An Increase In Elevation

I know I keep talking about the heat, but when it's hot in Arizona, there's not much else to talk about. Movement is kept to a minimum.  That changed this week when the Chance household said let's go to a higher elevation.  Maybe, just maybe ... it will be cooler.

This is Madera Canyon.  It sits in the Santa Rita Mountains south of Tucson.  When you look from a distance, you only see dirt and rock, but up close, there are intermittent streams galore (mostly in the winter) and lots of trees.

It's not developed like Yosemite or the Grand Canyon, but there are tent campsites and picnic areas, ripe with birds and critters for your photography pleasure.  This was one dead oak tree among the living.  There are lots of hiking trails, but beware ... this is a place of weird unpredictable weather.

You must take lots of water and food with you, along with a can of bear spray, just in case you don't want company in your tent.  Sadly, in 1958, six boy scouts went on a hike up through the canyon.  Three became tired and returned to camp.  The other three continued until they were caught in a crazy snowstorm a few miles up the steep ravine.  Ages 12-14, they were unprepared and did not survive the night.

Originally, the Tohono O'odham people lived here, not surprisingly due to the water, trees and cooler temperatures at altitude.  On this day however, the temperatures were still very high at 86 or so.  The first permanent structure here was an adobe house built by a sheepherder and his family in the 1880's.    Later it became the summer house of a Tucson merchant, who painted it white.  The canyon became known as Whitehouse Canyon.

In 1905, the land became part of the Forest Service.  The Santa Rita Trails Resort was built, including cabins, a general store and a post office.  Unfortunately, the main lodge burned down.  It was rebuilt, but erosion and sewage problems finally caused the Park Service to demolish all the buildings.

No motorhomes ... the roads are very narrow, VERY steep and curvy enough to make me carsick!!  There are a couple of cabins left, only because they are on private property

Looking like little Alpine homes amid the oak trees, there is barely room to park your car.

We saw loads of birds and some deer as we made our way back down the hill towards Green Valley.  It was early, so we took the long route around the mines.  There are more mines here than you can imagine, including the Duval, the Sierrita and the Esperanza.  

They are all copper mines with mountains like this one as far as you can see.  Most have been closed down, but we did run into one that was still operating.  It was the end of the road for us.  

As we made our way back down the mountains, we saw one small subdivision of very old mobile homes, probably set up for the mine workers.  When I saw this, I yelled STOP.  Picture time.  At first we thought this was an old barn, but on closer inspection, it actually was a house.  I may just have to make a return trip and peek inside.

This is probably the first time I haven't said "I could live there".  I do rather like running water.  The water tank was a little tipsy and I'm sure very dry.

Home again, home again.  Back to the oven we went.  I'll relay the best part of that trip tomorrow.  We found a spot where you will love to sit for hours, making this trip worth every minute.  I'm definitely going back up the mountain.