Our ATV ride to the Coke Ovens

Bruce and Connie wanted to take us for a ride to the Coke Ovens that are situated on a ledge out in the mountains just north of Florence Arizona. We have heard stories about this ride as far as its difficulty and some of the scarey ledges you need to traverse up and down and how rough the ride is. I really wasn't sure I wanted to go but our friends convinced us it was worth the trip. I must say i didn't sleep all that well the night before as I am a bit of a wimp as I was already worrying about whether I had the nerve to do this ride or not. Our friends Ann & Trent and Sharon & Craig weren't able to come and as an after thought, I think their guardian angels were on their shoulders that day! Connie and Bruce, Doug & I, Molly & Dale and Harvey and his friend Les went on the ride. As it has been so long since we have had rain, it was VERY dusty out there. Even wearing goggles and bandanas, we nearly choked on the dust during the ride. We started the trip out, riding at the rear and even keeping way back from the rider ahead, the dust was terrible! It was the hottest day we have had so far this winter - it reached 81 degrees!

 I had to throw in a couple of pictures from a ride we did with Trent and Ann 2 days before the Coke Oven ride. We went out and traveled the washes looking for dead ironwood that we can use for clock bases. I just loved the dead honey mesquite tree against the sky and clouds.

 We would just drive into a wash and then hike up it looking for both rocks and dead wood

 This was the start of our ride to the coke ovens. Even as far back as we were you can see the dust. There wasn't a breath of air to help move the dust on

 The first part of the ride was pretty good except for the dust so I was thinking people had exaggerated the difficulty of this ride

 It started to get a bit on the rough side but nothing scarey, just a bit of a jolt to the spinal column!

 As usual, the views were beautiful and I was enjoying our ride - little did I know what was ahead!

 As we came over the ridge, we could see the cliffs of Box Canyon where we had gone for a ride the precious week. It was such a gorgeous site

 We started up the hill and away from Box canyon heading to the Coke Ovens

 This was the last picture I took before we got to the Coke Ovens. Doug kept telling me to take a picture but as the road got rougher, I was hanging on for dear life and there was no way I was going to take a picture!! I can't believe how scarey the last part of the ride was to the Coke Ovens. We only went about 5 miles but it took us over 2 hours!! We climbed the side of mountains (no road per say) we went up ledges 3 -4 feet high, over boulders, down hills so steep with ledges ranging from 2- 4 feet high. I was hanging on so tight that by the time we got to the Ovens, my arm and thigh muscles were so sore from being so tense. My stomach was in such knots, that if I had eaten anything I think I would have thrown up, I kept telling Doug I wasn't having fun and wanted to go home! What a whiner eh? There was no way we could turn around even though I wanted him to just leave me on the trail and pick me up on their way home!! I kept saying when we get to the Ovens, I needed to make a run for a bush in the desert and i needed toilet paper. i think I was entertaining Doug although I was dead serious!

The coke ovens in the distance as we are coming down the final ridge into the Gila River valley. The ovens are up on a bluff above the river. They were a site to see. They were actually built in 1882 (I just read this on the internet!) and still look remarkable. Just to see them from here took my mind off the final hill we had to go down!

 This is me returning from a bathroom break in the desert shortly after we got here! I nearly didn't make it!!

 This is a piece of history I copied form the internet explaining what the Coke Ovens were about: the five charcoal kilns were built around 1882 along the Gila River by the Pinal Consolidated Mining Company to turn mesquite into charcoal to be used in the ore smelting process. Charcoal burns hotter and longer than the mesquite wood from which it was derived. Smelters preferred coke, which is derived from coal, because it would burn even hotter and longer than charcoal. The abundance of mesquite in this Gila Valley location was exploited by the mining company in an attempt to obtain economic advantage. It should be pointed out that "Coke Ovens" is a complete misnomer and "Charcoal Kilns" would be most accurate to describe these bee hive structures.

