I told Steve that he should keep Trace on a leash as there are several members in this group who are apprehensive about dogs on the trail. He didn't keep Trace on a leash for long and soon Trace was running on ahead, away from the hikers and any potential accidents, and no one seemed to mind.
The hike took us 4:40 hours. I tracked 6.5 miles. Rod drove Steve and me back to my Honda. Trace and Zeke were in the covered cab. Once Rod dropped us off, we were on our own as the others drove back to Sierra Vista. Steve and I took our time and stopped first at the Skyislander Diner in Sonoita, a former gas station converted into a restaurant. The pump islands and cover still remain, and inside it's more of an old diner in serious need of an upgrade. I had a patty melt, Steve had a chicken burrito and both were quite good.
We topped off the day with a visit to the Copper Ranch nanobrewery, a small home brewery run by Tom and Mel and only opened on the weekends. We met the couple and found them both very hospitable and passionate about brewing. I enjoyed the visit so much, I want to come back. Other visitors who we talked to, all passionate craftbrew lovers, said the beer here was better than at the Copper Brothel Brewery which opened in Sonoita in April 2018.
The road, by now a narrow and rutted ATV road, continued going uphill. Views from the Gunsight Pass and Lopez Pass, two high points before the foothills descended west toward Sahuarita, were in front of us.
The group stopped a few times to study the maps SteveA and Rod had. Our first stop was at the intersection of FR4051 and FR4834. We took FR4834, but that ended with a dead end near the top. An old road going around the hilltop was not there, so we turned around to then bushwhack a short distance to what turned out to be FR4051. This short and narrow game trail followed too closely to a steep drop-off. I was worried about Steve. I had told him that today's hike was completely on forest roads and that no trekking poles were necessary, so he didn't bring his trekking poles. Here is where he needed one the most. Others around him, like Mel and SteveA, stayed with us for support. We were all relieved to get back on terra firma.
I had never been in this area so everything was new to me. I was enjoying this hike. I saw expansive views of the foothills. Rosemont Mine has a large section of this ridgeline of which Gunsight Pass is a part; a lot of those live oaks are going to be removed when the open-pit mining begins. Might as well enjoy the views now before it's gone forever.
We were now close to our hiking destination. Rocky crags were now pointing up around us. The western slope of these foothills dropped sharply toward Sahuarita and the Helvetia mine. Forest road 4051 was once a popular ATV trail and I can see why: steep slopes, sharp curves and a challenge to maneuver, this area is now lost to ATVers. Locked gates and "No Trespassing" signs now prevent vehicles on these roads, although signs allow hunters access.
The last 1/4 mile mwas on a very rocky, ankle-busting road overgrown with catclaw. We were finally on a path and not a well-defined mining road. Malachite, Azurite and other minerals associated with copper glistened on the ground. When we saw an exposed crag with a slit in the middle and then noticed an eagle's (hawk's?) nest in the middle, we all got excited. This view made the boring walk on the old ATV roads worth it. The Narragansett Mine was at the pass. Here we explored some more. JimA and SteveS climbed to the pass, I checked out a small mine opening and a shorter mine road that ended quickly by some more crags. A radio tower was on top of this crag, but I found no road to it. I turned around and rejoined SteveT who waited safely at a distance.
We took another break at Lopez pass, had snacks and rested for 20 minutes. Winds picked up here and I put on my red windbreaker. I never took it off after that. From here on we resumed our hike downhill, forming a giant loop that went directly through what will be the main Rosemont mine. We saw old mining equipment, new mining holes, and cordoned-off areas we had no interest in. There's still a lot the Rosemont company has to do before actual mining begins, like bring in heavy equipment. Forest Road 231 has been graded and widened to support big trucks, but there were none anywhere.
The hike took us 4:40 hours. I tracked 6.5 miles. Rod drove Steve and me back to my Honda. Trace and Zeke were in the covered cab. Once Rod dropped us off, we were on our own as the others drove back to Sierra Vista. Steve and I took our time and stopped first at the Skyislander Diner in Sonoita, a former gas station converted into a restaurant. The pump islands and cover still remain, and inside it's more of an old diner in serious need of an upgrade. I had a patty melt, Steve had a chicken burrito and both were quite good.
We topped off the day with a visit to the Copper Ranch nanobrewery, a small home brewery run by Tom and Mel and only opened on the weekends. We met the couple and found them both very hospitable and passionate about brewing. I enjoyed the visit so much, I want to come back. Other visitors who we talked to, all passionate craftbrew lovers, said the beer here was better than at the Copper Brothel Brewery which opened in Sonoita in April 2018.
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