“I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.” — L.M. MONTGOMERY OCTOBER 2013 Better Here Here Better in Vermontin Than It Is It Is Than & Autumn Autumn Why It’s It’s Why ESCAPE • EXPLORE •EXPERIENCE •EXPLORE ESCAPE WHERE TO SEE FALL SEE LEAVES TO WHERE PLUS: BISBEE •PATAGONIA •COTTONWOODS •CHINLE •THE VELVET ELVIS •J.P.S. BROWN

THE MYSTERY OF THE SOUTH RIM SWIMMING POOL •GRANT HILL LOOP [and make great photographs] , Grand Canyon Grand Creek, Havasu

Grand Canyon National Park CONTENTS 10.13 Chinle Tuba City 2 EDITOR’S LETTER 3 CONTRIBUTORS 4 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 56 WHERE IS THIS? > > > Flagstaff

Prescott 5 THE JOURNAL 42 ONE GILLETTE 50 A CALMING INFLUENCE People, places and things from around the state, including Prescott’s PHOENIX Joe Brown became a cowboy when he was 8. He was young, Nikki Cooley is quiet. But don’t confuse that with being resident ghost and her ghost-cat companion; Fremont cottonwoods; and it showed. His first day on the job, he worked barefoot introverted. She isn’t. In addition to being one of the first Tucson and Patagonia, our hometown of the month. and bareheaded, with just a can of tomatoes and six sal- female Navajo river guides, she helped establish the Native Patagonia tines in his belly. He learned a lot of lessons on that initial American River Guide Training Program, which encourages Bisbee Nogales 16 AUTUMN IN ride, including one about razor blades. Native and indigenous people to follow in her footsteps. • POINTS OF INTEREST IN THIS ISSUE There are many stereotypes about our state, including the one about AN ESSAY BY J.P.S. BROWN BY KELLY VAUGHN KRAMER the seasons — or the lack thereof. The truth is, Arizona does have ILLUSTRATIONS BY CHRIS GALL PHOTOGRAPH BY JOHN BURCHAM winter, spring, summer and fall, and the latter might be the most spec- GET MORE ONLINE tacular in America. Not because our leaves are more colorful than they 46 IS THAT A SWIMMING POOL 52 SCENIC DRIVE www.arizonahighways.com are in Vermont, but because the season here is so much longer. ON THE SOUTH RIM? Chinle to Cove: Like many of Arizona’s scenic A PORTFOLIO EDITED BY JEFF KIDA wonders, the route from Chinle to Cove isn’t just Visit our website for details on weekend getaways, Almost no one remembers it, but, for a few around the corner. Nevertheless, the red-rock hiking, lodging, dining, photography workshops, decades in the middle of the last century, slideshows and more. 30 DUNE AND GLOOM panoramas you’ll see when you get there make Grand Canyon Inn welcomed visitors with “a The wind blows hard on the Navajo Nation, and sometimes it blows so the drive time worthwhile. www.arizonahighways.wordpress.com patio overlooking the Canyon, a swimming hard that it moves sand dunes across the landscape. Those dunes, the Check out our blog for regular posts on just pool, fine foods and cocktails.” There was a result of drought, increasing temperatures, invasive tumbleweeds and 54 HIKE OF THE MONTH about anything having to do with travel in curio shop, too, which sold everything from Arizona, including Q&A’s with writers and pho- human impact, are wreaking havoc on the Navajo people, swallowing Indian art to uranium samples. Grant Hill Loop: Evergreens and aspens are tographers, special events, bonus photos, sneak their homes and threatening their way of life. everywhere along this trail in the Pinaleño peeks at upcoming issues and more. BY KATHY MONTGOMERY BY KATHY RITCHIE Mountains, but it’s the golden aspens that PHOTOGRAPHS BY JOHN BURCHAM www.facebook.com/azhighways stand out most this time of year. Join our Facebook community to share your 36 photographs, chat with other fans, enter trivia WHAT HAPPENS IN BISBEE contests and receive up-to-the-minute informa- We’ve done many stories on Bisbee, and most of them have been tion about what’s going on behind the scenes at focused on the history of the copper mine. It’s an interesting subject, Arizona Highways. but there’s a lot more going on down there. Cafés, art galleries, small- Arizona Highways is on Instagram town quirkiness, larger-than-life characters ... To capture Follow us @arizonahighways to see our travel a snapshot of what’s happening on a typical weekend, we sent photos from around the state. one of our favorite new photographers on the road. www.pinterest.com/azhighways A PORTFOLIO BY JILL RICHARDS Join our creative community on Pinterest to share photo inspiration, outdoors ideas and more.

◗ Evening light and shadows add a new dimension to , near Kayenta in Northeastern Arizona. | LEROY DEJOLIE CAMERA: DEARDORFF 8x10 WITH 4x5 STEP-DOWN BACK; SHUTTER: 1/60 SEC; APERTURE: F/16; ISO: 50; FOCAL LENGTH: 210 MM FRONT COVER Yellow leaves dominate an autumn view of a small waterfall on Havasu Creek near the bottom of the Grand Canyon. | DEREK VON BRIESEN CAMERA: CANON EOS 5D MARK II; SHUTTER: 1/6 SEC; APERTURE: F/22; ISO: 100; FOCAL LENGTH: 27 MM BACK COVER Maple leaves turn from green to red in the of Southeastern Arizona. | TOM BROWNOLD CAMERA: CANON EOS 5D MARK II; SHUTTER: 1/60 SEC; APERTURE: F/2.8; ISO: 800; FOCAL LENGTH: 200 MM

PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTS AVAILABLE Prints of some photographs in this issue are available for purchase. To view options, visit www.arizona highwaysprints.com. For more information, call 866-962-1191. www.arizonahighways.com 1 editor’s letter contributors

CHRIS GALL Chris Gall is a lifelong Arizonan, so when he was offered a chance to illustrate J.P.S. Brown’s story october 2013 VOL. 89, NO. 10 about growing up as a cowboy on the Arizona-Mexico That Inn Was Far Out 800-543-5432 www.arizonahighways.com border, he jumped at the chance. “I’m fascinated with Publisher Win Holden the state — especially the deserts,” Gall says. “One ometimes a story falls right into recruited to help prove Willie” — and the Editor Robert Stieve your lap. That’s what happened a our theory that autumn many other Navajos Managing Editor Kelly Vaughn Kramer Gillette (see page 42) is set so long ago that there is no few months ago when I was reading in Arizona is better whose homes are being senior associate Editor Kathy Ritchie way to rely on any pictorial reference for my art. I have S associate Editor Noah Austin only my imagination. This is actually quite liberating, a stack of letters to the editor. I’d just got- than it is in Vermont. threatened, that kind Editorial Administrator Nikki Kimbel ten back from the Grand Canyon, where, It’s not more colorful of movement can be Photography Editor Jeff Kida and it’s what I enjoyed most about the assignment.” instead of hopping in a raft to run the here, but our season devastating. In Chee Creative Director Barbara Glynn Denney Gall’s illustrations have also been published in Time ART Director Keith Whitney Colorado, I ended up in the North Coun- lasts a lot longer. I did Willie’s case, the same COURTNEY and Newsweek, and he has written and illustrated Design Production Assistant Diana Benzel-Rice

try Healthcare clinic with what felt like the math: Their peak dune that swallowed Map Designer Kevin Kibsey ANN eight books for children. dengue fever. (I don’t really know what season runs for about his four previous Production Director Michael Bianchi that feels like, but it sounds awful.) The three weeks; ours lasts homes now looms over Webmaster Victoria J. Snow Director of Sales & Marketing Kelly Mero unexpected turn was a drag for obvious for more than three his fifth. Kathy saw Circulation Director Nicole Bowman reasons, but it was compounded by the months, beginning on it firsthand and says Finance Director Bob Allen JILL RICHARDS fact that my river trip was supposed to be the North Rim in mid- it’s about 20 feet high. Information Technology Cindy Bormanis Jill Richards’ assignment made into a feature story for this issue. September and ending The sand is one of the for What Happens in Corporate or Trade Sales 602-712-2019

Although it’s not unusual for a story to at Lake Powell in mid- m arkow paul many things she saw Sponsorship Sales Bisbee (see page 36) was Representation Erin Edelstein to photograph whatever fall apart, finding a surrogate isn’t always December. You’ll see in the 10 months she Hennen Publishing & easy. Unless it falls into your lap, like the some of that range in this month’s cover researched this powerful story, which marketing Group she wanted in the small 480-664-0541 story about the Grand Canyon Inn. story, which illustrates our state’s most wouldn’t have been possible without the [email protected] Southern Arizona town. Before opening Bill West’s letter, I’d unique season. In addition to the dazzling help of Leanna Begay, a wildlife techni- Letters to the Editor [email protected] Having that freedom was never heard of the Grand Canyon Inn — photos of oaks, aspens and maples, we’ve cian for the Navajo Nation Department of 2039 W. Lewis Avenue both exciting and terrify- Phoenix, AZ 85009 nobody in the office had. Turns out, none included some insight from the photogra- Fish and Wildlife. Thank you, Leanna. ing. “A photographer can of my colleagues at the Canyon had ever phers, and tips on how and when to shoot Fortunately, her home isn’t being Governor Janice K. Brewer lose herself in a place like Director, Department heard of it, either. And that’s why Bill the various locations. threatened by the sand, but her grandfa- of Transportation John S. Halikowski Bisbee,” she says, adding sent the letter. “My wife and I celebrated Colleen Miniuk-Sperry says the best ther’s is. The danger isn’t imminent, but Arizona Transportation that the town’s history Board Chairman Victor M. Flores our honeymoon there in August 1962,” he time of year to photograph Canyon de if something doesn’t change, his home and its collection of artists Vice Chairman Stephen W. Christy wrote. “It has long since been removed Chelly is late October. “In the fall,” she could eventually go the way of the Grand and “creative individual- Members Kelly O. Anderson from the lodges on the South Rim. I never says, “Mother Nature adorns this won- Canyon Inn. Let’s hope not. Although the Hank Rogers ists” make it one of the found out why. I’m sure those of us who derland with ribbons of yellow as the world can live without a swimming pool Joseph E. La Rue most inspiring places she’s enjoyed the hospitality there would be Fremont cottonwoods along Chinle Wash on the South Rim, Leanna’s grandfather William Cuthbertson ever visited. “The people Deanna Beaver thrilled to read its history, and those who burst into rich autumnal colors.” “Won- needs a roof over his head. And so does of Bisbee have a lot of never knew it existed would be surprised derland” is a great word to describe the Chee Willie. Arizona Highways® (ISSN 0004-1521) is published monthly by the Arizona small-town pride, and Department of Transportation. Subscription price: $24 a year in the U.S., $44

to learn it had.” canyon. Unfortunately, you’ll need one outside the U.S. Single copy: $4.99 U.S. Call 800-543-5432. Subscription they’re not afraid of show- OT G cor­respon­dence and change of address information: Arizona Highways, P.O. ing it.” Richards’ work has I agreed with what he was saying. of its antonyms to describe the sand Box 8521, Big Sandy, TX 75755-8521. Periodical postage paid at Phoenix, AZ, Plus, we needed a story, which we dunes down the road. and at additional mailing office. canada post international publica- also appeared in National tions mail product (cana­dian distribution) sales agreement no. RANT SER

assigned to Kathy Montgomery. In Is Those dunes, the result of drought, 41220511. send returns to quad/graphics, p.o. box 875, windsor, on Geographic Traveler. G n9a 6p2. Post­master: Send address changes to Arizona Highways, P.O. That a Swimming Pool on the South Rim?, she increasing temperatures, invasive Box 8521, Big Sandy, TX 75755-8521. Copy­right © 2013 by the Ari­zona Depart- recounts the history of the inn, a place tumbleweeds and human impact, are ment of Trans­­por­­tation. Repro­duc­tion in whole or in part with­­out permission is prohibited. The magazine does not accept and is not responsible for that was “shaped by colorful characters, wreaking havoc on the Navajo people unsolicited­ mater­ ials.­ JOHN BURCHAM a world war, a celebrity’s son, the arms and swallowing their homes. Liter- Produced in the USA The realities of spring in gave John race and an act of Congress.” And then ally. That might sound like the story Burcham a challenge when he photographed Dune there was the swimming pool, one of the line for a bad sci-fi movie, but it’s a real and Gloom (see page 30). “The wind can be brutal most unlikely things imaginable, espe- problem. As Kathy Ritchie writes in that time of year,” he says, “and I spent a lot of time cially when you’re standing on the South Dune and Gloom: “In and around Navajo trying to keep sand out of my camera.” Part of Bur- rand canyon national park national canyon rand g Rim today. As obtrusive as it must have communities such as Tuba City, Leupp, If you like what you see in this cham’s assignment was to shoot a large sand dune been, it’s easy to see why it would have Chinle, Kayenta, Tolani Lake and Teesto, magazine every month, check out that was threatening a house on the Navajo Nation. been alluring to visitors. Nevertheless, dune fields shift in the wind and can COMING IN november ... Arizona Highways Television, an In that respect, he says, “the wind gusts actually the Grand Canyon is best experienced literally move across the landscape ... Saguaros, poetry, peregrine falcons Emmy Award-winning program seemed to work in my favor. It was as if the house hosted by former news anchor Robin in its natural state. And the best place to approximately 115 feet per year. However, and a historic look at Grand Canyon and everything around it were being absorbed Sewell. For broadcast times, visit M into the dune.” Burcham’s photographs have also do that, in autumn in particular, is the in a turbulent windstorm, they can move National Park. our website, www.arizonahighways. TATU North Rim. Gary Ladd agrees. as much as 3 feet in a day.” robert stieve, editor com, and click the Arizona Highways appeared in National Geographic and The New York RIS H C Gary is one of the photographers we For Lester Williams — a.k.a. “Chee Follow me on Twitter: @azhighways barnes ellen Television link on our home page. Times. — noah austin

