After figuring out what exactly The Thing is, we continued towards our original destination: Fort Bowie. Fort Bowie was an Army outpost built in 1864 only to be abandoned 30 years later.

A 3-mile round trip hike is the only access to the ruins. It should have been an easy hike. But just when we were starting to think that we've gotten used to Arizona weather, we do something like hike those 3 miles in 93°F (34°C) heat. I don't think we'll ever get used to the heat here! And it's not even the hottest month yet!

The hike is basically in the middle of nowhere. That middle-of-nowhere location was chosen because of it's proximity to Apache Spring and because of skirmishes with the Chiricahua Apache's (Battle of Apache Pass and the Bascom Affair).

See? Middle of nowhere. This stretches on for miles.

The Butterfield Overland Mail Route intersects with the trail about 1/4 mile from the trailhead. Can you imagine how awful being a postman must've been when that was in use?

It looks like the remnants of this trail will eventually fade away but right now you can still see the path the wagons and horses took every 23 days.

What's left of the stage station.

Along the way is a graveyard in which it looks like most of those resting there were killed in a skirmish:

Trying to cool off in the shade.

Greenery!

This little trickle of water is the cause of all the greenery!  We get excited about natural water down here in AZ.

Then and now.

What's left of the armory

Cavalry barracks