2017 Peppersauce Roundup – 9/23/2017

Starting the 8 mile Peppersauce Stampede - part of the 2017 Peppersauce Roundup. September 2017.
Starting the 8 mile Peppersauce Stampede – part of the 2017 Peppersauce Roundup. September 2017.

The start line of the Peppersauce Stampede – light rain, cool temperatures and beautiful light on the Galiuro Mountains across the San Pedro River. A great morning for a run – down the Control Road, dirt roads up to the High Jinks Ranch and a loop back to Arizona Zipline Adventures via the Arizona Trail/Cody Trail.

After the run I ate breakfast and watched as more and more people arrived – it was great to see so many people out and enjoying this part of the mountain! The Oracle Ford Peppersauce Roundup includes the Stampede Runs, Gravel Grinder Mountain Bike races, music, gear expo, camping, food, beer and, of course, the Zipline.

This was the 2nd year for the event and it is hard to imagine that it won’t happen again next year!

Eating breakfast at Arizona Zipline Adventures after the Peppersauce Stampede during the 2017 Peppersauce Roundup. September 2017.
Eating breakfast at Arizona Zipline Adventures after the Peppersauce Stampede during the 2017 Peppersauce Roundup. September 2017.

Campo Bonito, High Jinks – 9/19/2016

September 2016.
A rusted tank in Campo Bonito. September 2016.

Campo Bonito

Background – Islands in the Desert (p. 131):

Any history of mining has several inherent problems. For one thing the usual practice of relying upon relying upon contemporary or primary sources turns topsy-turvy. Such sources are often suspect, since mine owners and other interested parties deliberately sought to enhance the value of their properties, promoting them to raise capital for their development or to attract a purchaser.

Origin of the name – Look to the Mountains, An in-depth look into the lives and times of the people who shaped the history of the Catalina Mountains (p.28):

[Doctor Scudder] had dreams of a chicken ranch. By looking in a Spanish dictionary, he came up with a name for the beautiful area. “Listen! Campo Bonito. Did you ever hear anything equal to that?”

Origin of the fame – Look to the Mountains, An in-depth look into the lives and times of the people who shaped the history of the Catalina Mountains (p.28):

Later Captain Burgess sold mining claims to the well known scout, William F. Cody, better known as Buffalo Bill. Cody’s fame was well earned, but not for his sound investiments. Perhaps Burgess knew this and took advantage of his old friend.

Camp Bonito never produced the fortune that Cody hoped for – not a unique, or even uncommon, story –  this concise summary from Islands in the Desert (p.132) seems relevant:

another fact of frontier life, which was that profits were most commonly sought through buying and selling mining properties, rather than by developing them.

September 2016.
Freshly worked trail and a recently added sign on the Cody trail where a side trail splits off to the High Jinks Ranch. September 2016.

The High Jinks was another Cody mine that never produced the riches he had hoped for – the property, a National Historic Site, is located above Camp Bonito just off the Cody Trail, the route of the Arizona Trail – see the High Jinks Ranch for more information.

September 2016.
Looking back on the High Jinks area from the Cody Trail. September 2016.