 The internet said the ovens are 30 feet high and 75 feet in circumference. I was dwarfed when standing in the doorway. It was so nice and cool inside the ovens compared to out in the sun. We had our lunch here and I must say it is a good way to start a diet! My stomach was still rolling so much I could hardly eat anything. Also knowing we had to go home the same way we came in, my stomach was still in knots. The Coke Ovens were so cool to see, though I would have preferred being dropped in by helicopter and taken home the same way!

 Connie and Bruce standing above the ovens looking through to us below. We left for the trip home soon after and I must say the trip out over the worst 5miles seem not so bad as going in other than one hill we had to go up with a 4 foot ledge we had to climb while going straight up. We struggled to get up this ledge. Connie and Bruce went before us and then watched us come up. We sort of got stuck half way up the ledge and Bruce says our front wheels were right off the ground straight in the air and our rear wheels were the only thing pushing. We seemed to be sliding over to the cliff edge on my side and I was nearly sitting on Doug's lap saying "oh no, oh no" I thought we were toast but our rear wheels suddenly caught and we were up and over the ledge back onto the hill. I was a wet noodle by then and every ledge after that was nothing in comparison. Bruce says we now have our "Extreme rider's" license, like I ever wanted that in the first place!!!!!!!~

 We are on the level here so I get a chance to take a picture of all the colours in the rocks

 It is amazing how green the desert still is even though it has been 2 months since we have had any rain

This was one of the shale hills with ledges we had to climb that wasn't a road of any kind, we made it up this one just fine even though I was holding my breath. It really doesn't look like much in this picture but it really was a tough climb.
Doug and I were both glad after the fact that we made the trip and saw the Coke Ovens but have no plans to do this trip again. Our friends Molly and Dale say the same thing. We made a pact that we would consider making the trip again in 25 years!!!

Our February Full Moon Campfire

Full moon February 07th meant we were heading into the desert for our campfire. It was a lovely warm day with a few clouds so we weren't sure we were going to see the moon come up! We went for an ATV ride to Box Canyon earlier in the day and had a lovely ride. There was also a bit of a breeze when we first went out to set up for our campfire so we had to find a spot with a bit of protection so we could safely have a fire. We haven't had any rain since early December so we know how dry everything is out here. We usually ride earlier in the day and then go back out about 4:30 pm so we have at least an hour to get set up and get our fire and food ready while we have light. Once it gets dark, it is very dark out in the desert! We didn't have to howl when the moon came out as the coyotes assisted us in this area and howled a few times around us. it was really cool.

 This is just a look at the beautiful day we had as we started out on our ride

 We came to a very steep hill we had to go down, it was a very steep and covered in shale(it just doesn't look too bad in this picture!) but we went down it slowly and did just fine. Trent's wife Ann, refused to go down in the ATV so she got out and said she was going to walk down. Then Craig's wife Sharon (they were behind us) also refused to drive down the hill. What a hoot watching them try and walk down this steep slippery hill!

 This is the hill from the bottom and you can see Craig sitting in his ATV at the top waiting for the ladies to make their way down the hill. They both admitted after the fact that it would have been easier to ride down verses their coming down on their backsides! Entertained us all though!

 Ann and the other Sharon coming down the hill on  their backsides. It was just too dangerous to try and do it in the upright position

 We are back home looking for a good spot for our campfire. We thought this spot would be perfect

 Craig, Sharon, Ann & Sharon D settling in for a a good campfire

 The whole group finally all set up. From left: Molly & Dale, Doug, Trent standing, Ann, Sharon D, Connie, Sharon, Bruce and Craig

 Of course Doug's burn barrel is always a hit as we get a good safe fire that throws lots of heat and is so pretty to look at when it gets dark.

 The food and drinks are coming out. We never go hungry when we are out on a wiener roast

 It is finally dark but due to the bit of cloud cover, it has stayed quite warm for a change

The full moon finally came up over the mountain and it showed through the light haze for us. We stayed out listening to the coyotes and watching the sky till about 9:30 pm. It was a wonderful day all in all!

