Remembering Oklahoma!: "Oh, what a beautiful mornin' ... Oh, what a beautiful day" Plus: Patagonia lake, Sonoita Creek, Pronghorns and the Santa Rita Abbey

AUGUST 2019

ESCAPE • EXPLORE • EXPERIENCE THE GRASSLANDSof Southern Arizona Grand Canyon National Park

Flagstaff Hutch Mountain Castle Hot Springs 34 WE’RE DOING OK! Payson Sixty-five years ago this summer, we sent Allen C. Reed to Southern Arizona to do a story about the filming of PHOENIX Oklahoma!, which opened to rave reviews in 1955. Today, the movie still rates a 92 percent on Rotten Sonoita Tomatoes, and a new production of the play debuted Tubac Patagonia on Broadway in April — it’s the fifth since the original production opened on March 31, 1943. It’s an old story POINTS OF INTEREST IN THIS ISSUE August 2019 that never seems to get old. By Robert Stieve Photographs by Allen C. Reed 2 EDITOR’S LETTER 42 GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD GET MORE ONLINE 3 CONTRIBUTORS Each day, the sisters at Santa Rita Abbey wake up www.arizonahighways.com 4 LETTERS early for prayer and Holy Communion. That’s followed by a daily routine that includes morning work, reflec- /azhighways 5 THE JOURNAL tion, Vespers and evening prayers. One of the sisters, People, places and things from around the state, Sister Victoria, was there when the cloister opened @arizonahighways including a look back at Castle Hot Springs, and how near Sonoita in 1972. Today, she’s the abbey’s prioress. it inspired Maxfield Parrish; a rare look at the Wrigley And there’s nowhere else she’d rather be. An adult verdin, a small songbird found in By Kelly Vaughn Mansion, circa 1931; and another Flagstaff hot spot Arizona’s southern half, clings to a Sonoran that traces its roots to Brix and Criollo. Photographs by Tim Fuller Desert saguaro. Lisa Langell CANON EOS 7D, 1/500 SEC, F/7.1, ISO 400, 18 THE GRASS IS ALWAYS GREENER 48 PRAIRIE GHOSTS 500 MM LENS FRONT COVER: Late-afternoon monsoon Pronghorns are North America’s fastest land animal Arizona is best known for its red-colored landmarks: clouds move over Meadow Valley, a South- Sedona, the Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, the and the second-fastest land animal in the world. ern Arizona grassland, as seen from a seg- Vermilion Cliffs. But there are other colors, too, When spooked, they’ll disappear in a flash — thus the ment of the Arizona Trail. Joel Hazelton including the White Mountains, the Blue River and nickname. Unfortunately, a more permanent disap- CANON EOS 6D, 1/25 SEC, F/14, ISO 100, the green acres of Southern Arizona. pearance threatens their survival. 100 MM LENS BACK COVER: A Sonoran pronghorn doe A Portfolio by Joel Hazelton By Matt Jaffe guards its fawn near the town of Ajo. Photographs by Bruce D. Taubert Bruce D. Taubert 32 NATURAL CHOICES CANON EOS 5D MARK IV, 1/500 SEC, F/7.1, ISO 800, 840 MM LENS Seven sites to see in Southern Arizona. 52 SCENIC DRIVE By Noah Austin Hutch Mountain: Groves of aspens and meadows are part of the allure of this scenic route, but the high point is the panorama from the top of the mountain. By Noah Austin 54 HIKE OF THE MONTH Kachina Trail: With its ancient limber pines, massive Douglas firs and groves of quaking aspens, this beautiful hike is a tree-lover’s Shangri-La. By Robert Stieve Photographs by Robert McDonald 56 WHERE IS THIS?

www.arizonahighways.com 1 editor’s LETTER CONTRIBUTORS

JOEL HAZELTON Joel Hazelton was feeling rest- AUGUST 2019 VOL. 95 NO. 8 to Gene, he mentioned that Brent had “boxes and less last summer, so he asked our boxes” of his father’s old photographs and letters. 800-543-5432 photo editor, Jeff Kida, ifArizona At that point, I forgot all about my headphones. www.arizonahighways.com Highways needed anything pho- I wanted to meet Brent. GIFT SHOP: 602-712-2200 tographed. The answer was more Other than the books and magazines in our than Hazelton had expected: usually don’t talk to my Uber drivers. Not archive, there aren’t many links to our storied PUBLISHER Kelly Mero We needed someone to shoot EDITOR Robert Stieve because I’m aloof. Or because I don’t think past. There’s no exclusive gathering place like the Southern Arizona grasslands SENIOR EDITOR/ they’re interesting — I suppose some are like The Explorers Club. No vintage diner where old- BOOKS EDITOR Kelly Vaughn (see The Grass Is Always Greener,

bartenders, with so many stories of scandal timers meet to reminisce about the golden era. MANAGING EDITOR Noah Austin page 18). “Although I’ve hiked the

and deceit. But when I get in the back seat, Most of our legendary contributors have passed, ASSOCIATE EDITOR/ ‘sky islands’ of Southern Arizona I VIDEO EDITOR Ameema Ahmed I just want to put on my headphones, turn up including Mr. Reed. His son, I thought, might be several times, I’ve always skipped the music and check out for a few minutes. I call a conduit. Like Doc Brown’s DeLorean. In par- PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR Jeff Kida over the grasslands and gone it “Bobby Time,” and it’s hard to come by. Like ticular, I wanted to know if any of those boxes CREATIVE DIRECTOR Barbara Glynn Denney straight for the high country,” first editions of Kerouac. Or californium. So, I don’t know how I got into a had outtakes from Oklahoma!. The wheels were ART DIRECTOR Keith Whitney Hazelton says, “so this assign- conversation with Gene. turning. MAP DESIGNER Kevin Kibsey ment was something new and “You flying out for business or pleasure?” he asked. Long before I’d gotten into Gene’s Buick PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Michael Bianchi challenging.” He made several “A river trip,” I said, thinking my cutoffs and Grateful Dead T-shirt might Enclave, I knew that our August issue would be DIRECTOR OF SALES trips down south, usually stop- AND MARKETING Karen Farugia have signaled as much. focused on the grasslands of Southern Arizona, ping first at the eastern foothills WEBMASTER Victoria Snow “Where you headed?” which is where the movie version of Oklahoma! of the Santa Rita Mountains. By CIRCULATION DIRECTOR Nicole Bowman “Wisconsin.” was filmed. And I knew that a new production of the time he was done shooting, he’d endured washed-out roads, monsoon storms and, DIRECTOR OF FINANCE Matthew Bailey “Wisconsin! What’s in Wisconsin?” the play was scheduled to open on Broadway in at times, an overwhelming number of photographic options — especially at Buenos Aires OPERATIONS/ “I’m going kayaking. A place called the Kickapoo River.” April — we call that a “news peg,” a timely rea- IT MANAGER Cindy Bormanis National Wildlife Refuge. “The entire refuge gets morning and afternoon light, so The small talk went on for a few miles. And I learned a few things about son for running a story. With fresh images from I couldn’t narrow down my options based on light,” he says. “And the topography is Gene. He’s a retired businessman — he pioneered the Dreyer’s and Häagen- the father via the son, we’d have the beginnings CORPORATE OR mostly unchanging, without major features that can anchor a background. This all elimi- Dazs brands in Arizona. He lives in Paradise Valley, a high-end ZIP code in of something we could put into our August issue. TRADE SALES 602-712-2018 nated my usual planning techniques, and I was left finding images the old-fashioned metro Phoenix, and has three grown children. He seemed like a nice guy, Something to pair with Joel Hazelton’s portfolio, SPONSORSHIP SALES way: by driving around and searching for foregrounds.” You can see more of Hazelton’s REPRESENTATION On Media Publications but I was ready to put on my headphones. Fortunately, that didn’t happen. which he’d started shooting a few weeks earlier. Deidra Viberg landscape images in Arizona’s Backcountry, a recently published Arizona Highways book. Gene had more questions. On September 27, the DeLorean pulled up: 602-323-9701 “So, what do you do for a living?” “Hello Robert. My name is Brent Reed, I am the “I’m in publishing,” I said, hoping it wouldn’t trigger an attack on the media. son of Allen Reed, who did a great deal of pho- LETTERS TO THE EDITOR [email protected] TIM FULLER 2039 W. Lewis Avenue “Oh, that sounds interesting. Newspaper?” tography and writing for Highways in the 1950s Phoenix, AZ 85009 In 1978, Tim Fuller photographed the nuns of the “No, I’m the editor of a magazine called Arizona Highways.” and 1960s. My friend, Gene, who provided you remote Santa Rita Abbey for Arizona Highways. With those 10 words, this issue started taking shape. with an Uber ride recently, forwarded your email When we offered him the chance to revisit the GOVERNOR Douglas A. Ducey “I love Arizona Highways, he told me. “Are you familiar with a photographer address to me. I’d be glad to assist in any way subject more than 40 years later (see Give Us DIRECTOR, named Allen Reed? His son, Brent, is a good friend of mine.” regarding my late father’s work or background, DEPARTMENT This Day Our Daily Bread, page 42), he was happy It wasn’t an unusual question, not for someone on the outside, but for for any future projects you may undertake. Feel OF TRANSPORTATION John S. Halikowski to oblige. “Getting to know the nuns and pho- someone who wanders the hallowed halls of this magazine’s world head- free to reach out if and when I can be of help.” tographing their lives in 1978 was a memorable quarters, it was like asking Ed Sheeran if he’d ever heard of The Beatles. It took us a while, but we finally met at a sand- Arizona Highways® (ISSN 0004-1521) is published experience,” he says. “I loved our conversations monthly by the Arizona Department of Transportation. Yes. I’d heard of him. wich shop in Scottsdale. I could have sat there for Subscription price: $24 a year in the U.S., $44 outside about what it was that brought them to the the U.S. Single copy: $4.99 U.S. Call 800-543-5432. UP- abbey and their lives of prayer. Since then, when- “Allen Reed is an editor’s dream,” Editor Tom Cooper wrote in our May hours, and maybe we did. By the time I left, I had DATED PRIVACY POLICY: Our privacy policy has been 1977 issue. “He can write, photograph and illustrate. Better yet, he does all several new story ideas. I also had access to all updated to reflect the new changes in data protection ever I’ve driven past the road that leads to the laws, including the EU’s General Data Protection Regu- of these things with expertise. He’s one of those special people you can turn of Allen Reed’s photographs, many of which have lations. To read our updated privacy policy, go to www abbey, I’ve thought of the time I spent with the loose with a story idea and he will deliver a complete package.” never been seen before, and some of which you’ll .arizonahighways.com/privacy-policy. Subscription cor­re­ sisters.” Fuller began his latest shoot by talking to spon­dence and change of address information: Arizona After attending art school in Los Angeles, and being part-owner of an see inside. Highways, P.O. Box 8521, Big Sandy, TX 75755-8521. Peri­ the prioress, Sister Victoria — one of his favorite advertising firm there, Mr. Reed packed up and moved to Arizona. He Sadly, I never had the pleasure of meeting odical postage paid at Phoenix, AZ, and at additional sisters from the work he did in 1978. “We would mailing office. Canada Post international publications quickly made a name for himself as a freelancer, and in July 1949, he made Mr. Reed, but now I know his son. Thank you, mail product (Cana­dian distribution) sales agree­ment often talk about the joys and demands of faith,” he says. “When I walked into the office, No. 40732015. Send returns to Quad/Graphics, P.O. Box I told her I couldn’t remember the proper protocols. ‘Should we shake hands?’ I asked. ‘No,’ his debut in Arizona Highways. It was a story titled Peach Harvest in Supailand. Brent. We’re grateful for your generosity. And 456, Niagara Falls ON L2E 6V2. Post­master: Send ad- “The twinkling fires of the Havasupais seem to be reflections of the stars,” thank you, Gene. Your many questions were well dress changes to Arizona Highways, P.O. Box 8521, Big she responded, ‘we should hug.’ ” Much has changed in photography in the past 40 years, Sandy, TX 75755-8521. Copy­right © 2019 by the Ari­zona he wrote. “A timeless moment to hesitate, as though on a cloud enveloped worth the loss of a little Bobby Time. Department of Trans­­por­­tation. Repro­duc­tion in whole or and Fuller says his modern equipment made it easier to convert an idea into a beautiful above and below by the heavens.” in part with­­out permission is prohibited. The magazine photo — and to do so without disrupting the moment. In addition to this project, Fuller is does not accept and is not responsible for un­solicited In the years that followed, he wrote and photographed more than 50 fea- ROBERT STIEVE, EDITOR mater­ ials.­ revisiting another moment from his past: “Fifty years ago, upon my arrival at Woodstock, tures for us. One of them, Oklahoma!, appeared in April 1955. As I was talking Follow me on Instagram: @arizonahighways I talked my way into a backstage photo pass. I’m currently working on the story of how PRODUCED IN THE USA that happened and a portfolio of the images I shot.” — NOAH AUSTIN

