black hills mine road

A Rainy Day on Davis Mesa – 9/7/2016

Updated - Posted - Charles Miles
A stormy day on Davis Mesa. September 2016.
A stormy day on Davis Mesa. September 2016.

Unusual weather makes Davis Mesa seem remote and lonely – just me and the cows today. Too many clouds to see much of the San Pedro Valley to the east or the Santa Catalina Mountains to the west. The east side of the Santa Catalina Mountains – where the hills and canyons tumble into the San Pedro River – is often a good escape if you have time for the drive and a vehicle that will handle the, often rough, dirt roads. In 2011 Nathan Sayre noted in A History of Land Use and Natural Resources in the Middle San Pedro Valley, Arizona that “The current population [of the Middle San Pedro Valley], estimated at 175 year-round residents, is less than was found in the area in the early twentieth century, and probably less than occurred during some prehistoric periods.” (Journal of the Southwest, Volume 53, Number 1, Spring 2011)

 

The road across the Mesa descends towards Mesa Well and off into the clouds. September 2016.
The road across the Mesa descends towards Mesa Well and off into the clouds. September 2016.

Davis Mesa sits between Alder and Edgar Canyons. The land is part of the Six Bar Ranch – purchased by Pima County  in 2006. Cattle still graze here, as they probably have, at least periodically, for over a century. In a Pima County Conservation Report the section on the Six Bar Ranch notes that “This ranch is more remote and has limited access points so it does not get as much use as many of the other ranch properties” – certainly accurate, but considering the best case drive from Tucson probably a bit of an understatement…

Looking up Alder Canyon after parking off Black Hills Mine Road and hiking across the canyon. September 2016.
Looking up Alder Canyon after parking off Black Hills Mine Road and hiking across the canyon. September 2016.

The all-things-considered quickest access from Tucson that I am aware of is to drive thru Oracle, turn south onto Veterans Memorial Boulevard, pass San Manuel, continue on Black Hills Mine Road and eventually find a parking spot above the Ventana Windmill (probably 1.5 to 2 hours from Speedway and Campbell in Tucson) – from there it is a reasonable hike access across Alder Canyon up onto Davis Mesa…

Headless Windmill in Geesaman Wash – 8/5/2016

Updated - Posted - 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 horseshoe in the Deep Well area of Geesaman Wash. August 2016.
A flower surviving in the middle of Black Hills Mine Road. 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.

Black Hills Mine Road, Control Road Loop – 7/23/2016

Updated - Posted - Charles Miles
Cactus and stone - exploring near the Black Hills Mine Road. July 2016.
Cactus and stone – exploring near the Black Hills Mine Road. July 2016.

Friends are hiking on the top of the mountain trying to escape the heat – but it is just so hot that it seems like a good day for a slow drive on the east side – sometimes with the windows down, sometimes with the A/C on – beautiful views and short walks from the Black Hills Mine Road and the Control Road.

The ridge north of Edgar Canyon with Point 6053 in the center - from the Control Road. July 2016.
The ridge north of Edgar Canyon with Point 6053 in the center – from the Control Road. July 2016.
Sun thru the Mesquite. July 2016.
Sun thru the Mesquite. July 2016.

Ventana Windmill, Alder Canyon – 7/7/2016

Updated - Posted - Charles Miles
A baby Desert Tortoise speeding across a road above Alder Canyon. July 2016.
A baby Desert Tortoise speeding across a road above Alder Canyon. July 2016.

From Black Hills Mine Road, near Ventana Tank, a side road leaves to the south and takes you down to the bottom of Alder Canyon to the Ventana Windmill.

The remains of the Ventana Windmill in the bottom of Alder Canyon - now replaced by a solar powered pump. July 2016.
The remains of the Ventana Windmill in the bottom of Alder Canyon – now replaced by a solar powered pump. July 2016.

The Ventana Windmill is still where the map marks it – but now it lays in the canyon bottom watched over by the solar panels that replaced it – the solar pump is working well judging by the overflowing tank attracting swarms of insects.

Bees near Alder Canyon. July 2016.
Bees near Alder Canyon. July 2016.

Up a side canyon bees hang from the canyon wall – I feel lucky to see them, and lucky to have seen them before I was closer. Still in the side canyon an open sluice gate seems to suggest there was more water here at some point – but it is so dry, and hot, that it is hard to imagine. The old structure makes me think about a piece of the canyon’s history – from GOLD PLACERS AND PLACERING IN ARIZONA by Eldred D. Wilson:

ALDER CANYON PLACERS

Placer gold occurs in Alder Canyon, on the northern slope of the Santa Catalina Mountains, from near the National Forest boundary to within a few miles from the San Pedro River. These placers have been known and intermittently worked in a small way for many years. The gold-bearing gravels are reported to occur as dissected bars or benches along the stream and to some extent on the spurs between tributary gulches. The gold is coarse, flat, and ragged.

During 1932-33, a maximum of fifteen or twenty men carried on rocking, sluicing, and dry-washing operations in this field. Most of them were transients who remained only a short while and won but little gold. J. W. Lawson, postmaster at Oracle, purchased approximately $45 worth, near 936 in fineness, during the year. The Alder Canyon placers were credited with a placer gold output of $704 during 1934-40.

Water works near the Ventana Windmill in a small side canyon. July 2016.
An open sluice gate, no water in sight… An old structure near the Ventana Windmill in a small side canyon. July 2016.

From the windmill a rough road heads up Alder canyon and another climbs steeply up the other side of the canyon and continues thru a gate out onto Davis Mesa.

The road off the Black Hills Mine Road down into the bottom of Alder Canyon and to the Ventana Windmill - the tank and solar panels that power the pump that replaced the windmill are visible in the bottom of the canyon. July 2016.
Looking back from Davis Mesa at the road from the Black Hills Mine Road down into Alder Canyon and the Ventana Windmill site. July 2016.

Black Hills Mine Road – 7/7/2016

Updated - Posted - Charles Miles

Past San Manuel the road takes a hard left as it heads down to the San Pedro River – only a year or two ago the road turned to dirt near the turn, but now an unbroken path of pavement takes you towards the river. At the turn an unsigned dirt road leaves to the right – Black Hills Mine Road – FR4450. 

Cloud shadows on the hills between Black Hills Mine Road and the Santa Catalina Mountains. July 2016.
Cloud shadows on the hills between Black Hills Mine Road and the Santa Catalina Mountains. July 2016.

Black Hills Mine Road is wide and smooth at the start as it cuts straight lines thru the desert to the edge of Alder Canyon. At Alder Canyon the road climbs to the ridge between Alder Canyon and Geesaman Wash and passes the Ventana Tank.

Ventana Tank - reflections of Point 5817 between Alder and Edgar Canyons and the clouds above. July 2016.
Ventana Tank – reflections of Point 5817 between Alder and Edgar Canyons and the clouds above. July 2016.

Near Bat Well the road, now rougher and narrower, crosses over to Geesaman wash and winds towards a junction with the Control Road.

The Bat Well area off of Black Hills Mine Road. July 2016.
The Bat Well area off of Black Hills Mine Road. July 2016.

Black Hills Mine Road is best enjoyed in a high clearance vehicle with a detailed map – there are a number of dirt roads in the area and generally no signs to rely on – if exploring from the road it is helpful to have a map showing land ownership boundaries, the road passes thru a mixture of State Trust, USFS and private land. (Use of State Trust Land requires a permit.)