2 october 2013 www.arizonahighways.com 3 letters to the editor [email protected] THE JOURNAL 10.13 MY DEAR WATSON As I looked through my August 2013 issue this afternoon, I was delighted to read hometowns > local favorites > history > photography > odd jobs Lonna Tucker’s review on Watson Lake dining > nature > lodging > things to do [Excellence Marks the Spots]. Twenty-two years ago, I saw a photograph of Granite Dells, at Watson Lake, in a magazine while on a plane. I had no idea where this beautiful place was located, but the image remained with me (in my mind). When I moved to Tucson from Virginia in 2010, I found a brochure on Prescott with a similar picture. My husband and I drove to Watson Lake on our honeymoon two months later. The rocks and scenery were as gorgeous as I’d remembered in the photo so many years ago. Marie Cannon, Tucson August 2013

ANCIENT MEMORIES that she’s a real horsewoman and she mentioned the old alligator junipers that As a recent subscriber, I was delighted to knows her way around the arena and the the Granite Mountain Hotshots man- receive my first issue and read the article Prescott rodeo crowd. I’ll bet she can do aged to save in that fire ... before tragi- He Still Calls Them ‘Anasazi’ by David Roberts anything any cowboy can do, only bet- cally losing their lives a short time later [August 2013]. I traveled to Three Turkey ter. It’s a shame, because she should have in the Yarnell Hill Fire. Maybe some of Ruin in 2010, and it was a reminder been in a Steve McQueen or Tom Selleck the families have this issue, but I was to me of how “hooked” I’d become to movie with her horse sense and good wondering whether a copy could be sent learn more about these people of the looks. Her picture is definitely worth to the families and surviving firefighter Southwest. Having lived in Arizona for framing for any bunkhouse. The Flying E Brendan McDonough to be saved for their five years, I, too, began a quest to seek out Ranch in Wickenburg better appreciate children or future generations. the many ruins of Mesa Verde, Canyon de and pay her what she’s worth, or they Freda J. Jeffries, Prescott Valley, Arizona Chelly, Tonto National Monument and El just might lose her to Hollywood. Morro Valley in New Mexico. Although Gary Ward, Duluth, Minnesota back when I live in Boston now, I do miss exploring For a Christmas present, our daughter the mystery of the Southwest and the cul- I found it very interesting that the article gave me a subscription to Arizona Highways. ture of these ancient peoples. Thank you The All-American Cowgirl, in the August 2013 Each stunning issue is a delight. Thank for bringing this alive again through the issue, was sprinkled with references to you for bringing alive pleasant memories pages of Arizona Highways and into my liv- Jane McGeary’s good looks. Because she from a childhood of living in Tucson, ing room here in Boston. is female, her appearance is presented as back when the university was “at the Brenda Haas, Boston, Massachusetts somehow being interesting or relevant to edge of town.” We lived close to campus, her job as a ranch hand. I often see pho- and my brother and I could play in the As a native Arizonan, I am often sad- tos of ruggedly attractive men in Arizona desert “across the street” from our house. dened by how Arizona Highways shows Highways, but only with a woman are Thank you for concentrating on and cap- it succumbs to political correctness. So looks pointed out to the reader as being turing so many images of your wonderful I was encouraged to see the article by noteworthy. state. An additional thank you for mailing David Roberts [He Still Calls Them ‘Anasazi’, Sydney Axt, Flagstaff, Arizona each issue with a protective “cover” so August 2013]. And since I, too, visited the beautiful front and back covers aren’t Against a Wall many ruins in my younger days, his story gator aid marred with address information. A boater examines a sandstone cliff on brought back some wonderful memories. I was catching up on reading and picked Phyllis Bailey Chisholm, Tijeras, New Mexico Lake Powell. The lake’s geologic forma- Jim Verner, Visalia, California up the April 2013 issue of Arizona Highways, tions, collectively known as the Glen Canyon Group, date from the Late Triassic which I had in the car. I started in the If you have thoughts or com- contact us and Early Jurassic periods. Information: mixed feelings back to read Where is This?, then flipped ments about anything in Arizona Highways, we’d 928-608-6200 or www.nps.gov/glca I fell in love with the picture of Jane to the next page. The Hike of the Month love to hear from you. We can be reached at editor@ arizonahighways.com, or by mail at 2039 W. Lewis CAMERA: canon eos 5d; SHUTTER: 1/320 SEC; McGeary [The All-American Cowgirl, August was the Granite Mountain Trail, which Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85009. For more information, APErTURE: F/8; ISO: 100; FOCAL LENGTH: 29 MM

2013]. You can just tell from her picture was ravaged by the Doce Fire, and you visit www.arizonahighways.com. kis h dawn

4 october 2013 www.arizonahighways.com 5 hometowns � �

local favorites ards ill ric h j Velvet Elvis Pizza Patagonia

If you find yourself complaining that nothing healthy ever tastes good, you haven’t been to Velvet Elvis Pizza. Owner and executive chef Cecilia San Miguel says her patrons enjoy her handmade pizzas, organic salads and made-to-order juices so much that they often “ignore their inherent health benefits.” All of the carefully prepared meals, which cater to everyone from vegans to meat lovers, are inspired by worldwide cuisine. Other than its name, why is Velvet Elvis so unique? The Velvet Elvis is a concept created not for financial benefit, but as a philosophy THE JOURNAL of life, which is expressed and experienced through culinary creativity and responsibil- ity to those we serve. What makes the food so tasty? We take the time to prepare everything from scratch, whether it’s roasting red pep- pers by hand or preparing our own pestos and signature dressings for our salads. Do you cater only to vegetarians and health nuts? We serve the spectrum of clientele in Pat- agonia — population 900 — ranging from strict vegan to those who may order triple ark lipczynski

m sausage. And beyond our town limits, we serve visitors from all around the world. Located in a valley between the center for mines and ranches in nearby What would Elvis Presley treasure Santa Rita and , towns. Today, it’s a mecca for artists, most about Velvet Elvis? Patagonia — along with the neighboring naturalists, birders and writers (even the It’s the experience of home away from PATAGONIA communities of Sonoita and Elgin — is great Jim Harrison), many of whom flock home — the way grandma cooked. part of what’s known as “The Mountain to the Wagon Wheel, a local watering — kayla frost Empire.” The area was originally settled by hole, or out into the surrounding grass- Founded Area Elevation County Indians who found the verdant confluence lands for a bit of inspiration. 1896 1.3 square miles 4,050 feet Santa Cruz Velvet Elvis Pizza is located at 292 Naugle Avenue of Sonoita and Harshaw creeks ideal for — Kelly Vaughn Kramer in Patagonia. For more information, call 520-394- farming, and by the late 19th century, the 2102 or visit www.velvetelvispizza.com. town of Patagonia had become a supply www.patagoniaaz.com

6 october 2013 www.arizonahighways.com 7 history photography � � � � Ghost Story The historic Hotel Vendome has been through a lot, including near-bankruptcy and life as a flophouse. Today, however, the property is one of Prescott’s points of pride, despite its resident ghost and her ghost-cat companion.

n 1917, J.B. Jones, a cowboy-turned- rancher, bought a plot of land in the heart of Prescott and built a two-story, I red-brick hotel. He named it Hotel Ven- dome. Business came easy in those days — people were flocking to Prescott for the mining opportunities and the advertised health benefits of the city’s fresh air. Hotel Vendome has since been through a dozen different owners, including a baker, a car-

penter and an FBI agent. m Some of those owners upheld Jones’ vision useu of running “the classiest place in town,” but all m H

others fell short. For a while, Hotel Vendome IT FF

was even considered a flophouse — cheap RI and rundown. It was the type of place that arlot h s h people usually crossed the street to avoid. Prescott’s Hotel Vendome as it looked in the 1920s david G AN david y

Then, in 1983, BR investors decided to restore the hotel and her cat, Noble. According to the legend, Byr stayed at the Red osier dogwood in the Coconino National Forest to its former glory, but the project col- hotel in the early 1920s while suffering from severe tuberculosis. CAMERA: arca-swiss f-line 4x5; film: fuji velvia; SHUTTER: 1/2 sec; APERTURE: F/32; ISO: 100; FOCAL LENGTH: 210 MM lapsed to the brink of bankruptcy. As One day, her husband left to get her medical attention and never a result, the Resolution Trust Corp. returned. Heartbroken, Abby refused to eat or drink. Eventu- THE JOURNAL took over the renovation, both pre- ally, she died with Noble in room 16. But did they ever leave? Bryan David Griffith serving and modernizing the build- Hotel guests and employees say the benevolent spirit occa- A Q&A With Photo Editor Jeff Kida ing. Now, Hotel Vendome, which sionally rearranges objects and messes with lights, fans and

e is listed on the National Register of faucets. And some people claim they’ve heard a cat — Noble, This month we feature old-school. Everything is on location, he feels he’s been paired the leaf pattern of the m Historic Places, is a point of pride in perhaps — purring, scratching and meowing in the closet. Q the work of photog- film, and most of it is large- successful. And that patience tree with the lichen on the rock, Prescott. — kayla frost rapher Bryan David Griffith format. Griffith is very patient. shows in his work. and I love the juxtaposition. (see pages 28 and 29, as well He’ll take his camera and The ledge at the top of the otel vendo Like many historic buildings, Hotel h The woman purported Vendome is haunted by ghost stories. Hotel Vendome is located at 230 S. Cortez Street in Prescott. as the photo above). What scout locations, and many What are some of the frame adds dimension to the to be Abby Byr The most common is about Abby Byr For more information, call 928-776-0900 or visit www.vendomehotel.com. impresses you most about times he won’t even shoot. Q elements in this photo image. To make images like Griffith’s work? As passionate as he is about that make it successful? this, you have to slow down photography, he doesn’t feel and take things in. He does It’s philosophical. There’s like he needs to come back This felt very Eastern — that, and it gives him the abil- ARIZONA HIGHWAYS ■ The Arizona Consti- Arizona on October 17, 24, 1969. The October A quietness and a Zen-like with something every time. If A almost like I was looking ity to pull the reader into his this ■ tutional Convention 1916. The ship would The infamous 1963 issue of quality to his work. And it’s he learns something about a at a piece of Japanese art. He photographs. begins October 10, 1910. ultimately be sunk “Gunfight at the 50 Years Ago Arizona Highways month ■ The London Bridge during the Japanese O.K. Corral” occurs featured a story is rededicated in Lake attack on Pearl October 26, 1881. It by Bill Ratcliffe in history Havasu City on Octo- Harbor on Decem- takes place between about animals in Buffing and record images, shooting while it the images waiting additional ber 10, 1971. The bridge ber 7, 1941. the Earp brothers PHOTO the size of the cam- pauses to write to be recorded, and Reading Arizona, including Up was disassembled in ■ One of the coun- and Doc Holliday on era’s buffer is one more images onto its size will affect Look for our book spotted skunks, Arizona Highways London, transported try’s first wave pools one side, and the Although there are important factor. the memory card. how many images Photography to Arizona and recon- is designed and con- McLaury brothers, Bohemian wax- TIP several components Often, when taking The buffer is the you can continually Guide, available structed. structed at Big Surf the Clanton brothers wings, black- that affect how multiple pictures in portion of inter- shoot before the at bookstores and www.shop ■ The U.S. Navy water park in Tempe. and Billy Claiborne on tailed jackrabbits quickly a digital a burst mode, the nal memory that camera must stop arizonahighways. commissions the USS It opens on October the other. and kit foxes. camera can make camera may stop temporarily holds and think. com/books.

