Big Tree Trail

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

The Big Tree Trail is a 5.5 mile round trip through piñon and juniper in the foothills of the Piños Altos Range. 

We met Norin at the Super Bowl party hosted by the campground. He's wintering at the Silver City KOA. He joined our hike to "Big Tree".

                            We traveled through three different gates to reach the "Big Tree".

     Apparently, cows do not graze in this area. That's why the juniper trees are taller.

The Big Tree is ranked as the second largest alligator juniper in the country. It is 63 feet high with a trunk diameter of 70 in., circumference of 18 ft., and crown spread of 62 ft.
http://www.casitasdegila.com/lots-to-do-here.html

Then, we explored Fort Bayard.  The United States Army established Fort Bayard in 1866 to protect miners and other settlers in the area along the Apache Trail. Following the capture of Geronimo in 1886, the the fort was selected for "deactivation". However, U.S. Army Surgeon General George Miller Sternberg, noting "the excellent health record of the post", chose Fort Bayard as an Army tuberculosis hospital and research center. The fort was then transferred to the Surgeon General's Department in 1900. In 1922 the hospital became the part of the Veterans Bureau.

The fort was partially reactivated as a military installation during World War II. A number of German prisoners of war were held at the fort from 1943 to 1945. Until 2010, the fort was administered by the New Mexico Department of Health as Fort Bayard Medical Center, a long term care nursing facility and a chemical dependency treatment center.

Fort Bayard is a National Historic Landmark (as of 2004).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Bayard_Historic_District

Fort Bayard's history has three time periods:

Military Period 1866-1900

                                              Army Hospital Period 1900-1920

                                    View of the former parade ground opposite the hospital

                    Veterans Administration Hospital Period 1965-2010

While the buildings of Fort Bayard crumbled around it, this hospital remained open until 2010. Several signs of its' previous occupancy could be seen from windows.

From this window, we could see several opened packages of medical supplies on the floor. There are two desks in the room. One desk has several books on it, including a phone directory.  The desk close to the window has family photos, markers and a calendar. It seems that the office dwellers suddenly left their desks, and never returned.

                                   Another view of the former hospital (used until more recently)

                                            strange Saguaro sighting (for cigarette disposal)