Hey guys, we'll be heading out again this time to 'west' cochise stronghold middlemarch rd. There are many camp sites (primitive) that we'll have to choose from so really looking forward to it. Our objective is to climb a couple of routes on bubble butt dome I think they go at 5.6 and we'll also be camping at the end of the road in the forested camp sites. I heard there are some plane crash sites in the Dragoon mountains, does anybody know anything about that or maybe you know other interesting places to see while we're out there?
Heading out to West Stronghold for spring break.
- Thread starter Alleycats
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Info derived from "The Dragoon Mountains" by Lynn Bailey:
This was first settled by Charles Helm, in partnership with two others. It was primarily a horse ranch, though some cattle was rased to sell in Tombstone. It was a success from the start. Only Billy Fourr preceded them in settling the west side of the Dragoons, his ranch was located two to three miles to the north.
In January, 1882, seven Apaches ran off 28 horses. Thinking they were rustlers, Helm and his men followed the trail to Guadalupe canyon where they wisely quit the trail.
In the first week of July, Helms got into a silly argument with one Willam McCauley the results being Helms aquired a patch of daylight from breast to spine caused by a .44. He died in Tombstone a day or two later.
The Helm ranch was next owned by Tombstone merchant, Willam Tweed and Burdett Packard. Tweed has oft been mistaken for the corrupt New York mayor "Boss Tweed" but there is no connection. Tweed took up residence in 1883. It was a regular stop for the Tombstone - Dragoon stage.
I am not sure if Tweed or Helm first built the structure, but it was a "sprawling adobe": known as "the Whitehouse". The Tweed- Packard ranch was known as the "Cachise Stronghold Ranch". It was then purchased in 1885 by the Kansas Cattle Company, later known as the "Tombstone Land and Cattle Co." It became a well known destination for the Tombstones elite.
The drought of 1891-92 ended the venture, the "Whitehouse" was abandoned and fell into ruin. Billy Fourr took whatever lumber was left and used it on his "spacious ranch' to the north.
In 1885, Alice Crane visited the area and noted the whitehouse was a "half-fallen" adobe.
This was first settled by Charles Helm, in partnership with two others. It was primarily a horse ranch, though some cattle was rased to sell in Tombstone. It was a success from the start. Only Billy Fourr preceded them in settling the west side of the Dragoons, his ranch was located two to three miles to the north.
In January, 1882, seven Apaches ran off 28 horses. Thinking they were rustlers, Helm and his men followed the trail to Guadalupe canyon where they wisely quit the trail.
In the first week of July, Helms got into a silly argument with one Willam McCauley the results being Helms aquired a patch of daylight from breast to spine caused by a .44. He died in Tombstone a day or two later.
The Helm ranch was next owned by Tombstone merchant, Willam Tweed and Burdett Packard. Tweed has oft been mistaken for the corrupt New York mayor "Boss Tweed" but there is no connection. Tweed took up residence in 1883. It was a regular stop for the Tombstone - Dragoon stage.
I am not sure if Tweed or Helm first built the structure, but it was a "sprawling adobe": known as "the Whitehouse". The Tweed- Packard ranch was known as the "Cachise Stronghold Ranch". It was then purchased in 1885 by the Kansas Cattle Company, later known as the "Tombstone Land and Cattle Co." It became a well known destination for the Tombstones elite.
The drought of 1891-92 ended the venture, the "Whitehouse" was abandoned and fell into ruin. Billy Fourr took whatever lumber was left and used it on his "spacious ranch' to the north.
In 1885, Alice Crane visited the area and noted the whitehouse was a "half-fallen" adobe.
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- #4
Here is a shot of Butt bubble rock which is on the right. There are three cracks which converge at the butt crack (if you will), we climbed the right most crack which was a mistake maybe, because it turned out to be an off-width with a texture like a sharp cheese grater. There is an old piton circa 1970 placed at the top of the center crack. In the foreground of the photo is Indian rock and in front of that there is a spring which comes out of the Stronghold itself. When we rappelled off the route there was a peregrine falcon nesting on the cliff face which we saw.
To get to this location it was about an hour on dirt roads.
To get to this location it was about an hour on dirt roads.
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