RUCKER CANYON & THE CHIRICAHUA MOUNTAINS

HEADING UP RUCKER CANYON ROAD

Cooler this morning with a high light cloud cover. We knew the day was not going to be another cooker & that was a big relief. Weatherman is calling for temps to drop into the low 80's & mid 70's. I would say those mid 70's are just about totally perfect. A LOT OF FREE RANGING CATTLE IN THIS AREA

Been a month now since we settled into the ranch here & our propane level was down about the empty mark. Pretty good considering we didn't roll in here with a full tank to begin with. Packed things up, secured the coach about 9:30 & headed over to the Double Adobe Road RV Park near Bisbee to re-fill our propane tank. Came to about $55 dollars so we were pretty low. A word about the Park to other RV'ers. The park only accepts cheques or cash for propane. No credit cards. Also, if your thinking of staying there it would be good for you to know that they have a shotgun shooting range right beside the park. If you have pets that are scared of guns this would not be a good campground for you. While we were getting propane, shotguns were going off & poor Checkers & the little Motormouse were totally traumatized. We couldn't get out of there fast enough. Other than that, it looks like an OK campground.....if you like that campground thing that is.

WE SAW SOME DEER BUT NO BEARS

We were back to the ranch & re-settled into our spot in less than an hour. Did some more tree watering & then loaded the cameras in the car & we were off for another day trip. On our drive through Leslie Canyon last week we noticed another road leading into the Chiricahua mountains so to-day we returned to that point & headed on up Rucker Canyon road. http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/coronado/forest/recreation/scenic_drives/rucker_tex.shtml As soon as you start gaining altitude the environment begins to change from desert brown to jungle green. The cottonwood trees are beginning to leaf out now so the splotches of early spring green in the treetops is refreshing. Pine, & Ironwoods, mixed with Agaves & Prickly Pear Cactus make for roadside beauty. Valleys of yellow grasses appear between the mountains & forests of Mesquite trees dot the hillsides. Overhead, patches of blue sky between billowing clouds let through enough sunlight to highlight the high cliff faces of colored rock on the mountain sides. We are so fortunate to be here & to be a part of this beautiful American southwest. KELLY'S LOADING ROCKS IN THE CAR

A fork in the road led us on a 6 mile trip up to Rucker campground. No one there but the wind in the trees & the babbling of a mountain stream running down through the empty campground. Note to RV'ers...I wouldn't bring anything bigger than a small Class C, truck camper, or B class van up here. Not sure if I would feel comfortable tenting either because of the Bear population. The road ends at the campground. We noticed a lot of free ranging cattle in this area as well & had to stop & let a small herd cross the road on our way back down the road to the junction. A QUIET MOUNTAIN STREAM

When we reached the road junction we had to decide whether to return the way we had come & go back through Leslie Canyon or head east over the mountains on Tex Canyon Road & see if we could find highway 80 in the San Bernardino Valley. That highway would take us back down to Douglas. We needed some groceries anyway so headed east. Surprisingly, the road through the mountains was very good with only a few slow downs to cross some minor washes. The scenery was beautiful & around every corner was another panoramic view. We were wishing we had a portable GPS unit though because we had no idea how far the highway or Douglas was. We have one on our wish list because with the amount of hiking, car trips, & RVing we do on back roads it would certainly be a useful & safe thing for us. We have been looking at some Garmin Vista models with built in altimeter & compass. RUCKER CANYON

From atop a hill I finally spotted what looked like the San Bernardino Valley ahead, far off on the horizon. The dirt road was steadily leading down hill so I knew we had crested the mountains & were on our way down the east side of them. Seemed like a long time but we finally reached highway 80. Just a few words here about dirt roads. After to-day we probably have enough dust in the car to make up a whole 50 pound bag of topsoil. If you don't like dust & dirt the American southwest is probably not going to be your cup of tea unless you stay on the pavement & only move between them there fancy RV Parks. If you want to experience the mountains & the deserts you have to get off the Interstates, get off the pavement, & get yourself out onto the dust & the dirt of the back roads. The wild west for the most part is still the wild west & as far as I am concerned that's exactly what makes it one of the most interesting & best places in the whole country. LOOKING EAST TO THE SAN BERNARDINO VALLEY

Ok, getting back on track......... Once on highway 80 it was about a 40 mile scenic mountain vista drive through the Perilla mountains to Douglas. In that 40 or so miles we might have past 3 or 4 vehicles coming the other way. Just another thing I love about the southwest, endless miles of open roads & big wide open spaces. GREAT CLOUD PATTERNS TO-DAY

Popped into a little Mexican restaurant called Jaliscos for a bite to eat before grocery shopping. Kelly had something called a Chimi Changa or something. I learned a long time ago not to eat anything I couldn't spell or pronounce right so I had a hamburger & fries. Kelly did say her Chimi Jange thingy was very good though. Only about 5 blocks to Wally-World so we stocked up on some groceries & headed back to the ranch. Really nice overcast sky with eerie gray cloud patterns all the way back. Yep, ya just gotta love it out here alright....................................... ALIEN SPACE SHIP CLOUDS OVER THE MULE MOUNTAINS

To-morrow we are headed for the ghost town of Pearce........and beyond!!

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