We took Theresa and Dan on an ATV Trip

Theresa and Dan wanted to experience ATVing in the Sonoran desert so we were fortunate that one of the couples we were friends with were willing to loan us their ATV for the day. Our friends Trent and Ann came with us and we decided to take Theresa and Dan up Montana Mountain so they could see the views over the whole Phoenix area. Doug had his GPS with him and when we got to the top to stop for lunch, we were at 5905 ft above sea level. It was lovely and warm when we left but when we got to the top of the mountain, it was certainly a lot cooler!

 I was driving our ATV with Theresa as my passenger and Doug was driving Dale's ATV with Dan as his passenger. Theresa took a picture of the guys following behind us.

 We were amazed at all the desert poppies that were in bloom on the mountain sides. We usually don't start seeing the wild flowers until late February, early March. This was January 26th!

 Everywhere we looked their were poppies flowering

The side of this hill was just covered in saguaro cacti - this was quite amazing to Theresa and Dan, we are pretty used to this sight!

We pulled over for a bathroom and snack break and Doug and Dan coming in behind us.

Doug and Dan in Dale's ATV

It is always neat to see where you have come from!

The road below from where we came!

 That gorgeous view you get when you get up on top of Montana mountain. This trail is a very easy and comfortable drive so was perfect to take visitors on

 Once we finished lunch and began the trip back to home, Dan took over driving our ATV and Doug and I went in Dale's ATV. Dan and Theresa are in our ATV in this picture.

 We have never gone back the same way we came so it was neat to see the scenery from the other side of the ATV!

 We saw bushes in full bloom, not sure what they are but they were very pretty!

 We had never noticed this man made water reservoir on the side of this wash as you don't see it when you go up the hill. Something to be said for going back down the mountain the same way you came. There was an old mine site just above this reservoir so I guess this is where they stored their water.

 Again we had never seen this little knoll until we came the other direction

 We had the most spectacular sun set the same night we came in from ATVing. It was breath taking

 The sky got blood red just before the sun was completely gone and it was a sunset you don't see too often.

We went to Tucson

After giving Theresa and Dan a chance to go hiking for a day, we then took a trip to Tucson to do some exploring. It took us about 2 hours to drive down and we spent most of the day there. The weather was incredible as usual so we thoroughly enjoyed being outside all day. We packed a lunch so we could have a picnic when ever, where ever, we were when we were hungry.

The first place we headed to is off in the distance in this picture. We are heading to the Mission San Xavier Del Bac. 

 This was the welcome sign as you got closer to the mission. Of course someone has to deface it with spray paint!

Our first glimmer of the mission as we drove up. It looked quite magnificent against the beautiful blue skies. We were also amazed that there was no cost to tour the mission - not often you get anything free now a days! The mission is still an active Catholic church and services the Native American population as it sits on Indian land. It is open to all Catholics that want to attend services.

Theresa and I are standing next to the gates that go into a courtyard where they sell Native American jewelry and food.

 More close up pictures of the mission. The carvings were spectacular and the restoration they have done on the building is quite remarkable also

It was hard not to just keep taking pictures it was so beautiful

 This was a walkway around a little mountain just east of the mission.

 We are up on the little hill looking down at the mission, it was a very beautiful site

 The fellows are walking behind us taking our pictures as we went

 This was the ceiling inside the mission church. It reminded us of churches we had seen when we were is Spain many years ago. Of course a very strong Spanish influence to the architecture and the tiles and paintings inside the church. A lot of use of bright almost garish colours and in the tile work.

 A side view of the mission. It was quite a site no matter where you were when you were looking at it.

 One of the side areas in the church, note the coloured tiles along the lower walls

 There were murals along the walls all made from small pieces of coloured tile.

 St. Francis Xavier is buried here in the church and this is the shrine to him.

 These are the original doors and note how short they are. We had to duck to go through them and not hit our heads.

