Elevation: 4746' - 5022'
Elevation gain: 561'
Time: 3 hours overall
Terrain: Grasslands, foothills, some rock stepping
http://www.mapmyhike.com/workout/2654220469
https://www.arizonahighways.com/explore/scenic-drives/route-council-rocks
Significance: Cochise met with Capt Howard here to negotiate a peace in 1872. Ancient pictographs on rocks
Directions: Drive east on Middlemarch Road north of MM316 on SR80 N of Tombstone. Turn left at FR687 for three miles. The road is passable to sedans. Trailhead parking is at a rise by a large boulder outcropping just after passing a wash. Trail sign is visible on the trail.
I stopped by Chip's place at 11:15am as a courtesy check. He was on the phone with a suicide prevention counselor and crying. "I can't care of these cats anymore!" he told me between sobs. This was quite an ominous start to the day. I was there for two hours, cleaning all the kitty boxes, giving the cats fresh water and kibble, and mopping up some pee in the kitchen. The dogs were getting restless and wanted to go hiking! I stayed until he felt better again. He thanked me for stopping by.
Minnie, Sadie, Zeke and I didn't get started on this hike until 1:49pm. I left Sweetie at home since she is unpredictable around wildlife. (Turns out, we only came across birds.)
It was a cloudless and cool day of 66F; a perfect day for an exposed hike among the rocks. I was the second car at the trailhead. I hadn't done this loop since 2009 and used my phone app to guide me. I remember only that we hiked along the foothills and along a wash, but had forgotten the details. Two other men were returning from a hike to Abril mine in Slavin Gulch.
The trail begins going northeast along a singletrack through a grassy area flanked by interesting hoodoos. This is the easy part. One has to watch one's footing, though, as there are many loose rocks in sections. In the summer one may also come across rattlers here. On one visit, I came across two adults within a short distance of each other.
Elevation start is 4746' and gains just over 50' at the .86 mile turnoff to the cutoff over the pass. It's easy going here and fairly level: the trail parallels the creek, which can overflow during the summer monsoon but which was pooled in small sections today. This was the only water for the dogs. But then the trail changes as it takes a turn to the northwest, away from the main trail and following a wash.
This first turnoff goes through a dry wash for most of this second mile, with much prickly overgrown shrubs that get caught in soft clothing. The trail here could use some maintenance. This is a horse trail used by people nearby. Without my GPS app to guide me, though, I'd have a hard time following the unmarked trail due to the many snags and crevices along the way, and the soft sand in sections. This slows one down for the second mile, which ends at a barbed wire fence by two oak trees. Once past this fence, the trail clears, the Dragoons are to one's right and the only annoyance now is the cow paddies. This second mile goes through tall golden (dead) grasses. By the third mile we approach the 687A parking area, go through a green gate for another .3 miles. I remembered the green gate from my first time hiking this path. I also remember the large rattler on this trail under the shade of an oak tree. The Dragoons are a popular habitat for rattlers, which is why I prefer hiking here in the winter. The big rocks are visible from here. Some rock stepping and boulder hopping are required, but the well-trodden path is easy to follow.
Minnie panted during the entire hike. She always slows me down as I have to give her rest breaks, but she also needs the exercise. I need to take her out more on these longer hikes, but she doesn't do well in warm weather. We came across a shallow pool of water, a perfect rest break after 3.2 miles. This water was from an early morning rain that collected in a natural rock depression. I used this water spot for a short break. I carried 16 pounds of water with me and didn't give the dogs any until we got back to the truck. All that water against my back gave me a sore spot on my lower spine.
Council Rocks makes a lovely destination hike. While I walked along the foothills for three miles to reach it, there is a parking area just below the rocks for those who just want to explore the ancient rock art. Views toward Cochise Stronghold (another great hike!) to the northeast, north and west open up here. The Huachuca and Whetstone mountains scrape along the western horizon.
I didn't stay long. I knew the dogs were tired and the route back is more exposed as one mile is on the main forest road 687, a popular ATV route. Despite two parked cars in two separate areas, I came across no one on my hike. The dogs enjoyed their offleash time.
I walked the .3 miles back to the 687A parking area and took the road from here. It was after 4pm and the winter sun was low, blinding me as we walked in a southeasterly direction. The only shade we had here was from the shade of mature oak trees along the road. I was happy to get back on an unmarked trail taking us southeast and out of the waning sun and over a low pass back to where my truck was. This trail is the second part of the horse trail. Here we had more shade again. This trail comes back to the main Slavin Gulch trail .1 mile from the trailhead.
We got back to the truck at 4:48pm. The dogs were happy to rest their legs. I stopped for five miles on the drive back to Middlemarch road as I chatted with a San Diegan interested in the abandoned Bachman Springs* development that cost the developers $32 million. He was parked off Middlemarch Road trying to find the location of the site. While I don't know why the project was scrapped, I'm sure nearby homeowners didn't want to lose the quiet desert appeal, the rolling grasslands and the views of the enigmatic Dragoons. It was a wise decision.
The dogs slept quietly as soon as I got home. Minnie hasn't hiked this much since she hiked up Carr Peak last spring.
I stopped at the Tombstone Brewing Company on my way home. Steve has raved about this place and I must say the beers are quite good! The place is small, with just indoor seating for 72. I can still smell freshly-cut wood used for the long tables and chairs. I tried two beers: the pilsner (5.3% ABV) and the smoother oak ale (4.2% A). The brew pub has been opened only 13 months and is getting excellent reviews. Leashed dogs are allowed in the small uncovered patio on the building's east side.
There were only three customers at the bar, including me. The available beers on tap change almost daily. The bar manager, Lincoln, who brags to everyone who comes in about his acting roles with Kevin Costner and Johnny Depp, and a small speaking part in Deadwood, also let me know without provocation on my part that he loves our current president for speaking his mind. He certainly is an interesting character. Just don't call him President Lincoln.
(I'll get the photos up over the weekend.)
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* The Bachmann Springs Master Development Plan was approved on May 1, 2000 by the Cochise County Board of Supervisors, and included a proposed Resort Community consisting of 1,709.43-acres. A Final Plan divided the parcels into ‘Tracts’, and Common Areas,. including a 322-acre golf course, 1,125 custom home sites, 400 Hospitality rooms, and 74-acres of open space. The density of this development was 0.66 dwelling units per acre, with the golf course and the 120-lot subdivision planned as Phase 1. The golf course and pumps had already been installed but have now gone back to nature. The project was set back as a result of the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001 and lacked willing investors. Based in Los Angeles, Bachmann has developed hotel and condominium projects in Switzerland, Germany and Florida. He's been interested in doing something in Arizona's high desert country "for decades," Boland said. He found the Tombstone-area site in 1998. Home sites in Bachmann Springs were priced in the $500K per lot and UP.
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