My S(elf)A(ppointed)T(rainer) and I spent the last weekend of 2017 camping and hiking in the beautiful Chiricahua National Monument. (Fun fact: according to a Jesuit priest named Juan Nentvig who lived in the mid 18th century, the name “Chiricahua” is an Opata word meaning wild turkey. Apparently, the Chiricahua mountain range was known for the wild turkeys who could be found there. However, by the mid 1900s, most of the turkeys were gone.) I don’t know why more people don’t know about this amazing place, but was sort of glad more people did not know about it because it was wonderful to have the place almost all to ourselves! The official webpage uses the phrase “a wonderland of rocks” to describe the landscape, and that phrase is very appropriate. We did 2 hikes, the “Natural Bridge” trail and the “Big Loop” trail (which was made up of several smaller loops). The first hike was lovely and features a pine forest and a small water-carved rock bridge at the end of the trail. The “Natural Bridge” trail is the least used trail, according to the official website, but the 4.8 mile/7.8 km hike is definitely worth doing, with its pretty woodland landscapes. However, the “Big Loop” is the hike that passes by all of the amazing rock formations. If you do the whole Big Loop, you will have hiked 9.5 miles/15.4 km and seen otherworldly rock landscapes. My words can’t do the scenery justice, so I’ll leave you with the following pictures:

Organ Pipe Rock Formation

A valley during the “Natural Bridge” hike.

The “Natural Bridge!”

Testing my muscles.

Perfectly balanced rock.

Pinnacle Balanced Rock…just as the sign says.

Skipping through a little slot.

Wonderful view.

We stayed in the Bonita campground (the only campground in the park). The campground has running water, flush toilets, and lots of wildlife! There are 4 different ecosystems that pass through Chiricahua National Monument, which means that there are a lot of different animals that call the area home, including deer, mountain lions, bears, skunks (all 4 North American varieties live in the Chiricahua National Monument), and birds. The area is a birdwatcher’s paradise (according to the official website, about 200 different bird species have been documented in the area). We enjoyed the numerous Mexican blue jays that hovered around our campsite, waiting for us to drop crumbs. I actually fed a Mexican jay from my hand!

We ended our New Year’s weekend by watching the moon set and the sun rise. Happy New Year to all of you and get out and enjoy nature!

(Me and my SAT say “Go play outside!”)