Spring Flowers!

4/22/08 Benson, AZ

Spring has come to the desert, and warm, sunny 80+ degree days prevail. Due to extremely low winter rainfall, the cactus and wildflowers are slow to appear here in our area.

However, this time of year brings back memories of many lovely wildflower displays we have witnessed and filmed during our travels. I would like to share a few of these photos with you. Some I know the names of, others I do not.

Arizona Cactus and Wildflowers

 Brittle-bush    Hedgehog cactus

Arizona Cactus Arizona Cactus

Arizona Cactus Arizona Cactus

California Wildflowers

Ajo lily

   Verbena, Borrego Springs, CA

South Texas Wildflowers

Texas roadside in the spring

Texas flower Texas flower

Texas bluebonnet

Hybiscus, Texas

Texas tulip tree

Florida Wildflowers

Florida crown-of-thorns

Florida flower

Washington Wildflowers

Indian paint brush, Hurricane Ridge

Hurricane Ridge, Olympic National Park, Washington

Mountain heather on Hurricane Ridge

Flowers on Hurricane Ridge

Flowers on Hurricane Ridge

Hurricane Ridge

Wildflower, Patos Island

Patos Island, Washington

(Click on pictures to enlarge)

PETROGLYPHS & INDIAN CAMPS IN THE SOUTHWEST

March 1, 2008

Since my last post told about Apache Indian camps in the Dragoon Mountains near Benson, AZ, I thought it might be an appropriate time to share with you some other ancient Indian sites and rock art we have discovered during our ramblings in the southwest. These sites are described in greater detail in my third book, SOUTHWEST ADVENTURES.

PICTURE ROCK:
      The firsrt petroglyphs we came across are located south of Quartzsite,AZ along Tyson Wash, which runs north and south through this area. “We had b een walking across the desert, when we arrived at a large dry wash and knew it must be Tyson Wash.  Following the wash for a ways, we came to a large outcropping of rocks on the east side of the wash.  It was filled with petroglyphs, and we knew this must be Picture Rock.
     Directly across the wash there is a rocky hill.  On top of the hill we discovered deep mortars, (grinding holes).  There were a lot of mesquite trees in the area, so undoubtedly early Indians came here to camp while they gathered mesquite beans and ground them into flour.  From the depth of the mortars, the area evidently had been used for a long time.  Many natural depressions (or tanks)  in the nearby rocks would hold water for drinking purposes, making it an ideal camping spot.”

DRIPPING SPRING:
     We learned about this site, east of Quartzsite,from some friends, who took us here for the first time.  We drove across the desert toward the mountains. The road was narrow and rocky.  Finally, we had to park the truck and walk the rest of the way in.
    “This hike took us through a wash with high walls, forming a canyon. It was very pretty!  After about a mile a trail led up out of the canyon to a large open area at the base of the mountains.  Huge brown boulders were scattered all over this valley, and almost every rock was covered with petroglyphs! (rock etchings)  From the large number of petroglyphs, this must have been an active Indian Camp for quite a long time.  Then, we followed a path leading toward the base of the mountains.  Here, under an overhanging ledge of rock, was Dripping Spring.  There was a pool of water  beneath the ledge into which water was dripping from the rocks above.”  Several large trees shaded the spot, and we sat on some large rocks to rest and cool off before our trek back to the truck. 

SEARS POINT PETROGLYPHS:
     We learned about this site from an Archaeologist at the Bureau of Land Management office in Yuma, AZ. “We drove east out of Yuma on I-8 for about 70 miles, then turned north on the Spot Road exit.”A gravel road turned north, and we followed it for another seven miles, and arrived at the remnants of an old log cabin.  “A rutted track turned west from the cabin and came out by some large dark rock outcroppings.  This was the petroglyph site…”We visited with a man who was camping here, and learned that he had been teaching a group of students studying and cataloging the petobglyphs, and that he was writing a book about these and other petroglyph sites.”..Wandering over to the rocks..”The large flat lower areas all contained some petroglyphs, but the higher rock surfaces were literally covered with wonderful etchings.”  It had been a wonderful discovery!

PAINTED ROCK STATE PARK:
     From SOUTHWEST ADVENTURES:  Just west of Gila Bend, a well marked road turns north.  “After 12 miles you will arrive at the park.  The first primitive camping area is only a few miles off the highway and is called the Petroglyph Unit.  The focal point is a large mound of rocks, the surfaces of which are covered with ancient petroglyphs!” .. This site reminded me of Sears Point, which is about 40 miles west of here, both sites being located in the Gila River Valley.  Walking over to the petroglyph site, “Virtually every stone was covered with etchings. These petroglyphs were similar to others we had seen in the southwest.  Man is portrayed in crude form.  There were also snakes and lizards, animal forms, jagged and spiral and designs, to mention a few. On the ground near this hill of rocks were large flatter rocks with mortars on them.”

OTHER SOUTHWEST PETROGLYPHS:

  Valley of Fire State Park, Las Vegas, NV

  Wolf Cabin, Arches Nat. Park, Utah

In my next post I will display photos and tell of some very interesting and unusual petroglyphs we found in the Pacific Northwest.

