My thighs were feeling yesterday's climb but I didn't want that to stop me from getting out today to explore some more. Minnie hadn't gotten a good workout all week and today was her turn. I ended up taking all three dogs (Sadie and Zeke as well) with me and left the house after noon on my way to the Dragoons. I wanted to explore Middlemarch road some more, specifically Soren Pass. I had last been here in 2008 with Kevin, Sammy and Sara. It was time to get back here as all I remember was the overlook and an abandoned windmill.
I ended up driving 47 miles to the trailhead. The road changes its character once it enters forest land. Middlemarch Road quickly narrows and is no longer a straight, wide dirt road. It's now a curvy, narrow mountain road. I had to pull over and let three full-sized trailers get through. Black Angus cows and a few stray horses also mingled along the side of the road. Once I was in the forest, no other cars came. I parked at 4384'.
The Soren Pass road, FR345A, takes off from Middlemarch road at the pass. This road is a single lane that is passable for the first mile, but it's along a mountain side with no guard rails. I parked at the windmill and walked the last two miles up the road, with three happy dogs delighted to be walking in the afternoon shade. It was 1pm and the sun was already getting low in the west, creating cooling shade as we walked up the rutted road. The rain from Friday had still left some soft spots in the road.
This road travels through a narrow canyon that in wetter times has a seasonal creek flow through it. A dry waterfall had some water in it which the dogs took advantage of. They chased each other uphill while I noted the junipers, oaks, sotols and agaves. Fresh tire tracks revealed recent ATV traffic through here. I passed several abandoned mines right off the road.
Once I hit the Soren pass I was now in a familiar overlook. I was looking down into the Cochise Stronghold in the distance, with the upper Slavin Gulch below and lower Abril mine. The sun was now beating down on the road, with only a few short southern stretches in the shade.
I remembered the view from the pass from my first visit here in 2008.. What I didn't remember was that the road continued downhill. I decided to take it. I could see where the road was meandering to and it looked doable. I had enough daylight; we could do it.
The only thing that hurt was the exposure. We came out of the shade and into the exposed sun. We had already walked at least two miles and walking the road to the finish would tire us out. And it did. We stopped at the mine shaft but didn't go in. So this is the famous Abril mine I've heard about. There was more of the mine further down the hill, but I made the shaft my turn-around point.
I had to make several shade and water breaks for the dogs on the way back, though. That incline was rougher in the afternoon sun! We stopped at several overlooks, rested on old foundations. Trash left behind was evidence that this is a popular trail for ATVers and that they even camp out here.
I will have to come back here. I stayed mostly on the old mining road, but unmarked trails led off from Soren Pass into the hillsides, some closed off with barbed wire. How many more mines were out in these hills? The views from the high points were impressive.
We got home later than planned. The dogs were tired, I was tired, but what a fun area that pass is. I must go back!
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