8 october 2013 To learn more about photography, visit www.arizonahighways.com/photography.asp. www.arizonahighways.com 9 odd jobs � � Hang glider

Dustin Martin, Phoenix

The biggest problem with hang-gliding isn’t that it’s dangerous (it can be); it’s that it doesn’t THE JOURNAL pay very well. At least according to Dustin Martin, a 33-year-old hang glider from Phoenix. Hang-gliding is something Martin has always wanted to do, and when he was 16, he got his chance. “As soon as I started, I never really stopped,” he says. Last year, Martin and several friends traveled to Texas, where Martin set a hang-gliding record (he tried at least four or five times before), flying for 11 hours straight. Pretty impressive. But, for Martin, taking flight is just like getting in a car and driving. “It seems pretty regular to me, but when I take people up, they sure seem to freak out, so it must be thrilling the first time you do it,” he says. “I think it’s really peaceful and relaxing.” These days, Martin earns a living constructing parts for hang gliders, and although he earns some money from sponsors, it’s usually not enough to pay the bills, let alone the costs associated with gliding. Still, he has no plans to quit. “It’s certainly better than the alternative,” he says. The alternative being a 9-to-5 office job. — kathy ritchie

For more information about hang-gliding,

KIS H (2) DAWN visit www.sonorawings.com.

10 october 2013 www.arizonahighways.com 11 dining nature � � � � T his Pie Takes the Cake Not every chef puts cashews and Thai curry sauce on his or her pizzas,

but Renee Kreager isn’t like every other chef. That’s why her delicious pizzas, In autumn, which are made from scratch using local, organic ingredients, are so special. leaves turn gold or occasionally orange. Be fORe “going green” was en vogue, not, carnivores: Kreager offers grass-fed on top to give it a nice kick. My friend organic was everywhere and buying local beef and free-range chicken, as well.) orders the Everything, which comes with was de rigeur, there was It’s a hot Saturday afternoon when we pepperoni, ham, sausage, mushrooms, tucson Renee’s Organic Oven in pull into the parking lot of a strip mall olives, green peppers and onions. It’s fla- The bark of cotton- Tucson. Owner and operator just off Tanque Verde Road in Tucson. I’m vorful and filling. woods becomes Renee Kreager has been serving up her famished and desperate for an escape Kreager’s place is blissfully relaxing, deeply fissured as all-natural fare since 2005 — a move that, from the sun. Inside, Renee’s is blissfully and she wants you to feel at home. the trees age. at the time, verged on risky, rather than dark and cozy, with terra-cotta-colored “The vibe here is one where, when you on trend. walls and dark-wood tables and chairs. come in, you can find a piece of yourself, “When we first opened, we actually On the wall, facing the front door, the where you can be comfortable and enjoy quit saying we were using ‘organic’ phrase “Eat Well Feel Good” — a perfect the company you’re with,” she says. ingredients, because people didn’t know summation of Kreager’s food philosophy Although there are plenty of non-pizza what that meant,” Kreager says. “It’s been — is painted in black. After ordering two items on the menu, including pastas, cal- an uphill battle — until now.” sparkling waters, I decide to keep it sim- zones and salads, start with the pizza on Today, Kreager’s vegetarian, vegan and ple by ordering a small Greek salad and your first trip to Renee’s. With several gluten-free dishes are a hit, even with the Old Town pizza, Kreager’s version of options, from the most basic pie (the Old patrons who might be inclined to raise a margherita. The 8-inch pizza is delight- Town) to the delightfully exotic (Vegan their eyebrows at the word “vegan.” (Fear ful — light, clean and with enough garlic Cashew Thai Curry), consider this an Cottonwood opportunity to experiment. Kreager rec- leaves are ommends the Thai Curry pizza (a varia- cordate, or tion of the Vegan Cashew pie). With its heart-shaped. red-curry sauce and spicy chicken, it’s certainly not for everyone, but according THE JOURNAL

to Kreager, it’s delicious. dave bly “It has this nice richness, she says. “I think it offers a good bridge between some of the traditional things people love Branching Out nature factoid on pizza and things you might not other- wise expect.” remont cottonwoods grow crowns can be as wide as the trees Over the years, Kreager has partnered tall and wide in riparian are high. On average, they measure with other local outposts around Tucson areas throughout Arizona. approximately 70 feet in height, and beyond to create her unique offerings. F They look majestic in photo- but they get even bigger. Among others, she’s worked with Walk- graphs, but they also play an impor- Until recently, the largest ing J Farm (for the beef), Arbuckle Coffee tant role in their fragile ecosystem, Fremont cottonwood was growing Roasters (for the coffee), Sweetie Pies (for in which they provide food, water in Patagonia, about 75 yards south those gluten-free and vegan desserts) and and shelter. The food and shelter of . With a trunk Isabella’s Ice Cream (for the all-natural ice contributions are obvious, but the circumference of 42 feet, the tree

trees also provide water. Indirectly. grew for more than 150 years at TAUBERT

cream). . D “I find it really meaningful to be a part Because of the shade they supply, the Circle Z Ranch. At various times evaporation is greatly decreased, since 1970, it ranked as the largest of this community,” she says. “I feel very BRUCE successful and very blessed that I’ve cre- which is good for everything that cottonwood in the United States. M uSHROOMS ated a space that’s appreciated and lives in a riparian area. Unfortunately, it split and toppled Arizona isn’t typically associated with mushrooms, which enjoyed.” The big trees, which are named late last fall. But another Arizona generally grow in wetter climates, but several species of — kathy ritchie for explorer John C. Fremont, have tree has taken its place as the mushrooms — among them oyster, hedgehog and fly agaric rough, whitish bark and bright- top cottonwood on the national (pictured) — are found at the state’s higher elevations. If you’re going mushroom-hunting, make sure you take along a com- green leaves that turn yellow in the big-tree registry. It’s located in Skull Renee’s Organic Oven is located at 7065 E. Tanque Verde prehensive field guide to help distinguish an edible mushroom Road in Tucson. For more information, call 520-886- fall. Their branches are thick and Valley, 20 miles south of Prescott. from its poisonous look-alikes. — NoAH AUStIN

paul Markow paul 0484 or visit www.reneesorganicoven.com. grow close to the ground, and their —ch Ra el Stieve

12 october 2013 www.arizonahighways.com 13 lodging � �

things� to do in arizona � Folk Music Festival October 5-6, Prescott Now in its 35th year, this annu- al celebration of folk music is Arizona’s oldest folk gathering. See performances and attend workshops and jam sessions at Sharlot Hall Museum. Infor- mation: 928-445-3122 or www. sharlot.org Helldorado Days October 18-20, Tombstone Tombstone’s oldest festival, which began in 1929 as a celebration of the town’s 50th anniversary, features street entertainment, a beard con- test, live music and a Sunday parade. Information: 520- 457-3451 or www.tombstone chamber.com U RNAL Rio de Cerveza Brew Fest October 19, Yuma Sample craft beers from around Arizona and the U.S., and enjoy live entertainment THE J O and local food vendors at this event at Desert Sun Stadium. Information: 928-376-0100 or www.visityuma.com World Margarita Championship October 25, Tucson

ark duran m ark Taste world-class margari- tas and tequilas, sample foods of the Southwest Prescott Pines Inn and more at this spirited competition at the Tucson If someone tells you they enjoy “sleeping around” at Prescott Pines Inn, don’t misun- Museum of Art. Informa- derstand their meaning. The rooms of this bed and breakfast are each decorated differently — from tion: 520-343-9985 or contemporary to country, and everything in between — and Dana McCready, the inn’s general manager, www.tucsonoriginals.com says returning guests often try different rooms, or “sleep around,” to see which they like Photo Workshop: prescott best. The inn’s main house was originally a farmstead for the Haymore Dairy. Arthur Slot Canyons and Abby Haymore raised 14 children in it before it became a motel in 1952, then a bed November 4-8, Lake Powell and breakfast in 1987. Dawn Delaney and Lisa Carlson, the current owners, bought and restored the Photographer Richard Maack property in 2011. The inn, the largest bed and breakfast in Prescott, features 11 rooms in the three build- teaches participants how ings surrounding the main house, plus a separate lodge for larger groups. All rooms feature DVD players to use light and shadows to and free wireless Internet access, and a stay includes a full breakfast in the dining room of the main create dramatic images of the serpentine slot canyons and house. “Sleeping around” is optional, but recommended. — Noah Austin other photographic destina- tions near Lake Powell. Infor- Prescott Pines Inn is located at 901 White Spar Road in Prescott. mation: 888-790-7042 or www. For more information, call 928-445-7270 or visit www.prescottpinesinn.com. ahpw.org

14 october 2013 There are many stereotypes about our state, including the one about the seasons — or the lack thereof. The truth is, Arizona does have winter, spring, summer and fall, and the latter might be the most spectacular in America. Not because our AUTUMN IN ARIZONA leaves are more colorful than they are in Vermont, but because the season here is so much longer. From the red maples on the Kaibab in early September to the golden cottonwoods along Havasu Creek in early December, autumn in Arizona goes on for months. A Portfolio Edited by Jeff Kida

16 October 2013 Q: WHY IS AUTUMN IN ARIZONA BETTER THAN IT IS IN VERMONT?

A : SIMPLE MATH. THEIR PEAK SEASON LASTS ABOUT THREE WEEKS; OURS LASTS MORE THAN THREE MONTHS. OH, AND WE HAVE SOME

PRETTY IMPRESSIVE CANYONS TO GO WITH OUR LEAVES, TOO.

NORTH RIM, GRAND CANYON BY GARY LADD OAK CREEK “The North Rim is always great, CANYON but autumn is a surefire time BY SUZANNE to visit for photography. The MATHIA 8,000-foot elevation means “The West Fork Trail, there may be photogenic along Oak Creek, is frost and fog in the meadows one of the Sedona at sunrise, especially by area’s most popular mid-October. And the low for hikers and temperatures are a delight after photographers alike. the baking temperatures of In fall, the beautiful summer.” — Gary Ladd red rocks and clear PEAK COLOR: Late September blue skies serve as the DIRECTIONS: From Jacob Lake, go south on State perfect backdrop for Route 67, also known as the North Rim Parkway, vibrant fall foliage. for 43 miles to the entrance of Grand Canyon When you shoot here, National Park. get low to the ground. INFORMATION: Grand Canyon National Park, You will start to see Backcountry Information Center, 928-638-7875 or reflections that you www.nps.gov/grca couldn’t see at eye CAMERA: Tachihara 4x5; FILM: Fuji Velvia 100; level.” — Suzanne Mathia SHUTTER: 1/15 sec; APERTURE: f/25; PEAK COLOR: Mid- to late ISO: 64; FOCAL LENGTH: 300 mm October DIRECTIONS: From Sedona, go north on State Route 89A, which passes through the canyon. INFORMATION: Coconino National Forest, Red Rock Ranger District, 928-282-4119 or www. PRECEDING PANEL: fs.usda.gov/coconino CANYON DE CHELLY CAMERA: Canon EOS-1Ds BY COLLEEN MINIUK-SPERRY Mark III; SHUTTER: 1/50 sec; “In all seasons, the sheer Navajo sandstone cliffs of Canyon de Chelly APERTURE: f/8; ISO: 200; National Monument whisper remarkable stories of the past. In the fall, FOCAL LENGTH: 78 mm Mother Nature adorns this wonderland with ribbons of yellow as the Fremont cottonwoods along Chinle Wash burst into rich autumnal colors, yielding a breathtaking event that invites photographers to record a fleeting story of transformation.” — Colleen Miniuk-Sperry

PEAK COLOR: Late October to early November INFORMATION: Canyon de Chelly National DIRECTIONS: From Flagstaff, go east on Interstate Monument, 928-674-5500 or www.nps.gov/cach 40 for 134 miles to U.S. Route 191. Turn left onto U.S. 191 CAMERA: Canon EOS 5D Mark II; and continue for 68 miles to Indian Route 7 in Chinle. SHUTTER: 1/25 sec; APERTURE: f/11; Turn right onto IR 7 and continue for 3 miles to the ISO: 100; FOCAL LENGTH: 47 mm monument’s entrance.

