Trailblazers in the Chiricahua National Monument. [photo by Michael]

Cindy, Yu-Ling, Vivian, Terri, Melita, Sally, Ron, Anna, Hong, Jeffrey, Gregory.

The Trailblazers head out of Phoenix and local cities to Wilcox, Az. This first day is a long drive and getting set up in our hotels. We meet at a local fast food place to get signed in and do introductions. We then head out to a local lake to see if we can find some Snadhill cranes. There were plenty of cranes fling over head, but they did not land at our lake. They went south to where we would be on Saturday. You can hear them before you can see them. The sun set was great. We headed back to Willcox for some Mexican food. The food at Isabel's was great. Due to the lack of birds at the local lake, we decided that we would do Ft Bowie in the morning.

Willcox lake at sunset. [photo by Michael]

Snadhill cranes over head. [photo by Michael]

Snadhill cranes going south. [photo by Cindy]

Sun set. [photo by Michael]

In the morning we meet at the fast food place to set up our car pooling for the day. We then head out to Ft Bowie. We take the route though the town of Bowie, so we will have paved roads until we get to Ft Bowie. The trail to the fort is short only 1.5 miles one way. There is rest rooms at both ends. There is water at the fort. The trail crosses the old Butterfield stage route. There is the ruins of the stage stations here. We then continue on the the cemetery were settler, childern and indians are buried side by side. The soldiers who were buried here have been moved to local cemeteries. We then continue on to the Ft Bowie Vistor Center. Vistor Center has lots of photos of the old fort, when it was still in use. The fort is large, you could play football in the parade area. We also go thought the First Fort Bowie, which is on a hill over looking the spring. The spring is what everyone wanted and why the fort is here.

Cemetery. [photo by Cindy]

First Fort Bowie. [photo by Cindy]

Rocking chairs at the Vistor Center. [photo by Cindy]

The mess hall at Fort Bowie. [photo by Cindy]

We then move on to Chiricahua National Monument. It is very windy here, so we have our lunch/ snacks in our cars. Chiricahua is the "Land of the Standing Up Rocks". There was no parking at Echo Canyon, so we went over to Massai Point. There was enough spaces for us to park here. We first went to the exhibit building, which explaned how the Chiricahua formed and what poeple did here. We then did the connector trail to Echo and the down to the Grotto. The Grotto is a small system of caves and connected passages that the Echo trail goes by.

Off we go down the trail. [photo by Vivian]

View of Chiricahua. [photo by Cindy]

Do not fall down. [photo by Cindy]

Balanced to a T. [photo by Cindy]

Balanced Rock. [photo by Vivian]

Someone yelling. [photo by Cindy]

Anyone need a fan. [photo by Ron]

Vivian taking a picture. [photo by Ron]

Plenty of standing up rocks here. [photo by Ron]

Window at the Grotto. [photo by Ron]

Walking into the Grotto. [photo by Michael]

Arch at the Grotto. [photo by Michael]

Rocks over the Grotto. [photo by Cindy]

One of the passage ways at the Grotto. [photo by Cindy]

Two of our new members at Chiricahua. [photo by Cindy]

Lookout at Chiricahua. [photo by Cindy]

Now it is time to see if there is any birds at Whitewater Wildlife Area. We get to Whitewater and the parking lot is kind of empty, but we can hear the Sandhills. We get out and walk to the water and there are thousands and thousands of Sandhill cranes in any direction you look. There are ducks, greese and other water fowl also. We stay here for the rest of the afternoon and take may bird pictures. Some of the male Sandhills have their red crest. By the time we leave the parking lot is over flowing with cars. Poeple are caring telephoto lens that need tripods. The walkways that were empty when we got to Whitewater are now packed.

Sandhill cranes as far as the eye can see. [photo by Cindy]

Sandhills in flight. [photo by Cindy]

Sandhills resting. [photo by Michael]

Sandhills going for a walk. [photo by Vivian]

Follow the leader. [photo by Vivian]

Can you count the Sandhills. [photo by Michael]

Sandhills next to the walkway. [photo by Michael]

Geese in a line. [photo by Cindy]

Ducks out for a swim. [photo by Cindy]

Birds in flight. [photo by Cindy]

Sandhills in flight. [photo by Cindy]

Male Sandhill crane. [photo by Cindy]

Pair of birds. [photo by Cindy]

Mixed flock. [photo by Cindy]

Single Sandhill crane in flight. [photo by Cindy]

We leave the Sandhill cranes and go to a BBQ place in Willcox for dinner. It is by the railroad tracks and has rail cars for the outside of the building. The food is very good and several persons take some home. The next day some of us stop at Apple Annes for pie. Must of their pies are locally made with local fruits. I take an apple pie home.

Sun set in Willcox. [photo by Cindy]