Cochise, Arizona April 22, 2017

Cochise, Arizona, is located about 20 miles east of Wilcox off of Interstate 10. The semi-ghost town is located off of Highway 191 which runs south to Douglas, Arizona. Today about 25 people mostly ranchers live in a town that used to have 3,000. There are a number of interesting buildings from the 1800s. If a visitor likes to watch trains the Union Pacific runs through town with about 30 to 40 trains daily.

Cochise is different in that it was created as a water and fuel stop for the Southern Pacific. In 1882 John Rath built the Cochise Hotel to serve railroad workers. Over time the town's population reached 3,000 as more individuals moved to the area to ranch. In 1889 Billy Stiles and Matt Burts robbed a train on the Southern Pacific they were eventually caught by a tip from a informant.  In 1903 the Arizona and Colorado built a branch line to Courtland, Arizona, to the south. The ultimate aim was to build the line all the way to Naco and finally Mexico. In 1909 construction of the line came to a halt in the Arizona desert and was never completed because of declining revenue from the mines around Courtland. In 1931 SP abandoned the line. Cochise, Arizona, declined because of the diesel locomotive and ability to go longer distances between stops. (Information from: Arizona Ghost Towns and Mining Camps by Philip Varney and http://www.abandonedrails.com/Cochise-Douglas_Branch)

Gem and Mineral Show Tucson, Arizona February 2017

                          Beautiful table at Kino location

Every year Tucson, Arizona, hosts the largest gem and mineral show in the United States. The show lasts for about two weeks with about 50 locations around town. If you are a vendor or buyer you can find pretty much anything from azurite to quartzite. This year I discovered the show has many fossils along with dinosaur skeletons. The problem is that many of the vendors can be pushy about buying something and there are many knockoff fossils. However, if you do want to buy earrings or a gem good buys can be had. The following photos are from three different locations at the show: Kino, 22nd Street and the fossil COOP.

The following photos are from Kino location which has four large tents, food and hundreds of sellers.

                             Sea Horse illuminated with light

                                           Jellyfish

                                                 Mineral displays

                                          Big Trilobite fossils

                            Geodes

The next group of photos is from 22nd Street which is known for its fossils and dinosaur bones.

                                    Dinosaur skeleton

                                   Dinosaur bone

             Moroccan Cretacious dinosaur skulls

                  T-Rex with prey. I am pretty sure this was staged because it would be a rare find to have a T-Rex with prey in its mouth preserved.

                   American Mastadon tusk

                        Romanian Cave Bear

                                        Meteorite from Russia

                          Triceratops head for $225,000

                     Water dinosaur

   Claudiosaurus

The next photos are from the COOP off of Stone Avenue.

                   Whole skeleton. Don't want to back up without looking

                                   Wooly Mammoth

                             Leaf fossils with another dinosaur skeleton
   

                              Love this fish

Cienegas Nature Preserve, Arizona Spring 2017

                  Q at the Union Pacific trestle train watching late in the day

This past Spring I discovered a gem about 40 minutes east of Tucson called Cienegas Nature Preserve. The preserve combines many of my passions into one area including train watching, hiking, and riparian areas.Since my first visit with Q I have been back multiple times. The main entrance point is at the Gabe Zimmerman Davidson Canyon Trailhead on Marsh Station Road. This trailhead is one of the main access points for the Arizona Trail in this area as well as providing access to trails that run along Cienegas Creek. The Union Pacific operates on two tracks in the area so there are many locations to view trains in the area. For train watchers the best place to watch trains is just passed Gabe Zimmerman where trains cross Cienegas Creek on a large trestle. Be sure to not walk on the railroad tracks and always expect a train.

The Pima County regional Flood Control District acquired 4,000 acres in order to preserve and protect a perennial  stream as well as biological resources in the area. Because of the mission at Cienegas, Pima Country requires visitors to acquire a permit which is free of charge. There are also regulations that seek to preserve the stream including dogs having to be on leash, no campfires, no shooting and no camping.   (Information from http://webcms.pima.gov)

                            Cienegas creek and lush riparian vegetation

                              Q and I watching freight train while walking in preserve

                                  Cool tree along bank of creek

                        Penstemon

                               Another cool tree

                          Westbound stack train crossing trestle. Eastbounds take lower track.