2 AUGUST 2019 PHOTOGRAPH BY PAUL MARKOW PHOTOGRAPHS: TOP TODD HALVORSEN ABOVE, RIGHT ELISE SCHADLER www.arizonahighways.com 3 LETTERS [email protected] THE JOURNAL

read with great interest your cover story on Ted DeGrazia [June 2019]. When I was just out of college, I I had a job working for Diamond’s department stores. They did a promotion with Ted DeGrazia, and it was my job to drive him around from store to store and to enter- tain him. I think he much more entertained me, and we made some interesting stops along the way. At the end of our time together, he grabbed a print of the Superstition Mountains and signed it for me. I’ve had it rolled up in a tube for more than 40 years and just recently had it framed. Thank you for remembering him this month. Mark McFadden, Phoenix

June 2019

was there when Ted DeGrazia turned in and pulled out a fistful of cash, what affectionately called “baloney in his “dilapidated pickup” and paid counted out the amount and purchased boats.” While the dories were incredi- I cash for not one, but three new cars the three vehicles. Ted told the salesman bly stable, they did occasionally tip over, [Editor’s Letter, June 2019]. It was the to drive the station wagon to his home. and I was a passenger on one of those early 1950s, and I was visiting my friend, He asked me to drive the GMC pickup, occasions. It was the turbulent Lava Bucky Bish, at his Buick dealership and he drove the convertible. After we Falls, and we hit a hole and flipped. (Young Buick) on North Stone Avenue delivered the fleet, Ted returned the There was little panic because we had in Tucson. This is when Ted DeGrazia salesman and me back to the dealership. been instructed to stay inside the boat, pulled up in his well-worn GMC pickup The dealership junked the old GMC. hold on to the gunnels and keep our truck. Ted was dressed in a battered felt Dan J. Lyons III, Tucson feet pointed downstream. Sure enough, hat, no shirt, Levi’s with a rope belt and there was plenty of air, and we floated sandals. I had taken music classes with s a new subscriber, I very much through the rapid until we reached a Ted when I was in sixth grade, so I went enjoyed my first issue celebrating the period of calm ... and we had a great up to greet him. When the senior sales- A 150th anniversary of John Wesley story to tell. man saw this character get out of his Powell’s expedition through the Grand J. Robert Hendricks, Tucson pickup, he pushed a new, young sales- Canyon [May 2019]. Fifty years ago, the man forward to “sell” this customer. Ted U.S. Post Office celebrated the centenary am writing to let you know how much asked the young man the price of the of this event with a commemorative our family has enjoyed your publica- Rack robin-egg blue Buick Special convertible. stamp. While attending a summer ses- I tion through the years. My mother- Your Of course the kid did not know, so he sion at Northern Arizona University, in-law, Sylvia Bruce, lives in Yuma and had to go inside and get the price. All I was privileged to purchase a first day has graciously given us a subscription Brain the other salesmen were in the show- cancellation of this stamp at the First to Arizona Highways for the past several Swirling colors in the sky room window, laughing at the young Day Ceremony on the NAU campus. It years. Her motive to stir our interest in mimic the multicolored salesman. Ted then asked about the is one of the many cherished moments your beautiful state has been successful. and strangely textured Buick Roadmaster station wagon. Again I have as a former government employee However, because of our residence in rock layers of White Pocket, the salesman had to go inside to get the stationed in Arizona. Florida, we have had few opportunities a remote destination in the price. Then Ted wanted the price of the The Reverend Dan Daniels, to explore Arizona. Yet, due to the excel- Vermilion Cliffs of Northern new GMC pickup. Ted now had three Williamstown, Massachusetts lent photography in your magazine, we Arizona. The rocks’ tex- prices on three vehicles: the convertible, often feel as if we are visiting in person. ture, known colloquially as the station wagon and the pickup. Ted he issue on the Colorado River AV and Connie Youngblood, “brain rock,” makes White Pocket a popular destina- said, “Add them up.” The salesman said, brought back memories of my own Greensboro, Florida tion for photographers. For “All three?” Ted’s answer was “Yes.” The T journey with Martin Litton’s dories in more information, call the gallery of salesmen, in the showroom the early ’70s [Whatever Boats You Float, contact us If you have thoughts or com- Bureau of Land Manage- ments about anything in Arizona Highways, we’d window, were all roaring with laughter, May 2019]. I made two trips back-to- ment’s Arizona Strip Field but not for long. Ted went over to his back. The boats were a bit of a novelty love to hear from you. We can be reached at editor@ arizonahighways.com, or by mail at 2039 W. Lewis Office at 435-688-3200 or worthless pickup and came back with a then, and I remember the great curiosity Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85009. For more information, visit www.blm.gov/arizona. brown paper grocery sack. He reached of other rafting outfits that we some- visit www.arizonahighways.com. CANON EOS-1DS MARK III, 2.5 SEC, F/16, ISO 100, 24 MM LENS

4 AUGUST 2019 PHOTOGRAPH BY SUZANNE MATHIA nature J

Long-Eared Myotis

AMEEMA AHMED

The Disney movie Finding Dory describes the technique of echolocation as “the world’s most powerful pair of glasses.” The long-eared myotis (Myotis evotis) would probably agree. Echolocation is this bat’s method for capturing prey — it sends out high-pitched screams to locate insects, then swoops in for the kill. The foraging process generally starts about an hour after dark. These bats can capture prey both in the air and on the ground, and that versatility requires flying in a methodical pattern that uses more energy. Expending more energy, in turn, means foraging for longer periods of time. In Arizona, the bats are found primarily Visitors explore the in the northern and central parts of the state, monument near where they prefer to build their roosts in the Faraway Ranch in stumps of ponderosa pines. the 1920s.

ADDITIONAL READING: To learn more about Arizona’s wildlife, pick up a copy of the Arizona Highways Wildlife Guide, which features 125 of the state’s native birds, mammals, reptiles and other animal species. To order online, visit www .shoparizonahighways.com.

6 AUGUST 2019 PHOTOGRAPH BY BRUCE D. TAUBERT www.arizonahighways.com 7 J history dining J

THIS MONTH IN HISTORY Root Public House Arizona University students for decades. n Arizona votes to repeal In terms of culinary pedigree, it doesn’t get much better than Brix, which Smith says people still come in to say national Prohibition on gave birth to Criollo. Now there’s Root, a moderately priced public house with they had their first beer or met their August 8, 1933 — making it contemporary American fare. spouse there. And then they stay for din- the 21st state to do so. ner. A recent month’s menu included a n A rare Arizona tornado NOAH AUSTIN blood orange and beet salad, with a touches down at Mission Dijon-herb vinaigrette; a cider-glazed San Xavier del Bac, near DAVID SMITH, THE CHEF and co- Brix, which today is one of Northern Ari- duck breast, served with cheddar grits Tucson, on August 27, 1964, owner of Root Public House, used to zona’s most highly regarded restaurants, and braised collard greens; and a savory killing two people. change his restaurant’s menu a few and later opened Criollo Latin Kitchen mesquite-smoked pork chop. n In August 1980, the des- times a week. “That’s fun for a chef,” he nearby. The latter helped inspire Smith’s Smith describes the entrées’ presenta- ert tortoise — which has a says, “but I think my staff was going a latest venture. tion as “pretty, but approachable.” So historical range in Arizona, little crazy.” Now, three years after Root “I was so proud of what we did at is the drink menu, which features a California, Nevada and took root in Flagstaff’s historic Southside Brix, and I still am, but the locals always dozen colorful cocktails, Arizona brews Utah — is first listed as neighborhood, Smith limits his menu viewed it as a destination-type place,” and an ample wine selection. In spring threatened under the rotations to about once a month. And his he says. “Criollo was more approach- and summer, patrons can enjoy Root’s Endangered Species Act. marriage of elevated cuisine and unpre- able, and the idea with Root was to have rooftop patio, which offers its own bar, n On August 28, 1869, tentious atmosphere is attracting diners a similarly priced restaurant, but more live music and 360-degree views of the John Wesley Powell’s from near and far. contemporary American fare, and a place Flagstaff area. In short, there are multiple expedition narrowly Smith is a Virginia native who left a where everyone is welcome.” The concept reasons that Root is a place where people escapes death in the career as a mortgage broker to attend is working, and Root now draws regulars want to be. And that’s the whole point. Grand Canyon, voyaging culinary school in the Phoenix area. He from the Flagstaff area and summer visi- “The idea of a public house is that we through rapids and over then worked as a chef in Portland before tors from down south. want you to be able to come in for an anni- Josef Muench photographed Payson’s historic Ox Bow Inn in the 1950s. two waterfalls with jag- returning to Arizona in search of sun- The modern, well-lit space is in a versary dinner, but also just come in on a ged rocks at the end. shine. He became executive chef and building that once held the Mad Italian, Tuesday night for a steak and a beer,” Smith Ox Bow Saloon part-owner at a new restaurant called a bar that was a destination for Northern says. “We don’t want to scare anybody off.” It’s not the only saloon on the National Register of Historic Places, but it might be the only one with a ghost named Susan. 50 YEARS AGO IN ARIZONA HIGHWAYS AMEEMA AHMED

he Wild West is alive and well in Rim National Register of Historic Places in 2004. Country. Especially at the Ox Bow Hansen says the building is still 100 percent Saloon in Payson. original, and that while amenities have been T Formerly the Ox Bow Inn, this added, none of the original structure has building on the city’s Main Street was called been removed. The bar where you can order the Payson Hotel when it was built in 1933 by your favorite libation is the same one where William and Estelee Wade, who owned the cowboys sat to drink a cold one 75 years ago. restaurant next door, the Busy Bee. In those Much like the bar, the photographs on the days, $2.50 would get you a room, and another walls have been there since the 1940s. 50 cents would get you a meal. These days, the hotel is a community staple Over the years, the inn went through some in Payson. It hosts many of the town’s benefit The August 1969 issue of identity changes. According to current co- events, as well as weddings and festivals. You Arizona Highways ventured owner Mary Hansen, the inn became a desti- can get a taste of the Western culture at rodeo into the backcountry, as nation resort in the 1960s. Then, in the ’90s, it dances and gunfights, which take place dur- depicted through the lens was turned into employee quarters for the inn. ing the summer and fall months. and words of photogra- Later that decade, the inn portion of the busi- And if you’re looking for some otherworldly pher Darwin Van Campen. ness was shut down and the property became experiences, you might be in luck. Several “I know of no comparable the Ox Bow Saloon. paranormal investigators believe the bar is area anywhere that can Made of ponderosa pine logs from the home to ghosts and spirits. “We have a ghost provide either [the eye or Mogollon Rim, the building has stood the test named Susan,” Hansen says. “We like her ... the camera] with a greater of time and ownership: It was added to the we’re keeping her.” variety of impressive natu- ral scenery,” Van Campen PAYSON Ox Bow Saloon, 607 W. Main Street, 928-474-4261, www.facebook.com/paysonoxbow wrote of Arizona. FLAGSTAFF Root Public House, 101 S. San Francisco Street, 928-774-1402, www.rootpublichouse.com

