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Please click here for Part Two
Wandering
Leaving Chiricahua with no under the hood critter damage, we resupplied in Wilcox, and again consulted our mapping program. I made a suggestion.
The Lady’s response, “We’ve never been there! Let’s go!”
Mid afternoon, on narrow backcountry roads, we explored the landscape of the Ironwood Forest National Monument.
It was warm with temps approaching 80. We had to admit it was quite pleasant as we explored the area about the tucked away campsite we had selected.
Scrambling up a limestone ridge, through cholla, wearing shorts was an excellent exercise in maintaining balance and spatial awareness.
The changing light of evening was a real threat as we continued wandering on foot.
Up the next morning before dawn, we waited for first light to arrive at camp. That is a desert ironwood tree (Olneya tesota) next to the truck and all around.
This day “our morning wander” was several miles and a couple of hours. We earned our breakfast as the sun was high when we returned to the camper.
We arrived at one of our favorite spots in Kofa National Wildlife Refuge late in the afternoon.
There is so much to explore here. After many visits and poking around, so many new items are added to the list. On a previous visit we had found an old Indian trail. We had returned to walk and discover more sections of this ancient route. We left camp in the morning and headed cross country to the south.
Moving around this monolith was our first landmark.
Tucked up closer to the main mountain front was the old trail.
We are feeling like we are developing “the knack” when our searching quickly pays off with a small habitation site.
We are paying attention as to nearby resources, aspects to the sun, shelter from wind, view of surroundings; all these items and more are floating around in our minds as we survey the area.
But of course, we are always taking in the incredible natural features around us such as this spectacular dry water fall and imagine seeing it during a summer monsoon storm.
The old trail took us around to the opening of Palm Canyon.
Since this is, as the linked article states, the most visited spot in Kofa, we’ve avoided visiting. But here we were, the old trail had brought us. It’s a short, but steep, walk up the canyon and it is spectacular.
If not for the sign, perhaps many would miss seeing the palms.
Past the end of the trail, the Lady spotted a steep scramble up. We explored and found an incredible high ledge well used by bighorn sheep. The exposure was exhilarating.
We sat until all human voices faded away – several groups were on the trail far below – and then made our way back to the old trail.
We had seen this possible shelter earlier with the plan to check it out on our return.
Up she went.
The trail crosses several large braided washes where it has been erased. It takes effort and searching the opposite side of the wash system to put the puzzle together. But we managed to put the route together from Palm Canyon to Kofa Queen Canyon. It was a good day of wandering.
Our campsite was on a point high enough we had a bit of cell service. With beautiful afternoon light all around us, we were waiting for a text message.
The message arrived and the Lady was glued to her see mores.
From miles away we watched the Tiger turn off of 95 onto Palm Canyon Road. It was our dear friend Donna. We watched her progress. She stopped at the intersection with Kofa Queen Road. We gave her a call. She laughed that she was being watched. We told her the road ahead was narrow, did not require 4-wheel drive, a bump here and there, but take it slow and she’d do fine, no problem.
Now go back to the photo of the Lady and add in Julie’s continuous dialog as she watched. “You’re doing great Donna. Take it slow. Slow in and out of that wash. Good girl. You’re doing great! Remember slow and easy. Slow. Good!” I documented Donna’s ascent with the camera.
After hugs all around, she said, “Well that was a Monte and Julie road.”
With the spectacular evening vistas, and the crescent moon chasing Venus, it was all worthwhile.
Donna was out exploring on her own and we were thrilled she was able to join us for three nights. Wonderful!
“Our morning wander” the next morning took us up canyon to watch first light wash over the landscape, a very respectable occupation.
We spent the day taking Donna up canyon and showing her around.
Skull Rock.
We climbed up to the high shelter, it’s floor smooth from centuries of use, and its ceiling adorned with very faded pictographs.
I told Donna I very much appreciated her help in keeping track of the Lady. It is pretty much a full-time job. She understood, and when I asked where Julie was when we dropped our packs in the shade for lunch for an agreed upon stop, Donna quickly pointed and said, “She’s heading up there.” Here’s a telephoto shot.
It was a great day and another wonderful night. The next day the Lady and I continued our exploration of the old Indian trail. We expected that it continued past Kofa Queen and continued along the mountain front and would take us into Tunnel Mine Canyon to the north. We wanted to find out.
Crossing Kofa Queen wash.
We found sections of trail and followed them along all the ups and downs along the mountain.
The trail led into Tunnel Mine Canyon. We took a spur out to a viewpoint.
It is hard to see but the trail moves along this slope and enters the canyon. It starts high on the right edge.
And it continues a long way up the canyon.
There was a prospect up this canyon, hence the name. A long-closed road once came in from the northwest. We found its faint trace.
The canyon narrowed. We found the remains of a long-ago campsite, miners or grazers. We lost the trail when it hit the main wash. Out of the wash, the riparian vegetation was thick. It was our turnaround. We dropped the packs and enjoyed a long break.
We retraced our route back and took a last view up Tunnel Mine Canyon with afternoon light.
Donna followed us out the next morning – she and the Tiger did great - and into Quartzsite where we figured out groceries, water, propane, trash chores. Quartzsite is a different world, a very different world. We said goodbye to Donna with big hugs. She was spending another night or two off of Palm Canyon Road. The Lady and I were going much deeper into Kofa. Our adventure was just beginning.
Our adventure continues. Please click here for Part Four.
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