Chiricahua National Monument: Echo Canyon Loop Trail

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The first real hike of the road trip - on the Echo Canyon Loop Trail - was a spectacular one. The trail was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1936-1937, and remains a masterpiece of trail design engineered by Ed Riggs. 

The Loop trail consists of Echo Canyon Trial, Hailstone Trail, and Ed Riggs Trail. The trail winds down among pinnacles, including the Grottoes, to Bonita Creek and then circles back to the trailhead parking lot. It took me about an hour and 10 minutes to complete the hike, though I struggled at the end on the Ed Riggs Trail, which is almost all uphill in the direction I was headed, but considerably less than I had I hiked in the opposite direction. I also narrowly avoided a late afternoon thunder shower, which loomed ominously and noisily overhead during the final 10 minutes of the hike.

Here are a few photos of the sights I encountered during the hike.



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