8 AUGUST 2019 PHOTOGRAPH: NORTHERN ARIZONA UNIVERSITY CLINE LIBRARY PHOTOGRAPH BY JOHN BURCHAM www.arizonahighways.com 9 J around arizona

deserves to stand out: Arizona’s first telephone was right here. Following a fire during the site’s declining years, the resort As is so often true, a conspiracy of circumstances led to that was donated to Arizona State University in the 1970s, then event. Frank Murphy built the resort in 1896. His brother was abandoned. The property had several comeback attempts, but Arizona Territorial Governor Nathan Oakes Murphy. Finding fainthearted entrepreneurs faltered — the rugged, rutted road this climate much more agreeable than Prescott’s, the governor made repairs and deliveries expensive, and bringing back relocated the seat of government to Castle Hot Springs during authentic glory required not only patient dedication, but also winter. When telephones became available, he successfully pos- significant investment. Finally, Mike and Cindy Watts, long- ited that affairs of state required the first installation here. time business owners in the Phoenix area, succeeded. Today, Visitors are quickly told the antique phone in the booth is about 30 luxurious bungalows beckon from an isolated valley not the original — it’s only 60 years old. And, yes, guests can near Lake Pleasant. Fireplaces and elegant furnishings mean the make calls on it. Likewise, the pool wasn’t here when the resort indoors lives up to the outdoors. opened — it’s only about 100 years old. Sure enough, photo- Most important are the hot springs themselves, beckoning to graphs from 1918 show it unchanged. guests while lending their musical waters to a tumbling stream. And Castle Hot Springs is believed to be where Maxfield Par- Water from the springs feeds a reflecting pool and a water fea- rish created an exquisite color. The ture, it gets used in house-made beer, and it fills discreet open- talented artist’s paintings Night in the air tubs on each enclosed patio. Desert and The Desert Without Water Here, the past becomes a setting for the present, which launched the deep, glossy cobalt for- includes bloody marys that guests make from tomatoes and ever known as “Parrish blue.” And other vegetables grown on-site. Reservations, ranging from guests who have seen and admired around $700 to more than double that, include meals for two Parrish’s work The Canyon, of a young people, a bottle of wine and a hosted manager’s reception every blonde (William Jennings Bryan’s evening. Music from the 1940s evokes a pampered yesteryear for granddaughter Kitty Owen) in rugged the fortunate guests. terrain, can stroll to the spot where Then, when those guests settle back in the warm waters to Parrish is thought to have set the gaze in wonder at star-strewn night skies, eras merge and meld, alluring piece. edged with wonder — and Parrish blue.

astle Hot Springs, north of the Phoenix area, had such a Castle Hot Springs legacy to resurrect. As soon as you see the prim, custard- In addition to being a desert oasis and a history C yellow clapboard buildings on 5 lush, gardened acres, you could be guests from the 1930s, who would have gotten off scrapbook of the rich and famous, Castle Hot Springs trains in Wickenburg and boarded stagecoaches. The jouncing is believed to be the place where Maxfield Parrish ride on a rough road ended at this almost Adirondack Eden. created an exquisite color: the deep, glossy cobalt Every view holds a story. For example: The flagpole atop known as “Parrish blue.” a tall escarpment across the valley is a remnant of when the resort was used as a military rehabilitation center after World LISA SCHNEBLY HEIDINGER War II. Roosevelts, both presidents and family members, stayed here, and John F. Kennedy came after his military ser- vice because his father, Joseph, knew everyone — including Castle Hot Springs’ management. ABOVE: Saguaros guard the hillsides over the refurbished Castle Hot Springs Resort. John Burcham The Wrigley House — yes, those Wrigleys — now houses OPPOSITE PAGE, TOP: Artist Maxfield Parrish found inspiration at the top staff. The gracious residence’s windows are original, with resort. His work The Desert Without Water displays “Parrish blue,” a color gleaming copper fittings. Craftsman furnishings support the he popularized. National Museum of American Illustration OPPOSITE PAGE, BOTTOM: The resort’s namesake springs now are feeling of having stepped back in time. attracting a new generation of vacationers. Paul Markow Even among many marvelous old features and stories, one NEAR PHOENIX Castle Hot Springs Resort, 877-600-1137, www.castlehotsprings.com

10 AUGUST 2019 www.arizonahighways.com 11 J photography

PHOTO WORKSHOP

Cibecue Falls and Salt River Canyon October 10-13, Globe Secluded waterfalls, hidden hoodoos and other rarely seen sights are on display at this workshop, which centers on one of Arizona’s most dramatic canyons and most important waterways. It’s led by frequent Arizona Highways contributor Shane McDermott. Information: 888-790-7042 or www.ahps.org

birds’ yellow heads. Was that some- thing you did intentionally? JD: Yes. Basically, I’m slightly underex- posing the overall image, then letting the strobe brighten up the targets, giving me that effect of a deep blue background. I shot this at an ISO of 2500, and at a high ISO like that, you tend to get a lot of noise, but by making a large image and then downsizing it, you can eliminate most of the noise.

JK: What draws you to photographing Yellow-headed blackbirds take wildlife? flight from the Tucson area. JD: Like many subjects, it’s ephemeral. This flock of blackbirds did not return the following year, because the farmers in JK: How did this shot come together? capture them. When you’re shooting for a slow shutter speed, for a lens of this focal shots, I chose not to use the strobe and that area changed their crops from corn to JD: I photographed these yellow-headed magazine or a newspaper, as I have in my length, to shoot motion. I decided to use a blurred the birds’ flight, but this time, I cotton. The birds had been feeding on the Q&A: blackbirds in the Tucson area. I had heard career, you’re telling a story, so it’s good to Nikon strobe with a flash extender called wanted to try something a little different corn stover, so they didn’t come back. they were “erupting” from this one area, have a deep mix of imagery that reflects a Better Beamer. Birds do a lot of their to get a really crisp, brightly colored shot. I suspect a lot of them went to Whitewater Jack Dykinga and taking off in a steady two-minute different approaches and meanings. movement in low light during the early Draw instead. It just goes to show that you

PHOTO EDITOR JEFF KIDA stream, every morning. One of my rules morning hours, so I used the strobe light JK: One of the things I like about this have to make the most of whatever time of thumb is that you never get the shot JK: Tell me about the camera settings to freeze their action while panning the photograph is the contrast between you have to photograph a subject, since it the first time — you have to learn about and equipment you used. camera at the same time. On some of my the cool blue background and the might not come around again. your subject. I went out there for several JD: I shot this using a Nikon D850 and mornings and tried different techniques to a 600 mm lens, and I used a relatively To learn more about photography, visit www.arizonahighways.com/photography.

12 AUGUST 2019 PHOTOGRAPHS: ABOVE JACK DYKINGA ABOVE, RIGHT SHANE McDERMOTT www.arizonahighways.com 13 J photography

La Colonia Solana

ROBERT STIEVE

Long before Barry Goldwater built his own home just to the east of what’s now known as the Wrigley Mansion, he made this undated photograph of the Wrigley family’s “winter cottage.” Built in 1931, La Colonia Solana is a rambling 24-room mansion that exhibits a blend of Spanish Colonial Revival and California Monterey Colonial architectural styles. According to the Nation- al Park Service, the main level of the interior is the most highly detailed, primarily in the west wing. The living room, which is sunken from the main entry level, is a 1,144-square-foot space with a pegged oak floor. Due to the lower level of the room, it was designed with a peaked ceiling. The library, also located in the west wing, is fully paneled with Philippine walnut. And the decorative wood and plaster ceilings in the rotunda, living room and dining room were painted by Italian artist Giovanni Battista Smeraldi. Being one of the wealthiest men in the world, William Wrigley could put his home just about anywhere he wanted. He chose a 100-foot knoll overlooking the Salt River Valley, a place without any immediate neighbors. Despite its grandeur, La Colonia Solana was used only during the Christmas season and for a few weeks in January. The family would travel to Phoenix by train, adding their own four railway cars to the train for sleep- ing, dining, staff and horses. Then, after a quick taste of the des- ert, they’d move on to their other homes in Pasadena, California, and on Santa Catalina Island. La Colonia Solana was added to the National Register of Historic Places on August 15, 1989.

To see more of Barry Goldwater’s photography, check out Photographs by Barry M. Goldwater: The Arizona Highways Collection at Western Spirit: Scottsdale’s Museum of the West. The exhibition will run through March 27, 2020. To learn more about the show, visit www.scottsdalemuseum west.org. To learn more about the Barry & Peggy Goldwater Foundation, which is working to restore and digitize Barry Goldwater’s 15,000 photo- graphs, visit www.goldwaterfoundation.org.