Tonto National Monument April 6, 2017

                           Artifacts at upper dwelling

Directions and General Information: Tonto National Monument is located off of Highway 188 near Roosevelt Lake about 15 to 20 miles north of Globe, Arizona. The monument was created to protect two Salado cliff dwellings. The lower cliff dwelling is accessible by a 1 mile round trip hike. The upper cliff dwelling is accessible by guided tour only September through April.  I visited Tonto in early April because it was one of their final weekends that the tour to the upper dwelling was offered before summer. The upper cliff dwelling has less damage which is one of the reasons it is accessible only by tour. During the summer the trail is not shaded and really hot for visitors. If you go the entrance fee is $5 per person but all Interagency passes are accepted. Presently the trail to the lower dwelling is only open from 8 am to 1 pm but the visitor center is open until 5 pm.

History of the Salado Peoples: Prior to 1250 CE the Ancestral Pueblans (Salado People)  migrated from the Colorado Plateau and the Mogollon Plateau in search of a permanent and stable homeland. They settled in the Tonto Basin because of its abundance of water and wild game. From about 1250 to 1450 the Salado People created irrigation canals to create crops, harvested wild plants and hunted game. Around 1450 the climate changed negatively effecting the Ancestral Pueblans. The region became more arid with a falling water table and there were more prolonged droughts. During certain months of the year catastrophic flooding damaged the irrigation canals rendering farm land useless. By 1450 the Salado people began to move to out of basin. (Information from www.nps.gov)

               Me at the upper cliff dwelling

                  Blooming Hedgehog cactus

                         Lower cliff dwelling

                          Upper cliff dwelling

                   Upper cliff dwelling

                  Trail to upper cliff dwelling, about three miles round trip

                      Upper cliff dwelling with Roosevelt Lake in back ground

                  Looking out toward Roosevelt Lake; upper cliff dwelling

                   Rock overhang; upper cliff dwelling

                   More rooms at the upper cliff dwelling

             Looking toward Roosevelt Lake on trail to upper cliff dwelling

Camp Rucker, Arizona April 5, 2017

                               Rucker adobe building

The ruins for Camp Rucker, Arizona are located off of Highway 191 on Rucker Canyon Road. If you are driving from Tucson, Arizona, it is about a 2.5 to 3 hour drive. Rucker Canyon Road is unpaved and passable to passenger cars under good conditions. I would not take a passenger car on this road during the monsoon season because of  mud as well as wash crossings that may become treacherous during periods of heavy rain.

History: Camp Rucker is an old military fort associated with the Apache Indian Wars between the years of 1876 and 1886. In June of 1876 the Chiricahua Apache Indian Reservation was abolished and the San Carlos Reservation on the Salt River was created removing the Chiricahua Apaches. The United States policy was any Apache not on the reservation was considered a renegade Indian. To aid in finding and removing Apaches not at San Carlos the military created Camp Supply near the Mexico border. After Mexico and Sonora objected to its location the camp was relocated to Rucker Canyon. From April to June of 1878 two companies of Indian Scouts: Companies C and D were stationed at Rucker under the direction of Lieutenants Rucker and Henely. In July of 1878 a tragedy occurred when both Rucker and Henely were killed during a flood in Rucker Canyon. Afterwards the camp was renamed Camp Rucker to recognize the Lieutenant. Later, Rucker received extensive use during the Geronimo campaign when the 4th Calvalry and more Indian Scouts were stationed here. The camp would soon be decommissioned after Fort Bowie to the north. From 1888 to 1970 four families used the area as headquarters for a home and ranch.

Since the Forest Service acquired the property in 1970 they have managed the buildings in a state of suspended decay maintaining them so they will not fall apart but not restoring them back to original condition. Today there are five or six buildings along with ruins that visitors can enjoy. A path takes visitors to each building and signs give interpretative information on the area's history. If you go please do not deface buildings or remove artifacts.  Also I would advise keeping a lookout for snakes because of the long grass (Information from Forest Service signage).

                           Some of the buildings you can go into

                    The barn used by the families

                      Another building on the grounds

                   Adobe ruins

                               Pretty sure these are ruins of the store