18 OCTOBER 2013 www.arizonahighways.com 19 LAKE POWELL by GARY LADD “Fall colors, combined with the slick-rock labyrinths, make for striking photographs if you’re willing to hike up Lake Powell’s side canyons. Explorer Canyon offers this fantastic headwall, dripping with spring water and supporting a tangle of vegetation at its foot. This picture was taken the second week of December.” — Gary Ladd Peak Color: Early November to mid-December Directions: From Flagstaff, go north on U.S. Route 89 for 62 miles to U.S. Route 160. Turn right (east) onto U.S. 160 and continue 50 miles to State Route 98. Turn left onto SR 98 and continue 64 miles to Page, which is on the southern bank of Lake Powell. Information: Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, 928- 608-6200 or www.nps.gov/glca Camera: Tachihara 4x5; FILM: Ektachrome 64; Shutter: 1/8 sec; Aperture: f/16; iso: 100; Focal Length: 210 mm

CHIRICAHUA MOUNTAINS BY JACK DYKINGA “Cave Creek Canyon, in the , is one of the best places to find a profusion of bigtooth maples exploding with autumn color. Using a very wide- angle lens helps emphasize the detail of veins of color in each foreground leaf.” — Jack Dykinga

Peak Color: Early to mid-November hiking trails. No motorized vehicles are Directions: The Chiricahua Wilder- permitted in the wilderness. ness is located about 100 miles east of Information: Coronado National Tucson, and other nearby towns include Forest, Douglas Ranger District, 520- Douglas and Willcox. State Route 80, 364-3468 or www.fs.usda.gov/coronado which begins near Benson and ends at Camera: Wista DX 4x5; Interstate 10 in New Mexico (as New FILM: Fujichrome; Shutter: 6 sec; Mexico Route 80), intersects with several Aperture: f/45; iso: 50; forest roads that lead to wilderness FocAL Length: 75 mm

20 October 2013 www.arizonahighways.com 21 by JACK DYKINGA “Bigtooth maples in the Huachuca Mountains can be especially red. Their contrast to streamside yuccas is the sort of juxtaposition I’m drawn to. It could be just another scene from Vermont, but native desert plants, such as yuccas, define the locale.” — Jack Dykinga Peak Color: Early to mid- November Directions: Carr Canyon Road runs through several scenic areas in the Huachuca Mountains. From Tucson, go east on Interstate 10 for 37 miles to State Route 90. Turn right (south) onto SR 90 and continue for 27 miles to Carr Canyon Road. Turn right onto Carr Canyon Road. A high-clearance vehicle is recommended, and the narrow dirt road is not suitable for RVs. Information: Coronado National Forest, Sierra Vista Ranger District, 520-378-0311 or www.fs.usda.gov/coronado Camera: Arca-Swiss F-Line 4x5; FILM: Fuji Velvia; Shutter: 12 sec; Aperture: f/45; iso: 50; Focal Length: 180 mm

22 October 2013 www.arizonahighways.com 23 BY CLAIRE CURRAN “Golden reflections grace these cascades for only a few minutes each day. The cascades are surrounded by maple trees, which drop their yellow leaves to create one of the best photo scenes on Workman Creek.” — Claire Curran

Peak Color: Early November Workman Creek. Directions: Workman Creek crosses State Information: Tonto National Forest, Route 288, which runs from State Route 260 Pleasant Valley Ranger District, 928-462- east of Payson to State Route 188 near Globe. 4300 or www.fs.usda.gov/tonto From Globe, go north on SR 188 for 15 miles to Camera: Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III; SR 288. Turn right onto SR 288 and follow this Shutter: 1/4 sec; Aperture: f/16; winding, partially paved road for 27 miles to iso: 100; Focal Length: 45 mm

HART PRAIRIE BY KIM HOSHAL “Hart Prairie, just outside Flagstaff, is one of the jewels of Northern Arizona. It’s an uncommon place, full of colors and textures at the peak of fall. The rust and gold of prairie grasses give way to shimmering aspens, ponderosas and Bebb willows as the rise more than 12,000 feet in the background. There, a light dusting of early snow occasionally greets a fortunate few.” — Kim Hoshal

Peak Color: Early October Information: Coconino National Forest, Flagstaff Directions: From Flagstaff, go west on U.S. Route Ranger District, 928-526-0866 or www.fs.usda.gov/ 180 for 10 miles to Forest Road 151 (Hart Prairie Road). coconino Turn right onto FR 151 and continue for 3.6 miles to Hart Camera: Nikon D3X; Shutter: 1/25 sec; Prairie. Aperture: f/11; iso: 100; Focal Length: 70 mm

24 October 2013 www.arizonahighways.com 25 ARAVAIPA CANYON BY KERRICK JAMES “I’ve always wanted to shoot Aravaipa Canyon with its cottonwoods in full golden glory, and when I made this photo, the color peaked during Thanksgiving week. Perennial water in the desert is, to me, something of a miracle, and the combination of warm-hued canyon walls, saguaros, golden leaves and the flowing stream beneath one’s feet is irresistible.” — Kerrick James

Peak Color: Mid- to late November A permit from the Bureau of Land Directions: From Tucson, go north on Management is required. State Route 77 for 51 miles to Aravaipa Information: Aravaipa Canyon Road. Turn right onto Aravaipa Road, Wilderness Area, Brandenburg Ranger which is partially paved, and continue Station, 520-357-6185 or www.blm.gov/az for 12 miles to the Aravaipa Canyon Camera: Pentax 645D; trailhead. From there, it’s a moderate Shutter: 1/25 sec; Aperture: f/11; 1.5-mile hike to the western boundary iso: 200; Focal Length: 60 mm of the Aravaipa Canyon Wilderness.

HAVASU CREEK BY SUZANNE MATHIA “This spot is below Mooney Falls and is a beautiful respite for hikers and photographers. In fall, the giant cottonwood trees that tower over Havasu Creek provide a canopy of gold and yellow. To capture the flowing water, adjust your shutter speed to find the look that pleases you.” — Suzanne Mathia

Peak Color: Late November to early December to the Hualapai Hilltop. Directions: Havasu Creek is on Havasupai tribal land at the Information: Havasupai Tribe, 928-448-2121 or www. bottom of the Grand Canyon. The creek runs through Supai, havasupai-nsn.gov which is accessible only via hike, mule ride or helicopter from the Camera: Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III; Shutter: 1/13 sec; Hualapai Hilltop, or via the . From Historic Route Aperture: f/8; iso: 200; Focal Length: 50 mm 66 near Peach Springs, go north on Indian Route 18 for 65 miles

26 October 2013 www.arizonahighways.com 27 LOCKETT MEADOW BY BRYAN DAV I D GRIFFITH “Lockett Meadow is one of my favorite places to fall asleep to the sounds of bugling elk and yelping coyotes, then awaken to the first rays of sunrise burning through the frost and illuminating the changing aspens. While firefighters narrowly saved the meadow from the devastating Schultz Fire in 2010, the trees in the background of this photo lost their lives — a reminder of how delicate this special place really is.” — Bryan David Griffith Peak Color: Late September to early October Directions: From Flagstaff, go north on U.S. Route 89 for 12.5 miles to Forest Road 420. Turn left onto FR 420 and continue for approximately 1 mile to Forest Road 552. Turn right onto FR 552 and continue for 4.4 miles to Lockett Meadow. Information: Coconino National Forest, Flagstaff Ranger District, 928-526-0866 or www. fs.usda.gov/coconino Camera: Calumet Wood Field 4x5; FILM: Fuji Velvia; Shutter: 1/22 sec; Aperture: f/4; iso: 50; Focal Length: 150 mm

28 October 2013 www.arizonahighways.com 29 Dune and

The wind blows hard on the Navajo Nation, and sometimes it blows so hard that it moves sand dunes across the landscape. Those dunes, the result of drought, increasing temperatures, invasive tumbleweeds and human impact, are wreaking havoc on the Navajo people, swallowing their homes and threatening their way of life.

By Kathy Ritchie Photog raphs b y John Bu rcham Gloom

30 October 2013 www.arizonahighways.com 31 On April 16, 2013, the Navajo Nation was slammed by a roar- vation of once-stable dune fields. ing windstorm. With gusts of up to 60 mph and sustained winds Unfortunately for the 15,000 to 20,000 Navajos who live among around 20 mph, Mother Nature was relentless that day. Road signs the dunes, this is a serious problem. They’re on the front line of a were thrashed and battered. Piles of sand accumulated on road- changing world. ways. A stretch of Interstate 40 was closed, resulting in a 12-mile According to an Environmental Protection Agency article about backup. climate change and its impact on society: “Native Americans are The wind blew so much loose sand into the atmosphere that it particularly vulnerable to projected changes in climate for a num- could be seen from space — a NASA satellite captured an image ber of reasons. Their communities are closely tied to specific res- of a massive dust plume that covered a large swath of the land- ervation boundaries that restrict their ability to relocate to avoid scape. The accompanying report from the U.S. Geological Survey climate change impacts. read: “Abnormally dry or drought conditions prevailed through- “Their opportunity to change their livelihoods may be limited, out [most of] Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and Utah, with an and they may have difficulty coping with impacts, including those area of extreme drought stretching across the Arizona-New Mex- on water resources, agriculture and ecosystems. For example, tribes ico border. Many of the dust plumes visible in these images arose located in the Southwest are projected to experience changes in in or near that area of extreme drought.” water quality and water availability on their lands.” Howling windstorms have plagued the Navajo Nation for de- In and around Navajo communities such as Tuba City, Leupp, cades. So has the sand. Piles and piles of reddish-brown sand cover Chinle, Kayenta, Tolani Lake, Many Farms and Teesto, the dune nearly one-third of the 27,000-acre land area, fields shift in the wind and can liter- which spans Arizona, New Mexico and Utah. ally move across the landscape. Data “It’s becoming a real issue on the Navajo from the USGS shows that dunes Nation,” says Jason John, a manager in the Wa- move approximately 115 feet per year. ter Management Branch of the Navajo Nation However, in a turbulent windstorm, Department of Water Resources. they can move as much as 3 feet in a John’s group focuses primarily on water single day. Omonitoring. But when it comes to climate, That’s a lot of movement, especially everything is connected. Water, or the lack if your house sits next to one of the thereof, means sand dunes are just as much his dunes. problem as they are Leo Watchman’s. Watch-