Meanwhile, Thank you to those who have responded to my web site and blog.  I hope more of you will contact me by e-mail!

web site:  www.elaineseavey.com

Cochise Strongholds & Council Rocks

Benson, AZ

EAST AND WEST COCHISE STRONGHOLDS:

As I write, my view from our RV windows here in Benson is to the east.  On the horizon, the Dragoon Mountains form a natural barrier, about five miles wide, and 30 miles long, from north to south across the desert.  Midway, rocky canyons on both east and west sides of the mountain range come together at a pass through the Dragoons.  This natural fortress was, for many years the home base, or stronghold, of the Chiricahua Apache chief Cochise (1815-1874) and his followers. An ideal place, since a  year round stream, springs, natural foods and game provided all their needs.  Sentinels posted on higher peaks could spot intruders from many miles away.  And, the canyon’s east and west openings offered escape routes on either end.

I wrote about our visits to both the east and west ends of the stronghold in my third book, SOUTHWEST ADVENTURES.  To reach the East Stronghold:  “We drove east of Benson on I-10, turning south at exit 331 onto Highway #191.After about 17 miles, a gravel road turns west. Another 10 miles took us to the entrance of the stronghold.  The road ends at a lovely campground at the base of the mountains. This is where the main base of the Apache stronghold was located.  A hiking trail starts here and leads over the pass and down to the west side of the stronghold.”

On our first visit to the West  Stronghold, we rode our mountain bikes in on a dirt track from St. David (7 miles south of Benson.)  Unfortunately, this road now stops at a locked gate leading to an exclusive neighborhood of country estates, closing it to the public.

Our oldest son, drove out from Texas to visit us in January, 2007.  Eager to share some of the historic sites in Cochise County, we decided to take him to West Cochise Stronghold.  Today, the only public access involves driving south of Benson on Highway #80.  About a mile north of Tombstone, we turned east on Middle March Road…gravel and “washboard”.  This road continues over Middle March Pass and comes out at the community of Pearce in Sulpher Spring Valley.  However, after about 10 miles, we turned north on another dirt road (FR687) leading into the Coronado National Forest, and the south end of the Dragoon Mountains.

From my book: “The scenery was breathtaking.  Tall yellow grasslands at the foot of the mountains were dotted here and there with oak and mesquite trees.  The mountains were made up of huge bare granite monoliths.  Camping is permitted in the National Forest, and primitive campsites were scattered along the sides of the roads.  The road was narrow and rutted, winding up and down, crossing two streams.  After about 10 miles we arrived at the entrance to Stronghold Canyon.“  Turning east, the canyon here is narrow, following a shallow stream, with oak, juniper and sycamore trees lining its shores.  This peaceful setting is surrounded by awesome pinnacles of granite rocks in all shapes and sizes.  On this day, we drove in for about two miles, until the road narrowed to a mere track.  Then we stopped to eat our picnic lunch and  paused to enjoy the incredibly lovely surrounding scenery.

COUNCIL ROCKS:

I had vaguely heard about “Council Rocks”,  and knew the site was in this general area, but it was after completing SOUTHWEST ADVENTURES before I learned its exact location. Now, with Brad along, seemed the perfect time to see if we could locate it.

It was at Council Rocks where, in 1872, Cochise signed the Broken Arrow Peace Treaty, agreeing to cease waring attacks.  In return, the government granted to the Apaches a vast reservation, including the southeast corner of Arizona, including the Dragoon and Chiricahua Mountains near the Mexican border.  However, in 1876, two years after Cochise died, the government broke its promise and moved the Chiricahua Apaches 100 miles north to the San Carlos Reservation on the Gila River.

After visiting West Cochise Stronghold, we turned back to the south.  Locating FR #687K we turned east, where the road ended at a parking area. A broken down gate and old sign led to a path across the grasslands, ending up at a jumble of huge boulders.  Here, a short but very steep trail leads up to an area of house sized boulders and giant tipped rocks forming shallow caves. Obviously it was the site of a former Apache summer camp, being cooler than in the narrow canyon.   Blackened areas were evidence of former fire pits, and we found large, deep mortars on the surrounding flat rocks.  Then our son shouted out “I’ve found something really neat!”  And, indeed it was!  Under an overhanging ledge of rock he had discovered an entire rock wall of ancient,  red/ocre paintings!….(pictographs)  A sign at the site stated that archaeologists believe the original pictographs were created by Mogollon Indians who lived in the area as long as 1,000 years ago…but may have been added to by the more recent Apache tribes.

Although we have come across many ancient Indian camps during our explorations, this one seemed  special.  Petroglyphs (etchings on rock) are more common.  Pictographs are rare and usually faded beyond recognition. While these were faded, being beneath the rock overhang, they had been preserved amazingly well.

It had been a cool sunny Arizona winter day.  We considered ourselves most fortunate to have shared the beauty of West Cochise Stronghold with our son, and finding Council Rocks was definitely an added adventure!

(click on pictures to enlarge)