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Road of the Devil-- Trip Report
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RedRoxx44
Queen of the Walkabout




Joined: 15 Jan 2004
Posts: 1167

PostPosted: 3/6/2006, 8:41 am    Post subject: Road of the Devil-- Trip Report Reply to topic Reply with quote

The El Camino Del Diablo as a route of travel via foot, then horseback/wagon, then car, has about 450 years of history. The landscape is virtually unchanged. The old ones, then the Spaniards, then the prospectors etal traveled this route. Its' use in the times of the Spaniards and prospectors was to shorten the trip from Mexico to California, for the prospectors to the gold fields.
The route was to avoid the warring Apaches to the north along the Gila River----an interesting side note is in early Spanish field notes the Gila was noted to have enough water to "float a large sailing vessel"-----and make the trip unmolested.
In those times water was at a premium, the Wells dug today not in existence then. Only water maybe at Tule Tanks, then at Tinaja Altas, 100+ miles away from the Ajo vacinity.
A lot of the history deals with the grueling conditions in this beautiful desert area. It is estimated 5000 perished and were buried along the El Camino, only about 50 known gravesites today. In some early prospector notes a bizarre sight was had "about 12 animals, horses, cows, mules, mummified, and propped up in a line along the road side".
The padre Father Kino traveled this route quite often, in summer conditions, the first "car " trip was in Model A's headed up by a Mr. Pumpelly, as a first, a sightseeing, study type trip. They had tough conditions and made it to Yuma in a ragged state.

Now, with permit in hand, travel crosses lots of land posession, BLM, Organ Pipe National Park, Cabeza Prieta Wildlife Refuge, and the Barry Goldwater military range. But it's still all desert. And IMO spectacularly beautiful, the land laid out, great vistas, the mountain ranges, geologically young, stabbing the sky suddenly, no foot hills for them. The interest lays as you walk away from the road, as it is in all things. It can look empty, but many things await the explorer.

You must still be prepared, self sufficient, use your head, know how to drive in deep soft sand. Know how to help yourself.
At one place we had pulled off to inspect a wooden downed post as a possible old sign, two border patrol agents came up on quads. I explained what we were doing, held out my permit. Their reply, "we thought you were part of us, we aren't used to seeing anyone out here who isn't border patrol". Yes, our little group was it for the entire drive, except frequent, but not too frequent encounters, sightings, of Border Patrol vehicles.

This trip brought a lot of things for me, solitude, comraderie, discovery, comfort, laughter, sheer joy of being out in a great landscape, and able to share it with others of like mind.

We started out early Sat, meeting finally at a car campsite about 5 miles along the road my coworkers had picked out. We made introductions, got our radios set----a real asset, will have to get some for myself---- and took off. Sun was coming up, and we spread out with the dusty driving, but could talk back and forth comfortably. The main cast: myself, Hooli, desertgirl, Rich, Azhiker96, Deandra, KIM, Allan, Lawrence and Clarence. I nicknamed the last four "the mountain goats".
The driving consisted of some stops to stretch our legs, look at the landscape, make inspections of the plants and animals. Desertgirl has some amazing Jackrabbit --or is it Jackalope---pictures. The creosote in areas and in general the plants were quite green, considering the lack of rain, and looked very healthy. Even had some flowers!!!
Clarence, who is into Alpine climbing and all that, was itching to run up anything vertical he could find. We stopped at the Dave O'Neill grave right by the road. Plenty of money of an international and casino flavor left on it. Legend has it he died when he was drunk and fell face down in a mud hole, thereby becoming the only person to drown in this arid area. Supposedly he has been dug up a couple of times too, the first time two weeks after he was buried, after the fellows that buried him ran out of tobacco and recalled he had some in his pockets.
We arrived at the Pinacate Lava flow for our short hike, and "the mountain goats" climbed up a couple of cinder cones, while I was content with one.

Crossing Las Playas we had some pretty deep sand, I played in the Jeep and ended up nose diving in one section, a cloud of white around my vehicle and I could see nothing. No one got stuck or had any trouble. This is mostly why 4wd is required in this and the more western sections of the road. The group spread out, some went on to camp at Tule Well, my coworkers and I climbed a hill at Gravestone Pass for great views out the Pinacate plains, and the land below. I spotted some elephant trees on the slope, a native of Mexico, relatively rare in the US. The only other grove I know of is in Anza Borrego.