man, the Navajo Nation Department of Agri- ABOVE: A sand dune threatens culture’s director, describes the sand-dune One day after the April 16 wind- Rockies. In the middle of the room, a chipped, black Lester and Louise Williams’ “What little money these families have, a lot of it issue as a “slow disaster” and says the only storm, I drive north to Tuba City with metal table is covered with crackers, spoons, sugar home near Tuba City. goes into the basic necessity of trying to get water,” OPPOSITE PAGE, above: explanation for the growing sand-dune prob- Leanna Begay, a wildlife technician and bowls. It rests atop a sandy brown rug. The cast- As the dunes continue to move, John says. lem is the climate. from the Navajo Nation Department iron stove, which occupies a large chunk of real estate they reveal the foundations of Relocating isn’t always an option for families. In ad- Arizona has been in the grip of a severe of Fish and Wildlife. We’re joined by in the living room, keeps the place surprisingly warm. buildings previously engulfed. dition to the costs associated with moving, obtaining OPPOSITE PAGE, Below: drought since the mid-1990s. Although its se- one of her colleagues and photogra- Chee Willie sits at the foot of a queen-size bed. His The tumbleweed, an invasive a home-site lease can take years. And then there’s the verity varies across the state, the National Oce- pher John Burcham. It’s a cold after- wife sits nearby, holding her grandson’s hand. Chee species, contributes to sand- spiritual tie to the land. anic and Atmospheric Administration’s 2012 noon, and the wind is blowing when Willie doesn’t speak English, but he’s incredibly ani- dune mobility. “Once we establish a home, that’s where we are Western Region Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlook we pull up to a small yellow house just mated when he speaks Navajo. Through a translator, going to be — come hell or high water,” Zah says. report shows that much of the Navajo Nation is outside of town. A pair of dogs stand he talks about the difficulties of living in this kind of “Home is a sacred place in Navajo culture.” under severe-to-extreme drought conditions. guard nearby. Begay’s uncle and my environment, where the wind whips the sand so furiously that As Chee Willie and his family share their stories about the sand In April, the Arizona Drought Monitoring translator, Huskie Tohannie, greets the family can’t leave the house. He says he once tried to remove and the toll it’s taken, I begin to wonder about their health. Technical Committee issued its short-term- me outside with a smile and a hand- the sand himself, but it came back. The sand always comes back. During the Dust Bowl, when drought and record-breaking tem- drought status report. “The dry spring we shake. I follow him up the sand-cov- When I ask Chee Willie about getting help from the chapter peratures contributed to intense dust storms, a 1935 health study have experienced so far has caused drought ered steps that lead to the front door. house, the Navajo Nation’s local governing branch, he says it can’t found that Kansas experienced “its most severe measles epidemic” in most areas of the state to worsen,” it read. Lester Williams — a.k.a. “Chee help. It doesn’t have the money. and that there was a “very marked increase in the other complica- “There is no longer any portion of the state Willie” — and his wife, Louise, live just Erny Zah, the director of communications for Navajo Nation tions of the acute upper respiratory infections, especially sinusitis, without drought.” a few feet from a massive sand dune. President Ben Shelly, says that all 110 chapters are allocated money laryngitis, pharyngitis and bronchitis.” Drought, coupled with rising temperatures The gigantic pile looks to be around each year, and a percentage of that money goes into an emergency My translator asks Louise, Chee Willie’s wife, whether the blow- — the average annual temperature could rise 20 feet high. This is the Williamses’ fund. The catch, he says, is that it’s up to each chapter to decide ing sand has impacted her health. as much as 5 to 9 degrees, depending on emis- fifth house, and they share it with their how to use those funds. “She said when she walks out there, the sand makes breathing sion levels, by 2099, according to a report pub- children and grandchildren. The very For those who live outside the Navajo Nation, it’s easy to for- really hard,” the translator replies. lished in the Assessment of Climate Change in the same dune that looms right outside get that the Navajo people inhabit a very different reality. A harsh Chee Willie’s grandson, Tyrone Stanley, 23, worries a lot about Southwest United States — and human impact, swallowed their four previous homes, reality. According to a 2011 report by the Navajo Nation Division of the sand. He’s afraid that it might cave in on their house. Yet, he has contributed to increased wind events and along with their sheep corrals. Natural Resources, the unemployment rate is 47 percent. Thirty- chooses to stay. the propagation of invasive plant species. And Inside the tiny home, family pho- seven percent of the people live below the poverty line. Between “For my grandpa and grandma, it’s really difficult for them to the physical manifestation of our changing tos hang from the wall, along with a 30 percent and 40 percent of Navajo families still haul their water, move because they’re connected to this place,” he says with con- world can be seen in the formation of sand calendar from Hank’s Trading Post traveling 10 miles or more to reach a watering station where they cern. “For me, I would move, but it’s the safety of my grandparents dunes, sand-dune movement and the reacti- and a framed poster of the Canadian can fill their barrels. that worries me right now.”

32 October 2013 www.arizonahighways.com 33 Stanley talks about how their world is changing — how right is the main road they take. … Right now, it’s easy to travel on, but now, in mid-April, it should be much warmer than it is, and that come this summer, it’s going to be bad. It’s going to be really soft.” the wind … the wind has been howling for more than a week. Just Many of the roads on the Navajo Nation aren’t paved. And in recently, one of their sheep lost its lamb. It’s a devastating loss for areas where sand dunes are a threat, summer is a challenging time a family already on the brink, a family that relies on its livestock of year. Moisture evaporates, and the sand becomes dry. Families to make a living. who live in those areas must know how to navigate through the So much is going through my mind as I sit inside Chee Willie’s soft, loose sand, or they risk getting stuck, sometimes miles from home, listening to the family share its stories about the sand. I can’t help in hot weather. imagine what their daily life is like, trying to eke out a living, to “The reality is, they find a way around it,” John says. “They will fight the wind and the sand. Then, Chee Willie’s daughter, Zella find another way, even if it means making a new access [road] Williams, asks me a simple question: where it’s not cleared, archaeologically or otherwise. They just “If you had a parent living in this condition, how would you feel, make their own road.” and how would you help?” Kee Tohannie, Begay’s grandfather and Huskie Tohannie’s fa- “I would stay and help,” I say. “What else are you going to do?” ther, always carries a shovel, chains and sometimes a hatchet in case he or one of his neighbors is marooned in the sand. “I’ve been “One might ponder with sadness the stuck in the sand many times — it’s a Navajo and his problem. The sand dunes lot of digging,” he says. “You just have of their great land cannot be made more to know how to drive in sand. Like you fertile. The slick rock of their deep and learn to drive in snow.” mysterious canyons cannot be made Kee Tohannie adds that he’s adapt- more productive. The elements cannot ed to life with the sand dunes, and even be made more gentle.” though his hogan — the traditional home — Raymond Carlson, Editor, of the Navajo people — isn’t in any immi- Arizona Highways, 1938-74 nent danger of being swallowed by one, his attitude is really no different than Besides threatening homes, sand dunes Chee Willie’s. pose another serious problem. They block “You have to live with it. ... You cannot roads. As we’re packing up and prepar- change Mother Nature,” he says. “[She’s] ing to leave Chee Willie’s house, Tohan- going to do what [she’s] going to do.” But in modern society, where layers of red tape and bureau- him about the effects of tumbleweed on the land, he told me: “When nie tells me that yesterday’s windstorm cracy can impede even the best intentions, Hiza Redsteer worries you see tumbleweed, you don’t see grass; you don’t see much of shifted a nearby dune, causing it to cov- “Their environment, the sparse land that the sand-dune problem might be swept under the rug by an anything.” er part of a road used by the handful of and the harsh elements have given them already-overwhelmed tribal government. Environmental issues, Later, he said that he spent that morning burning dry tumble- families in the area, including Tohan- courage, pride and have made them she says, tend to take a back seat to other very serious issues, such weed — “to make room for more tumbleweed.” nie’s parents. self-sufficient. They have conquered their as water, education and health care. “I got stuck with my son,” he says. own world; so all the world is theirs.” “I’ve had people come and tell me, ‘Don’t give us another prob- “We had to shovel our way out.” — Raymond Carlson, Editor, lem; we don’t need any more problems,’ ” she says. “And I couldn’t Although the story of the sand dunes and the people who This wasn’t the first time a road in Arizona Highways, 1938-74 agree with them more.” live among them might sound hopeless, it isn’t. “Will the Navajo, one the area was covered by sand. A month That’s why Hiza Redsteer tries to focus on solutions, rather than day, become climate refugees?” I asked nearly everyone I spoke to. earlier, Begay and I drove over a huge The Navajo Nation is rapidly chang- remind the tribal government what it already knows. She’s part- The answer was repeatedly “No.” sand dune that was covering what used ing, and the only way to mitigate that nered with Northern Arizona University’s Tribal Environmental “But no matter what the years and decades will bring, theirs will to be an access road. We got out of our above: As the dunes cover change is for its members to adapt. It’s Education Outreach Program to stabilize dunes by protecting or re- be a Navajo world and in it there will be the Navajo, proud, aristo- four-wheel-drive and surveyed the landscape. It was roads, residents are forced to a skill set that’s ingrained in the Navajos, and the establishing native vegetation, providing stable surfaces for those cratic and unafraid,” wrote former Arizona Highways Editor Raymond the first time I’d seen a dune of that magnitude, and forge their own paths across proof is in their numbers. According to the 2010 U.S. plants to grow in and eliminating invasive plant species, such as Carlson, capturing, I think, the Navajo way. the shifting sand. it was a powerful sight. It looked like a magnificent OPPOSITE PAGE: Despite Census, roughly 169,000 of the more than 332,000 the tumbleweed. Still, it’s an uphill battle. And now there’s a new generation — Navajo youth — that’s sculpture shaped from mostly eroded Navajo and the danger posed by the tribal members live on the Navajo Nation. That’s in When it rains — even for a brief period — tumbleweed explodes. learning to embrace and care for its world. Thanks to many deter- Entrada sandstone. But then I remembered what it encroaching sand dune, the spite of the enduring struggles that could have dec- Native plants tend to require multiple wet seasons before they can mined teachers across the Navajo Nation, students are learning to Williamses say they have no could do — how it could devastate. plans to leave their house. imated the tribe, from the Long Walk of 1864 and reproduce again, but the tumbleweed, according to Hiza Redsteer, ask questions, to plan and to approach real-world problems and Many of the dunes in the area are unexpectedly the Stock Reduction Program of the 1930s to the di- does not. Because the tumbleweed germinates earlier than native devise solutions to life’s challenges. tall, some measuring anywhere from 30 feet to 40 feet sastrous effects of the 1966 Bennett Freeze. The Na- plants and grasses, and pillages available moisture and nutrients, Some of those students are working with Hiza Redsteer and high. Begay tells me that near Preston Mountain, some 45 minutes vajos have endured. other plants don’t have a chance to grow. And because the tumble- NAU’s Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals to stabi- north of where I’m standing, the dune field is even higher, possi- Margaret Hiza Redsteer is a research scientist with the USGS. For weed propagates by detaching itself from its root system, it fails lize sand dunes that are threatening homes and roads on parts of bly 60 feet to 80 feet in places. 14 years, she has studied the effects of climate change on sand dunes, to hold down loose sand, increasing the likelihood of sand-dune the Navajo Nation. Others are learning about the Navajo way of Very little native vegetation drapes the surrounding dunes — a and she talks a lot about the importance of adaptation. mobility. life by interviewing elders and documenting the sessions on video. crucial element in ensuring that dunes remain stable. Instead, tum- “The way people have survived is by confronting issues that they “Tumbleweed is a major blow to rangeland conditions,” Hiza “The [Navajo] president says these children are our most pre- bleweed, an invasive plant, dominates the area. As Begay looks out, know are affecting them and by being a cohesive group that works Redsteer says. “It is amazing how huge the areas are that are cious resources,” Zah says. “They hold our dreams and hopes, and she is overcome with worry for her grandparents. together to overcome adversity,” she says. “That’s the foundation affected by tumbleweed.” they have the power to realize our dreams and hopes for them. “What are they going to do this summer?” she wonders. “This for being an adaptable society.” I think back to my meeting with Kee Tohannie. When I asked They are the living example of our elders’ prayers.”

34 October 2013 www.arizonahighways.com 35 What Happens in Bisbee We’ve done many stories on Bisbee, and most of them have been focused on the history of the copper mine. It’s an interesting subject, but there’s a lot more going on down there. Cafés, art galleries, small-town quirkiness, larger-than-life characters ... To capture a snapshot of what’s happening on a typical weekend, we sent one of our favorite new photographers on the road. We didn’t give her any specifics. We just wanted her to walk around and start shooting. A PORTFOLIO BY JILL RICHARDS

ABOVE: Sam-Poe Gallery, on Bisbee’s Main Street, displays the work of married artists Sam Woolcott and Poe Dismuke. The latter, whom photographer Jill Richards calls “a big kid,” has an affinity for big bugs. right: The mining industry left Bisbee in the mid-1970s. Now, the town is an eclectic mix of artists, retirees and quirky characters. “Main Street’s shops and restaurants are as diverse as Bisbee’s residents,” Richards says.

36 October 2013 www.arizonahighways.com 37 Bisbee

LEFT: Jay Allen, the owner of the Broken Spoke Saloon chain of “biker bars,” restored this yellow taxi, which sits on Erie Street in the town’s historic Lowell neighborhood. Allen owns several buildings on Erie. BELOW: Sam Woolcott paints in her studio at Central Studio Project, a nonprofit creative space for working artists. Woolcott’s latest project is sketching Bisbee from below. She frequently can be found crouched in the town’s ditches, looking up at pedestrian bridges, walkways and houses.

