if you’re a grasshopper, beware the shrew arizonahighways.com APRIL 2004 Ultimate Back Roading from Border to Border lies the old-time writers told Sluggish Rattlesnakes, Harmless Gila Monsters Wild Terrain Along the Blue and san francisco rivers Life Atop a grand canyon butte {also inside} APRIL 2004 46 DESTINATION Bisbee’s School House Inn A quaint bed and breakfast in the old mining COVER/PORTFOLIO 30 HISTORY FOCUS ON NATURE town still has a classroom atmosphere and cozy, 6 Back Roading Across Arizona Writing (and Lying) 28 Beware the Shrew comfortable charm. Writer Charles Bowden and photographer About the West This tiny and adorable-looking mammal has an 42 BACK ROAD ADVENTURE Jack Dykinga take a slow, thoughtful journey ill-tempered and stinky approach to survival as it Blue River and San Francisco River Zealous journalists and book authors showed little over desert and mountain dirt routes goes in constant search of food. Getting to the confluence of two scenic Arizona control over their adjectives and perspective when to discover a different state. waterways isn’t all that easy, and there’s ample they wrote about Arizona and the West in the 1800s excitement in the trip. and early 1900s. GRAND CANYON 34 48 HIKE OF THE MONTH Just What Is on Top Pinnacle Peak in Scottsdale of Those Tall Buttes? Hikers enjoy the distinct Sonoran Desert feel — and panoramic views — of this urban trail. In 1937, some curious scientists struggled to the summit of a Canyon butte to answer the question — 2 LETTERS & E-MAIL and their findings were a bit surprising. 3 TAKING THE OFF-RAMP Explore Arizona TRAVEL oddities, attractions Grand Canyon Navajo Indian National Park Reservation 36 How to Get ‘Rattled’ and pleasures. 40 HIGHWAY on a Good Day Hike TO HUMOR The challenge of trekking into La Barge Canyon Pinnacle La Barge apparently wasn’t enough for a group of adventurers, 41 ALONG THE WAY Peak Canyon By word and example, Blue so they slithered their way to a few laughs with River a rubber rattlesnake. a Navajo grandmother PHOENIX San Francisco passes down her secrets River for using plants in TUCSON BISBEE everyday life. Huachuca Mountains POINTS OF INTEREST FEATURED IN THIS ISSUE {more stories online} at arizonahighways.com GENE PERRET’S WIT STOP Although Arizona is the youngest of the contiguous 48 states, it doesn’t have nearly the problems that the youngest of a large family has. [THIS PAGE] The abandoned Wupatki Ruins of Wupatki National Monument north of ONLINE EXTRA Flagstaff bustled with activity from A.D. Robbing Stages, All for Love 1110 to A.D. 1250. The pueblo and similar In the 1860s, a clever Bradshaw Mountains stage ones nearby housed several thousand robber — who was believed a good man at heart — people. RICHARD MAACK [FRONT COVER] Banked with yellow lost his freedom after a romance caused him monkeyflowers and marsh grass, the to turn bad. understated Bill Williams River in western Arizona provides a riparian habitat for WEEKEND GETAWAY neotropical migratory birds on their way Palatki, Honanki and Tuzigoot Ruins from South and Central America to their northern breeding grounds. Starting on Among Sedona’s colorful red-rock cliffs and hidden page 6, read about a writer and a canyons, visitors can inspect ancient dwellings and photographer’s back road journey through experience thousands of years of Indian history. Arizona’s scenic wild country. [BACK COVER] With a saffron message of EXPERIENCE ARIZONA renewal and hope, Arizona mules ears A Tucson festival featuring talks and videos about bloom in the ashes as the Apache- Sitgreaves National Forests in central hummingbirds, and a state mining championship and Arizona recover from the 2002 Rodeo- related activities in Miami highlight Arizona events Chediski fire. BOTH BY JACK DYKINGA during April. {letters & e-mail} Arizona Oddities, Attractions and Pleasures {taking the off- ramp } APRIL 2004 VOL. 80, NO. 4 Publisher WIN HOLDEN Editor ROBERT J. EARLY THIS MONTH IN How Deep the Hole? to hear whether anyone else had any problems Senior Editor BETH DEVENY Canyon Adventures Managing Editor RANDY SUMMERLIN I enjoyed “Mystery Diamonds From Outer Space” with this otherwise stunningly beautiful trip. Research Editor MARY PRATT ARIZONA Editorial Administrator CONNIE BOCH for Everyone Garmon Ashby, Tucson (November ’03), but I have a question. On page 14, Administrative Assistant NIKKI KIMBEL it says Meteor Crater is 700 feet deep. On page 17, We send at least two persons from our office to or 18 years, Ron Clayton, Director of Photography PETER ENSENBERGER The Gadsden it says the crater is almost 600 feet deep. My double-check the back road directions. But we also Photography Editor RICHARD MAACK livery manager at the Grand 1854 Purchase is question: How deep is the crater? get lost on occasion. The poor old editor