Mesa 4 Wheelers Horn Newsletter 4 Wheelers
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MESA 4 WHEELERS HORN NEWSLETTER NOVEMBER 2010 Mesa 4 Wheelers, PO Box 107, Mesa AZ 85201 http://mesa4wheelers.com MESA 4 WHEELERS STAFF President Darrel Wallace 480-471-8724 Vice President Bill Mihailov 480-983-0404 Secretary Pat Jenkins 480-834-0517 Treasurer Ray Jenkins 480-834-0517 Corres.Secretary Debra Wallace 480-471-8724 Membership Lori Moore 480-924-9287 REMEMBER WHEN? 30 years ago Editor Mike Drawsky 480-502-9507 The November issue of the 1980 Horn had a report on the Rememberance Gert Leible 623-869-8434 Jamboree that was held during October and written by CH (?). Trophies John Guthrie 480-980-3241 Safety Chairman Lee Coppage 623-266-7556 Another report was for Sharon Cushman and Niki Jenkin's November Spook Run, first held at Niki's home. Next Meeting November 19, 2010 'Dr. Deek' wrote in the President's Desk that we should be Third Friday of every month, 7:30p.m. thankful at Thanksgiving time and that we should also be Location: Brown & Brown Chevrolet, thankful that we survived the Jamboree and the Halloween Downstairs under sales room Party. 145 East Main Street Mesa, AZ Pat Jenkin's Editor's Corner mentioned Mary Keanhal's Garbage PRESIDENT’S CORNER Rally (recycling activity). AZ LONGSHOREMAN TRIP REPORTS Cherry Creek & Cold Springs Canyon Trip leader: Dave Brown, Date: Oct. 9th & 10th, 2010 Fall colors are back and it is again time for Thanksgiving with good friends and family like the Mesa 4 Wheelers. No matter if you go to California with Mike or stay here we will all enjoy our time. The enjoyment of 4 wheeling has long been a pleasure of mine, and with friends like the Mesa 4 Wheelers it is with pride that I enjoy it more. Our Christmas party is almost here so get your reservations in as The Sierra Ancha Cliff Dwellings, once home to the prehistoric soon as you can! Salado Indians, are located in some of the most remote and hard to reach spots in the state of Arizona. Because of this, they See you on the trail, Darrel... receive very few visitors and remain in pristine condition. Cherry Creek & Cold Springs Canyon (Continued) After years of viewing this area from the driver's seat of my Jeep, the desire to someday see these ruins close up stayed with me. The opportunity arrived when Dave Brown invited the club to join him and his son, Matt, on a hike in the Sierra Ancha to visit the Salado Indian Cliff Dwellings. Where did the trail go? Fortunately Dave and Matt had just hiked this trail the day before, otherwise at this point I would have questions whether this was an actual trail? Dave, his son Matt and I make a stop along Cherry Creek Road to take in the view of these rugged mountains that make up the Sierra Ancha Wilderness. Dave had called me Friday night from atop Aztec Peak to tell me to be sure to come dressed in long pants. He did not say anything about a long sleeve shirt! Dave and Matt arrived the day before and chose Cold Springs Canyon Ruins to do a pre-hike. Dave points his hiking poles to a petroglyph that indicates the direction of Cold Springs Canyon Ruin. Cherry Creek & Cold Springs Canyon (Continued) Some History: The Sierra Ancha (Spanish for "Wide Mountain") is an archaelogically rich wilderness area known for some remarkable cliff dwellings made famous by Dr. Emil W. Haury and the Gila Pueblo Project in 1930. Dr. Richard C. Lange has continued that legacy with the Sierra Ancha Project starting in 1981 and continuing to present day. Dewey Peterson was a rancher who lived on Aztec Peak circa 1900 - 1950. Peterson went on to serve as Dr. Emil W. Haury's guide during many of the Gila Pueblo Project expeditions. On one particular excursion, another local rancher, "Slim" Ellison accompanied the Gila Pueblo Project expedition as described by Haury; "From the Peterson Ranch, we went north to McFadden Horse Mountain, and several other parts of the crest of the Sierra Ancha. Then we dropped off the east side of the range, north of Pueblo Canyon and into Cherry Creek where we established camp. From our camp in Cherry Creek, we went back up into Pueblo Canyon, into Cold Spring Canyon, and into Devil's Chasm. After collecting wood in ruins in each of those canyons, we set out to the east, passing south of Sombrero Butte, and on into lower Canyon Creek. After inspecting a prehistoric turquoise mine, we went up Canyon Creek to the Canyon Creek Ruin, which Dewey knew about, but had not seen. We returned cross- country, almost due west, and dropped back into Cherry Creek to the Ellison Ranch, where we ended