RIGHT: Susan Flaherty studies a menu at the Bisbee Breakfast Club while her children, Katie, 7, and Kyle, 3, goof around. “On any given weekend in Bisbee, you can bet there will be a wait at the Breakfast Club,” Richards says. A popular item is the Wingdinger — hash browns, cheese, eggs and spicy sausage gravy, all served in a skillet. BELOW: Motorcycles line Brewery Avenue outside St. Elmo. The bar opened in 1902, and while it once had a reputation as a rough-and- tumble saloon, Richards says it’s become one of the best places in town to get to know the locals.

38 October 2013 www.arizonahighways.com 39 Bisbee RIGHT: No two rooms are alike at the Bisbee Grand Hotel, and Richards says no room at the bed and breakfast is as grand as the Victorian Suite, which features a red-velvet-canopied four-poster bed, a chandelier and an antique, claw- footed bathtub. The B&B was built in 1906 and restored in 1986. BELOW: The Courthouse Plaza Miners’ Monument pays tribute to Bisbee’s long history with copper. The statue, which stands 9 feet tall and weighs 2,000 pounds, is made of concrete but is coated with copper.

LEFT: Art Herman has been a commercial driver, a carpenter, an electrician and a plumber. Now, he’s a full-time artist, sculpting wood and bending metals and found objects in his small studio on Main Street. His latest work — wood sculptures of crows — is a statement against Nevada’s open-season hunting of crows, which he affectionately calls “little darlings.” right: The window of the Copper Shop reflects Main Street. Richards says Bisbee is “a treasure of a town, steeped in rich history and filled with characters.”

40 October 2013 www.arizonahighways.com 41

OneGillette Joe Brown became a cowboy when he was 8. He was young, and it showed. His first day on the job, he worked barefoot and bareheaded, with just a can of tomatoes and six saltines in his belly. He learned a lot of lessons on that initial ride, including one about razor blades. An Essay by J.P.S. Brown Illustrations by Chris Gall

42 October 2013 www.arizonahighways.com 43 n the year 1938, Roy Adams, Herb Cunningham and but they did not stretch the cords of my being to satisfy a craving. Wirt Bowman were partners with Viv Brown in However, I absolutely craved to cowboy on Pancho with Viv Brown the ABC Cattle Co. of Nogales. Viv Brown was my and did not even think of meat or drink when I could do that. pappy. I was 8 years old, and the ABCs offered me a On that drive to the Baca Float, I rode in the drags beside Felix wage to cowboy for them. One day after school, as Johnson. Felix was cranky. He’d been with the herd since it was Ian advance against my pay, Viv took me to Bracker’s department driven off the mountain from Cabezon Woodell’s camp at La store in Nogales and outfitted me with a hat, boots, canvas trou- Morita in the Sierra de San Juan. After the herd was cut and culled, sers and a work shirt. That spring, my duty would be to help the the steers and remuda had been paid for by the ABCs, loaded on the ABCs drive steers from the railroad pens in Nogales, Sonora, to the train in Magdalena and hauled to Nogales. Felix hired on with the Baca Float Ranch on the Arizona side of the border. new owners and rode the caboose to the Nogales, Sonora, embar- The next Saturday, my granny, Maude Sorrells, and I returned cadero pens. He was cranky because his pocket was full of money to our home on the Tucson Road from a double-feature movie in and he needed a clean, new outfit to wear, especially a new hat. Nogales and found my horse, Pancho, had been returned to his pas- The old hat he wore out of Mexico had been soaked clear through ture. I’d left him in the remuda of Cabezon Woodell’s cowboys in many times by rain, snowed on, scraped off his head in the brush, the Sierra de San Juan of Mexico when my pappy brought me home messed on, and trampled in the cattle cars. He wanted to look good from there to put me back in school. again, and his No. 1 requirement for that was a new hat, a deep bath Pancho had grown into much of a horse. My mom told me that and a change of brand-new, clean clothes. Uncle Buster Sorrells had met the remuda in Nogales, Sonora, and He had just finished telling me all about it when Viv and Roy hauled him with a supply of hay and grain back to his pasture drove up close behind the herd again. Roy told me to give him my behind our house. I had not yet worn my new outfit, but I began to horse and board the truck with Viv. I stepped off, and he swung ride Pancho every day so he’d be ready for work. aboard Pancho. His legs were so long that his feet almost dragged Pancho needed to be calmed down. He had a new way of show- the ground. I climbed into the pickup beside my pappy, smelled his ing the whites of his eyes when he looked at people, as though sweat and watched Roy laugh and joke with Felix about his dere- anxious about the burden someone might lict hat. We could see that he enjoyed riding up load on him, or about some wild thing I knew a craving close to a herd in the dust again, even though with horns and hooves that he might have or two. I loved he wore a new three-piece suit of clothes and a to jump out and overtake. canned tomatoes necktie with his $50 hat and $50 boots. One day, as I filled his water tub with but did not crave “Now, Highpockets, are you ready to go on a hose, we both looked up and saw the them. However, I with us and put in a full day’s work today?” Viv heads and horns of a herd come around absolutely craved asked. the Nogales curve on the Tucson Road. to cowboy on “Yes, sir,” I said. Boy, we couldn’t let anything like that go Pancho with Viv “What kind of wages do you get?” by. I bridled Pancho, jumped barefoot on Brown and did not “You know I never get paid wages.” his bare back and rode to the front of my even think of meat “From now on, when you work for me, you granny’s house to keep the herd off her or drink when I get paid. How’s that?” lawn and flower beds. could do that. “Good, I guess.” Roy Adams and Viv came along in a “Oh, you guess it’s good? Well, I’m glad. What pickup behind the drags. Felix Johnson, Manuel Valenzuela, Uncle kind of money do you have to have?” life, but cowboys don’t ordinarily own the horses they use. We’ll “Watering Pancho.” Buster, my cousin Grover Kane, Bud Parker and George Kimbrough “I don’t know.” give you Pancho if you make a hand, but from now on, you’ll have “Well, has this helped you understand something about work- made up the horseback crew that drove the herd of 1,800 Mexi- “How old are you, son, 8, and you still don’t know how much to take him home to feed and water when he’s not working for the ing for wages?” can steers. you’re worth?” company, and you’ll have to save your money to do that.” “Yes.” After the herd passed Granny’s house, I rode in behind the “Yes.” I didn’t know what to say next. “Let me tell you, to make sure. Not everybody who dresses like drags. Viv and Roy stopped the pickup in the shade of an Alamo “Don’t you care?” “Right now, we need you to make us a cowboy,” Viv said. a cowboy is one. Not everybody who isn’t dressed like a cowboy tree and called me and Felix for lunch. “I haven’t thought about it.” “That’s all I’ve ever wanted to do,” I said. isn’t one. Not everything a man says he owns is always his. If you “Where you been, boy?” Viv asked and feigned an abrupt and “Well, think. What are you worth?” “Well, what if you grow up to be a banker?” want to be a cowboy and do the work, you better wear the outfit. If unsmiling way. He always knew where I could be found. He asked “I’ll help as a favor to you, like always,” I said. “I don’t think that’ll happen.” you want to do a man’s work, you’ve got to wear boots so you can the question because anybody could see I was in heaven right then “Well, son, somebody else might not want to pay you because Viv laughed. “How would you know, young squirt? By the way keep your feet in the stirrups and get down off your horse to open and he should have come for me and Pancho before the drive began. you’re little, but not me. You’ll be paid $10 for each drive. Five dol- Wirt Bowman, our banker partner, wears his hat?” a wire gate in a hurry. You have to wear a hat so the sun won’t cook “I been waiting,” I said. lars of it will be to help drive the saddle horses from the Baca Float “By that, and by the way he waves his empty hands at cattle in your brain. You need to wear a long-sleeved shirt so all the hide He pointed to a pile of bread, crackers, jam, cheese, sardines and to Nogales, Sonora, the day before every drive. You’ll get another the pens when he tries to help turn them, and by his other funny- won’t sunburn off your arms. Understand? If you get sunstroke or Vienna sausages and said, “Better have lunch, now.” $5 to drive the cattle the 10 miles to the Baca Float the next day. looking clothes.” the hide burned off your arms and face, I’ll have to leave the job I jumped down and took an open can of tomatoes, a spoon How’s that?” “How about the way you’re dressed? If boots and a hat made and take you home to your mama. Our crew will lose its two best and some soda crackers, and squatted underneath Pancho to eat. “Fine.” a cowboy, you’d sure come up short today. Where’s the outfit I men for a while. Understand?” Canned tomatoes could be meat and drink to me, anytime. Pan- “OK, and as a bonus, you’ll own Pancho after we’ve shipped all bought you so you’d be ready to go to work when I needed you?” “Yes, sir.” cho stood over me, dozed, switched his tail, breathed on the top of the cattle to their summer ranges.” “I didn’t know the herd was coming until I saw it. I couldn’t “I’ll say one thing: If you’re with us for the rest of today, you’ll my head and poked me on the back of the neck with his whiskers. “Pancho’s already mine.” I thought he’d been mine when I left have made a hand if I’d waited to saddle my horse and change have to be darned tough, because you’ll do it barefoot, bareheaded I knew a craving or two. I loved canned tomatoes but did not him in the Sierra de San Juan, but I guessed the ABCs had bought outfits.” and on one can of tomatoes and six saltines. But then, to be a cow- crave them. I loved my godmother’s pan de huevo, a sweet roll, him with all of Cabezon’s livestock. “Well, we need Wirt Bowman, too. He finds us the money we boy, you’ll learn that sometimes, you might have to work a whole with café con leche — coffee and hot milk with plenty of sugar — “No, he belongs to the ABCs. He’s been yours to ride all your need. What were you doing when you saw us coming?” season, from winter to fall, on one Gillette.”

44 October 2013 www.arizonahighways.com 45 Bill and Dotty West picked the Grand Canyon for their 1962 honeymoon, Is That a Swimming Pool figuring they could escape the August heat and still get back in time for fall classes at Arizona State University. Bill’s fraternity brothers made the reser- on the South Rim? vations at Grand Canyon Inn. Its brochure advertised “a patio overlooking the Canyon, a swimming pool, fine foods and cocktails.” Almost no one remembers it, but, for a few decades in the middle of the last century, They arrived at “a quaint place, nicely kept,” about 2 miles beyond Grand Grand Canyon Inn welcomed visitors with “a patio overlooking the Canyon, Canyon Village, with “a little café and Indian art for sale in the lobby.” Grand Canyon Inn’s Years later, the couple returned to celebrate their anniversary, but the inn a swimming pool, fine foods and cocktails.” There was a curio shop, too, which sold swimming pool, which was gone. overlooked the South “We found remains of what we thought might have been it,” Dotty recalls. everything from Indian art to uranium samples. By Kathy Montgomery Rim, was known for its bitingly cold and heavily “There was rigging for what looked like a mine shaft. We could barely tell there chlorinated water. And had been a facility there.” PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK MUSEUM COLLECTION for the view, of course. The couple asked around in the village, but no one remembered it. “It was a beautiful place,” Bill says. “It became very, very special to us. And then it went away.”

he story of Grand Canyon Inn spans 30 years, beginning with a mining claim and ending with the stroke of a U.S. president’s pen. Its destiny was shaped by color- ful characters, a world war, a celebrity’s son, the arms race and an act of Congress. TIt started with the discovery of green mineral stains on an obscure Canyon wall by a prospector named Dan Hogan. Born in Syracuse, New York, Hogan found his way to the Canyon in the winter of 1890, when he completed the first known Rim-to-Rim-to-Rim backpacking trip. During that expedition, Havasupai Indians led him to a spot 1,100 feet below the rim between Maricopa and Powell points, where markings indicated the presence of copper. In 1893, Hogan filed the Orphan copper claim with a partner. Then, the Spanish-American War took him to Cuba, where he fought with Teddy Roosevelt and the Rough Riders. After the war, he returned and patented his claim in 1906 with the backing of Charlie Babbitt, a prominent resi- dent of Flagstaff. The claim consisted of 20 acres: four or five on the rim, the rest extending down the Canyon wall. Two years later, the Grand Canyon became a national monument, and in 1919, it became a national park. Mining was forbidden. But the Orphan was grandfathered in. Hogan found work in Flagstaff and returned periodically to improve his claim, but it never produced much copper. Grand Canyon National Park, however, brought tourists. So, in 1936, Hogan built a trading post, and later, he added an inn. He called it Grand Canyon Trading Post. World War II brought rationing and travel restrictions. Fred Harvey closed Bright Angel Lodge and Lookout Studio. Hogan, too, shut down until the postwar boom revived tourism. Then, he sold his place to Mad- eleine Jacobs, who reopened it as Kachina Lodge. Jacobs approached a former Harvey girl who was working in Harvey’s laundry to moonlight in the restaurant. Mary Hoover was fed up with waitressing but needed the money, and Jacobs was convincing. To Hoover, the lodge looked more like a warehouse than a curio shop and restaurant. But Jacobs maintained a nice dining room, and it hosted a lot of parties. “I remember one,” Hoover says. “The man was an artist, and his wife had a bottle of champagne for everybody. It was hard to serve because they were all so happy. You couldn’t get by. They’d want you to dance with them. But how could you dance when you had an armful of steaks?”