says it’s not Art Director BARBARA GLYNN DENNEY Canyon National Park, has ratified, adding Deputy Art Director BILLIE JO BISHOP F Don Allen, Sedona an adventure unless you get lost at least once. been doing something truly 30,000 square Art Assistant PAULY HELLER miles to New Actually, both are correct. As reported on page 14, Map Designer KEVIN KIBSEY extraordinary — he takes people Mexico and the hole was 700 feet deep when the meteor struck. Peachfaced Lovebirds Arizona. The Arizona Highways Books with severe physical impairments ® U.S. paid Mexico As the thousands of years passed, the crater has My husband and I live in the El Encanto WitWorks Books to the Canyon bottom on mules. Editor BOB ALBANO $10 million for begun to fill up and is now about 600 feet deep, as neighborhood of central Tucson, a quiet enclave of Associate Editor EVELYN HOWELL His visitors include the blind, the land. reported on page 17. We love readers like Mr. Allen old saguaros and mesquite. Since April, our backyard Associate Editor PK PERKIN MCMAHON amputees, paraplegics and even who won’t let us get away with anything. feeder has been visited each day by a growing Production Director CINDY MACKEY quadriplegics. family of peachfaced lovebirds, up to six at a time. Production Coordinator KIM ENSENBERGER “I probably have more expertise Thirty-one Promotions Art Director RONDA JOHNSON 1860 Tucson citizens Fall Color Although sightings are less frequent in Tucson than Webmaster VICKY SNOW getting handicapped people into an BOB RINK meet and create It is early October and the leaves are beginning to in Phoenix (“Along the Way,” November ’03), these Circulation Director HOLLY CARNAHAN extreme environment than anyone a Territorial constitution. fall here in Indiana. One of the most beautiful areas lovely creatures are creating inroads here as well. Finance Director ROBERT M. STEELE in the country,” says Clayton, 55, The boy’s dad leaned over the Journey Along in the country for colorful fall foliage is in southern An unmistakable squawk alerts us to their presence a blacksmith by trade. “I believe I table and said, “Ron, my boy has Fulfillment Director VALERIE J. BECKETT Indiana. That said, the “The Color of Autumn,” each morning as they wait rather impatiently in the made the first wheelchair tracks nothing to lose.” Says Clayton, “It the River of Time Information Technology Manager 1871A group of 140 (November ’03) is absolutely striking in the beauty branches above for the feeders to be filled. CINDY BORMANIS into the Canyon. But this isn’t broke my heart.” So he agreed ocated in the heart of Anglo, Mexican you found in your own back yard. The pictures you The best part of the story is that these beautiful about me. It’s about the bravery of and the trip succeeded. The boy Fountain Hills, near the and Tohono FOR CUSTOMER INQUIRIES O’odham Indian choose for each magazine are always pleasing to the native birds of Namibia first appeared in our yard OR TO ORDER BY PHONE: the people who do this.” died six months later. junction of the Salt and Verde men (then Call toll-free: (800) 543-5432 L eye, but you outdid yourself with this issue. the very week my husband was hosting a colleague The first such trip was made in “It really opened my eyes,” says rivers, The River of Time Museum called Papagos) In the Phoenix area or outside the U.S., attack sleeping Laura Degenfelder, Frankfort, IN whose entire career of anthropological field research Call (602) 712-2000 1986 by a 9-year-old boy whose Clayton. “Prior to that nobody follows the regional history as Aravaipa has been based in . where else? . Namibia! Or visit us online at: adventure was sponsored by the with an impairment went on these determined by the presence of fresh Apaches near arizonahighways.com Camp Grant. Roadrunner Ritual Mev Jenson, Tucson Make-A-Wish Foundation, a trips, mostly because nobody water, essential for settlement in For Corporate or Trade Sales: They massacre It was a warm, sunny day in Arizona, and snowbirds Sales Manager HELEN THOMPSON nonprofit organization that grants wanted the added liability.” the desert. women and chil- were trying to soak up all the sun they could. I no Shiprock or Ship Rock? Call (602) 712-2050 the dreams of terminally ill The trips come about An image representing the First dren, and carry off other sooner got out the door than I saw a roadrunner Your article on the borderlands of the state E-MAIL “LETTERS TO THE EDITOR”: children. The boy’s parents informally. After a first meeting, Mother of the Yavapai painted children to be with a gecko in its beak. It was walking right and (“Arizona’s Rambling Borders,” November ’03) uses [email protected] desperately wanted their son to go Clayton makes the arrangements against a simulated rock wall and sold into slavery Regular Mail: in Mexico.