At 6:30am, right after sunrise, I hoisted Old Glory. A few hours later we had left to explore the northern range of the Santa Ritas, driving the route I was on Sunday but this time aiming for Box Canyon Road toward Helvetia, an old mining ghost town south of Sahuarita.
We took the long way there. We stopped at most overlooks, walked near mining claims, maneuvered around the biggest cow patties I have ever seen (Kevin: “I betchya that felt good coming out!”) and enjoyed the vistas. Hunting parties and ATVers were still out, some were leaving and others were in no hurry to leave.
Box Canyon Road earned its reputation as a scenic mountain road. How come I had never heard of it before until I came across it by accident last weekend? The road skirts around the northern foothills of the Santa Ritas, descends a lush green canyon as it meanders down into Madera Canyon. This was indisputably habitat worthy of protection.
We took the long way there. We stopped at most overlooks, walked near mining claims, maneuvered around the biggest cow patties I have ever seen (Kevin: “I betchya that felt good coming out!”) and enjoyed the vistas. Hunting parties and ATVers were still out, some were leaving and others were in no hurry to leave.
Box Canyon Road earned its reputation as a scenic mountain road. How come I had never heard of it before until I came across it by accident last weekend? The road skirts around the northern foothills of the Santa Ritas, descends a lush green canyon as it meanders down into Madera Canyon. This was indisputably habitat worthy of protection.
And the trailhead is only 40 miles away.
Green Valley lay to our west, and further to the northwest we could see the brown smog over Tucson.
But we didn’t go toward Madera Canyon.. We turned north on Santa Rita Road, then turned east again on FR505, stopped briefly at the unmarked Helvetia cemetery (all the graves were marked in Spanish; most were plain wooded crosses. Dates were between 1909 and 1927)
But we didn’t go toward Madera Canyon.. We turned north on Santa Rita Road, then turned east again on FR505, stopped briefly at the unmarked Helvetia cemetery (all the graves were marked in Spanish; most were plain wooded crosses. Dates were between 1909 and 1927)
Helvetia was named after a Swiss prospector who claimed the land in the 1850s. By the 1880s the town's copper ore had run dry and the town was abandoned in the 1920. There isn't much left of the town but a few crumbling unmarked ruins.
The Helvetia ruins were a few miles from the cemetery. This is no doubt popular ATV country. It’s also popular with careless beer drinkers who liked to leave their bottles and cans behind. As for ruins of the old mining town, just a few crumbling adobe walls remain. It's as if Nature wants to reclaim her earth and start anew. If a real town stood here back in 1899, it was hard to tell. Not far from the adobe ruins stood elegant hilltop homes overlooking the valley below. Narrow trails meandered up the hillsides from all directions. A prospector could get lost here after a few beers.
My “Gem Trails of Arizona” book (by James Mitchell and Bessie Simpson, 2001) describes this area as a rockhounder’s paradise. I have to concur. I spotted copper ore, malachite, calcite. I spent more time looking at the ground for exposed minerals than I did looking at the trails. Kevin looked for brass. The dogs ran around between the two of us.
An old bullet-riddled bus and a rusted, overturned sedan lay deserted in a wash. Rusted cans with triangular top openings littered the ground. The arid desert is replete with rusted and bullet-holed vehicles that have rolled down cliffs decades ago and remain in isolated washes.
The Helvetia ruins were a few miles from the cemetery. This is no doubt popular ATV country. It’s also popular with careless beer drinkers who liked to leave their bottles and cans behind. As for ruins of the old mining town, just a few crumbling adobe walls remain. It's as if Nature wants to reclaim her earth and start anew. If a real town stood here back in 1899, it was hard to tell. Not far from the adobe ruins stood elegant hilltop homes overlooking the valley below. Narrow trails meandered up the hillsides from all directions. A prospector could get lost here after a few beers.
My “Gem Trails of Arizona” book (by James Mitchell and Bessie Simpson, 2001) describes this area as a rockhounder’s paradise. I have to concur. I spotted copper ore, malachite, calcite. I spent more time looking at the ground for exposed minerals than I did looking at the trails. Kevin looked for brass. The dogs ran around between the two of us.
An old bullet-riddled bus and a rusted, overturned sedan lay deserted in a wash. Rusted cans with triangular top openings littered the ground. The arid desert is replete with rusted and bullet-holed vehicles that have rolled down cliffs decades ago and remain in isolated washes.
The entire mining district was covered in broken glass that reflected brightly in the early afternoon sun.
Still, this area is worth exploring again. I am glad Kevin got to see this site and he agreed that this area is easy to get to and we should explore it again soon. Weather this weekend is forecasted to hit the 80s again; it barely climbed into the mid 60s today and it was quite cool.
Still, this area is worth exploring again. I am glad Kevin got to see this site and he agreed that this area is easy to get to and we should explore it again soon. Weather this weekend is forecasted to hit the 80s again; it barely climbed into the mid 60s today and it was quite cool.
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