Cochise Stronghold

On our last days in Benson, we wanted to go up to the mountain range we had been looking at all month.  They are called the Dragoons, and we had heard that the hiking was supposed to be outstanding.

What we didn't know was that the drive in was 17 miles of not so great dirt road! About half way in we wondered what we had gotten ourselves in to.

But we found a place to park at the end of the road and headed up the trail.

It was a beautiful hike up to the mountains.  They call this area the Cochise Stronghold because the Native American chief, Cochise and his band of Apaches, hid in this area, evading capture for many years. 

This is Council Rock, where it was originally said that the treaty with the Apaches was signed (later, it was found that it was not here, but it sounded cool!)

 

The trail crisscrossed this wonderful little mountain stream several times.

The higher we got, the more rapids and waterfalls. 

 

And the views were spectacular!

Next week, headed to Mesa (eastern suburb of Phoenix).