At camp I took a short solo walk down a closed road to see if it led to the Tule Tanks, it didn't but was a beautiful evening walk about an hour just the same. We gathered around the fire ring complete with fire logs ( no wood burning out here) and talked, laughed, and relaxed the evening. Lawrence scoped things out with his night vision. We had no visitors and were not bothered. The boys had brought a tent larger than an RV and invited anyone who was uneasy to stay with them.
The morning I uncharacteristically slept in, got a few sunrise shots. The mountain goats wanted to go climb a high peak about a half mile away before breakfast and took off. I went down the road aways and walked toward an interesting rock outcropping that I had a certain feeling about. It was very prominent on a small plain, and lined up with a sharp peak I plan on climbing, and had several small alcoves in it.
I was rewarded by a cairn with a 1940 survey marker, more ordinance, an area of triangular shaped geode like crystals, an old pathway, then an old road bed, in my thoughts I would like to think part of the original Camino, as the roads tended to follow established routes if allowed by topography.
At the rock outcropping my alcove was small, hearth like. I sat there then idly dug the floor with a rock, scrape, scrape,a quarter inch, then maybe a half. A little more, past a packed portion, then it yielded some wood chips. Blackened ends, had been burned. I rebury this campfire site. In my imagination I see a ceremonial fire here, below on the plain lots of fires, temporary structures, not tepees. I see a rock nearby and on it an offering. I see brightly colored clothing, feathers, hear the rattle of sea shell necklackes. It's Aztec in nature. There is song and dance and sacrifice. I have to smile, what an imagination I have.
The pointed mountain stands alone, with a summit promising incredible 360 views. It will be for me, just not this day. I return to camp, the fast summiteers back from their peak bagging, with tales of the trip and their finds.
We head out, marveling at the fantastic geology of the Cabeza Prieta mountains, and the distant Tinaja Altas mountains arising like a serrated blade at the far end of the plain. A stop we make has us all out of our vehicles and searching, using the radios to talk back and forth. Ambika and I locate the old marker, a grave site or memorial for a Mexican family that perished out here in the 1880's. It is a stylized figure of 8, very old, rocks cemented in the ground. Again legend has it that their glass demijohn fell off the wagon and broke, but the most supported idea seems to be death from Indian attack.
This day the surreal blue skies and clarity make it seem a peaceful desirable spot.

Drive on a sandy track to the Tinaja Altas mountains. The turnoff is marked, but there is a network of roads running along the mountain range face. My poor memory finally took me to the last turnoff, of course. We climbed the granite, took in the sights, I was surprised that the lower tank held quite a bit of murky green water. George was exploring and he called out, "there are paintings here", well I was over there in a flash. I jammed a twelve foot crack to climb up, got some pictures, and got out a different way. I think he got some better ones at his angle.
It was getting late in the day when we finally got to Wellton, after some backtracking here and there. As I drove home on I-8 I had some more reflecting to do.

This is a hard, wonderful area. But be afraid, be very afraid, stay home if you can. Don't come here, there are risks, and all is not secure. Stay home so there is more for me, as I will be coming here again and again if I can. So will others, but if we play our cards right, not many.
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evenstar





Joined: 03 Jan 2003
Posts: 5548
Location: SCW by way of CA

PostPosted: 3/6/2006, 8:54 am    Post subject: Reply to topic Reply with quote

Wonderful writeup, Letty, as I knew it would be coming from your heart. Thanks for being "volunteered". Very Happy And thanks again for leading us through this awesome landscape.
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John Richardson and Richie Rich, El Perro de Playero
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When the Man waked up he said, "What is Wild Dog doing here?" And the Woman said, "His name is not Wild Dog anymore, but the First Friend, because he will be our friend for always and always and always. Take him with you when you go hunting."
--Rudyard Kipling, from Just So Stories, 1902
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desertgirl





Joined: 19 Jan 2003
Posts: 3350
Location: Chandler, AZ

PostPosted: 3/6/2006, 10:45 am    Post subject: Reply to topic Reply with quote

Thanks Letty for the great write up Very Happy and even more importantly sharing a pristine wild corner of AZ in a very unstructured format Very Happy

It was very liberating that we had the time to wander as we pleased; test our limits and do nothing if we chose to Smile

Tinaja Altas mountains -- Definitely a revisit Ok
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Life is but a dream ...there is no end to what you can dream!
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evenstar





