Staying in the Huachuca Mountains, but moving slightly north we find Fort Huachuca, established in 1876 (5 years before the famous gun fight at the OK Corral in Tombstone). It is not difficult to get into this military facility; just photo ID and car registration will do. But it is snuggled up against the mountains with a wonderful drive through Garden Canyon the attraction. Late summer and early fall is butterfly season. And, since the canyon is full of thistles, it is also full of butterflies. Here we have five butterflies, consisting of Cloudless Sulphurs and a Southern Dogface Sulphur. There are two wonderful hikes in the canyon: Sheelite Canyon and Sawmill Canyon. Each is different. Sheelite is a narrow and relatively steep hike. Sawmill and little more open, wider trail, and not quite as steep. We hiked Sawmill a couple of weeks ago and just as we got to the end (the top) it started to -- you guessed it -- rain. It always seems to happen at the farthest place from the trailhead parking. But, that makes a fun story.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Cloudless Sulphur
Staying in the Huachuca Mountains, but moving slightly north we find Fort Huachuca, established in 1876 (5 years before the famous gun fight at the OK Corral in Tombstone). It is not difficult to get into this military facility; just photo ID and car registration will do. But it is snuggled up against the mountains with a wonderful drive through Garden Canyon the attraction. Late summer and early fall is butterfly season. And, since the canyon is full of thistles, it is also full of butterflies. Here we have five butterflies, consisting of Cloudless Sulphurs and a Southern Dogface Sulphur. There are two wonderful hikes in the canyon: Sheelite Canyon and Sawmill Canyon. Each is different. Sheelite is a narrow and relatively steep hike. Sawmill and little more open, wider trail, and not quite as steep. We hiked Sawmill a couple of weeks ago and just as we got to the end (the top) it started to -- you guessed it -- rain. It always seems to happen at the farthest place from the trailhead parking. But, that makes a fun story.
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