Our Bark Beetle, a Tiny Bug with a Tree-killing Instinct arizonahighways.com OCT0BER 2004 great hikes Arizona Trail 4Snake Gulch Garden Canyon PLUS Hike of the Month {also inside} OCTOBER 2004 46 DESTINATION Pueblo Grande Museum and Archaeological Park The Hohokam people had a way with water — in fact, their canal technology still amazes us. 42 BACK ROAD ADVENTURE SPECIAL FALL HIKING FEATURES Outlaws hid out and Indians battled the Army Into the Woods and Canyons in and around Mount Ord in central Arizona. When somebody in Arizona tells you to “go take a hike,” 48 HIKE OF THE MONTH say “Amen, let’s go!” In this issue, we feature a rugged Hikers and fly fishermen share the pleasure trail north of the Grand Canyon, a lush path through the along Thompson Trail in the White Mountains. Huachuca Mountains near Sierra Vista and the soon-to- Snake be-completed mother of all our wild footpaths — the Gulch 2 LETTERS & E-MAIL Arizona Trail, from the Utah to Mexico borders. Also see our regular department, “Hike of the Month,” which 3 TAKING THE Grand Canyon Arizona Trail takes you to the Thompson Trail in eastern Arizona. National Park OFF-RAMP Thompson Trail Explore Arizona Mt. Ord 14 North to South — oddities, PHOENIX attractions Pueblo Grande Museum the Arizona Trail and Archaeological Park When a writer and some friends tackle parts and pleasures. of the meandering route bisecting the state, 40 HUMOR TUCSON Garden they find it full of lessons — including why we Canyon should preserve our scenic lands. POINTS OF INTEREST FEATURED IN THIS ISSUE 6 A Paradise for Hikers {more stories online} in Garden Canyon at arizonahighways.com Indians and U.S. soldiers have long occupied this area in the Huachuca Mountains, where a GENE PERRET’S WIT STOP luxuriant environment still makes a prized The lucky desert tortoise gets to age gracefully, unlike ­ habitat for wildlife. some humans who don’t. 36 Toughing It Out in Snake Gulch ONLINE EXTRA The long, dry, hot trek through remote Snake Harvey Boys Had Fun, Too Gulch in the Kanab Creek Wilderness puts hiking Being a Harvey Boy at the Grand Canyon had its comfort to the test — but offers rewards along benefits — even if achieving the equal fame of a the way. Harvey Girl wasn’t one of them. WEEKEND GETAWAY Fort Huachuca and Coronado FOCUS ON NATURE National Memorial 34 Visitors to southeastern Arizona can see where U.S. Dealing With Those soldiers staged to fight the Apache Wars, and also trace Pesky Bark Beetles the steps of the Spanish explorer Coronado. [THIS PAGE] Autumn colors paint The tiny insects take over drought-stressed and the canyon walls and reflect in EXPERIENCE ARIZONA weakened trees, but some foresters say there’s hope the still waters of the West Fork of A listing of major events in the state is available online. for a positive outcome in the distant future. Oak Creek in the Red Rock-Secret Mountain Wilderness near Sedona. STEVE BRUNO [FRONT COVER] Framed by the brilliant orange leaves of a {arizona highways on television} bigtooth maple tree, the mottled trunk of a mature Arizona Watch for this independently produced television show inspired sycamore adds its sturdy presence by Arizona Highways magazine. The weekly half-hour show airs to this fall tableau along the Miller in Phoenix, Tucson and Flagstaff in both English and Spanish. Canyon Trail, near the route of the Robin Sewell, a veteran television news anchor and Arizona Trail. See story, page 14. RANDY PRENTICE reporter, hosts the show. [BACK COVER] Crimson English show times: 6:30 P.M. Saturdays on Channel 12 monkeyflowers and yellow in Phoenix and on Channel 2 in Flagstaff, and at 4:30 P.M. columbines grace a streamside Sundays on Channel 9 in Tucson. scene in Garden Canyon of the Huachuca Mountains. See story, The show airs in Spanish on Channel 33 in Phoenix, Channel page 6. PETER NOEBELS 52 in Tucson and Channel 13 in Flagstaff. Check the stations’ listings for times. {letters & e-mail} Arizona Oddities, Attractions and Pleasures {taking the off- ramp } OCTOBER 2004 VOL. 80, NO. 10 Publisher WIN HOLDEN Editor ROBERT J. EARLY Raptor Aerobics think: Why would they be selling their bicycles? Then Senior Editor BETH DEVENY of travelers looking for unique THIS MONTH IN Managing Editor RANDY SUMMERLIN I enjoyed your column (“Those Sneaky, Clever, it dawned on me that they were “pedaling” their Research Editor MARY PRATT accommodations. Reopened in Editorial Administrator CONNIE BOCH ARIZONA Fibbing Ravens Can Fly Upside Down, Too,” “Along bicycles, not “peddling” them. Administrative Assistant NIKKI KIMBEL 1988 after closing down 14 years the Way,” May ’04) about ravens and their ability to I guess all of us have a mental glitch every once in earlier, the