In Search of Sandhill Cranes & Copper Mines, etc. (Day 2)

I've added the map again so you can follow our tracks as

we headed out of Willcox AZ where we spent the night.

As we headed North towards Safford it wasn't long before we deviated

from the  plan and made a side trip West on Hwy 266.

The early morning partially cloudy skies enhanced all the photos on this

unplanned part of the trip.

This was a 40 mile round trip, out and back  and a pleasant

surprise for the photographer because the scenery

just kept giving and giving.  So sit back, relax & enjoy the ride.

Sometimes, big things really do come in small packages. And big scenery often 

comes on little roads. State Route 266 is one of the shortest 

state highways in Arizona — 

with just under 20 miles of pavement cutting across the rugged 

rangeland south of Safford — but every mile dishes up dramatic vistas 

as the road rambles westward along the fringe of the Pinaleño Mountains, 

making this quick journey a big one for memories.

The only remains of this small ranching outpost are the

Bonita Store build in 1882 and a weathered windmill.

I enjoyed photographing  the remains of this old community

while Don wandered around and quickly found a geocache

and this was a special one #4300 ...

Next side trip was 40 miles (1 way) outside of Safford AZ and

took us to the confluence of the San Francisco River and Chase Creek,

the birthplace of noted Apache leader Geronimo.

 

Welcome to Clifton, founded in 1873, one year after the discovery

of copper in the area in 1872.  The Copper Queen consolidated

Mining company bought the property in 1885, with the company

name changed to Phelps Dodge in 1917.  In the latest data available

the mining operation at Clifton/Morenci is the 2nd largest in the world,

beaten out only by Escondida, Chili.

The County Court House was established in 1911 and well maintained,

as were a few of the homes that clung to the hillsides.

And this made my blog photo picks just because it made me laugh.

In 1879, Arizona Territory’s first steam-powered railroad was built by 

the Lesinskys to bring ore in from the mine to the smelter. 

Over the next 20 years, 10 “baby gauge” locomotives were purchased, 

called so due to the fact that the track was only 20 inches wide, 

compared to a regular narrow gauge at 36 inches 

and standard gauge 58 inches wide. 

The Clifton Cliff Jail provided Don answers to another virtual geocache.

The jail was built by blasting a hole in a huge rock wall and 

bringing in a rock cutter to hollow it out.

We did go inside and the lights were on so it wasn't too scary with

Don by my side.   The locks had been removed from the doors.  Then

we headed across the San Francisco River to look for another geocache

located at a big shovel.

And this is a pretty hard "shovel" to miss.   In case you're interested

it is a P&H Model 1800 Excavator Shovel that worked hard for

22 years and moved 68,483,849 TONS of material while working

at the copper mine.

Don followed the clues for the geocache, but didn't find it.

And you may know from prior post, I've sat in a number of mining

"buckets" over the years.   This photo gives you a feel for the 

scale of the "bucket" on this "shovel".

Needs no explanation.

The tailing piles were immense and colorful.

And so was the Sacred Heart Catholic Church built in 1905 after the

previous churches were destroyed by either floods or fire.  To avoid this from

happening again, the new construction had a solid covering of cement

and rock on top of the wooden structure.  It features figures of porcelain

imported from Italy, an alter made of marble and 

leaded stained glass windows.

We ended our enjoyable hours by driving thru the original downtown

area of Clifton, where a few shops and galleries were located.

Then it was time to hit the road and head for home.  Don wished he

had this 1939 Cadillac because it reminded him of his first

car, a 1939 LaSalle... which he said was a poor mans Cadillac.

Glad we took our Honda CRV which averaged 32 mpg for the

whole trip of 561 miles.  Gasoline was an average of $1.92/gallon...

 

 

In Search of Sandhill Cranes & Copper Mines, etc. (Day 1)

I've always had a special fascination with Sandhill Cranes,

and Don & I have enjoyed them in Alaska, Florida, New Mexico

and now in AZ.  So we went for a 2 day outing and here's where

we went.

Day 1 Mon Nov 16 was a clear blue day as we headed south towards

Tucson with a few stops before we arrived at Whitewater Draw

to see the Sandhill Cranes.  

