2016

Updated May 26, 2019 - Posted June 8, 2016 - Charles Miles

A humming bird perches in the shade near the Lower Oracle Ridge Trailhead. June 2016. — A hummingbird perches in the shade near the Lower Oracle Ridge Trailhead. June 2016.

In Oracle on an errand I hiked from the Lower Oracle Ridge Trailhead on the Oracle Ridge Trail – it was a hot day and I didn’t have time to go very far, but it didn’t matter – it was just great to spend a few minutes on the trail.

Cents for Seeds sign at FR4454. June 2016. — “CENTS FOR SEEDS” sign at FR4454. June 2016.

There is an interesting Coronado National Forest sign on the Cody Loop Road – the sign, on a small road in Oracle, and information, about a project from the late 1960s, seem, at best, obscure – but old newspaper articles quickly fill in the gaps – from the Tucson Daily Citizen, Friday, January 12, 1968, Page 13:

The second “cents-for-seeds” marker, sponsored by the Arizona Federation of Women’s Clubs (AFWC) and the Arizona Federation of Junior Women’s Clubs (AFJWC), will be unveiled and dedicated Wednesday at 2 p.m. The ceremony will take place near Camp Sue, Arizona Children’s Colony Lodge, Oracle. The day’s program will begin at 11 a.m. and Clyde W. Doran, forest supervisor, Coronado National Forest, will be master of ceremonies. Mrs. E. M. Bredwell, president of the AFWC, will talk on the “cents-for-seeds” project. Mrs. James R. Higgs, president of the AFJWC, will speak on the conservation activities of the AFJWC. Luncheon will be served by the Arizona-New Mexico Forest Products Industries Committee. Members of the Oracle Woman’s Club will be luncheon hostesses. The combined membership of these two statewide organizations is over 6,000. [?]11 member clubs support the “cents-for-seeds” project, which involves collecting funds for the reseeding of Arizona National Forests damaged by fires. Markers are erected to remind the traveling public of its responsibility to protect the land.

And more information about the fire from The Arizona Republic, Wednesday, January 17, 1968, Page 9:

The U.S. Forest Service will erect a large redwood sign commemorating the reseeding of the burn, which blackened more than 1,450 acres of grass and scrub oak near Oracle last May 20. The fire, which cost $80,000 to suppress, was started by children. It burned for two days and at one time threatened Oracle. No buildings were destroyed although the flames came as close as a quarter-mile to some Oracle homes.

Balloons - now trash - near the Arizona Trail outside of Oracle. June 2016. — Balloons – now trash – near the Arizona Trail outside of Oracle. June 2016.

More balloon trash – Balloons in the Backcountry…

Ray Spring Hill and Ray Spring – 6/3/2016

Updated May 26, 2019 - Posted June 6, 2016 - Charles Miles

Looking towards the Mountains with American Flag Hill, Rice Peak and Apache Peak (left to right) visible. June 2016. — Looking towards the Santa Catalina Mountains from Ray Spring Hill with American Flag Hill, Rice Peak and Apache Peak (left to right) visible – trash in the foreground. June 2016.

Thru Oracle, onto Mount Lemmon Road, past Oracle State Park and the C.O.D. Ranch is a rough dirt road that leads to the top of Ray Spring Hill. ‘Hill’ is good description, it is neither particularly high nor steep – but it does have a nice view of the San Pedro River Valley and the Santa Catalina Mountains. Unfortunately the short drive from the highway has probably contributed to the state of the hill – moderately trashed: beer cans, liquor bottles, the odd shell casing, broken glass, a few last pieces of trash cleared out of the back of a truck. The trash takes some of the joy out of visiting this little hill – it needs some love…

Ray Spring Hill, Ray Spring Wash and Ray Spring south of the Kannally Ranch in Oracle State Park and East of the C.O.D. Ranch on Mount Lemmon Road. June 2016.

