2017

Updated May 26, 2019 - Posted February 1, 2017 - Charles Miles

Looking back at the Point 3224 in the Black Hills from an old road to the east. January 2017.

East of Black Hills Mine Road, west of the San Pedro River, north of Stratton Wash and south of Catalina Wash the Black Hills rise out of the desert on Arizona State Trust Land. A packet of information online via the Arizona Geological Survey details the mining history back into the 1940s.

1947 – “Mr. Reuss and his partner acquired the Black Hills property several years ago. They built a road to it, constructed a camp, and equipped it with a small compressor and accessory tools. The partners then spent nearly two years developing the area. The chief work is a crosscut tunnel about 200 feet in length. Development abandoned when the partners ran out of funds to carry on.”

1955 – “Proposed Plans Operators wish to sell the limestone or lime to the San Manuel Copper Corp. by selling the limestone as mined, or by installing a lime kiln to treat the limestone.”

1983 – “The Magma Copper Co. owns the original Black Hills Mine, Pinal County and its associated patented claims covering most of the west half of Section 19, T10S RI8E. The company also owns all of the adjacent Section 24, T10S RI7E; in the NE 1/4 of this section lies the current Black Hills limestone quarry where, according to company officials, enough limestone has been mined and stockpiled to last some 10 years.”

For this hike I parked in a pull out on the west side of Redington Road just south of Stratton Wash and walked up the wash to the Black Hills. Stratton Wash and the Black Hills are on Arizona State Trust Land, a permit is required. The area around the quarry between the Black Hills and Black Hills Mine Road is private property – the mix of land ownership in this area makes it valuable to have a map showing property boundaries if you are exploring.

Much of San Pedro River east of the Santa Catalina Mountains (north of Redington Road meeting the river, south of San Manuel/Magma Copper) is surrounded by private land – however Stratton Wash east of Redington Road down to (and across) the San Pedro River is on Arizona State Trust Land – walking down to the (usually dry) river is an interesting way to start the day before walking up canyon to the Black Hills.

Above the San Pedro – 8/20/2016

Updated May 26, 2019 - Posted September 3, 2016 - Charles Miles

A rattlesnake watches after warning us away - on a small ridge above the San Pedro. August 2016. — A rattlesnake watches after warning us away – on a small ridge above the San Pedro. August 2016.

A hint of trail leads us away from a road thru Pima County’s A-7 Ranch and out onto a ridge above the San Pedro River. The fields below and occasional engine noise make it clear that this isn’t pure wilderness – but we are alone with the creosote and cactus.

The sparse population and relatively long drive into the valley mean that there are many (maybe a limitless number?) of small, subtle, seldom visited places to enjoy – better perhaps that the drive into the valley today still reminds me of this passage in the conclusion of Bernard W. Muffley’s excellent 1938 thesis The History of the Lower San Pedro Valley in Arizona (pp. 71-72):

Possibly one reason why the lower San Pedro Valley was never a cohesive unit lies in the fact that there were no good roads. The Leach Route of 1857-58 had been only a clearing in the mesquite wide enough to permit the passage of a wagon. This road had never been extensively used. The later roads were developed from trails made by the early settlers. By 1930, the quality of the highways in the lower San Pedro Valley was much below the general state average. Even then, if a traveler wanted to go from Reddington to Mammoth by automobile the best route was by Tucson, a distance of 130 miles to cover what might easily be a level highway of less than thirty miles.

Another description from The History of the Lower San Pedro Valley in Arizona that still seems relevant today (pp. 57-58):

The story of the farms was the saddest part of the history of the lower San Pedro Valley. Once a hardy, ambitious, energetic class wrested many fertile acres from the mesquite and rocks. By 1904 the river had carved away the choice pieces of land. The more energetic of the settlers had moved on to places of greater promise. Ditches from the river were difficult to keep in place, and many an acre of land was allowed to grow into a mesquite thicket. Farmers found it easier to keep a few head of range cattle and forget about tilling the soil. One by one, as the large barns or fine homes collapsed or were destroyed, mud shacks or sheet iron sheds took their places. Along the San Pedro where once, more than fifty fine farms were to be seen, by 1930 only a few remained, and they were fast deteriorating. Only in Aravaipa Canyon did the farms retain a semblance of their old beauty.

The Santa Catalina Mountains from a ranch road on the A-7. August 2016.

Sunset and Storms, The Cordones – 8/13/2016

Updated May 26, 2019 - Posted August 18, 2016 - Charles Miles

A beautiful Santa Catalina sunset from the The Cordones north of Catalina. August 2016.

Sunset from The Cordones north of Catalina. August 2016.

It took many years for me to realize that Arizona State Trust Land is an important portion of the lands that give Southern Arizona its character and feel – a glance at the Arizona State Trust Land Parcel Viewer shows (in blue) the large amount of Arizona State Trust Land around, at the border of and between Southern Arizona’s Sky Islands. The east side of the Santa Catalina Mountains would be a very different place without public access (for a fee) to the land that is currently owned by the State Trust.