motel at 811 W. Hopi Director of Photography PETER ENSENBERGER fly upside down. a while. I thoroughly enjoy reading Arizona Highways Photography Editor RICHARD MAACK Drive (Route 66) now finds itself 1888Cattle from On May 5, I was up on Campbell Mesa, checking and look forward to receiving it every month. Art Director BARBARA GLYNN DENNEY on the National Register of Historic Sonora, Mexico, the layout of prospective trails with an archaeologist Dennis Alcock, Birmingham, AL Deputy Art Director BILLIE JO BISHOP Places. But historic place or not, are declared Art Assistant PAULY HELLER diseased, and and a trails specialist from the Forest Service when Two wording mistakes, for the poor old editor, is like Map Designer KEVIN KIBSEY a sign outside attracts visitors with the federal I spotted a large bird being harassed by two getting two root canals at the same time. Maybe he’s a simple promotion: “Sleep in a government Arizona Highways Books quarantines the smaller birds. eating too many doughnuts. Thanks to all who found WitWorks® Books wigwam.” border. Citizens I saw that the large bird was an adult bald eagle the errors. Editor BOB ALBANO Information: (928) 524-3048. believe it is a Associate Editor EVELYN HOWELL scheme to raise and the smaller birds were red-tailed hawks. I Associate Editor PK PERKIN MCMAHON ADDITIONAL READING: Much of the price of suspect that the red-tails have a nest on the mesa Our Five C’s Production Director CINDY MACKEY Arizona’s story dwells in the Arizona beef. and were attempting to keep the eagle far from it. Being born and raised in Tucson, I was taught the Production Coordinator KIM ENSENBERGER unusual buildings that enliven the Promotions Art Director RONDA JOHNSON The hawks swirled over the eagle and then “C’s” of Arizona. But there are five. You mentioned Webmaster VICKY SNOW urban and rural landscape. A new Casa Grande swooped down. As a red-tail descended in another cattle, copper and cotton (“Countin’ Cows,” “Taking Circulation Director HOLLY CARNAHAN Arizona Highways travel guide by 1889 is visited by a swoop, the eagle deftly rolled over onto its back. In the Off-ramp,” May ’04). The other two are citrus Fulfillment Director VALERIE J. BECKETT Ann Patterson and Mark Vinson, swarm of so my imagination, I could see the eagle flex its talons and climate. Climate alone is probably the biggest Have You Slept in a Wigwam Lately? Landmark Buildings: Arizona’s many crickets Information Technology Manager they can be and could hear it cry, “Wanna be lunch?” The hawk thing during the last 50 years that has brought CINDY BORMANIS itting in perfectly among the frames, the 15 wigwams cluster Architectural Heritage, leads grabbed by aborted the swoop. Then the eagle calmly rolled many people to live and visit from out of state. FOR CUSTOMER INQUIRIES concrete dinosaurs, neon around a main office-souvenir readers in discovering the history handfuls from the streets. another 180 degrees and went back to flying with Andy Luketich, Albany, OR OR TO ORDER BY PHONE: lights, Indian chief statues and shop-museum. Fake plaster “tent and appreciating the design of 45 Call toll-free: (800) 543-5432 F its belly toward the earth. other kitsch and clang of Old Route flaps” fold back around the doors, of the state’s most arresting A Tempe hail- In the Phoenix area or outside the U.S., storm Ralph Baierlein, Flagstaff From Down Under Call (602) 712-2000 knocks 66, Holbrook’s Wigwam Motel welcoming guests to the retro pink edifices. To order the softcover out window I’m a 15-year-old Australian girl. When my grandma Or visit us online at: captures the quirky nostalgia of air-conditioned interior of their book ($18.95 plus shipping and lights, drives arizonahighways.com In 1972, while hiking on the West Rim of the Grand subscribed to Arizona Highways for my dad, I had no America’s mother road. “home on the plains.” handling), call toll-free (800) 543- holes through For Corporate or Trade Sales: roofs and kills Canyon, I spotted a pair of ravens flying over the idea how much I would enjoy it. As a result of the DOLORES FIELD Standing 32 feet tall and Opened in 1950, the Wigwam 5432 or visit our Web site at chickens in its Canyon at about my elevation. I thought I saw the most stunning photography in the world, my room Call (602) 712-2045 constructed of stucco on wood Motel appealed to a new generation arizonahighways.com. fury. first raven do a slow roll while flying from one side is covered with cutouts from the magazine. Through E-MAIL “LETTERS TO THE EDITOR”: [email protected] of the Canyon to the other. I wasn’t sure of what I’d all the wonderful stories, you have assured that Regular Mail: The fledgling seen until I saw the second raven do the same.