46 October 2013 www.arizonahighways.com 47 One employee recalls a cook who was “fabulous” but would get “drunk as a skunk” on her day off and sometimes be too hungover to cook the next morning.

Hoover recalls that Jacobs also had a nice curio shop and didn’t stove, two sinks and a real refrigerator, although they continued to In 1953, the Barringtons sold the lodge to a lawyer named Wil- ular with visiting ladies wanting to dance with a cowboy — and take kindly when a customer referred to its wares as “junk.” use a cold-storage room, cooled with huge ice blocks bought from liam R. Grant, though they continued to manage it. Grant renamed tourists who came after Fred Harvey’s bars had closed. “[Jacobs] said, ‘I cut my teeth on the gold doorknobs at the Wal- the village icehouse. it Grand Canyon Inn. The same year, Jacobs, who had retained the dorf-Astoria, and my things are not junk,’ ” Hoover says. “ ‘If you The bar included a small grandstand with a baby-grand piano, Orphan’s mineral rights, sold them to Golden Crown Mining Co., y 1961, the mine and the inn were at a crossroads. Most of don’t want to look at my things, there’s the door.’ ” and a 20-foot-by-30-foot hardwood dance floor, which was well- a subsidiary of Western Gold & Uranium. Bthe ore in the claim had been mined out. The company wanted But Jacobs was kind to Hoover. “I could never say I liked some- used, especially on Friday and Saturday nights when there was live The Barringtons left the following year. Penny remembers that to follow the lode into the park and believed it was their right. The thing, because the next day, it would be there for me,” Hoover music. So were the large windows they installed on the north end, her parents were broke and bitter, and she says they never wanted federal government disagreed. says. “I didn’t think it was right for me to take her things, but she which offered magnificent views of the Canyon. to talk about the inn. They didn’t even keep a photo. Rather than fight it out in court, the company lobbied Congress to insisted.” In addition to the lodge, there were eight cabins, four on the rim, Max Kofford, the mine’s chief geologist, says Golden Crown pass legislation allowing it to mine under the park. It also proposed At the time, Dan Hogan was living there. and a “long building” with 15 or so rooms. was out of money and facing a litany of troubles. It didn’t help that that Grand Canyon Inn be torn down to make room for a 600-room “He was just a lonesome little man, but he was a nice person,” The Barringtons also erected tents behind the long building to the mining activity upset Grand Canyon Inn’s owner, who threat- hotel that would cascade 18 floors down the Canyon wall. Hoover says. “I would see him pulling a bucket of ore up over the accommodate desperate visitors who arrived without reservations, ened to sue. The proposed hotel created a national uproar. Letters pub- top of the rim by hand. That’s how he mined.” and they commissioned a swimming pool with a flagstone deck. The mining company bought the inn, taking over some cabins lished in Arizona Highways prompted a response by the company Eventually, he and Jacobs parted ways. “I think she just didn’t Jim, who was 12 at the time, wrote about the hard work of digging for mining operations. When the uranium turned out to be some chairman, who wrote in the magazine: “If Uncle Sam will let like him wandering around,” Hoover says. “And he still felt it was it out with picks and shovels, sweating alongside the Havasupai of the highest-grade in the United States, the Orphan made the us mine, we will mine. If he forces us to build a hotel, we will his property.” man who was hired to do the job. company a lot of money. build … one.” Jacobs kept a big white horse that had been in movies and reared up on com- FAR LEFT: Dan Hogan’s mand. She also had a car, which arrived property at the Grand on a truck. Canyon Inn site included this nightclub. “It was an old car that had New York license plates on it,” Hoover recalls. LEFT: The windows of the inn’s upstairs lounge People told her she couldn’t drive offered unobstructed around with expired New York tags, Canyon views. This pho- but Jacobs insisted that the Grand Can- tograph was made in the yon was a national park and Arizona mid-1950s. law didn’t apply. RIGHT: This artist’s ren- “She was very adamant when she dering shows a 600-room thought she was right,” Hoover says. “She hotel that would have kept the car and drove it in the park, nev- cascaded down the Can- yon wall. That idea never er out of it. And when she left, she put became reality. it on the truck again and took it out.” When she moved, Jacobs leased the place to Will Rogers Jr., who called it The Rogers Place and ran it, briefly, as a tribute to his father. It was vacant when James Barrington, a successful California Water was always in short supply. Two cisterns collected rain- The dismay of the National Park Service grew in proportion to Bills introduced in Congress were debated, defeated and rein- homebuilder, heard about the property through a real estate agent water and snowmelt. When it ran out, the Barringtons ordered the mining operations, and after the construction of ore-loading troduced. Three months before Bill and Dotty West’s honeymoon, he shared office space with — someone who knew Jacobs. It had water from the railroad and trucked it in. facilities, a 60,000-gallon water tank and other structures, the the inn’s fate was sealed. In May 1962, President Kennedy signed been stripped of most plumbing fixtures and saleable items, but he “My mom learned how to shampoo and bathe completely with Park Service closed the rim walk. the Orphan Mine bill into law. It allowed the company to mine loved the idea of restoring it. He and his brother, Dave, bought the one bucket of water,” Penny wrote in an unpublished memoir. Even The mine also captured the attention of tourists, who showed under the park for 25 years in exchange for title to the property and place and went to work with help from their parents; their wives, so, water ran out from time to time. up so often that in the late 1950s, Western Gold (Golden Crown its structures. It required the inn to close by 1966. Ellie and Tess; James and Ellie’s two children, Penny and Jim; and Managing the staff was another challenge. One employee recalls had, by then, merged with its parent) printed a flier with a map to Meanwhile, the closing of the processing mill in Tuba City, a crew of Navajos, Hopis and Havasupais. a cook who was “fabulous” but would get “drunk as a skunk” on an overlook where tourists could watch the mine’s operation. The the demise of rail service to the Canyon and the loss of govern- The main building contained three stories, Penny recalls. A wob- her day off and sometimes be too hungover to cook the next morn- flier expressed regret that tours were not possible, but said ura- ment subsidies made mining operations more costly. The 1967 bly staircase led to the top floor, which held guest rooms, staff quar- ing. And once, a wrangler named Chappo, who was given money nium samples could be purchased from the inn. bankruptcy sale of the Orphan Mine by the company, then called ters and two unheated rooms partitioned off for Penny and Jim. to buy hay, spent half of it on entrance fees at the Prescott rodeo. Miners’ kids and residents of Grand Canyon Village mostly re- Westec, to Cotter Corp. marked the beginning of the end. The The entry floor included a flagstone patio, which they enclosed When James fired him, Chappo scattered the remaining half-load member the inn in those days for its pool, which was the only one mine closed for good in April 1969, although its headframe stood to make a lobby with an 8-foot fireplace, a soda machine and a of hay and turned the horses loose. around. One former resident, Mike Verkamp, recalls that the wa- for about four decades after that. mechanical horse you could ride for a nickel. ter was bitingly cold and had so much chlorine it turned swim- People connected with the mine wrote to the Park Service, ask- Stairs led down to the restaurant, kitchen and bar, which they n 1951, radioactivity was discovered near the Orphan Mine. Gov- mers’ hair green. As a young adult, the inn became one of the bars ing that the headframe be left in place to mark the mine’s history. gutted, removing a wood-burning stove, a tiny tin-lined ice cup- Iernment geologists confirmed the presence of uranium. With on his circuit. In the end, it was dismantled for public-health reasons, removing board, a galvanized dishwashing tub and “the perfectly preserved the nuclear-arms race in high gear, the discovery would change “There were some interesting characters, always,” he says. The the last traces of the Orphan Mine and Grand Canyon Inn, except skeleton of a squirrel.” In their place, they installed a six-burner everything for Kachina Lodge. bar was a hangout for locals, employees, mule wranglers — pop- for those that live in memory.

48 October 2013 www.arizonahighways.com 49 as she used to — marriage to a fellow river guide and the birth of her now-3- by kelly vaughn kramer year-old daughter, Ella, have slowed photograph by john burcham her down — but talk of the river brings a timbre of exhilaration to her voice and a hint of telltale light to her eyes. The kind people get when they’re profoundly enamored of someone. Or something. As she sits in front of Macy’s coffee shop in Flagstaff, she’s unaware that the couple next to her is hanging on her ev- ery word. That is, until they start asking questions about where she guides and re- counting their own adventures on river. She answers them easily, encouraging- ly, hoping that they’ll remember Arizo- a calming influence na Raft Adventures. Cooley carries that sort of gentle cha- risma into her work on the boards of both Nikki Cooley is quiet. But don’t confuse that the Grand Canyon Association and the with being introverted. She isn’t. In addition to Grand Canyon River Guides Association. And she believes that her voice as a Native being one of the first female Navajo river guides, American woman will help carry their she helped establish the Native American River missions forward. “The Southwest, and the Grand Can- Guide Training Program, which encourages yon area in particular, is very cultural- Native people to follow in her footsteps. ly significant to many Native American tribes,” she says. “Our voice and perspec- tive needs to be at the forefront with oth- er voices, including federal agencies, non- profits and for-profit organizations.” Cooley is on the record as being ada- very time Nikki Cooley stands near the confluence of the approached the opportunity with equal parts excitement and trep- pany that I was capable. No one ever told me that I couldn’t do it, mantly opposed to the Little Colorado Tramway, a proposed proj- Little Colorado and Colorado rivers, she prays. idation. but at times, it was very lonely.” ect that would include hotels, an RV park, an airport, restaurants “I pray to the holy people to forgive me for playing She was afraid of missing a lunch spot or, worse, camp. But she What’s more, she was one of only a few Native American river and a tramway to the bottom of the Grand Canyon from its eastern ethere,” she says. “I ask them to forgive me for taking people there looked ahead, read the eddies and watched where everyone else guides, something she worked quickly to change. rim. The majority of the project site lies within the Navajo Nation. to educate them.” was going. She didn’t miss a thing. In 2005, Cooley partnered with former Arizona congresswoman “There’s so much history there, so many prayer sites,” she says. As a Navajo of the Towering House Clan, born for the Reed Peo- “That was an amazing time in my life,” she says. “I was single, Karan English to create the Native American River Guide Train- “The project is disrespectful to holy people, to animals, to plants ple, the confluence is sacred to Cooley. As a river guide, it’s the I was finishing up my studies at NAU, and I felt like I was on my ing Program. Open to Native and indigenous people between the and to the geology of the Canyon. The whole environment will be gateway to her passion. And that’s a conflict she’s had to learn to own, doing something I’d wanted to do for a long time.” ages of 17 and 35, the program introduces young people to the disrupted.” reconcile. And she fell hard and fast in love with Hermit Rapids. water, encouraging them to pursue guiding as a summer job — Her heart weighs heavy, she adds, with the possibility that the Cooley, 33, first grew interested in rafting when she was a stu- “The bigger the waves, the better,” she says. “It feels like you’re and beyond. project will come to fruition. But as she begins to talk about her dent at Northern Arizona University. During her first trip, she ran on an aquatic roller coaster.” “Native people don’t know how to get into the industry,” Cooley daughter, she brightens again. She hopes, she says, to pass her pas- a portion of the Colorado River. In addition to giving her a taste of After she graduated from NAU, the river community embraced says. “They’re too afraid, and no one is showing them. They know sion on to Ella, who’s already completed two lengthy river trips. life on the water, the adventure hooked her. Cooley, and she began to run five to seven trips each summer — that companies have established routes and established rosters, And she's confident her daughter will become a steward of the “I started taking assistant spots on Arizona Raft Adventures working as a swamper on motor trips and as a guide on oar, then and they’re so inundated with family obligations and ceremonies environment. trips through the Grand Canyon,” she says. “A few months later, I working her way up the company roster. during the summer that they just don’t follow through.” “I hope that Ella will be someone who appreciates and respects got a support boat, but my training took more than a year because She did her fair share of grunt work and had to climb the hard More than half of the students who’ve completed the program the environment,” she says. “I hope she realizes that we need to I was in school.” way. All of which was fine by her. She kept in shape by lifting gear have gone on to either full-time or part-time jobs on rivers. And be constantly taking care of it, looking out for it. The river is not It was October, and water levels on the Colorado were low when and hiking — it’s no easy task to row other people for days on end they transcend tribal designations. Cooley has met Hopi, Navajo a water park. It’s something we can enjoy, but it’s a resource.” Cooley launched by herself for the first time. She was in her own — and, in her late 20s, she began strength training through Cross- and Oneida students, as well as people who’ve traveled from Can- boat, without passengers or a seasoned river runner whispering Fit Flagstaff. ada and Mexico. For more information about Arizona Raft Adventures, guidance in her ear. When the time came to get in the water, she “I worked really hard,” Cooley says. “I had to prove to my com- These days, Cooley doesn’t spend as much time on the water call 800-786-7238 or visit www.azraft.com.