14 AUGUST 2019 PHOTOGRAPH BY BARRY GOLDWATER, COURTESY OF THE BARRY & PEGGY GOLDWATER FOUNDATION www.arizonahighways.com 15 J lodging

ARTWORK MADE OF WILDFIRE ASHES

Drechsler, a graduate of the Cornell Tubac Country Inn University School of Hotel Administra- Originally built to resemble a New Mexico train station, this gorgeous tion, began his career in hospitality at age property now features spacious and immaculate rooms decorated with 14, working at his father’s Washington, fine art by painters such as R.C. Gorman and Ross Stefan. D.C., hotel. Earickson studied home, landscape and interior design at Oregon KATHY MONTGOMERY State University and spent her career in food service. Tubac Country Inn offers IN THE LATE-AFTERNOON SUN, ble of a fountain providing a backdrop to evidence of how beautifully the couple’s Tubac Country Inn glows like butter- the mournful hoo-hoo-hoo of doves and backgrounds complement each other, scotch, making a rich background for the the distant horn of a passing train. both in marriage and in business. chile ristras hung along its facade and the Originally a mix of retail space and Drechsler and Earickson looked at French doors painted the vibrant blue of apartments, the long, narrow build- properties all over the country before set- Mexican tile. ing was, in fact, built to resemble a tling on this one in 2005. The rooms are Along the wash that fronts the long New Mexico train station. Owners Ivan spacious and immaculate, decorated with wooden porch, mesquite trees cast Drechsler and April Earickson say the Earickson’s unerring eye, with white lin- DID YOU KNOW LEAVING HOT ASHES AT speckled shade on blue agaves and tower- facility was converted into Santa Cruz ens and pale plaster walls accented with ing prickly pear cactuses. Goldfinches County’s first bed and breakfast in 1992. natural wood shelves, gourds and baskets. YOUR CAMPSITE CAN SPARK A WILDFIRE? hop from branch to branch while the sun Today, the property includes five guest Silk flowers, bright cushions and makes pinpricks of light on the trees’ rooms and operates more like a boutique fabrics patterned with Southwestern SPARK A CHANGE, NOT A WILDFIRE. spindly leaves, illuminating the spines of hotel, each room stocked with Arbuck- designs punctuate the rooms with bold golden barrel cactuses as pale and yellow les’ coffee, a microwave and a refrigera- colors, complementing the work of artists as beaten egg yolks. Near the outdoor tor, although a 1,100-square-foot suite such as Navajo painter R.C. Gorman and fireplace, a miniature St. Francis main- includes a full kitchen. Like at an artists’ Wisconsin artist Ross Stefan, who spent tains a silent vigil. retreat, a “continental deluxe” breakfast four years in Tubac in the 1950s. All these Despite being within walking distance of juice, yogurt, cheese and fresh-baked elements blend flawlessly, making Tubac of Tubac’s shops and restaurants, the set- goods is delivered in a basket to each Country Inn a feast for the eyes and one ONLY YOU CAN PREVENT WILDFIRES ting is remarkably tranquil, the soft bur- doorstep every morning. of Southern Arizona’s sweetest retreats. SMOKEYBEAR.COM

TUBAC Tubac Country Inn, 13 Burruel Street, 520-398-3178, www.tubaccountryinn.com

16 AUGUST 2019 PHOTOGRAPH BY PAUL MARKOW THE GRASS IS ALWAYS GREENER Arizona is best known for its red-colored landmarks: Sedona, the Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, the Vermilion Cliffs. But there are other colors, too, including the White Mountains, the Blue River and the green acres of Southern Arizona. A PORTFOLIO BY JOEL HAZELTON

18 AUGUST 2019 PRECEDING PANEL: With Baboquivari Peak on the horizon, afternoon light colors the grassland of Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge. “This was on my first trip to the refuge, which I spent driving and exploring the scenes along Pronghorn Drive,” photographer Joel Hazelton says. “I liked the way the cloud formations mimicked the patterns of the vegetation in the foreground and middle ground.”

LEFT: Morning light paints a forest of ocotillos on the eastern slopes of the Santa Rita Mountains. Hazelton made this photo after a stormy and sleepless night in the back of his car. “I dragged myself out of the car later than I’d hoped, but I was able to hike far enough to get this shot,” he says.

RIGHT: Wildflowers reach toward a monsoon sunset in a meadow between the Canelo Hills and the San Rafael Valley. “The sunset and the breeze both cooperated with me that evening,” Hazelton says.

20 AUGUST 2019 www.arizonahighways.com 21 “For this shot, I hiked the Canelo Hills West segment of the Arizona Trail a couple of miles out to Meadow Valley, where I knew there would be open views of grasslands,” Hazelton says. “I was lucky that there were incredible cloud formations all afternoon as storms rolled in.”

22 AUGUST 2019 LEFT: Evening shadows form in the shallow arroyos of the San Rafael Valley. Hazelton wanted an overhead view of grasslands for this project, so, after studying topographic maps of the area, he hiked another segment of the Arizona Trail for this shot.

ABOVE: A lone mesquite appears to anchor grasses blowing in the wind as a monsoon storm approaches. “I wanted a classic wide-angle grasslands photo with evening light, heavy monsoon clouds and a prominent grassy foreground,” Hazelton says. “I was finally able to accomplish my vision on one of my last trips of this assignment.”

24 AUGUST 2019 The Baboquivari Mountains, topped by Baboquivari Peak, dominate the horizon in a view from Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge. “The refuge is one of the few areas I’ve photographed that are so vast and open that I could compose wide-angle-style photos with a telephoto lens to balance the foreground and background elements,” Hazelton says.

26 AUGUST 2019 www.arizonahighways.com 27 LEFT: Velvetpod mimosas (Mimosa dysocarpa) bloom in ABOVE: A dramatic sky looms over ocotillos and other morning light along the Atascosa Trail, which leads to an vegetation at Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge. “This was abandoned lookout. “I never reached the lookout, due to the a rainy evening,” Hazelton says. “I saw this grouping of ocotillos steep trail and the heat of summer, but I plan to return to and jogged through the rain to set up the shot while the light complete the hike in cooler weather,” Hazelton says. was still good.”

28 AUGUST 2019 www.arizonahighways.com 29 A spot along Ruby Road between Nogales and the ghost town of Ruby offers an evening view of the Coronado National Forest’s rolling hills. “The landscape along Ruby Road is unique for this region,” Hazelton says, “because the topography varies between rugged peaks and gentle hills.”

30 AUGUST 2019 BOG HOLE WILDLIFE AREA Heidi Schewel. Those who navigate the wind- SAN RAFAEL STATE NATURAL AREA Tice Supplee, Audubon Arizona’s director of ing road to reach the reservoir are rewarded Allan Clemans, an Arizona State Parks bird conservation, has a special fondness for with numerous recreation opportunities, and Trails ranger who’s stationed at San the San Rafael Valley, of which the Bog Hole including a 65-site campground, four-wheel- Rafael State Natural Area, calls the site the Wildlife Area is a part. “I was first intro- drive roads and hiking trails. The 132-acre lake region’s “last pristine piece of land that looks duced to it when I arrived in Arizona in the is stocked with rainbow trout in the cooler like it did 150 years ago.” The 3,500-acre early 1970s,” she says. “A friend drove me to months and channel catfish in summer, and natural area is in the San Rafael Valley, home Patagonia, and we went up the road through visitors can take their own boat or rent one at of the Santa Cruz River’s headwaters and Harshaw. We got to the top, and there were the marina. “We get a wide variety of people,” a population of tiger salamanders. Javelinas, grasslands as far as the eye could see. I had Schewel says, “just because there are so many bobcats and coyotes frequent the site, and no idea anything like that existed in Arizona.” things to do here.” scientists from the University of Arizona have Bog Hole has a spring that attracts migrating Information: Sierra Vista Ranger District, set up cameras to look for jaguars. Also at the birds, and Supplee’s organization conducts 520-378-0311 or www.fs.usda.gov surveys for chestnut-collared longspurs and /coronado; Parker Canyon Lake Marina McCown’s longspurs, which breed farther (rentals), 520-455-5847 or www.parker​ north. The adjacent grassland harbors birds canyonlake.com native to the area. The site is owned by the Arizona Game and Fish Commission, and PATAGONIA LAKE STATE PARK it’s within the much larger San Rafael Grass- Patagonia Lake State Park has 120 campsites, lands Important Bird Area. but about a dozen of them are pretty exclu- Information: www.aziba.org sive: You need a boat to reach them. Those looking for more accessible seclusion can find BUENOS AIRES NATIONAL it at the park’s fully furnished camping cabins, WILDLIFE REFUGE which were added in recent years. The lake The 118,000-acre Buenos Aires National Wild- itself is stocked with trout and also harbors life Refuge sits on the site of a former cattle largemouth bass, bluegills, catfish and crap- ranch, and it was founded as a habitat for pies, and it hosts several fishing tournaments Canyon treefrogs are among the fauna that can be found along waterways in Southern Arizona. the masked bobwhite, an endangered quail annually. “I’ve been told by some of the guys Kerrick James species. Captive breeding and releases of the in the tournaments that this is one of the quail occur there, but there’s plenty more to better spots in Arizona for fishing,” says park natural area is a 9,000-square-foot ranch see and do at the site, including more than manager Colt Alford. There’s also a swimming house that was built in 1900 and used in Tom 80 dispersed campsites, scenic roads and area and opportunities for wildlife watching, Horn, McLintock! and other films. The site is not summer wildflowers. “It’s a pretty remarkable and campers often use the park as a base yet open to the general public, but the state place, as far as refuges go,” says Josh Smith, for exploring nearby Madera Canyon and the hopes to allow visitors in the near future. In the a wildlife refuge specialist. “You can go just area’s many ghost towns. meantime, limited private use can be arranged about anywhere and drive just about any of Information: 520-287-6965 or www by contacting Patagonia Lake State Park. our roads.” One highlight is a riparian corridor .azstateparks.com/patagonia-lake​ Information: www.azstateparks.com along Aravaipa Creek, where white-nosed /san-rafael coatis and mountain lions can sometimes PATAGONIA-SONOITA be spotted. And in the southern part of the CREEK PRESERVE SONOITA CREEK refuge is Pronghorn Drive, a 10-mile loop that “A lot of our visitors are here just for the hum- STATE NATURAL AREA offers views of its namesakes, rolling grass- mingbirds,” says Marty Lawrence, manager of During the weekly guided bird walks at Sonoita lands and nearby Baboquivari Peak. The Nature Conservancy’s Patagonia-Sonoita Creek State Natural Area, it’s possible to see Information: 520-823-4251 or www.fws Creek Preserve. As many as 13 species of dozens of different bird species, manager .gov/refuge/buenos_aires the tiny birds can be found at the 800-acre Colt Alford says. The abundant wildlife here NATURAL CHOICES preserve — which was founded a half-century is undisturbed by wheeled vehicles, which are PARKER CANYON LAKE ago to protect a cottonwood-willow forest, not allowed in the natural area; entrance to the Seven sites to see in Southern Arizona. By Noah Austin Sitting at an elevation of about 5,400 feet, a habitat that’s increasingly rare in Arizona — site is via Patagonia Lake State Park, and the Parker Canyon Lake provides a break from along the surface flow of Sonoita Creek. number of daily visitors is limited to prevent the triple-digit summer heat of Tucson and Nearly 300 species of native and migrating environmental impact. More than 30 reptile Phoenix. “It’s kind of a different environment birds have been documented at the site. They and amphibian species, along with nearly that’s a nice escape from the desert,” says include the gray hawk, which is rarely spotted 50 species of damselflies and dragonflies, can Coronado National Forest spokeswoman elsewhere in the United States. Visitors can be spotted at the natural area. The 7-mile spot them from the preserve’s 3 miles of trails, stretch of Sonoita Creek protected at the site is which connect to other hiking routes in the a lush riparian corridor that nourishes cotton­ The professionals consider Patagonia area. woods, willows and other trees. Patagonia Lake State Park one of Arizona’s best fishing spots. Information: 520-394-2400 or www.nature Information: 520-287-2791 or www George Stocking .org/arizona .azstateparks.com/sonoita-creek

32 AUGUST 2019 Sixty-five years ago this summer, we sent Allen C. Reed to Southern Arizona to do a story about the filming of ‘Oklahoma!,’ which opened to rave reviews in 1955. Today, the movie still rates a 92 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, and a new production of the play debuted on Broadway in April — it’s the fifth since the original production WE’RE DOING OK! opened on March 31, 1943. It’s an old story that never seems to get old. BY ROBERT STIEVE • PHOTOGRAPHS BY ALLEN C. REED

This barn, windmill and farmhouse were constructed for the filming of Oklahoma! in the San Rafael Valley. The Santa Cruz River runs past the site.

