A day in the Southern Arizona desert

[Hedgehog]

Saturday found me sitting around the house with nothing interesting to do, then the thought came to me, "I wonder where that trail goes?" The day was over caste and relatively cool. Next thing I knew I was loading ice in the coolers in the CJ with Gator Aid and Mountain Dew.

About 30 miles north on the frontage road we pulled off the road to look at a piece of desert. While poking along something caught my eye so we stopped to look and watched a coyote wandering along. The poor thing was being harassed by a couple ravens. The coyote would move along, the ravens diving on him from about 10 feet. The coyote would stop and the ravens would land or actually peck the coyotes back.

After a few minutes we headed north and finally into the desert. The trail was disappointing.




A side view of the desert. Dry isn't it.....








After a little time the road just stopped! This isn't uncommon, but is frustrating.



This is very Arizona, a herd of range cows. They were friendly, as range cows can be, but stubborn. The CJ would move a little and one heifer would move, I'd move little more and the next heifer would stare me down for a while. The picture ia actually after We got through the herd and they are moving away. It did seem like a stand off as to who would get to the gate and who wouldn't.

Every now and then the desert serves up a little unexpected gift.






WHATS THIS! OMG this is a real and honest piece of the cowboy south west, not a movie set, but a real honest stage stop. The building with the porch was the stage stop, the building behind it was an honest to goodness one room desert school house. In the second picture you can look past the stop and see the mesquite corral for the stage horses. According to the historic marker around the turn of the century the place was turned into a home stead. During that time the building was expanded with a taller roof and an extra room. Folks, this place is so small it wouldn't make a decent garage today and people lived there very comfortably for years.



This sort of memorial is fairly common out here. While family is still alive so is the memory of where lives were lived.

All in all the day was uneventful. The few surprises the day offered were welcome.

 

[hole]

I haven't had the chance to see too much of the Arizona side of the desert, with the minor exception of the Bullhead area, but I love nothing more than being out in the desert. Especially the Mojave. Prepping now for a 4 day trip in early May , going through the New York Mountains in particular, checking out old cabins and gold mines. Nothing better than being miles from nowhere and seeing no one for the entire trip. Gotta love the desert

 

[Peanut Butter]

I love the dessert. Most people hate it. Spent several days in Big Bend Country in my Jeep Cherokee. Loved it. Visited an old Quick Silver Mine. It was a blast. Rod

 

[Torxhead]

Exploring the desert is one of my types of wheeling, thanks for sending that in. From what I have read Southern Az. is a great place to wheel, and you have it right at your doorstep.

 

[Hedgehog]

Yes ..... yes I do.

But, its changing - trails are closing, fees have been added, houses are popping up all over the place. I know things change, but .... well it does no good to complain.