Ghost towns and mining trains

Friday, April 1, 2011

CORNVILLE, AZ – There’s a rooster on the property next to our campground, and his cheerful crowing made a great start to another clear and sunny Arizona day. We turned left instead of right as we drove out of the campground this morning to take the scenic route out to the highway. We were told by a local that Senator John McCain owns a property along this road, but we saw nothing to indicate which place was his.

We did see several wineries, plus the orchards where they grow the grapes. There were also several ranches along the road and paddocks for horses. Signs of spring are everywhere, with delicate green leaves budding on the trees and wildflowers coming up by the roadside.

Our rendez-vous today was at noon at the Clarkdale train station, for a train ride into the Verde Canyon, along an old track that was laid at the turn of the 20th century for transporting the ore from local copper mines. We had plenty of time, so we meandered a bit, stopping to have a quick look at Jerome, a so-called ghost town nestled high on the hillsides where some of the mines had operated.

We stopped at the Little Daisy headframe near the top of the hill. It’s now part of a national park, and they have set up a carpeted ramp to the edge of the shaft with a sign asking you to wipe the red soil off your feet before stepping on the glass. The glass is a clear platform over the top of the shaft, so you can stand on it and look straight down 1,900 feet into the earth! That’s a really long way down! The sign by the shaft says that they brought out four million pounds of ore, which produced more than 300,000 pounds of copper, plus smaller amounts of silver and gold.

We turned back before exploring the whole town so we would have time to eat our lunch before boarding the train. There was a shaded picnic area at the station, and while we ate, a tiny sparrow jumped down to claim the little crumb I set out for him, as if it were his daily due!

The Verde Canyon train had about a dozen cars, with two engines, a caboose and several open-air viewing cars. The trip to the end and back took about four hours, and throughout the journey a speaker system provided a running commentary on what we were seeing. There were also interpretive guides who pointed out particular formations, evidence of cave dwellers and wildlife along the way, and who answered any questions we might have.

From time to time we caught glimpses of the Verde River at the bottom of the canyon, a ribbon of blue fringed with trees sprouting their spring green leaves. This lush strip made quite a contrast with the dry, dusty rocks above, with colours of red ochre, peach and white, and the desert grasses and cacti that clung to life on the craggy outcroppings.

A pair of antelopes appeared across the way on a grassy area, prompting lots of finger-pointing and camera-snapping. Further along, our guide pointed out a magnificent bald eagle, perched on the high branch of a tree! She also showed us the eagles’ nest, where two new babies had recently hatched. We could only see the white head of mother eagle, waiting for her lunch order to be delivered by papa.

The end of the line is Perkinsville, which was once a private ranch, but became the mine’s depot when the railway was built. Only a few buildings remain, but there are descendants of the original property owners who still live there in splendid isolation.

The twin engines uncoupled from the front end of the train and moved on a side track past us to the homebound end before we began the return trip. From a new angle, we admired the high walls of rock above us and the wonderful views of cliffs, hills and mountains that were once seen only by weary miners as they headed home from work.