A screen shot from the Arizona State Land Trust Parcel Viewer - the colored areas are Arizona State Trust Land. August 2016. — A screen shot from the Arizona State Land Trust Parcel Viewer – the colored areas are Arizona State Trust Land. August 2016.

North of Catalina, just past E. Saddlebrooke Blvd, a section of State Trust land covers an area labeled ‘The Cordones’. Several roads lead out into the area and in some spots the combinations of ridges, washes and hills conspire to hide many of the nearby roads and homes – occasionally making the area feel a bit more remote than it really is. I intended to catch the sunset – but being there for a storm was just good luck…

Lightning and storm over the Santa Catalina Mountains. August 2016.

Lightning over the Santa Catalina Mountains. August 2016.

Headless Windmill in Geesaman Wash – 8/5/2016

Updated May 26, 2019 - Posted August 17, 2016 - Charles Miles

Headless Windmill in Geesaman Wash at 'Deep Well'. August 2016. — Headless Windmill in Geesaman Wash at ‘Deep Well’. August 2016.

As a result of the mining and ranching history on the east side of the Santa Catalina Mountains there are a seemingly infinite number of dirt roads criss-crossing the landscape. One of these roads splits off from the Black Hills Mine road and works along the ridge between the Geesaman and Stratton Washes. Below the road, in Geesaman Wash, at a site labeled ‘Deep Well’ a headless windmill stands near a large, impressively full, water tank – the solar panels that replaced the windmill sit below the old tower.

Finley Geesaman, 1830-1917, staked a number of claims in the Old Hat Mining district and this wash and a mine group higher on the mountain bear his name. A short obituary appeared in the Arizona Daily Star on December 18, 1917:

Finley Geesaman.

Up to 9 o’clock last night, pioneers of Tucson visited the Reilly Undertaking parolrs [sic] to take a last look at the long familiar features of Finley Gessaman [sic], who died Saturday night at a local hospital after a brief illness, at the age of 87. The remains will be shipped this morning to his boyhood home, Quincy, Ill., to rest beside the graves of his father and mother. Mr. Gessaman is survived by a number of nephews and nieces, beneficiaries under his will of an estate estimated at about $60,000. His holdings include a number of claims in the Catalina mountains. Once the owner of the old Condon mines, he sold them to the Copper Queen Consolidated Mining company.

There are two photos of F. Geesaman in the Geesaman Family Newsletter #11 (Volume III, July, 1977, No. 3) – a portrait and a photo of Geesaman in the door of a cabin in the Santa Catalina Mountains. These photos accompany a letter written by Geo. P. Myers to Miss Amanda F. Geesaman of Rouzerville, Pa. after Geesaman’s death.

A horseshoe in the Deep Well area of Geesaman Wash. August 2016.

A flower surviving in the middle of Black Hills Mine Road. August 2016.

Marked on the map as 'Drill Hole' this small site sits on the slope of Alder Canyon below Black Hills Mine Road. August 2016. — Marked on the map as ‘Drill Hole’ this small site sits on the slope of Alder Canyon below Black Hills Mine Road. August 2016.

Pink Tank – 7/12/2016

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

Ocotillo under blue skies and blazing sun on the way out to Pink Tank. July 2016. — Ocotillo under blue skies and a blazing sun on the way out to Pink Tank. July 2016.

Pink Tank is one of the seemingly infinite number of named tanks scattered across Southern Arizona – I am not sure why so many have names, perhaps because the water they – sometimes – hold is so important? Or maybe just because the effort to build a tank in, essentially, the middle of nowhere takes enough effort that someone wanted it remembered?

Pink Tank on the east side of the Santa Catalina Mountains - near the road out to the Brush Corral Trailhead. July 2016. — Pink Tank on the east side of the Santa Catalina Mountains – near FR4407 out to the Brush Corral Trailhead. July 2016.

An old road splits from FR4407 and leads out to a flat area above the tank – there is an obvious fire ring, but it doesn’t look frequently used. Pink Tank is holding more water than I expected and the green grass is a slight surprise – as is the generous amount of deep soft mud around the tank and under the grass. It is the middle of a hot day so I don’t stay long before making the short hike back.

Seemingly endless creosote with the Santa Catalina Mountains in the distance, walking back to FR 4407 from Pink Tank. July 2016.

I assume these tanks will be a visible part of the landscape for many many years – I wonder if there is a future where water concerns and ranches are distant memories and someone will try to match the locations of tanks to patterns – constellations, Arizona cities, position of solar and lunar events – assuming there must a greater purpose – something more than a more water and more cattle – behind the decision to spend time and effort creating endless tanks across the desert.