Off Roading in the Old Wild West
The day started out cool and crisp, with a slight chill in the air on a brilliant January day. A day with endless, clear blue skies and visibility for miles. A good day for a trail ride on an Arizona dirt road. Our journey started in the desert area just south of Tucson. The tires of our rigs rolled on the ground shortly after we aired them down, which helps for a less “bumpy” ride. This trail started off easy with very little rocks to keep the ride smooth and comfortable.
At this time of year, basically everything is dead. In the desert, there are dead, brown and scrawny branches and bits of dead grass everywhere. Despite the dead look of things, my mine wonders at the trail beyond my sight. How easy is it? What challenges will we face today? One thing about off roading is it is never easy as you think. Sometimes trails start off simple and boring, but then challenges come up where we have to put on our thinking caps and make decisions.
I think the real reason we like to offroad is this: the places you get to visit. Not many people can take the time to drive on a dirt or rocky trail and see an abandoned town, or other buildings sitting by their lonesome. It is like seeking lost treasure when you decide to drive on a trail: you don't know what you are going to see or what you may run into.
As we are climbing up a hill, I sometimes wonder if we may tip. It can happen! We were slowly inching up a steep hill, with the sun blazing into our eyes (well, my eyes were sometimes shut as a passenger), praying we would make it up okay. As we were nearing the top, the question is, where is the trail going, as the trail is not visible for a slight moment. Do we go to the left or right, to stay the course straight on? One move in the wrong direction could bring about detrimental results. The trail can make a sudden turn and we have to make a quick decision to follow it. But we did make it!
With that being said, one of our stops was a an abandoned mine, Total Wreck Mine. Arizona is full of abandoned mines, like this one, with lots of silver and copper making some people very rich once upon a time. Discovered in 1879, this silver mine produced $500,000 in its heyday. It once had up to 200 residents and a small, thriving town to boast. Like with many mines, it declined in the 1890's, and its ghosts remain there to this day. Time to pack up and move forward!
As we left Total Wreck Mine, the trail gets even more challenging. We went up and down many hills. This is when you really need to use your 4wd, in low gear making it more easier for climbing and going down. At this point, one of the Broncos went down on its side. This was a first for us as we never encountered an experience like this.
Luckily, there were others there and we all pitched in to help. My thoughts were, is the couple okay? How did it happen? As they were driving on the trail, the couple thought they would miss a washout. A washout is an opening in the ground from much rain sinking the dirt down like a hole. The couple were great and even laughing about it. It took many tries to get the Bronco out - a winch, branches, rocks and manpower to get it out, but they did! Broncos are not known to be light!
We finally got back on the trail again and headed to a place called, Empire Ranch. The ranch is spread out with great views of the mountains all around it. This is also located near the small town of Sonoita. There is much history to this ranch that dates back to the 1860's. Just a cattle ranch, it has been sold into many hands throughout the years, and is now a part of BLM (Bureau of Land Management) land. Free to visit, this ranch also hosted many movies and television shows such as Bonanza, The Outlaw Josie Wales, Red River and more. The stars that were part of the shows were John Wayne, Clint Eastwood, Steve McQueen and more. You can also access this ranch through the town of Sonoita without offroading, just a short and easy dirt trail drive to the place.
Don't forget to visit the old buildings at Empire Ranch. Even though the ranch has been remodeled, it still has that authentic, western feel. The Old West may have been a dangerous time, but today, we can get a glimpse of it as we explore with fresh eyes the wonders and beauty of the Old West.
What is a trail you have been on with an authentic western feel?