We always stop and pay our respects to an  "Old Time Western Star"

who died here 50 years ago according to the Oct 11, 1990

newspaper clipping which actually meant that it was 80 years ago...

After passing thru the Oro Valley, on our way to Tucson, we took 

Historic Route 80 south to revisit Tombstone.  

The 1887 Cochise Court House was looking mighty good for it's age.

Don stopped to take a picture of the  O.K. Corral Gunfight Site

location before he strolled across the road so I could take his picture

standing below the sign.  This was the first geocache of the trip and

was a virtual cache where he needed a photo to prove he had been there.

The last time we were in Tombstone was in 1984... that's 36 years

ago in case you'r e counting.   We roamed the streets and had fun

stepping back in time again.  Last time we were there we went into this old

bar & restaurant to meet a friend named Charlie.  All the men sat at the bar,

but their wives were not allowed to, so they had to sit at a table.  

It was 11:00 a.m. on a Sunday morning when I joined the ladies. 

 I placed my order and asked the waitress to bring

a round for the ladies (who looked liked they were drinking small glasses

of water).  Not...  Their glasses were filled with  straight VODKA!!!

As our walking tour continued, it was fun to see some of

the places we visited before and remember the stories of Wyatt Earp

and Doc Holliday, Virgil Earp and  the Clantons & McLowerys. 

 

Well that takes care of the "etc" part of Day 1.  Time to continue

south a few miles to the main event...  the Sandhill Cranes.  They were waiting

for us, as promised, over 25,000 of these large birds who make

Whitewater Draw (near McNeal, AZ),  their winter migration area.

 

These magnificent birds stand from 2' 7" up to 4'3" , with wingspans up to 6 feet.

 They have a history dating back to the Pleistocene Epoch, 

nearly 2 million years ago.

They can fly up to 50 miles per hour depending on wind speed and

direction.  They circle skyward on rising columns of warm air (thermals) to

help them gain altitudes of up to 12,000 feet.  Generally, however, they

migrate at altitudes of less than 5,000 feet.  Averaging 25-35 mph cranes typically

travel 200-300 miles in a day, but can reach 500 miles with a good

tail wind!!!  Now its time for you to witness the sights and sounds of

Sandhill Cranes.   I'm adding 4 short video clips for your enjoyment.

Click on "full screen" to view up close and personal.

Opps... I Lied

I promised to get off the sunset thing, but when

family comes from CA...

and they want to go upstairs and watch the sunset you

oblige them.  Social distancing in place and masks off

only for the photos.

Selfie time... for daughter Kristine and son-in-law Richard.

And a photo of the folks.

Lots of posing going on...

and this photographer takes a photo of the other photographer.

Time to head down as the "kids" head off to the local 

Best Western.

The next morning they came back at 8:00 a.m. to play some

pickleball.  There are big smiles under those masks.

Back home we continued our outside visiting.  Don mentioned

that our louvered patio cover wouldn't open and close properly

so Richard jumped up, got out the ladder and had it all fixed in

a short period of time.  

Then we told him that the French Doors leaked water

into the "loom room" whenever we had rain or hosed

the patio. 

 

So Richard took the doors off, identified the problem

and headed for Home Depot.

After a lot of hard work... 2 hours of pickleball and

a couple of hours of home repair in 90 degree weather

the final test, flood the doors with water.  YIPPEE,

no water inside...  Handy guy to have around.   You could

tell he had worked in  construction in his past 

life even tho he is currently a corporate executive at Intel.

 

As Richard finally sat down, he looked across the street and spotted

the perfect conclusion to our 2-day visit.  Kristine and I grabbed

our iPhones and ran around the corner to catch this bobcat

as he strolled across the street.  Bobcats weigh between 12 & 30

lbs and range from 2 to 2.5 feet in length.  Their tail is short 5-7 inches

(hence the name Bobcat) and they have very large paws.

Even though they look cute, they are fierce animals and can kill

animals as large as a deer (according to AZ Game & Fish).

 Thank goodness for a zoom lens!!!