Up to The Dome

A couple of weeks ago, while Dan was in Texas and I stayed here, Dave and Barbara invited me to hike up to Rockfellow Dome with them. This is the most prominent feature of the Cochise Stronghold as seen from the east. Barbara and I had done a part of that hike a couple of years back during the summer, and dipped our toes in some pools of cool water while having lunch.

This is an ambitious hike, not that long, but steep. It is used by the rock climbers as an approach route to the Dome. Because of my fear of heights, I declined the invitation as I did not think I would be up to going all the way to the top, and I did not want to hold anyone back. But Dan had not hiked that trail, and with him I would not feel a spoilsport if I felt I had had enough. So we went this morning, and we took Emma with us.

We got a lot further than Barbara and I had, mainly because there is currently no water running so the rock faces are not as quite as slick, but I did stay behind with Emma when the trail petered out and there was nothing but bare rock at 30 degrees up ahead. So Dan went up ahead alone. Unfortunately, he did not make it to the top of the saddle either (I so wanted to know what the view was on the other side) because the rock did get slick and it got too dangerous. And there was another 1/4 mile to go.

Dan's view below.

This is not a hike I need to do every week, although it is spectacular; the pictures do not do it justice. I have a feeling we are all going to feel our legs tomorrow morning.