FORT BOWIE'S HORSE & STABLE AREAA bit of cloud cover this morning but by 9 a.m. it had given way to a big bright sun filled Arizona day. Kelly had a Yoga class this morning scheduled for 10:30 but decided to cancel it because I was whining so much about having to sit around doing nothing for another day. By 9:30 I was happily in the car & we were headed north up Sulphur Springs Valley to Apache Pass & Fort Bowie. Ya know guys, sometimes whining really helps:))
FORT BOWIE'S CEMETRY
FORT BOWIE'S CEMETRYFort Bowie http://www.nps.gov/fobo/
http://www.legendsofamerica.com/AZ-FortBowie.html
http://www.desertusa.com/bow/
http://www.desertusa.com/magfeb98/bowie/feb_bowiehike.html
http://www.roadtripamerica.com/GettingOutThere/Fort-Bowie.htm
http://www.legendsofamerica.com/AZ-FortBowie.html
http://www.desertusa.com/bow/
http://www.desertusa.com/magfeb98/bowie/feb_bowiehike.html
http://www.roadtripamerica.com/GettingOutThere/Fort-Bowie.htm
It's about an hours drive from Elfrida & after we turned east off highway 181 the road changed to a red clay made soft by the rain a couple days ago. Hadn't been graded yet & a bit rough in spots but no problem for the Santa Fe. To reach Fort Bowie we had to go through the historic Apache Pass. What a beautiful place this is. Stopped at the spot where a massacre had taken place when a band of Apache Indians had ambushed a wagon train on the old Butterfield Stage route. Check our web album for details & pictures.
http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy/ The Pass led down a winding dirt road to a parking lot trail head & it was from here that we began our scenic hike along an easy trail for one & a half miles to Fort Bowie. This is a totally beautiful area of hills, canyons, plains, grasslands, & towering mountain ranges. Arizona is a fascinating place & around every corner is a new adventure.
http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy/ The Pass led down a winding dirt road to a parking lot trail head & it was from here that we began our scenic hike along an easy trail for one & a half miles to Fort Bowie. This is a totally beautiful area of hills, canyons, plains, grasslands, & towering mountain ranges. Arizona is a fascinating place & around every corner is a new adventure.
KELLY LOOKS DOWN AT THE APACHE SPRINGS
We left the parking lot on foot & hit the trail about 11. It would be about 5 hours before we would made it back to the car again. The trail to the fort is rich in history. The Fort Bowie Cemetery, the ruins of the Apache Pass Stage Station, site of the Battle of Apache Pass, & Apache Springs which was the focal point for hundreds of years for people moving through the area needing water. It is this very spot where the whole history of the area revolves. Cochise drank water here, Geronimo drank water here. The spring is alive with the ghosts of countless parched & dusty travelers. All these points are along the trail & at the Apache Pass Stage Station you can see where Cochise met with the American Calvary's 2nd Lt George Bascom & where an ensuing battle took place. Further up the trail is the site where the Apache's attacked the rear of a wagon train & another major battle took place. All these historic sites are clearly marked with reader boards so I photographed each reader board & then took a picture beside it of the area the reader board was describing. This is one of the things that made this hike the best one we've been on so far because everything is so clearly marked. I hesitate to tell you how many photos I took to-day but if you go to our web albums you will see all the things I have described. This is truly a great hike & if your into old west history I recommend you walk this trail from the parking lot north of the fort. 
STONE WALL RUINS OF THE ORIGINAL FORT BOWIE
After Apache Springs it's a short distance to the ruins of the first Fort Bowie so we took a side trail & hiked up the hill. Many old stone foundations & the 2nd Fort Bowie is about three quarters of a mile beyond. The photos of the reader boards tell the stories of why the Fort was first built here & why it was later decided to move it's location. We moved on from the old ruins & ghosts to the 2nd Fort Bowie. It was far bigger than I had imagined & we spent an hour just walking around looking at what's left of the Fort. Foundations & sections of walls that have been sealed to prevent further deterioration. All the ruins are clearly marked so you don't have to guess what things are. The surrounding hillsides & mountains form a perfect backdrop to the old legendary ruins. Geronimo once walked these grounds. He was brought here after his surrender in Skeleton Canyon to the south & there is a photograph of him on the parade ground talking to his people. Many soldiers were stationed here & I'm sure their ghosts still roam the ruins. 