 Another side view of the mission. It was beautiful and white it was hard to look at when the sun was so bright

 This is a little chapel of the three bells just to the west of the mission church

 Original ironwood beams in the church. Hard to believe they have been there since the 1700's

 After we had toured the church, we bought Indian fry bread from the stands in the parking lot. Theresa and Dan had the full meal deal with beef, beans, chili's, cheese. lettuce and tomatoes. Of course with Doug not being the least bit adventuresome, our fry bread was just dusted with cinnamon and icing sugar!

 A road runner "beep, beep" sat on the wall and watched us eat hoping for some leftovers. Unfortunately he didn't know any of us as we ate it all!

 After leaving the mission, we went into the old downtown district of Tucson as we wanted to experience some of the old architecture and visit the Presido. We parked the car and did a walking tour. We were so amazed at their use of colour on their buildings - it was so cool. I guess when you live in a fairly monotone landscape most months of the year, you want some colour to liven things up.

 They had a great systm for tourists that wanted to walk. There was a blue line along the sidewalk that you just followed and it took you on a round trip walking tour.

 This was Tucson's City Hall and the whole dome was done in coloured tiles. Very Moorish looking.

 We are now coming up on the Presidio. It was the original fort Tucson and they have maintained a section of it right in the middle of the city that you can walk around and see what it was like back in the 1700 - 1800's.

 This was an original iron gate that was still hanging as you entered the site

 A little plaque explaining about the Presidio, when it was torn down and then the reconstruction of part of it so history could be shared.

 These were huts inside the Presidio that the armed forces lived in. The cooking ovens were out in the courtyard.

 This is Doug figuring he can blend in with the mural and look a part of it. We didn't have the heart to tell him he stuck out like a sore thumb!

 Another plaque explaining how he Presidio had been built right on top of an old Indian village. It was discovered under the Presidio when archeologists were excavating the Presidio.

 This was looking down about 4 feet below the level of the Presidio floor to the old site of an Indian circular home.

 They were able to preserve some of the original Presidio walls and it is very easy to see it was a very well fortified fort protected from the Indians if the need arose.

 This is tile work students from the Art program at the University did and it is hung on the Art Gallery wall. There is so much colour and beauty as you walk around the old section of downtown Tucson

 We now come upon the St. Augustine Cathedral, the oldest Catholic church in Tucson. Theresa, Doug and I are resting up leaning against a flower pot as Dan takes a picture across the street.

 You can get a bit dizzy looking up towards the top of the cathedral. Very intricate carvings done in the wall, again very Spanish in style.

 This is looking at the Cathedral from the side yard. Again it has been beautifully restored and maintained and is very striking against the skyline

 This is the bell from the bell tower. It is preserved in the church as they are still working on the restoration of the bell tower

 The church is very simple compared to the Mission but still very beautiful, The back wall behind the crucifix is all done in tile.

 Everywhere you looked there were nooks with statues, tile work and lots of inlaid gold

 Theresa and Sharon walking down the main isle heading to the back of the church

 There were many, many stained glass windows that all told a story. With the sun streaming into and through them, the church was full of rainbows.

 Outside the church in one of the side courtyards was a raised stage decorated all in coloured metal work. The parishioners had done this and use this area for celebrations, wedding pictures etc. It had a very Mexican feel to it. Quite spectacular to see in person.

 A close up look at the flowers and butterflies on the canopy

 Another look at the bell tower minus its bell! After touring this church, we then headed off to the north eastern portion of Tucson to view another small Catholic chapel. Thank-goodness for GPS and friendly locals that helped us find our way. We had a delightful drive right through the city and went from poor areas to quite wealthy homes within miles of each other

 This was the little chapel called San Christabel. Unfortunately, we got there too late and it was all closed up so we were unable to look inside.

 Standing up by the chapel we could look out onto the Catalina Mountain range.

 This was an original old adobe home that had been preserved on the chapel site where the priest used to live.

 It seemed everywhere we went, there were little chapels. Inside you could see statues of saints and candles and letters people have written asking for divine intervention. They were really interesting to stop and look at. This is the last site we visited and then we made the leisurely trip home up the Oro Valley, through Florence and back to Apache Junction.