34 AUGUST 2019 RENT REED ISN’T OLD ENOUGH TO REMEMBER his father’s summer The Searchers in Monument Valley, he allegedly was the only visit to the San Rafael Valley. He was just a hypothetical in 1954. He does, photographer or journalist that John Ford, the mercurial direc- tor, would allow on the set.” however, remember his dad talking about Fred Zinnemann, the director of The Oklahoma! crew Fred Zinnemann felt the same way, and put it in writing: sets up for a shot of Oklahoma!, who would become a good friend to Allen C. Reed. “The advance copy of Arizona Highways arrived a couple of days Jay C. Flippen, who B ago,” he wrote in a March 14, 1955, letter to the photographer. played a rancher “My dad had a way of earning the respect and trust of the movie people,” Brent named Skidmore. “I am afraid that most of us — in the course of our work in Owing to the summer says, “which made those folks unusually accessible to him. During the filming of motion pictures — have become conditioned to the aggres- heat, some of the sive type of newspaper and magazine reporters and photog- crew went shirtless. raphers. However, I am very glad to say that I found you to be aware of our problems at all times. Having you on the set was a pleasure.”

SIXTY-FIVE YEARS AGO THIS SUMMER, Allen C. Reed was The windmill that was built for the set of Oklahoma! was featured on our April on assignment for Arizona Highways in Southern Arizona to 1955 cover (left). It was inspired by a Peter Hurd painting that appeared on our document the unlikely filming of a movie that many people November 1953 cover (right). — mostly Okies — thought should have been shot where it was set. But that wasn’t an option. “The decision to film Oklahoma! in Arizona was not a difficult one,” film historian cal this reviewer has ever seen. With his wide-angle cameras John B. La Due III said. “Oklahoma in 1954 did not look like the catching backgrounds of ‘genu-wine’ cornfields and open Oklahoma of 1854, but parts of Arizona did.” plains, red barns, yellow farmhouses and the blue sky full of “It has too many oil wells, airplanes and people,” producer fleecy clouds, Mr. Zinnemann has brought into the foreground Arthur Hornblow said of the Sooner State. “Our camera angle all the warm, lively characters that swarm through this tale of is so wide we need a tremendous expanse of wide open the Oklahoma Territory and sing and dance its songs.” spaces.” The movie would eventually win two Oscars, in the sound According to The Hollywood Reporter, that decision bred and music categories. It also received Oscar nominations for controversy: “When Oklahoma’s then-Representative Vic- best editing and best cinematography — one of the cinema- tor Wickersham learned that the musical was to be filmed in tographers was Floyd Crosby, the father of rock ’n’ roll legend Nogales, Arizona, rather than his state, he protested in writing David Crosby. to the producers, and publicly in the House of Representatives None of the success came as a surprise. In his April 1955 col- in Washington, D.C.” umn, Raymond Carlson, our editor emeritus, predicted a mad In addition, there was “a movement in Oklahoma to boycott dash to the box office and raved about Arizona’s starring role the picture,” Mr. La Due said. in the film. Not that a protest would have slowed the Rodgers and Ham- “Our interests this April are many,” he wrote. “To start merstein juggernaut. By that time, more than 12 million people off with, we take you to the San Rafael Valley, near Nogales, had seen the play on Broadway, and many millions more were where last summer exterior scenes for the motion picture Okla- about to see it on the big screen. The anticipation was high, homa! were taken under the guiding genius of Fred Zinnemann, like waiting for the return of Halley’s comet. And the critics Academy Award winner for his direction of From Here to Eter- were all thumbs-up. Especially Bosley Crowther of The New nity. About the time you read this, Oklahoma! should be ready York Times. for national release [the actual premiere was October 11, 1955]. “Inevitably,” he wrote in his October 11, 1955, review, “the It is one picture we heartily recommend. The Rodgers and question which leaps to every Hammerstein classic of the American theatre, of course, needs mind is whether the essential no further introduction, because, as a stage production, mil- magnificence and gusto of the lions have seen and enjoyed it. The only thing the motion pic- original has been retained in ture will have to make it even better than the stage production the sometimes fatal operation of are blue Arizona skies filled with great big, puffy, white clouds transfer to the screen. Under the and incomparable Arizona scenery portrayed in Todd-AO, a direction of Fred Zinnemann new three-dimensional screen process. This production should — and, we might add, under be an epic in the history of American motion pictures.” the hawk-eyed observation of For the cover of that issue, we looked through Mr. Reed’s Messrs. Rodgers and Hammer- transparencies and selected an image titled Aunt Eller’s Farm. stein — a full-bodied Oklahoma! The caption reads: “The barn, fence, windmill and smokehouse has been brought forth in this are Hollywood’s. The trees, sky and the beautiful San Rafael film to match in vitality, elo- Valley belong to Arizona. Together, they make an ideal set for Allen C. Reed quence and melody any musi- the exterior filming of the famous Rodgers and Hammerstein

36 AUGUST 2019 www.arizonahighways.com 37 CLOCKWISE FROM RIGHT: This orchard scene featured stars Gordon MacRae and Shirley Jones, along with the song People Will Say We’re in Love. The crew films a shot, possibly the opening scene, in a cornfield that was planted for the production. Ducks and geese roam the Oklahoma! set during production. A crew member hangs fake peaches on trees in the orchard.

musical, Oklahoma!. According to the photographer: ‘You could say Academy Award winner Fred Zinnemann, director of Okla- homa!, had a hand in directing this cover shot, too ... Well, at least he directed me to hurry up, shoot and get the heck out of the scene, where I was holding up production. And at $25,000 a day for production costs, that could become a problem.’ ” Despite the omnipresence of our photographer and his 4x5 Speed Graphic camera, Fred Zinnemann was impressed with audience, for the long-awaited screen version about to be Allen Reed’s work in Arizona Highways. “I appreciate your mod- ‘OKLAHOMA!’ released in full color is expected to smash this twelve-year esty in asking me for criticism of your article,” he wrote. “I can A visit to the motion picture location in Southern Arizona. A story record in a fraction of the time. sincerely say that I have no criticism to offer. It seems to me originally published in the April 1955 issue of ‘Arizona Highways.’ Oklahoma! is not only being filmed in CinemaScope, but that the entire story was exceedingly well handled.” By Allen C. Reed this production marks the introduction of a new camera, the We agree. Thus, the rerun on the next page. Todd-AO big screen process, which uses a single strip of 65 mm The words are original, just as they appeared in that April UST TWELVE YEARS AGO THIS MONTH, the film and is designed to give audiences a sense of participation 1955 issue, but the photographs this time around have never Rodgers and Hammerstein musical Oklahoma!, des- on the order of Cinerama. [Unlike other formats, such as Cin- been published before. They were recently discovered by Brent tined to be a fabulously successful hit, opened on emaScope, Cinerama and VistaVision, which required multiple Reed in a series of his dad’s dusty banker boxes. “He kept JBroadway. In the dozen ensuing years, Oklahoma! has played cameras and projectors, Todd-AO used a single wide-angle them in a shed at his place near Page,” Brent says, “so, unfortu- more than 8,000 performances to a delighted world-wide audi- camera and required a single projector to screen.] nately, they were exposed to the extremes of heat and cold for ence well over 12,000,000, with a gross of over $30,000,000. After turning down a host of offers to film Oklahoma!, partly many years. Not exactly ideal archival conditions for long-term Such a record causes little wonder when taking into consider- to avoid outside tampering with their creation, Rodgers and preservation. But I’m moving them to a climate-controlled stor- ation the loved musical score that seems to have the immortal Hammerstein formed their own company, leased facilities age room at my home near Payson.” quality of never growing old: numbers like The Surrey With the and equipment from M.G.M. and hired Arthur Hornblow as Allen C. Reed passed away on December 30, 2008, at the age Fringe on Top, Oh What a Beautiful Morning, People Will Say We’re in the producer. The director is Academy Award winner Fred of 92. His words and photographs, however, live on. Just like Love and the title number. Zinnemann, who has such top-flight pictures to his credit as Oklahoma!. Now the great musical Oklahoma! can reach a still wider Seventh Cross, High Noon, From Here to Eternity and many others.

38 AUGUST 2019 www.arizonahighways.com 39 ‘OKLAHOMA!’ ON DISPLAY To learn more about Oklahoma! and other movies made in Arizona, check out the Western Films Exhibit at the Bowman and Stradling History Center in Sonoita. The museum is open from 1 to 3 p.m. on the second and fourth Saturdays of the month from August through April. For more information, or to arrange a tour, please call the Santa Cruz County Fair and Rodeo Association at 520-455-5553.

stream, “Aunt Eller’s” farm of 1900 vintage took form, complete with two-story house, barn, silo, windmill and smokehouse. The shooting schedule called for a bearing peach orchard, a field of ripe wheat and a field of corn “as high as an elephant’s eye” — in July at an altitude of 5,000 feet where harvest time is normally in October. The peach orchard was purchased and transplanted. From the studio prop department came some 2,000 lush looking wax peaches, complete with fuzz, to be hung out each morning and taken in at night. The corn field, running up and down hill, presented an especially tough problem. Each stalk had to be coddled and nurtured with chemicals and a constant supply of water to yield what was doubtlessly the world’s most costly corn crop: ten acres at something like $8.95 per ear. Of more than 6,000 props bought, borrowed or built for this picture by Irving Sindler and his prop department, the Arizona sky proved to be the most magnificent, with white thunderheads boiling up The cast of Oklahoma! includes Gordon MacRae as “Curley” ago, with an oil well or some such modern structure showing into the afternoon blue a daily occurrence. [James Dean and Paul Newman also tested for the part]; a up in the background. Other drawbacks of the Sooner state There is nothing small time about the production of Okla- sparkling and capable newcomer making her film debut, Shir- were too many airplanes that would disturb the sound system homa!, with filming cost reported upwards from five to eight ley Jones, as “Laurey”; Charlotte Greenwood as “Aunt Eller”; and force costly delays, to say nothing of the great distance to million dollars [the final cost was approximately $6.8 mil- OPPOSITE PAGE: “It may interest you to know that we have fallen in love with the Barbara Lawrence as “Gertie”; Eddie Albert as “Ali Hakim”; transport tons of equipment and the 325 member cast and crew lion]. The fine cast, the excelling abilities of director Fred San Rafael Valley to such an extent that we bought a small piece of land near Aunt Gene Nelson as “Will Parker”; Gloria Grahame as “Ado Annie”; back and forth from the home studio in Culver City, California. Zinnemann, the outstanding capabilities of producer Arthur Eller’s farmhouse,” director Fred Zinnemann (center) wrote to photographer Allen Rod Steiger as “Jud”; James Whitmore as “Andy Carnes”; Jay C. One day, Arthur Hornblow, leafing through the pages of Hornblow, cameraman Robert Surtees and of the entire hand- C. Reed. “There is a small house and a well on the property at present. Sooner or later, we hope to build an adobe house and spend as much time there as we can.” Flippen as “Skidmore”; and Roy Barcroft as “Cord Elam.” Arizona Highways, saw a color photograph of the spacious San picked crew, along with the musical and story genius of Rich- TOP: The broad, flat grasslands of the San Rafael Valley made ideal stand-ins for Before the film got under way, more than 250,000 miles Rafael Valley of Southern Arizona. When research revealed this ard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein, are combined to give the setting of the movie. were logged by R.&H. officials in search of the ideal location area was noted, during the summer, for its green grass and pic- the world an entertainment experience surely worthy of all ABOVE: Cast members, in costume, took buses between the production site and site. An extensive survey crisscrossing the state of Oklahoma turesque clouds, arrangements were made to film the exterior the awards and “splendiferous” adjectives that Hollywood can their hotels in Nogales and Tucson. revealed that it would be rather difficult to capture the feeling sequences in this ideal setting 36 miles northeast of Nogales. come up with, one in which Arizona can surely be honored and of wide open spaces that the territory was noted for 50 years There, in the shade of stately cottonwoods by a quiet country proud to have played such an important role.

