we then decided to have a peek and drive by John McAfee’s former Ultralight Aircraft place that was just a few miles further. Most of you know McAfee Security Program for computers or Antivirus Protection. That guy was a flamboyant person, two-time presidential candidate, playboy and who knows what. This business adventure in Rodeo with ultralight airplanes came to an end when one of his clients smacked the ultralight aircraft he was flying into a canyon wall that he did not survive. A blog post from Bloggers Odel and Laurie about McAfee is HERE.




Previous McAfee complex with greenhouse


Now called Sky Gypsy Cafe


The white buildings are two of four hangars with landing strip in rear


We then headed home via Hwy 80 and I-10 after a long day. I hope you enjoyed this trip with me.


Thanks for dropping by. 

Thursday 21 March 2024

Chiricahua Mountains and National Monument Part 1 of a fantastic day

On Tuesday we spent 10 hours out in the wilderness of the Chiricahua mountains. Ten years ago we visited the majestic pinnacles and unique rock formations at the Chiricahua National Monument for the first time. You can read up on that visit HERE. This year I had the urge to see the park again. Also, it is sort of on the way to the Onion Saddle. But that you will read about in my Part 2.


The park area, although very popular at any one time with visitors, is large enough to find yourself alone on rugged paths through forest with the most eye-catching vistas you’ve ever been to. So if you like to clamber up and over rocks, but prefer paths that lead you eventually back to a paved parking lot, this is the place.  



So here is the beginning of our trip. From our RV park we took State Route 82 past the old town of Fairbank and turned right into the State Route 80 south at the Border Patrol checkpoint toward Tombstone. Driving past that Trump store and the old Butterfield Stage Coach stop to get gas at the Circle K and to fill the spare gas can just in case we run out of gasoline somewhere in the middle of nowhere. 



We are in Arizona ;-)


Then we backtracked to the Middlemarch Road, the same road we had taken on the way to the Council Rock mountains. But this time we did not turn into the Forest Rd 687, instead we followed the Middlemarch Rd. through the Dragoon Mountain Range and over the Middlemarch Pass, all the way to the Town of Pearce. 


Lots of beautiful scenery

Driving up into the mountains





Lots of switchback trails back down, but Benno wonders who lives at Dead End?



Someone placed this signpost as their house number


And yes, we have been to Ushuaia but not to Timbuktu!


There we drove over the old wooden bridge  that crosses a deep wash, then passed the old Pearce jail and hit the US Highway 191 for a few miles. We were looking for the turnoff to the Arizona State Route 181, which took us to the Chiricahua National Monument. 




Because the views were like eye candy to me, I took a lot of photos. 













Enlarge to see the horses and riders




If you find yourselves in this area of Arizona, the Chiricahua National Monument is a worthwhile trip and you can drive on paved roads all the way up to viewpoints and onto nice parking areas. No hiking necessary ;-)


Once we left the national park our adventure really started. Stay tuned to Part 2 of this trip.