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As we headed for Arizona we got the bright idea (actually, I think it was MY idea) to drive through the Apache National Forest toward southern Arizona. There were all sorts of warning signs before we entered the highway telling us that Route 191 isn't snowplowed at night or on weekends during storms. This being the end of May, we figured the chance of snow was marginal.
The first thirty miles of the drive was pleasant with slight grades, some nice tight turns, and a few warnings about cattle on the road. A while later the grades got steeper and the turns a bit more tight and we drove up up and up some more. We started at an elevation of over 8000 feet above sea level and were sure we were going to end up in the clouds.
We finally reached what we thought was the top of this monstrous drive at a lovely overlook called "Blue Vista." We stopped and took a picture and were glad we'd made the trip as it was an endless view of the valley and mountains. |
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Another thirty miles of driving on hairpin turns with progressively slower speeds – we started out at 25 mph, then 20, then 15 -- and we came to a sign that warned us that the next sixty miles consisted of steep mountain grades and sharp turns!!! Silly us, we thought that's what we'd already been driving
on.
After about 10 more miles, my head was done in. Just when we would think we were reaching the top and the roadside disappeared off to the right of us, we'd go down a small hill, around a sharp corner, and start up another hill and the roadside would fall away to our left. We were actually driving along the near peaks of several mountains. When we'd get around one, we'd turn a corner and start climbing the next. The mountains went on for what seemed like forever.
I pulled over and Dan graciously agreed drive. What started out to be a very nice drive through the mountains turned out to be four hours of white-knuckle travel. Warning signs told us to watch for cattle, horses, pedestrians, animals and falling rocks – we saw all but the horses. There were no guardrails at the edge of the road, just sheer drops to the top of the mountains below us. Even the white fog line at the edge of the roadway was crumbling away into
oblivion.
After Dan took over the driving, the roads got even worse. Speeds on the turns were down to 10 mph and the grades were totally silly. We nearly hit a steer as we rounded one corner and if my hand had been out the window, I'd have slapped it right in the face. We suffered through, however, and joked when were finally sure we were heading downward that someone ought to level those damned mountains and make a straight flat road out of them.
Then we came upon the Morenci Mine. An ‘open pit’ copper mining operation (which is just a nice way of staying ‘strip-mining’), it was
incredible in size...more than three miles across. Morenci employs more than
20,000 people and processes over 800k tons of raw material a DAY.
It was ugly and beautiful at the same time. Surely the land doesn't have to be raped in such a fashion that we may have nice shiny pennies? Despite it’s barren appearance, the mine was inspiring. It is an engineering marvel the way they are moving mountains at Morenci.
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