Ray Spring Wash is below the hill to the north – less used than the hill my short walk in the bottom of the wash is a much nicer experience – Fried Eggs, Cholla, Cottonwoods and small path of dry sand eventually lead to what I assume is Ray Spring – a dry but interesting landmark at the head of the wash. Be respectful of land ownership boundaries while exploring in this area – only a small part of Ray Spring Wash is on Forest Service land – private land, State Park Land and State Trust Land all claim parts of the wash…

Fried Egg in Ray Spring Wash near Ray Spring. June 2016.

Romero Ruins, In The Mountain Shadows – 1/1/2016

Updated May 26, 2019 - Posted January 11, 2016 - Charles Miles

The Romero Ruin is a 15 acre site that was one of several large Hohokam villages in the Tucson Basin – it is located in what is now Catalina State Park. The settlement was continuously inhabited from A.D. 500 to 1450 and as many as 125 to 200 people may have lived at the settlement at its peak around A.D. 900. Around 1875 several buildings were built on the site as part of the Romero Ranch.

The Romero Ruin Interpretive Trail allows visitors to Catalina State Park to access the site. The 3/4 mile trail, constructed in the early 1990s, starts across the road from the Romero Ruins Ramada – approximately 0.8 miles down the road from the Ranger Station and Gift Shop. After crossing Sutherland Wash the trail climbs onto a hill where it winds in a loop thru the Romero Ruin. A number of informative signs along the loop provide interesting information about the site.

While the signs along the trail provide quite a bit of information there is additional information in Archaeology Southwest Magazine, Volume 27 Number 1, Winter 2013 which is an updated and expanded version of a 1996 booklet titled Archaeology in the Mountain Shadows: Exploring the Romero Ruin. These publications are short – 20 pages for the revised version – and provide concise, interesting and accessible information.

Reconstructed Romero Ranch Wall in the Romero Ruin. January 2016.

Built on top of the Hohokam settlement walls from the buildings of the Romero Ranch are still visible. Francisco and Victoriana Romero lived here briefly sometime around 1875.

Small Hohokam Ballcourt along the Romero Ruin Interpretive Trail. January 2016.

The Ballcourt along the trail is the smaller of the two identified in the ruins. Hohokam Ballcourts have also been excavated in other locations around the Tucson Basin at Sleeping Snake, Hodges, Water World and Dakota Wash. Ballcourts are thought to have been an important link between settlements – people traveled for ball games and ceremonies and the visits probably provided opportunities for trading and finding marriage partners.

View from near a trash mound in the Romero Ruin. January 2016.

Many of the features of the ruin have, to my eye, disappeared back into the desert – without the interpretive signs and information in In the Mountain Shadows I would have had no idea about the history of this area…

Top: Archaeology Southwest Magazine, Volume 27 Number 1, Winter 2013. Bottom: Archaeology in the Mountain Shadows: Exploring the Romero Ruin, 1996.

Corrals at the Gordon Hirabayashi Recreation Area – 10/6/2015

Updated May 26, 2019 - Posted October 13, 2015 - Charles Miles

The horse corrals at the end of the road in the Gordon Hirabayashi Recreation Site –

'Tucson Saddle Club'. October 2015. — Tucson Saddle Club donation sign. October 2015.

'In Memory of Richard Dawson'. October 2015. — ‘In Memory of Richard Dawson’. October 2015.

'Donated by County Line Riders of Catalina'. October 2015. — ‘Donated by County Line Riders of Catalina’. October 2015.

'Sheriff's Posse'. October 2015. — ‘Sheriff’s Posse’. October 2015.

Corrals in the Gordon Hirabayashi Recreation Area, Santa Catalina Mountains. October 2015.

I don’t know when these were built (early 2000s?) or how frequently they are used – but the County Line Riders of Catalina, Tucson Saddle Club and the Pima County Sheriff’s Posse, who donated corrals, are still active and easy to find information about.

Unfortunately I have not yet been able to find any information about the ‘In Memory of Richard Dawson’ dedication.