The Tale Of Two Mountains

The Battle of Fort Buchanan, was an 1865 Apache attack on the United States Army post of Old Fort Buchanan in southern Arizona. It ended with a significant Apache victory when they forced the small garrison of California Volunteers (nine of them) to retreat to the Santa Rita Mountains. Fort Buchanan was the only American military post conquered during the Chiricahua (Native Apache) War.

The Battle of Fort Buchanan began twelve miles away from the fort when two surveyors of the General Land Office and a young Mexican boy were attacked. William Whrightson and Gilbert W. Hopkins were traveling from a ranch in the Santa Ritas towards the fort, presently three miles west of Sonoita. Suddenly dozens of Apache warriors opened fire with both rifles and bows.

All were mounted and so a chase ensued in the direction of Fort Buchanan. The three had nearly made it there when they were overwhelmed and killed.

Mount Whrightson (right, 9,453ft) and Mount Hopkins (left, 8,586 ft) the two highest peaks of the Santa Ritas, were later named after the men.

I've been to the summit of Mt. Hopkins on a trip to the Whipple Observatory. That's the white object on the top of the mountain. You can see it clearly, especially UP CLOSE. The observatory is operated by the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory and the University of Arizona.

It's an incredible site to be so high looking down from that peak in the middle of the Coronado National Forest. On a clear day, from either of these mountain peaks, you can see at least 100 miles in every direction, from Arizona to Mexico. Looking closer to your surroundings are the beautiful Santa Rita Mountains blanketed in a sea of green.

Mt. Whrightson is a popular hike with the beginning trailhead in Madera Canyon for those with experience - which does not include me among its numbers.

Happy Leap Day! See you again here in four years!..

God willing!