A DOOR LEADS INTO THE CALVARY'S BARRACKS AT THE SECOND FORT BOWIE
A DOOR LEADS INTO THE CALVARY'S BARRACKS AT THE SECOND FORT BOWIEWe stopped into the visitor's center/ranger station for a brief rest before starting the long trek back to the car on a different trail. The return path starts behind the visitors center & is a steep rocky climb up to a summit point that overlooks the Fort below. Beautiful views in all directions from up there. We stopped at a bench beside a bronze plaque & had our last look back on the Fort far below. I always feel sad at times like that because I know it's not likely I will ever pass that way again. From this point we stayed on the ridge trail & headed down from the summit via a bunch of switch backs. We were beginning to tire by this point because we had been on the trail for over 4 hours. Took us about 40 minutes to finally reach the parking lot & our car. As usual the last 2 or 3 hundred yards were the toughest. Flopped into the soft Santa Fe seats, unwrapped our peanut butter sandwiches, poured the thermos coffee, cranked up the car & headed for home. 
ALL THAT'S LEFT OF THE COMMANDING OFFICERS STATELY HOUSE
What a great day this turned out to be & I think it was the best hike we have had so far on our trip. The scenery was spectacular & the history just reaches out & grabs you every step of the way. This was my favorite kind of day & to-night as I sit here typing this my legs are so sore I just might have to trade them in for new ones, but no matter, what a great day, what a great day. And it all started out with a little whining..................................:)) 
A LAST LOOK BACK AT FORT BOWIE BELOW
A LAST LOOK BACK AT FORT BOWIE BELOWOUR PHOTO ALBUMS http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy/
Didn't take long for our shoes to become clogged with mud on our morning walk out on the road this morning. Forecast for to-day was for clearing skies & sunshine so headed down to the corral to let the horses & donkeys out into the fields. Was glad we made the decision to bring them in last night where they had shelter from the rain. 
Had hoped to maybe go to Fort Bowie to-day but figured with all the rain it might be better to wait a few days until the ground & backroads had dried up a bit. With the cloud cover & cool breeze we figured it was a good morning for a DVD. Martin Scorsese's, "The Last Waltz" has been defined as the finest of all rock movies. It is the farewell performance of, The Band. Great movie with appearances on stage by Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Van Morrison, Neil Diamond, Emmylou Harris, Muddy Waters, The Staples, Ringo Star, Ron Wood, Dr. John, Paul Butterfield, & Ronnie Hawkins. Enjoyed this DVD & once again I say, where is that range of talent to-day!! 
Old Sol finally made his grand entrance competing for space with large fluffy white clouds for the rest of the day. Wind picked up so had to keep an eye on the flags. Spent some time tipped back in a lawn chair with the binoculars watching waves of Sand Hill Cranes thousands of feet in the air returning to their Whitewater Draw pond about a mile & a half west of us. Some of the formations were so high I could only see them with binoculars. You would think they were formations of aircraft with their outstretched, stable wings unmoving in the air currents. Waves of Cranes gliding on westerly winds. 
Other than previously mentioned, it was a quiet day......again!! I don't mind some relaxing days now & then but this is about 4 in a row & that is about enough!! Time to get out & do something, go somewhere, see something. I'm afraid if we don't do this now while we're here we may not get another chance. The economy seems to be slipping ever faster into chaos & ruin & with each passing day it is becoming more clear to me that our chances of ever making it back to our beloved southwest again are fast fading. Thoughts of having to remain in Canada again for unending miserable winters is extremely depressing but guess we should be thankful that we did get to spend as much time here in the past 5 years that we did. We managed to live out part of our dream & there are a lot of unfortunate people out there who never will have the chances we had..................................... So, stop your complaining AL!!
WORK BEGINS ON AN INUKSHUK STONE MAN
OOPS, THE ROCKS BEGIN TO TUMBLE
KELLY'S INUKSHUK MAN IS FINISHED
I HAVE ENJOYED PUTTING THESE GARDENS TO-GETHER