40 AUGUST 2019 www.arizonahighways.com 41 Give us this day ourBY KELLY VAUGHNdaily PHOTOGRAPHS BYbread TIM FULLER Each day, the sisters at Santa Rita Abbey wake up early for prayer and Holy Communion. From left, Sister Victoria and Sister Pam bring Santa Rita That’s followed by a daily routine that includes morning work, reflection, Vespers and evening Abbey’s Holy Communion plate, which holds altar breads made at the abbey, to Father Thomas to celebrate the Eucharist. In the prayers. One of the sisters, Sister Victoria, was there when the cloister opened near Sonoita background, Sister Rita serves as the acolyte. Another nun, Sister Esther, crafted the abbey’s altar from the trunk of a mesquite. in 1972. Today, she’s the abbey’s prioress. And there’s nowhere else she’d rather be.

42 AUGUST 2019 www.arizonahighways.com 43 ister Victoria called it a desert there is solitude. Quiet. The abbey, in the star flower. And maybe it was. Or “I remember making the turn onto [State Route] 83 foothills of the Santa Rita Mountains, has maybe it was a daisy desertstar. What off of Interstate 10 that first time,” Sister Victoria been enlarged since it was doesn’t really matter. For Sister says. “I was so relieved.” Arizona Highways Victoria, the flower was the second sign Then, she saw a landscape she’d seen before — featured it in 1978. More nuns live and that Santa Rita Abbey, near Sonoita, would in a dream. She had even drawn the image from her work there, and there teach her something deep and spiritual and lovely. mind’s eye. is a new sanctuary “Our soil here is full of clay,” she says. “So, after That was that first sign. The Santa Ritas and the and bell tower, a large building for a rain, the clay mud dries into these incredible sky above them had found the sister before she’d making altar bread, Spatterns — alligator skin mud. One day, I noticed ever found them. a residential wing, and that flower growing in the middle of it. The white a retreat house. flower was backlit by the sun, and all I could think EVER SINCE, SISTER VICTORIA — now the was: Teach me. Teach me. In the midst of all that abbey’s prioress — and the 10 other nuns who share harshness, a beautiful flower emerged. It showed a home there have been committed to a life of quiet, me that circumstances don’t have to make you ugly.” prayerful solitude in the wilderness. What, then, was the first sign? In the May 1978 issue of Arizona Highways, con- It occurred shortly after Sister Victoria moved to tributor Karen Fisher wrote: “The mystery of monas- TOP, LEFT: Sister Cathy (foreground) and other nuns pray and sing hymns dur­ing Vespers, one of seven canonical hours celebrated the Cistercian monastic community when it opened tic life here at the abbey is counterbalanced by its through­out the day. Most of the hymns the nuns sing were written in February 1972. She’d come from a monastery on very ordinariness. Daytime hours are divided equally centuries ago. the East Coast, having volunteered, as a novice nun, among three kinds of activity — study, prayer and LEFT: Sister Victoria (left) and Sister Beverly pose for a photo to turn her sights and service westward. work! Ideally all work is prayerful. Within the clois- in 1978. Sister Beverly was the abbey’s prioress from 1990 to her death in 2000; she is buried at the abbey’s cemetery. Cradled in a valley beneath its eponymous ter, near-silence increases this opportunity.” ABOVE: Sister Victoria, who now is the abbey’s prioress, makes mountain range, Santa Rita Abbey is remote. It is The same is true today. an eggplant dish for the nuns to share. “Her dazzling smile and the beneficiary of summer monsoon storms that Each day, the sisters wake early for prayer and the light in her eyes haven’t diminished an iota,” photographer Tim Fuller says. nourish the property’s gardens and surrounding Holy Communion, followed by meetings and morn- grasslands. In winter, there might be snow. Always, ing work. They make altar breads that help sustain

44 AUGUST 2019 www.arizonahighways.com 45 LEFT: One of the nuns’ duties is the reading of sacred texts. Here, Sister Hildgard (left) and Sister Jacqui read in one of three rooms in the library that are used for this purpose. BELOW: Sister Hildgard, who was born in Kenya, smiles as she sorts recently baked altar bread. The abbey’s high-tech oven, made in France, can produce 75,000 hosts per day. BOTTOM: Sister Clare (left) turns a page as the nuns sing chants during one of the daily canonical hours. “Probably the greatest of the many reasons to visit the abbey is to hear these chants,” Fuller says. “Their high voices, honed by years of singing, are lovely beyond belief.”

the community financially, as do the sculptures cre- I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.” Sister Victoria spends ated by Sister Esther, who came to the abbey from And that’s — in part — why the abbey’s sisters a quiet moment at the sculpture of St. Joseph, the Philippines in 1986. There is time for individual consider themselves stewards of the land. They’ve created by Sister Esther, prayer and reflection, an optional siesta, afternoon been outspoken against development and mining in the pine grove work, Vespers, evening prayers. projects that might threaten the fragile landscape. behind the abbey. The nuns regard St. Joseph Early to bed. Early to rise. They grow a garden and scare away predators that as their main protector. And, always, there is the wilderness that sur- might snack on the boundless rabbits that populate rounds them. the grasslands. Indeed, more than once, one of the As Fisher wrote in 1978: “At midmorning, look- sisters has warded off a mountain lion or black bear, ing from a hillside opposite the abbey enclosure, it all the while respecting that the lions and bears seems nothing moves. The eyes are drawn horizon- have a home in those foothills as well. tally across the ridge, then vertically, up the simple, The sisters now invite members of the commu- almost austere tower, unmistakably French, rising nity to experience the prayerful wilderness, too, by from the basic, Spanish-influenced construction. booking a stay in the abbey’s retreat house. While The little valley below the ridge is a passageway the nuns don’t provide spiritual counseling during guarded by long, low hills, the very same hills that the retreats, they do welcome attendance at their hide the road to this place from the outside world.” liturgical services. Although Sister Victoria no longer hikes as many Because, as Sister Victoria reminds us: “We don’t miles as she used to, she often finds herself explor- live here just for ourselves. We’re connected to God, ing the long, low hills that surround the abbey’s so we’re connected to everyone. We pray for pro- property. There, she finds beauty in two dimensions. gression in peace, goodness and care.” “The physical aspect plunges you into God,” she says. “And that imparts the spiritual level. You have Santa Rita Abbey is located at 14200 E. Fish Canyon Road in Sonoita. to develop eyes to really see that there’s so much For more information or to schedule a retreat, call 520-455-5595 or life there. The animals. The insects. The birds. visit www.santaritaabbey.org.

