Category: Arizona

Cleator, AZ is a town with about 8 year round residents. Established in 1864 as a placer mine railroad station named Turkey Creek, it is now a tourist stop on the way to Crown King.

The town boasts a general store and bar, home of the Cleator Yacht Club.  Situated at the edge of the Prescott National Forest, Cleator is a quirky place.

The bar owner/bartender is friendly, and happy to talk to  you for as long as you are willing to listen.

We made a detour on our way home from Sedona because I had heard a lot about this town, and wanted to see what $999,000 would buy. Yeah, that’s right, the entire town is for sale.

We arrived shortly before 11am on a Monday morning.  We were a bit concerned that the bar might not even be open.  As I started taking photos, the owner came out and said that taking pictures in the bar was free!

We ordered cold beers, and wandered around the back patio area.  In short order, five locals  and three tourists arrived. Not bad considering you have to drive a half hour over unimproved roads to reach the town. Immediately upon exiting I17, the pavement ends, and you pass over a series of cattleguards as you traverse property owned by cattle ranches.

Switchbacks, a lack of guardrails, a one lane bridge and washboard roadway makes for slow going. However, it is possible to take a sedan to your destination, and that cold beer waiting at the end of the journey makes it all worth it.

 

The Superstition Mountain Museum

The SMM located in Apache Junction is a museum dedicated to the history of the Superstition Mountains.

The grounds are free and open to the public during museum hours. The museum has a very affordable entry fee with discounts to the military. Continue reading “Superstition Mountain Museum and my new (to me) Nikon”

This past Friday, my good friend Dave and I took a trek through the Sierra Ancha wilderness.  Arizona state highway 288 begins near Roosevelt, at SR 188, and ends in the town of Young just over 40 miles away. The highway is mostly unpaved, and the scenery is breathtaking.

The beginning of the drive takes you past the Diversion Dam recreation area.  The elevation starts at 3000 feet, and steadily rises to over 6200 by the time you reach Pleasant Valley. Continue reading “Pleasant Valley Sunday”

The Pinal Cemetery is protected and under the control of the Tonto National Forest and protected by the Archaeological Resources Protection Act of 1979.

It is easily accessible by dirt roads just off of SR60 west of the town of Superior. Continue reading “Mattie Earp’s grave and Superior under siege of wildfires”

Elisha Reavis is the epitome of the Superstition hermit. He is not the lost Dutchman, although his face might be one of the recognizable of the characters that settled this region.

This is part two in my series of a trek through the Superstition Wilderness outback. Continue reading “Reavis Road and the path to Superior”

This past Saturday, good friend Dave and I spent the day in the Superstition Wilderness interior.  I will be dividing this trip into several posts, as there is so much to discuss.

Roger’s Trough was located adjacent to the Silver Chief Mine.  The Roger’s trough trailhead is fairly easy to reach. Just head north from SR60 to an unimproved road 172 east of Florence Junction SR79. Any 2-wheel drive vehicle with decent clearance can make this leg of the journey, but a 4-wheel drive is preferred. Continue reading “A trip to Roger’s Trough and the “Treasure Trove””