the adventure". After 2 hours of constant up hill climbing through thick desert After several similar expeditions into the Sierra Ancha, Haury brush, we finally reach Cold Springs Canyon Ruins! published his findings in 1934 as Gila Pueblo Medallion Paper #14. His seminal publication, "The Canyon Creek Ruin and Cliff Dwellings of the Sierra Ancha" was published later in the same year. You can connect to the past by viewing the remains of the Peterson Ranch near Aztec Peak. The Ellison Ranch is still a going concern within Cherry Creek valley. Many of my favorite Cherry Creek hiking destinations are documented in Dr. Rich Lange's recent publication; "Echoes in the Canyons - the Archaeology of the Southeastern Sierra Ancha" celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Sierra Ancha Project (SAP). The SAP began in June of 1981 from a small grant by the University of Arizona Research Office to verify and update site information originally catalogued by Gila Pueblo. It soon became clear that the original scope of the project was larger than anticipated as many new sites were discovered and the project was stitched together piecemeal over the first 25 years of operation. One of the first major undertakings of the SAP was a main beam replacement in Cold Spring Canyon site. The main roof beam was severely damaged by insects and water and the structure was in danger of complete collapse. In late October of 1983, a replacement beam was dragged up the old mining road by a horse. A pulley system was used to transport the beam up the scree slopes from the abandoned mining road trail to the terrace ledge near the cliff dwelling. It took 4 people to accomplish the final task of lifting the beam across the terrace ledge and into position within the cliff dwelling. When one ponders the magnitude of the task in present day, you have to marvel at the determination of 700 year old civil engineering to construct these Cherry Creek cliff dwellings. There were a number of times during the hike that I questioned whether or not I was going to make it all the way. Thanks to Randal Schulhauser (11/10/07) Dave and Matt's patience and encouraging words, I made it! http://hikearizona.com/decoder.php?ZTN=1260 Dave asked me to hold up the victory sign! Cherry Creek & Cold Springs Canyon (Continued) Camping above the ruins, on top of Aztec Peak, the next morning we awoke to clear Arizona skies, temperatures in the low 50's, and 30+ mile per hour winds! Fortunately Dave and Matt came prepared for any weather with their Scamp trailer! After a warm breakfast from Dave's kitchen, the winds soon had died down to where we able to enjoy a comfortable morning walk before heading down the mountain. Built over 700 years ago the Cold Spring Canyon Cliff Dwelling is still in remarkabke condition! While hiking along the Big Buck Uranium Mine road (mining Thanks to Dave and Matt, my passion to see one of these began in 1954 and ended in 1957) we caught up with another prehistoric Salado Indian dwellings up close has become a reality! group heading in the same direction. They were trying to locate the point where the Cold Spring Canyon trail leaves the road and climbs steeply to the rock cliffs above. Due to heavy over growth Southeast Arizona 4-Wheeling With Paul & and no signage, they were having a hard time locating it. Thanks Joanna Trip leader: Paul & Joanna Hutchinson, Date: to Dave and Matt's pre-hike, we were able save them time. Oct. 15th - 17th, 2010 Lin and I headed down South to spend the weekend with past club members Paul & Joanna. Paul is a history buff and has On the return hike we took a moment to pose in front the Sierra spent most of his career In the military, so our day starts out with Ancha Wilderness Boundary sign to capture our look of a visit to the historic Fort Huachuca. achievement in a group photo. Southeast Arizona 4-Wheeling (Continued) assignment to the European Theater. During the war years, the troop strength reached 30,000 men at the fort, which in the 1930s had been described as suitable for a brigade-sized unit of about 10,000 men. At war’s end, the fort was declared surplus and transferred to the State of Arizona. It was reactivated during the Korean War by the Army Engineers. A new era began in 1954 when control passed to the Chief Signal Officer, who found the area and climate ideal for testing electronic and communications equipment. The importance of the fort in the national defense picture grew steadily from that moment. In 1967, Fort Huachuca became the headquarters of the U.S. Army Strategic Communications Command.