Joined: 03 Jan 2003
Posts: 5548
Location: SCW by way of CA

PostPosted: 3/6/2006, 10:53 am    Post subject: Reply to topic Reply with quote

My photos are up; others can nest theirs with it if they'd like.
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John Richardson and Richie Rich, El Perro de Playero
http://members.tripod.com/~evenstar/index.html
http://www.arizonahikers.com
When the Man waked up he said, "What is Wild Dog doing here?" And the Woman said, "His name is not Wild Dog anymore, but the First Friend, because he will be our friend for always and always and always. Take him with you when you go hunting."
--Rudyard Kipling, from Just So Stories, 1902
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Tom Treks
Gear Addict




Joined: 12 Jan 2003
Posts: 3347

PostPosted: 3/6/2006, 11:23 am    Post subject: Reply to topic Reply with quote

Great write-up Letty. Great pics Hooli.

Looks like a fun adventure out there.
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BoyNhisDog
The dangerous place where the winds meet




Joined: 05 Jan 2003
Posts: 1375
Location: Tucson

PostPosted: 3/6/2006, 12:20 pm    Post subject: Reply to topic Reply with quote

Amazing adventure. The insights are truly to be savored.
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Arizonaheat
Got Supes Juice?




Joined: 04 Jan 2003
Posts: 1741
Location: Mesa, AZ

PostPosted: 3/6/2006, 3:48 pm    Post subject: Reply to topic Reply with quote

Great write up per usual Letty. I knew you guys were going to have a blast and thought of you all often over the weekend. I wish we could have made the trek with you, but our weekend was rewarding as well.
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azhiker96





Joined: 05 Jan 2003
Posts: 1419

PostPosted: 3/6/2006, 4:26 pm    Post subject: Reply to topic Reply with quote

My pictures are up.
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RedRoxx44
Queen of the Walkabout




Joined: 15 Jan 2004
Posts: 1167

PostPosted: 3/6/2006, 6:24 pm    Post subject: Reply to topic Reply with quote

Finally got ALL my pictures up, had a little trouble with the upload. Enjoying everyone's view of trip. I'm calling Jerry tonight to see if he is up for peak bagging out of Tule Well this weekend. George??? How about it, Kim???
Pmail me if interested. My plans are not set just yet.
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KIM*





Joined: 23 Nov 2005
Posts: 22
Location: Phoenix

PostPosted: 3/6/2006, 9:43 pm    Post subject: Reply to topic Reply with quote

Hi Everyone-

I had such a great weekend. It was nice to finally meet Ambika, Letty, John, and Richard !!! Thanks to the "Mountain Goats" for getting me up in the morning(I'm not a morning person)to go hiking. It was a great way to start the day.
Letty, thanks for taking the time to explain everything to us. Great job on researching the area.

George and Dee- Thanks for driving

Hopefully, I will see you all on future hikes(I'm always up for a "ruin" hike)...and, of course, I'll bring the smores.
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Desert-Boonie





Joined: 23 Nov 2004
Posts: 219
Location: Glendale, AZ

PostPosted: 3/7/2006, 4:41 pm    Post subject: Reply to topic Reply with quote

Great write-up. Lot's of history down there. Thanks for sharing that with everyone. If I was on that trip I would probably have been one of the mountain goats as well.

Ken
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Nighthiker





Joined: 05 Jan 2003
Posts: 1714

PostPosted: 3/7/2006, 5:44 pm    Post subject: Reply to topic Reply with quote

I noted the rock art in some of the photographs, could anyone tell if the were pecked in then painted or just painted on the ceiling ?

Years ago while visiting the area with a ranger, we came acros what I thought was a grave. THe rocks had been scattered and the ranger advised me that it was a sleeping circle used by the prehistoric indians.
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azhiker96





Joined: 05 Jan 2003
Posts: 1419

PostPosted: 3/7/2006, 7:13 pm    Post subject: Reply to topic Reply with quote

The ones I was able to get close to were just painted. Some were very faided also. I only posted the more vibrant ones.
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desertgirl





Joined: 19 Jan 2003
Posts: 3350
Location: Chandler, AZ

PostPosted: 4/2/2006, 1:03 pm    Post subject: Reply to topic Reply with quote

I finally have my pictures up ...

http://www.arizonahikers.com/forum/modules.php?set_albumName=albvg42&op=modload&name=gallery&file=index&include=view_album.php&page=1
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IGO





Joined: 08 Feb 2005
Posts: 4144
Location: Las Vegas

PostPosted: 4/2/2006, 4:28 pm    Post subject: Reply to topic Reply with quote

I always like looking at you pictures. Even the ones with the funny lookin' guy in them.
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