50 October 2013 www.arizonahighways.com 51 scenic drive

Like many of Arizona’s scenic wonders, the route from Chinle to Cove isn’t just around the corner. Nevertheless, the red-rock which is a good place to fill up or stretch Chinle to Cove panoramas you’ll see when you get there make the drive time your legs. At this point, you can either worthwhile. by kathy ritchie turn back and retrace your route or continue on to the remote community of Cove. Surrounded by the Lukachukai he drive to Canyon de Chelly can offer great views of Canyon del Muerto’s resemble carved, horizontal waves. and , the area is won- be deceptive. When you eyeball ancient ruins and striking cliff walls. Continuing on IR 13, the road shifts derfully scenic, with red-rock forma- T the route on a map, you can see Around Mile 21, you’ll arrive at the from mostly flat terrain to steep, tight tions erupting from the vast, unfolding it’s off in the distance, but it doesn’t top of a hill where you’ll see the Luka- switchbacks. If you’re a passenger, your landscape. seem that far off. That is, until you start chukai and in the first inclination might be to close your The turnoff to Cove is unmarked, but driving. Still, it’s worth the effort. The background. Three miles later, you’ll eyes. Don’t. Yes, the incline is a little it’s the first left after the trading post long trek to this add-it-to-your-bucket- reach a “T” junction. This is your cue to intense, but the views are beautiful. Sage- on Indian Route 63. From there, make list-now national monument cuts turn left onto Indian Route 12. brush and piñon pines give way to pon- another left onto Indian Route 33. As you through the heart of red-rock country For the next 8 miles, watch your speed derosas and aspens, and at Mile 45, the meander along, roll down your window on the Navajo Nation, and the scenery is — horses and dogs tend to linger along views of red-rock country get even better. and enjoy the views. After 13 miles, the spectacular. the road. Although there isn’t a sign to Eventually, the road starts to descend pavement ends, marking the turnaround Begin the drive at the Canyon de indicate that Indian Route 13 will be — minus the winding switchbacks — point. On the way back, the perspec- Chelly Visitor Center, just east of Chinle. coming up on your right, the turnoff is at and arrives at Red Rock Trading Post, tive is different, and it’s grand. On your From there, head out on Indian Route the 32-mile mark of the drive. As you pass left, look for Royal Arch. There’s also a

64 toward Tsaile and the north rim of through the community of Lukachukai, opposite page: Aspens dominate the slopes nice view of Shiprock in the distance — Canyon de Chelly. The road skirts the you’ll cross Totsoh Wash, which looks of the Lukachukai Mountains along the drive across the Arizona-New Mexico border. canyon, but, unlike the south-rim drive, more like a trickle, despite the relatively from Chinle to Cove. | DAVID MUENCH Although Chinle and Cove are a long below: Royal Arch, near Cove, is a spectacular you won’t see much from the road. lush riparian area it feeds. The payoff payoff to a long drive. way from where you started, you’ll be There are, however, three overlooks that here is a panorama of red rocks that | ROBERT G. McDONALD glad you made the trip.

additional reading: For more scenic drives, pick up a copy of our book The Back Roads. Now in its fifth edition, the book features 40 of the state’s most scenic drives. To order a copy, visit www.shoparizonahighways.com/ books.

alley V Royal Arch ck Ro 33 191 d Red Rock e R Red tour guide L Rock u k Lu Trading ac ka Cove Note: Mileages are approximate. hu ch Post ka uka i C i r Mou Length: 70 miles one way Round Rock ee ntains k Directions: From the Canyon de Chelly Visitor Center, C H U 13 turn right onto Indian Route 64, which veers to the left S K (follow the sign to Tsaile and the north rim of Canyon de 12 A

Chelly), and go 24.4 miles to Indian Route 12. Turn left

onto IR 12 and continue 8 miles to Indian Route 13. Turn

M right onto IR 13 and continue 24.5 miles to Indian Route Lukachukai O U 63. Turn left onto IR 63 and continue 0.5 miles to Indian N T Route 33. Turn left onto IR 33 and continue 13 miles to Many Farms A the turnaround point. I N

NAVAJO NATION S Vehicle Requirements: The route is suitable for C

h Tsaile standard sedans, but traveling in inclement weather 191

i n Tsaile Lake requires a four-wheel-drive. l

e

W Warning: Back-road travel can be hazardous, so be

a Mummy Cave aware of weather and road conditions. Carry plenty of s rto h Overlook e u 12 M water. Don’t travel alone, and let someone know where el d n you are going and when you plan to return. 64 o y ARIZONA Ledge Ruins n a Information: Canyon de Chelly National Monument, Overlook CANYON DE CHELLY NEW MEXICO C 928-674-5500 or www.nps.gov/cach start here NATIONAL MONUMENT Travelers in Arizona can visit www.az511.gov or dial To I-40 Antelope Ruin (Holbrook) Overlook 511 to get infor­ma­tion on road closures, construc­tion, evin kibsey Chinle

K delays, weather and more.

52 september 2013 www.arizonahighways.com 53 hike of the month

Evergreens and aspens are everywhere along this trail in the Springs Valley, Fort Grant and the Gali- incline ratchets up, and after another keep left for the outer loop. , but it’s the golden aspens that stand out most uro Mountains. 10 minutes, the hike arrives at the first Continuing downhill, you’ll come Grant Hill Loop Make the side trip, and then con- of several side trails (shortcuts) back to to a second eye-catching aspen grove this time of year. by ROBERT STIEVE | photograph by shane mcdermott tinue into the woods, where the jeep the trailhead. Veer left to continue on and a third shortcut. Keep left. They’re road transitions into a typical trail. the outer loop. followed by a beautiful grassy corridor, yclophobia. That’s the word mountain-biking. It’s wide, it’s easy to From the trailhead, go left (clock- You’ll experience several segues like Just beyond that junction, the earth which surrounds the trail as it heads that’s used to describe a fear of follow and there aren’t a lot of technical wise) on the well-worn jeep road — you that during the course of this loop. In levels off and the trail passes through up and over a small ridge. The aspens C bicycles. It’s not a clinical term, ups and downs. Cyclists love it, but it’s won’t see a traditional trail for a while. addition to the change underfoot, you’ll what is arguably one of the most beau- fade a little after the grass, but the but the affliction, apparently, is real for a great route for hikers, too. Almost immediately, the road climbs notice that the forest changes, too. It’s tiful aspen groves on the Coronado forest is still thick with evergreens on some people. And maybe some of those Like most loop trails, this one can be into a forest of ponderosa pines, Douglas thicker, and so are the groves of aspens. National Forest. The area is reminiscent the final run back to the trailhead. If people are hikers. Although there’s a done either clockwise or counterclock- firs, white firs, Engelmann spruce and If you’re lucky, this is where you might of the Escudilla Trail before the Wallow you’re on foot, the homestretch takes kindred spirit among nature lovers, wise. Unlike most loops, Grant Hill isn’t aspens. On this stretch, the trail follows see some mule deer or a black bear. If Fire stole its identity. In early October, about 10 minutes. On a mountain bike, sharing the trail doesn’t always come a single trail. Instead, it’s a series of the ridge of a small drainage. Then, after you’re especially lucky, you might catch when autumn is making a bold state- it shouldn’t take more than a minute. naturally to hikers and bikers. The loops made up of old logging roads and about 30 minutes, it intersects with a a glimpse of a Mount Graham red squir- ment in the Pinaleños, this stretch will Either way, remember to share the trail. reasons are obvious; however, there’s connecting trails. It can be confusing on short side trail that leads to a scenic rel, an endangered subspecies (there are be the high point of the hike. Figura- There’s enough Mother Nature to go usually enough room for both. That’s a map, but if you stick to the outer loop, overlook. The views include Sulphur only about 200 left) that lives exclusively tively. About 10 minutes later, the sum- around.

the case on the Grant Hill Loop. In fact, as this listing is written, there’s a pretty The Grant Hill Loop is made up of old logging roads in the Pinaleño Mountains. mit of Grant Hill marks the literal high this trail was designed specifically for good chance you won’t get lost. and connecting trails. Where the forest gets thicker, the point (9,477 feet). ADDITIONAL READING: The rest of the loop is downhill, with For more hikes, pick up a copy some gradual switchbacks at the outset. of Arizona Highways Hiking Guide, which features 52 of the Then, an hour into the hike, there’s a state’s best trails — one for each sharp switchback that leads to another weekend of the year, sorted by seasons. To order a copy, jeep road. That’s quickly followed by visit www.shoparizonahighways. another shortcut to the trailhead. Again, com/books.

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CORONADO M O U Roper Lake NATIONAL FOREST N T A I N Swift Trail Mount Graham S Riggs Lake 366 trailhead Hospital Flat Heliograph Peak Treasure Park 191 Turkey Flat Fort Grant

Bonita 266 evin kibsey K

trail guide Length: 4.2-mile loop Horses Allowed: Yes Difficulty: Moderate USGS Map: Webb Peak Elevation: 9,066 to 9,477 feet Information: Safford Ranger District, 928-428-4150 or www.fs.usda.gov/coronado Trailhead GPS: N 32˚40.090’, W 109˚52.811’ leave-no-trace principles: Directions: From Safford, go south on U.S. Route • Plan ahead and be out all of your trash. 191 for 7.3 miles to State Route 366 (the Swift Trail). prepared. • leave what you find. Turn right onto SR 366 and continue 23.4 miles to the • Travel and camp on • Respect wildlife and trailhead on the left. durable surfaces. minimize impact. Vehicle Requirements: None • dispose of waste • Be considerate of Dogs Allowed: Yes (on a leash) properly and pack others.

54 July 2013 www.arizonahighways.com 55 where is this?

August 2013 Answer & Winner Winslow-Lindbergh Regional Airport. Congratulations to our winner, Plato Kretsedemas of Mesa, Arizona. ark lipczynski m

Win a collection of our most popular books! To enter, correctly identify the location pictured at left and email your answer to editor@ arizonahighways. com — type “Where Is This?” in the sub- ject line. Entries can also be sent to 2039 W. Lewis Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85009 (write “Where Is This?” on the enve- lope). Please include your name, address and phone number. One winner will be chosen in a random drawing of qualified entries. Entries must

es be postmarked by m October 15, 2013. Only the winner will be notified. The kerrick Ja kerrick correct answer will be posted in our Rocks in a Hard Place January 2014 issue and online at www. This is a cemetery, we’ll give you that much, but where is it located? Hint: The Western Arizona arizonahighways. community is named for the engineer who surveyed its site in the 1860s. Once a vibrant mining com beginning town, today it’s known mostly for its history, which includes the cemetery. — noah austin November 15.

56 october 2013 WHERE TO SEE FALL LEAVES