Hiking to the Chiricahua National Monument from the Eastside

This weeks hike with the Portal Rodeo Hiking Club was special, a route from Whitetail Canyon across the Chiricahua Mountains to the Chiricahua National Monument.  The hike started at the same parking spot as the trail to Indian Cave and the base of Cochise Head just past Hilltop Arizona, but the trail was up one canyon to the west.  After a little less than 3 miles and 700' of elevation gain the group was met with a startling view, cars on Bonito Canyon Road in the Chiricahua National Monument, quite a shock after hiking up from the quiet of the canyon. After a short discussion, everyone proceeded up a dirt road another mile with 800' of elevation gain to the King of Lead Mine which lies within the Monument.  The King of Lead mine lies near a limestone/rhyolite contact and several veins of galena are visible in the ceiling and back wall of a short walking adit.  Below the mine tailings lies a grill from an old Schramm drilling rig.

After lunch most of the group proceeded back down the road while 2 chose to hike down another ridge to the trail from Indian Cave, arriving back at the vehicles before the group.  The total round trip was 8 miles along an easily followed trail that sees little use.  The map of the hike can be found in the sidebar or here.

Google Earth screen capture of the hiking route to the Chiricahua National Monument.  The green line marks the boundary between the Chiricahua National Monument and the Coronado National Forest.

A view from the King of Lead Mine across the Chiricahua National Monument.

Portal Rodeo Hiking Club member with veins of galena in the King of Lead Mine.

Schramm grill from old drilling rig

It is Hiking day, but not This Week

The Portal Rodeo hiking club is out enjoying a hike in the Chiricahua Mountains, but finishing other work takes precedence this week at the Painted Pony Resort.  The solar collectors are up and running and producing 110 degree water.  The hot water is circulating through the heat exchangers and heating the pool.  An additional purge valve was installed to make purging trapped air at the collectors easier.  For those interested, the angle of the collectors is higher to maximize winter solar energy collection and minimize summer collection. 

I note that while much is made of solar energy as a renewable resource it is really just nuclear fusion taking place 93 million miles away.  So the new heating system might be more accurately described as fusion powered.  While the idea of fusion powered pool heating may make some uncomfortable, it does sound high powered and futuristic.

The "Green Pool" at the Painted Pony Resort

The 20' x 40' pool at the Painted Pony Resort is a favorite with the owner and he likes it heated, but heated pools requires lots of electricity and can become expensive.  An alternate route to heating the pool is using available resources to keep the water temperature at 80 degrees.  A combination of geothermal and solar heat are used to heat the pool water allowing for year round pool use.  Unfortunately the original solar system ran pool water directly through the system and the pool chemicals eventually degraded the manifolds.  The system has been replaced with one that does not circulate pool water directly but extracts solar energy by passing solar heated coolant with a heat exchanger.  Below is a photograph of the geothermal (2 heat exchangers on left) and solar (heat exchanger on right) systems installed to heat the pool.  By using natural resources the pool stays warm and minimizes electrical costs.

Plumbing for heating the pool.

One of 3 solar panels for the pool.

Winter in Rodeo, New Mexico's Most Western Town

The big storm that has affected most of the US also reached into the bootheel and brought with it some cold temperatures.  The temperature dipped to 0 degrees last night at the Rodeo airport and many in the valley awoke to frozen water lines.  The consolation is that there are clear skies and the Chiricahua mountains, with a light dusting of snow, are beautiful.  Below is a photograph taken early this morning.  So while it may be cold for all the desert dwellers this morning the views are still spectacular.

A February morning view of the Chiricahua Mountains

Granite Gap, Peloncillo Mountains, New Mexico

Obligations prevented participation in last weeks Portal Rodeo Hiking Club trip, but way point data was collected by Chiricahua Sky Island, Rodeo and the map was created.  Everyone entering or leaving the San Simon Valley from the north on Highway 80 (a surviving segment of the "Old Spanish Trail" or "Broadway of America" auto route) passes through Granite Gap in the Peloncillo Mountains.  The land is primarily BLM with an in-holding of private mining claims on the east side of the highway.  The area is crisscrossed with old trails and roads which makes for easy hiking.  In fact 2 hikers chose to ride horses for a better view of the area.  The route covered about 4 miles with 550' feet of elevation change.  Below is the Screenshot from Google Earth of the route and the map is in the sidebar or here.

Granite Gap hike