Just before Christmas the
Portal Rodeo Hiking Club weekly hike was a trip to Paradise. Starting at the old corral on FS 42 (1 mile past the research station on the right) 10 hikers and 2 dogs headed up a ridge on the south west side of Silver Peak for a trip to
Paradise AZ. Cutting cross country the group eventually found the trail and headed up the drainage toward the ridge top. Passing a number of old gabions placed for erosion control the gentle incline made for easy walking. Upon reaching the ridge top and passing through a gate the group headed down hill to eventually meet FS42B just outside of Paradise. The return trip followed a slightly different route with a side trip for lunch on top of a knoll just below the
Elephant rocks. Following the main drainage and trail the group ended up in a large meadow before returning to the cars. Covering about 6.4 miles with less than 500' of elevation gain an easy outing for a nice winter day. The map of this hike may be found
here.
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| Old corral in the Chiricahua mountains |
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| Gabion in the drainage |
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| The Chiricahua mine above Paradise |
Great picture of the corral! This was a nice hike that anyone would enjoy!
ReplyDeleteI agree, and it was a pleasure to find the big meadow at the base of Silver Peak on the return portion of the hike. Open expanses of meadow seem rare at low elevations.
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