Chiricahua Mountains, Price Canyon, Trail 224

The goal:  A return trip to Price Canyon with the Portal Rodeo Hiking Club to clean up refuse along the trail.   Meeting in Rodeo, a group of 7 hikers and 3 dogs headed south for Price Canyon.  About 7.5 miles from Highway 80 the group reached the trail head in Price Canyon, trail 224, and headed up canyon with garbage bags for refuse.  To the groups surprise the vast majority of trash had been removed including bags previously filled by members of the hiking club.  The trail was in good shape and an easy 3 mile walk up canyon to the junction with Baker Canyon.  Several of the members turned around at point but 3 continued up canyon finding refuse to collect and brought out several bags of trash.

While investigating a rock face off the side of the trail my first snake of  the season was found.  A small Western Twin-spotted rattlesnake, Crotalus pricei pricei, was observed on a fallen branch on the hillside.  Characterized by dark twin spots running the length of the dorsal surface which merge toward the tail and a dark band running laterally behind the eye, this rattler quietly sat on the log and allowed photographs.

The total distance covered was about 8 miles for the those hiking past the Barker Canyon/Price Canyon fork and about 6 miles for those who returned from the fork, with an elevation change of 1150 feet to the fork from the trail head.  The map may be found either in the sidebar or at the following link

Price Canyon Trail

A Lone Pine Between two Crags