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Highway
93 2024
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When
I am on a long trip, I try to schedule a 'short' day or two along the way
to give me a bit of a break. I have a theory about 'accumulated fatigue'
that you run into on long trips. After awhile on the road, it seems you
just get extremely tired as if all the miles land on you at once. I've got
a bit of it as I don't even wake up until 8 AM this morning which is really
late for me. But it's short day of less than 300 miles so I'm good with
that. |
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About
half of the route is on I10 so I can make good time. But before long I run
into a pull off that turns out to be another 'inspection' center. I guess
they figure an old man on an old motorcycle can't be too much trouble so
they wave me on through. |
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I notice
there is a place - Akela Flats - that seems to be following the Wall Drug
approach to signage with one sign ... |
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right
after another one - advertising their various wares and such and the fact
that you really need to stop there. . |
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I finally pass by the place
itself and it has all the looks of a greatly refined tourist trap for those
that are partakers of such fine establishments. |
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Then I run into
something I have not seen before - dust storm warnings posted along the
roadside. |
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But fortunately
all I encounter is the warnings and not the actual stuff, though up ahead
looks like I am about to encounter the opposite of a a dust storm. |
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Fortunately it looks like the
storm is moving off to the north for which I am very thankful. |
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A fellow rider has told me I
ought to visit the Morenci mines up north so I have plotted my route to
do that. It takes me through some very interesting scenery to get there. |
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I go through places like Silver
City on my way there. |
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The storm seems
to be moving back my way or I am moving up its way, but I hold out hope
because I can see a patch of blue up ahead. |
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I've not figured it out, but
for some reason I am really fascinated by cactus. This almost looks like
someone planted a field of them with proper spacing. |
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The heat is bearing
down on me and I wish I could get in the shade of some of those clouds that
cast their shadows on the mountains. |
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It's an incredible ride through
this area with all the contrasts of colors and variations of the landscape. |
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When I turn off on highway 78
and I see this sign and have to smile. I think I can somehow deal with curves
and mountain grades without too much of an issue ... |
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Highway 78 climbs right up into
the mountains and I am looking forward to it. |
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But a real cattle drive is crossing
the road in front of me so I just pull up and patiently wait. I know how
cantankerous cows can be having been raised up on a farm in my early years.
If there is a ten foot gate they are supposed to go through, they had rather
run through a fence and get tangled up in it. |
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Once I cross Highway 78 over
into Arizona, it really turns into great riding. |
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It has lovely sweepers and ... |
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incredible views as it hangs
on the very edge of mountain sides. |
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As I approach the Morenci mining
area, I make my way through Clifton which has a very well preserved train
depot they've turned into art museum.
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It's a good place for refuel
for BlueBelle and for me. |
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They have breakfast sandwiches
and they are pretty good - but then I'm not too particular as long as it
has pig meat and hen fruit as part of the deal. |
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Once we both are refueled, I
take a little short detour through their interesting old downtown area. |
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Then it is up the mountain to
Morenci and some scenes that I would never have thought could exist. |
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The
size and scope of this copper mining operation is beyond human
imagination. A few facts -
The mine
was established as an underground mine in 1871 by the Longfellow Mining
Company and was converted into an open-pit mine by the Phelps Dodge Corporation
starting in 1937. The earliest operations at Morenci Mine, then called
the Longfellow Mine, used mules to transport ore carts. It represents
one of the largest copper reserves in the United States and in the world,
having estimated reserves of 3.2 billion tons.
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I have never seen such an extensive
operation in my entire life. |
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From the processing facilities
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to the conveyors of the ore
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to the hillsides that are being
'eaten' by huge machines and hauled off by huge machines ... |
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it is just hard to take it all
in. |
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There seems to be no end to
it as I make my way up the mountain. |
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It makes you wonder just where
did all the refuse from the ore end up? |
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What did this area look like
before the mining took place? |
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I have more questions than answers
and I am torn between the unbelievable sights done in the name of progress
and what destruction has been done to the land itself. But I am shaken from
my reverie as there are trains blocking the one road out of here. |
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Since I don't know how long
this will be, I decide I'll take advantage of the train depot parking lot
in Clifton and give me and BlueBelle some rest from the oppressive heat. |
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The road finally opens back
up and once the traffic has cleared I get back out and rolling again. |
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The heat has really ramped up
as I make my way into Tucson and to the Travelodge I have reserved for the
evening. |
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Once I get to my room, I wash
some of the road stink off and make my way to a local Denny's across the
parking lot. |
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It's country fried steak and
gravy for the evening and it's ain't bad at all. Service is a little slow
but the air conditioning is working fine so I am in no hurry at all to leave
it. |
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I make sure I do a thorough
job of cleaning my plate as I want to make it as easy on the dishwashers
as I can. I notice there are some fellers out in the parking lot struggling
with changing a tire. I wander over to them and figure out they have rounded
off a lug nut in a hard place to get to. I notice they have various powered
hand tools with them so I tell them -
"If you've got some kind
of grinding stone, you'll be a whole lot quicker using it than trying
to chisel it off."
They had never thought about
that so they go digging through their toolboxes and come up with a grinding
element. They thank me and I head on back to my motel room.
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Back in the air conditioning,
I call Jeff Loker and let him know I've made to safely into Tucson. He
and his twin brother Jon have graciously consented to be my tour guides
for tomorrow. Due to the oppressive heat of the area, Jeff asks me -
"Is 5:30 AM too early
for you to start in the morning?"
"No I'm fine with it so
I reckon I'll see you both then" I reply.
With that bit of business tended
to, I'm down for the count after I set my alarm.
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