12-18-11

Missy and Junior have bee going out every Wednesday with another group of jeepers. They have been finding new places to explore so yesterday they guided us on a ride.

In the group were; Missy, Junior, Jo Ann, Dave, Becky, Dennis, Patti and me.

We drove east on I-10, took the exit for Highway 60 and continued east to the town of Salome where we headed north into the desert. We followed a wide dirt road to a spot where Becky and Dennis could park their truck and off load their Rhino.

From there, we followed a narrow trail across the flats and into the mountains.

The first stop was a pretty cool mine.

Junior, Dennis, Dave and I

walked into the tunnel about 200 feet where we came to a bridge over a deep hole.

The tunnel continued for about another hundred feet

but we stopped at the bridge, it looked to shaky to cross safely.

On the way down the hill from that mine we discovered a second tunnel.

This one turned out to be interesting as it had the remnants of ore car tracks

and further back we found some stalactites

and drapery.

Which is a rare thing around here since there is so little water in the ground.

We left this mine

and took the trail over “Cottonwood Pass”. It’s a really cool road that was built up with stones stacked on the hillside.

I guess that is what you do when you don’t have a bulldozer.

We stopped at the top of the pass to look at the view.

Jo Ann found a small yucca that she had to have.

Unfortunately it had to be cut into three pieces to get into their jeep.

I’m not sure what she is going to do with it. 

We stopped for lunch out of the wind in a wash on the other side of the pass.

After lunch we drove a short distance to this dug out house in the side of a wash. Apparently the house was built in 1913.

Central heating?

The group posed for a picture

From here we drove around the desert looking for the trail over Tank Pass. Eventually we found the right road and drove over the pass.

One spot was a bit challenging but everyone made it with out any trouble.

On the east side of the pass we came to what they called the transfer station.  When Junior mentioned it I thought he was talking about a place where trash is transferred to trucks to take it to a land fill. As it turned out this was a place where back in the 1800’s they held  prisoners enroot to the federal prison at Yuma.

The front of this holding cell originally had iron bars and an iron door.

It was only a short ride from here to Dennis’s truck.

We were home by 4:30. It was a super ride. Thanks Junior!