Hike of the Month

ike of the Month Hike to the One-time Homeland of the Apaches in Stronghold Canyon

As I inched my way up a steep trail in Stronghold Canyon West, one of the deep cuts in the Dragoon Mountains, I remembered the many accounts I'd read of fierce Apaches who dominated this area a little more than a hundred years ago. These Apaches were formidable adversaries in part because their years spent running these nearly vertical trails had made them strong and agile. Judging from the effort required to climb this trail in the Apaches' traditional homeland, it's no wonder they were strong. The Dragoons are one of southern Arizona's so-called sky islands, mountain ranges that rise precipitously from the desert floor to altitudes of about 7,500 feet. The trail up Stronghold Canyon West, Cochise Trail (No. 279), begins at an altitude slightly higher than 5,000 feet and at the pass tops out around 6,000 feet before dropping into Cochise Stronghold on the eastern side of the range. However, the roughly 1,000-foot elevation gain is made in 1 3/4 miles to the top of the pass, which means that climbing to the top of Stronghold Canyon is a little like visiting the top floor of a 70-story office building when the elevators are broken. But there the similarities end. I'd spent many years wandering around the lower portions of the Dragoons and admiring the impressive jumble of towering crags and massive boulders, but until recently I'd never had a hawk's view of this wild terrain. "Breathtaking" is admittedly an overworked word, but in this case it is literally and figuratively appropriate. The trail begins in a grove of oak and juniper trees and immediately begins climbing the side of the canyon. Since there are few trees along the trail to obstruct the view, the helmetshaped butte called Rockfellow Dome, along with sheer cliffs and sand-castlelike pinnacles on both sides of it, are plainly visible. When I stopped in one of the few shady spots about halfway up the trail, my heart was pounding like a war drum, and I could see why the Apache Chief Cochise had chosen this range as his sanctuary and fortress. It appears impenetrable. The trail tops out at Stronghold Divide, where someone has scratched an elevation of 5,940 into the sign. From there, it is a gentler descent of about three miles to Cochise Stronghold, the place that once was the Apache leader's haven.

immediately begins climbing the side of the canyon. Since there are few trees along the trail to obstruct the view, the helmetshaped butte called Rockfellow Dome, along with sheer cliffs and sand-castlelike pinnacles on both sides of it, are plainly visible. When I stopped in one of the few shady spots about halfway up the trail, my heart was pounding like a war drum, and I could see why the Apache Chief Cochise had chosen this range as his sanctuary and fortress. It appears impenetrable. The trail tops out at Stronghold Divide, where someone has scratched an elevation of 5,940 into the sign. From there, it is a gentler descent of about three miles to Cochise Stronghold, the place that once was the Apache leader's haven.

WHEN YOU GO.

To get to Stronghold Canyon West and the Cochise Trail (No. 279) trailhead from Phoenix or Tucson, take Interstate 10 East to Exit 303 in Benson. The exit ramp leads through Benson and swings south on State Route 80 about 10 miles to St. David. From the post office in St. David, it is 2.5 miles to Holy Trinity Monastery, located on the right between Mileposts 302 and 303. The unpaved road into the Dragoons, Forest Service Road 688, begins at a gate directly opposite the entrance to the monastery. It's 14.4 miles from the monastery to the end of the road and the beginning of the trail in Stronghold Canyon West. At the first fork in the dirt road, bear left. Just before you reach a ranch east of Knob Hill, a new Forest Service sign will point to Stronghold Canyon. Pass through the gate and turn left, going to the road's end. For further information, contact Douglas Ranger District Office, RR 1, Box 228R, Douglas, AZ 85607; (602) 364-3468.