46 AUGUST 2019 www.arizonahighways.com 47 Game and Fish Department in Yuma, has studied been rare. Very rare.” Sonoran pronghorns, which have been on the At one time, the population of the different endangered species list since 1967. Through the North American pronghorn species reached an 1990s, Hervert watched as the number of animals estimated 35 million, with a distribution from declined, especially during a drought between southern Canada to near present-day Mexico City, June 1995 and August 1997. But 2002 was something and from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean. else entirely. With the country’s westward expansion, hunting, “It was a historic drought,” Hervert says. “Clima- farming and other human activities took a heavy tologists say it was comparable to a drought that toll. By 1915, only 13,000 pronghorns remained. Arizona experienced 1,400 years ago. Widespread Now, the overall pronghorn population is back and long-lasting. So these animals basically starved up to around 800,000. Thanks to the intervention to death. We were able to document that because of wildlife agencies and a successful captive breed- we were monitoring them with radio collars and ing program, Sonoran pronghorn populations in frequent flights. It was a very agonizing time, Arizona have rebounded from near-extinction. But because we could see that this population was even including the larger herds in Mexico, they going to go extinct. And there was very little we represent a tiny fraction of the total pronghorn could do about it.” population: just 1,100 animals. While bison are a national icon, Sonoran prong- horns are part of an even more purely American ON A BREEZY EARLY-AUTUMN MORNING, I head out family of animals. Classified in the family Antilo- from Ajo and into Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife capridae, they’re one of five pronghorn subspecies, Refuge with Jim Atkinson, wildlife biologist with all of which, unlike bison, live exclusively in North the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The refuge — America. Pronghorns resemble and are colloquially together with Barry M. Goldwater Air Force Range, referred to as antelopes, and the animals depicted Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument and a block on the famous Antelope House petroglyph panel of Bureau of Land Management land — protects in Canyon de Chelly are actually pronghorns. But the heart of the Sonoran pronghorns’ territory in they’re most closely related to giraffes. Arizona. Add it all up, and there’s more than 2 mil- Sonoran pronghorns are uniquely adapted for lion acres. their arid environment in Arizona’s Lower Colo- “It takes you pretty much to Interstate 8 and all PRAIRIE rado River Valley and upland areas of the Sonoran the way to Yuma,” Atkinson says. “This is a big Desert. During periods of good rains, the desert piece of classic, unfragmented Sonoran Desert sprouts into a veritable buffet for the herds. Oppor- landscape.” tunistic eaters, Sonoran pronghorns feed off more Atkinson grew up in Virginia. From an early age, than 250 different species of plants, from mesquite he says, he was “wired for wildlife.” His interest beans and ocotillo leaves to highly nutritious forbs began with whatever showed up in his backyard such as buckwheat, as well as chain fruit chollas, before he and his brother began ranging farther an important water source. afield to hunt and fish together. They eventually “They’ll eat everything out there, other than creo- built a cabin on land the family owned. GHOSTS sote,” Hervert says. “Everyone else was going to games and dances Even so, they’re shaped by scarcity, not abun- and stuff. We would grab a chain saw and all of Pronghorns are North America’s fastest land animal and the second-fastest land animal in the world. dance. When the monsoon storms don’t arrive, the gear and cut wood,” he says. “They all wanted When spooked, they’ll disappear in a flash — thus the nickname. Unfortunately, a more permanent desert plants may survive but drop their greenery, to be the top 0.1 percent [who become] sports leaving little forage for the animals. So Sonoran stars or rock stars, or be a military guy, or what- disappearance threatens their survival. BY MATT JAFFE • PHOTOGRAPHS BY BRUCE D. TAUBERT pronghorns are smaller and thinner than other ever. I quickly realized, Eh, I don’t have any aptitude pronghorn subspecies. What’s most noticeable, for all of that other stuff. So it’s this. This is how it’s Hervert says, is Sonoran pronghorns’ much nar- always been for me.” rower necks, a reflection of the animals’ reduced During his more than 30 years of wildlife work, HEY WERE DYING. One by one, the last Sonoran pronghorns in the United States were A Sonoran pronghorn body mass. Atkinson has focused on birds, fisheries, white- succumbing to a devastating drought that desiccated Southwestern Arizona in the doe eyes its photo­ It’s unknown whether Sonoran pronghorns ever tailed deer and black bears. The opportunity in summer of 2002. grapher near the 2008 to come to Arizona and join the Sonoran Southern Arizona roamed the desert in large numbers, but Hervert A distinct subspecies genetically and geographically, the population of Sonoran town of Ajo. There says preliminary field investigations have esti- pronghorn effort was a departure after his decades pronghorns was in full collapse — not just fawns and the older, weaker members of are roughly 800,000 mated that it takes around 1 million acres to sup- in Washington state and Virginia. the herd, but healthy adults in their prime, animals strong and well adapted to the pronghorns in North port 80 to 100 of the animals. “That’s a very low But he loves it here. “Columnar cacti? Southern America, but Sonoran cycle of hard times in the desert. Only 21 Sonoran pronghorns survived. pronghorns make up number for such a large area,” he says. “And in the Arizona is it,” he says. “Ironwood and paloverde. For more than 30 years, John Hervert, wildlife program manager with the Arizona only 1,100 of that total. modern era, the Sonoran pronghorn has always The uniqueness of the landscape. And the unique- 48 AUGUST 2019 T www.arizonahighways.com 49 ness of the animals: Gila monsters, rosy boas and all of the enclosure as part of their breeding program, which is designed border wall could affect their movement is hard to know until Atkinson explains how the animals are slowly conditioned, desert birds. It’s so different than everywhere else. From a to stabilize the Arizona population, meet recovery goals and a specific design is chosen. But once across the border, the over a couple of months, to enter and feel safe in the enclosures. biologist’s perspective, that’s pretty exciting. To get a chance to provide animals that can be sent to Mexico to promote genetic animals almost immediately face Mexico’s Highway 2, which The food is moved deeper and deeper into the bomas, which are be in a place that’s totally new [and] that’s radically different diversity. It’s one of two in the state: A second breeding pen cuts them off from two separate herds in Sonora: at El Pina- 50 feet across and 12 feet tall. Shade cloth covers the sides, and from what I grew up with. For me, the Sonoran Desert was like was established in 2011 at Kofa National Wildlife Refuge, cate and Gran Desierto de Altar Biosphere Reserve, and in the after a while, the animals relax in the corrals. going to another planet. It’s a landscape by Dr. Seuss.” northeast of Yuma. Quitovac area. On the day of the roundup, a remote-controlled gate is trig- Atkinson eases the truck down the rough road, bound for The 80 Sonoran pronghorns in the pen live a largely natural It takes a rare animal to surmount these obstacles. Atkinson gered and closes behind the pronghorns. Atkinson points out the 1-square-mile breeding pen for Sonoran pronghorns. Bounc- existence. They forage off the land but receive supplemental tells a story about five bucks that were collared and released. the tower where he waits. “You have 40 animals, within 100 ing along, it’s steady but slow going, and Atkinson brings me water and food as needed. A double electric fence — capable of One ended up on the Air Force range and survived. Four went yards of you, that have the best eyesight and some of the best up to speed on the animals’ recovery. delivering 7,000-volt jolts to keep out mountain lions, coyotes north, toward Gila Bend, where three drowned in a canal. A hearing out on the desert,” he says. “And you can’t do anything If not for the return of rains in September 2002, the 21 sur- and bobcats — surrounds what Atkinson dubs “a mini-Jurassic lone survivor continued west. that’s going to get their attention. One little foot shuffle. You viving Sonoran pronghorns in Arizona would have perished. Park enclosure.” Trackers lost him for around eight months, until a surveil- blink wrong. Because they’ll panic, and you’ll see the white After nearly losing these last few animals, wildlife officials We climb a short trail to a viewing station — basically, a lance flight over the Pinacate spotted a collared animal. The hair on their rump flare like a signal. And they’re gone.” realized a largely hands-off approach — and the assumption pair of folding chairs inside an enclosure covered by shade crew downloaded the collar’s information, and a map showed The goal is to pick out the best animals for release — usually that, given enough land, the subspecies would endure — cloth. The Growler Mountains rise in the distance, and Atkin- 2-year-olds that are robust and most likely to sur- needed to be reconsidered. son quickly picks out a few animals moving along a wash near vive on their own. After being netted, the animals Atkinson says a decision was made to try to “put a floor saguaros and mesquites. They’re difficult to see. Lighter in are tagged and receive vaccinations, as well as a under” the Arizona population to prevent another crisis. The color than other pronghorn species, these animals easily blend mild sedative to reduce stress. Atkinson likens first captive breeding pen began operations in 2003, and a into the tawny terrain. Soon, we’re able to pick out 15 to 20 of the process to an assembly line that moves the system of water catchments was established across the desert. the pronghorns moving in a loose, single-file line before bed- animals from the corral traps to air-conditioned But the recovery effort faced inherent challenges. Because ding down for the morning in the shade. trailers for transport. bearing and raising young is so energy-intensive, Sonoran I’m surprised by how calm the animals have remained. Her- “There’s a lot of kinetic energy when you’ve got pronghorns give birth only once every other year. And the vert had mentioned that aircraft flying at 1,000 feet can scare three pronghorns in a capture cell and 15 people mortality rate is high. herds, and Atkinson says the animals are always alert, with in there, all bouncing around together,” he says. “Fawn crops come and go. Some years, they die; some years, eyes and ears that poke out above the scrub like a submarine’s “Had broken noses, bad bruises and cuts. We’ve they do real well,” Atkinson says. “But it’s that core group of periscope. Sonoran pronghorns can spot movement from dis- had dead pronghorns because they collided with adults. If we have a poor year and all the fawns die, we still tances of up to 7 miles. And when they spook, they and the each other. It’s always an uncertain outcome. But want to have a breeding population.” other subspecies earn their nickname: “prairie ghosts.” we’ve had years when we’ve handled 100 prong- With herds in Arizona and Sonora, Mexico, Sonoran prong- Pronghorns are North America’s fastest land animal and horns with no problems at all. We’ve gotten really horns are an animal of the borderlands. They share their the second-fastest in the world, behind only cheetahs. Their good at what we do.” habitat with migrants and drug smugglers cutting across the speed likely is an evolutionary response to a Murderers’ Row The stakes are high. So is the satisfaction. For desert, as well as with the members of U.S. law enforcement, of decidedly fantastic beasts that once roamed the continent, Atkinson, Sonoran pronghorns gave him the including border and customs agents, charged with stopping including packs of hyenas, dire wolves, huge lions 25 percent chance to get beyond doing inventorying and the human flow. bigger than today’s African lions, and especially the now- monitoring — a chance to have a direct, measur- We cross a wash where a tattered blue flag marks a large extinct American cheetahs. able impact on the long-term survival of a crea- water tank — part of a network of aid stations established These primordial cheetahs, like their present-day African A Sonoran pronghorn buck displays its namesake horns near Ajo. Often incorrectly called antelopes, ture on the brink. to reduce the number of deaths, especially during summer relatives, could outrun a pronghorn in a sprint of several pronghorns are more closely related to the giraffes and okapis of Africa. “We get people coming into the office who have months. Black 1-gallon jugs, evidence that people have passed hundred yards. But pronghorns can reach almost 60 mph for been out on this road, saying, ‘You know, we through, are scattered in the wash. a short distance, then settle into a steady pace of 45 mph for saw eight of those pronghorns. Right off the side For Atkinson, the cross-border traffic adds a dimension several miles — by which point they would have left cheetahs, the animal had covered more than 100 miles, including several of the road,’ ” he says. “You could see that light on their faces. to his wildlife work. His encounters have been minimal — and any of those other predators, literally in the dust. crossings of Highway 2 in Mexico, before he at last found the Like they’ve seen something pretty spectacular. And they have.” mostly chance meetings with desperate, thirsty people who Sonoran pronghorns have no fixed territory. Because mon- Pinacate herd. When I speak with Hervert, he’s briefly back on the ground decided to turn themselves in. He acknowledges that there soon rains can be highly localized, the animals often need to “That’s the most extreme case we’ve documented of long- between aerial surveys of desert bighorn sheep in the Kofa are “some pretty hardcore dudes packing serious weapons,” reach areas with recent moisture and fresh vegetation. They range movement by an individual who had nobody to join Mountains. Hervert grew up in Tucson but admits he’d never but he doesn’t carry a gun, because he’s not in a law enforce- range freely, covering 15 miles on some days and exploring up with and couldn’t find a herd,” Atkinson says. “And he heard of Sonoran pronghorns until moving to Yuma. Nobody ment role. Although he’s not especially afraid, Atkinson makes more than 1,000 square miles in a year. lucked into a herd because he finally happened to go in the talked about them. Little was known. a point to stay in the open and close to his truck: “I keep my While the government lands in Arizona seem expansive, right direction. Otherwise, he could have wandered off into Saving Sonoran pronghorns has benefits, both for the public head on a swivel.” Sonoran pronghorns are cut off from parts of their historical never-never land. He probably wouldn’t have made it. A lone and for future scientists who will study them with an array of He adds, “We’ve probably been under surveillance of some range, much of which has been altered. They once depended pronghorn is vulnerable. They need all of those other eyes and tools that currently don’t exist. But there’s more to the prong- sort since we left town. There are always people up in these on the Gila River and Mexico’s Rio Sonoyta, but, as Hervert ears in the herd.” horns’ survival than that. “It’s a deep philosophical question,” hills, watching. They know what you’re doing, and they’re told me: “Those rivers are largely gone now, and the animals Hervert says. “I just don’t think we’ve done our job very well if communicating with each other. They’re not trying to get you. exist in a very fragmented landscape.” EACH DECEMBER, wildlife officials, biologists and veterinarians we see the extinction of a species. Especially when we have the They’re trying to avoid detection.” Reluctant to cross roads, they’re hemmed in by I-8 to the convene at a trio of connected bomas, an African name for live- opportunity to make such a difference.” north. In stretches where there’s only a vehicle barrier along stock enclosures. These circular corral traps in the breeding AFTER ABOUT 40 MINUTES, we reach the pen. While three wild the border, Sonoran pronghorns can crawl underneath — as pen are used to hold the Sonoran pronghorns so select animals EDITOR’S NOTE: Since the reporting of this story, Jim Atkinson has retired from the herds live in Arizona, wildlife agencies maintain this large athletic as they are, they don’t like to jump. How a proposed can be captured and taken to other locations. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

50 AUGUST 2019 www.arizonahighways.com 51 scenic DRIVE

HUTCH MOUNTAIN Groves of aspens and meadows are part of the allure of this scenic route, but the high point is the panorama from the top of the mountain. BY NOAH AUSTIN

n the Flagstaff area, the San Francisco to the northwest, but Peaks get much of the attention — but, on a clear day, you’ll I despite the best efforts of John Weath- also see Bill Williams erford in the early 1900s, you can’t sum- Mountain farther west, mit the Peaks in a car. For a good look at the Painted Desert to Arizona’s highest mountains and a whole the northeast and even lot more, go southeast of town and head the Mazatzal Moun- up the Coconino National Forest’s Hutch tains to the south. And Mountain, which offers 360-degree views if you need visual and a break from the summer heat. proof that Arizona is The drive begins on Forest Highway 3, home to the world’s which passes Lake Mary and Mormon largest contiguous Lake on its way out of Flagstaff. From the stand of ponderosa paved highway, head east on Forest Road pines, you’ll get it. 135, which is rocky and rutted but suit- Once you’ve shot enough photos and evidence of one of the Flagstaff area’s The views along the forest highway are able for most SUVs. Along with tall pon- descended the tower, you’ll backtrack early settlements. always nice. But maybe not as nice as derosa pines, hundreds of ancient to FR 135, then continue east. On this Just past that side road on FR 135, turn those atop Hutch Mountain. stumps — evidence of the large-scale log- stretch, oaks and scattered aspen groves right onto Forest Road 294, which then ging that once happened here — line the join the ponderosas. At a junction with loops around Bargaman Park, a huge, SCENIC roadside. FR 135 then climbs into a thick Forest Road 124H at Mile 8, stay right ponderosa-lined meadow where you’re DRIVES of Arizona’s ADDITIONAL READING: Best Back stand of ponderosas before you turn left to remain on the main road as you pass likely to see elk or other animals. After 40 Roads For more adventure, pick up a copy of our book Arizona onto Forest Road 135B, the route up under some power lines. A mile later, a another pass beneath the power lines, Highways Scenic Drives, which Hutch Mountain. side road to the left leads a quarter-mile FR 294 meanders back to FH 3 about features 40 of the state’s most beautiful back roads. To order, Within a mile on FR 135B, Douglas to Pine Spring, located in a peaceful 5 miles south of the drive’s starting point. visit www.shoparizonahighways Edited by Robert Stieve firs begin to appear. They’re a pleasant meadow where you might spot scattered Head back to Flagstaff the way you came. and Kelly Vaughn Kramer .com/books. change of pace from the region’s ubiqui- tous ponderosas. So is the large grove of aspens you’ll encounter at a U.S. Forest Service gate around Mile 4. The Hutch Mountain Lookout is about a quarter- mile past this gate. Drifts of snow have a TOUR GUIDE Note: Mileages are approximate. way of lingering on the north-facing por- tion of this stretch, but the road makes LENGTH: 14 miles one way (from Forest Highway 3) DIRECTIONS: From the intersection of State Route 89 an easy hike if it isn’t driveable. (Beulah Boulevard) and Forest Highway 3 (Lake Mary The mountain’s summit, at more than Road) in Flagstaff, go southeast on FH 3 for 33 miles to 8,500 feet, is ideal for a fire lookout Forest Road 135. Turn left (east) onto FR 135 and continue 2.6 miles to Forest Road 135B. Turn left onto FR 135B and tower. The view is plenty good from the continue 1.6 miles to the summit of Hutch Mountain. ground, but if there’s a lookout on duty, Backtrack 1.6 miles to FR 135, turn left and continue 3.8 miles to Forest Road 294. Turn right onto FR 294 he or she likely will give you permission and continue 5.1 miles to FH 3. to climb the tower, which was built by VEHICLE REQUIREMENTS: A high-clearance vehicle is the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1936 required. Four-wheel-drive is recommended for FH 135B. to replace a wooden tower erected in the WARNING: Back-road travel can be hazardous, so be aware of weather and road conditions. Carry plenty of 1920s. From up there, the Peaks stand out water. Don’t travel alone, and let someone know where you are going and when you plan to return. INFORMATION: Mogollon Rim Ranger District, 928- LEFT: Forest Road 135 curves past ponderosa pines 477-2255 or www.fs.usda.gov/coconino as it approaches Hutch Mountain. Rick D’Elia Travelers in Arizona can visit www.az511.gov or dial OPPOSITE PAGE: The road passes numerous 511 to get infor­ma­tion on road closures, construc­tion, meadows lined with ponderosas. Paul Gill delays, weather and more.

52 AUGUST 2019 MAP BY KEVIN KIBSEY www.arizonahighways.com 53 HIKE of the month

and after about 15 minutes, it climbs to a ridge on the edge of a grassy hillside. KACHINA More ferns and more lupines add texture With its and color. TRAIL Below the ridge, the trail transitions ancient limber pines, from the old-growth thickets above to an open area of mostly meadows and massive Douglas firs ponderosas. Aspens are part of the mix, too. They’re the common denominators and groves of quaking of this hike. aspens, this beautiful For the next 30 minutes, the trail skirts the southern edge of the grassy hike is a tree-lover’s slope. It’s a good place to see elk. If you don’t see any, you might hear a few. The Shangri-La. bugling of the bulls is a familiar sound BY ROBERT STIEVE during mating season. PHOTOGRAPHS BY ROBERT McDONALD Ninety minutes into the hike, the trail leaves the woods and spills into an open grassland. Look left, make a photo of eak-baggers love the mountains the Peaks and continue downhill. Before around Flagstaff — they’re home long, the ubiquitous aspens will begin P to the highest point in the state, dotting the landscape, along with a few as well as a few other notable summits. spruce and more giant ferns. Then, you’ll For hikers looking for an easier alterna- slip back into the woods, pass a tremen- tive in the same area, there’s the Kachina dous ponderosa and arrive at the eastern look at the Peaks to the north, and with Trail, which forgoes the lofty summits in border of the wilderness area, which enough glass, you might even see a few ADDITIONAL READING: favor of an old-growth forest that shelters butts up against Freidlein Prairie Road. peak-baggers clawing their way to the For more hikes, pick up a copy ancient limber pines, massive Douglas Turn left and follow the narrow dirt road top. You’ll respect them, but you won’t of Arizona Highways Hiking Guide, which features 52 of the firs, giant ferns and groves of quaking for about five minutes to its intersection envy them. Other than altitude, the state’s best trails — one for each aspens. with the Weatherford Trail, the turn- Kachina Trail has as much to offer as weekend of the year, sorted by seasons. To order a copy, visit From the trailhead, which is located around point for this hike. Humphreys, especially if you appreciate www.shoparizonahighways a few hundred feet from where the When you get there, you’ll get a good the beauty of quaking aspens. .com/books. peak-baggers will be congregating to hike Humphreys Peak, the Kachina Trail immediately dips into the woods and begins a moderate descent. The big trees make a big impression in the early stages, and so do the scattered boulders, the TRAIL GUIDE clusters of wildflowers and the bracken LENGTH: 10 miles round-trip ferns. Whatever your reference point for slopes for elk and mule deer. They’re hun- ABOVE: Aspens grow amid jumbles of DIFFICULTY: Moderate volcanic rocks on the Kachina Trail. ELEVATION: 9,315 to 8,869 feet big ferns might be, the ferns that carpet griest at twilight. OPPOSITE PAGE: Old-growth Douglas firs TRAILHEAD GPS: N 35˚19.617', W 111˚42.686' the floor of this wilderness will likely Just beyond the wilderness boundary, mingle with younger trees along the route. DIRECTIONS: From Flagstaff, go north on U.S. Route 180 shatter your scale. Some are more than you’ll arrive at a grassy opening sur- for 7 miles to Forest Road 516 (Snowbowl Road). Turn 6 feet tall. And they’re at least as wide. rounded by aspens. A few strides later, a bed of looser volcanic debris eroded right onto FR 516 and continue 6.3 miles to the parking After 15 minutes of falling in love you’ll encounter one of the biggest Doug- away from the denser flow layers above. lot, on the right. The trailhead is at the far end of the lot. VEHICLE REQUIREMENTS: None with the woods, you’ll enter the Kachina las firs in Arizona. And it’s not alone. As you descend the lava wall, you’ll DOGS ALLOWED: Yes Peaks Wilderness. The official bound- There are more big trees on this trail than wind into another side canyon, the big- HORSES ALLOWED: Yes, but it’s strenuous for horses. ary doesn’t change the nature of things, almost anywhere else in Arizona. From gest of the bunch. Once you climb out, USGS MAP: Humphreys Peak but you might start seeing an occasional there, the route crosses a few small side the forest opens up enough to get a good INFORMATION: Flagstaff Ranger District, 928-526-0866 tree across the trail. Nevertheless, the canyons and arrives at the top of a high look at the summits to the left — the or www.fs.usda.gov/coconino Kachina is in excellent shape. So, instead lava cliff. It’s been ages (600,000 years) Kachina Trail follows the south-facing LEAVE-NO-TRACE PRINCIPLES: • Plan ahead and be out all of your trash. of looking around for the trail, you can since the eruption, but there are plenty of slopes of Agassiz and Fremont peaks. The prepared. • Leave what you find. look around for bears, porcupines and remnants. Trees push their way through viewpoint marks a spot where the trail • Travel and camp on • Respect wildlife. durable surfaces. • Minimize campfire impact. pumas. Although you probably won’t see huge andesite boulders, and a dramatic, levels off a little. From there, it moves • Dispose of waste • Be considerate of a puma, they’ll be out there hunting the cave-like recess in the lava marks where up and down through the ancient forest, properly and pack others.

54 AUGUST 2019 MAP BY KEVIN KIBSEY www.arizonahighways.com 55 WHERE IS THIS? WE MADE A NEW BOOK ABOUT AN OLD PARK.

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Pop Quiz It’s back-to-school season, but school is decidedly out at this Arizona landmark, which has been around since long before the state became a state. Thanks to an extensive restoration process, it looks much as it did when students sat at its desks. Need another hint? One of Arizo- na’s best-known hikes is just a few miles down the road.

On February 26, 2019, Grand Canyon National Park celebrated its 100th anniversary. To mark the occasion, we dug into the archive and pulled out some of our favorite stories. Was $29.99 Now $19.49 (plus shipping and handling) #AAGC8

Win a collection of our most popular books! June 2019 To enter, correctly identify the location pictured above and email your answer to editor@ Answer & Winner arizonahighways.com — type “Where Is This?” in the subject line. Entries can also be sent to 2039 W. Lewis Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85009 (write “Where Is This?” on the envelope). Sunset Point. Con- Please include your name, address and phone number. One winner will be chosen in a gratulations to our random drawing of qualified entries. Entries must be postmarked by August 15, 2019. Only Order online at www.shoparizonahighways.com or call 800-543-5432. winner, Ann Warner the winner will be notified. The correct answer will be posted in our October issue and of Geneva, New York. online at www.arizonahighways.com beginning September 15. USE PROMO CODE P9H5GC WHEN ORDERING TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS SPECIAL OFFER. OFFER EXPIRES AUGUST 31, 2019 .

56 AUGUST 2019 PHOTOGRAPHS: TOP JEFF KIDA ABOVE, LEFT TOM STORY

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