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Ajo and Why, Arizona Places Visited: Arizona: Ajo & Why Monday, April 18 Coyote Howl RV Park; Why, Arizona--- $18.44 located on SR-85 at the intersection of SR-86. Full hookup dirt interior streets and sites N32° 16.177' W112° 44.487'. We started the day in Tucson, Arizona taking backroads to Why and Ajo, Arizona. We stayed the night at a Coyote Howl RV-Park in Why, Arizona a few miles south of Ajo. It was time to move west once again. We are headed to Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument 130-miles west of Tucson. Most people would travel I-10 out of Tucson to I-8 then west on I-8 to Gila Bend then south to Ajo, Why, and Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. That is most people, not us. We chose to take SR-86 west out of Tucson. The entire drive is across Sonora Desert terrain with the vast majority consisting of the Tohono O'odham and Papago Indian Reservations. We passed through two named towns; Sells and Ouijotoa. Both were "Reservation" towns consisting of the Reservation Indians. The topography consisted of salt flats surrounded by small volcanic mountains. These salt flats consisted of creosote bushes, palo verde, teddy bear cholla, and a sprinkling of saguaro cactus. We did not see any of the distinctive organ pipe cactus until we got to Why, Arizona and turned south into Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. Later we took a ride up SR-85 to Ajo where we saw scattered organ pipe cactus. Border Patrol with a group of 20 to 30 "detainees" on the side of the road between Tucson and Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, Arizona
We might not have seen any Organ Pipe Cactus on SR-86 but we did see the Border Patrol with a group of 20 to 30 "detainees" on the side of the road. The Border Patrol was issuing them gallons of water to drink. Most of them were sitting in the shade of a big tree. None were being hassled (no hand cuffs or spread eagle tactics) by the Border Patrol it was like the whole bunch was just hanging out.
Mobile Border Patrol observation tower on highway between Tucson and Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, Arizona
While traversing the lonely desert in one of the huge Indian Reservations we drove past a mobile Border Patrol observation tower with two Border Patrol vehicles nearby.
Organ Pipe Cactus that inhabits Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument in Arizona
The eponymous Organ Pipe Cactus that inhabits Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. We dropped the motorhome at Coyote Howl RV-Park in Why, Arizona then headed out to explore the area. Surprisingly SR-85 goes north-south through Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument then across the Mexican border to Puerto Pensaco / Rocky Point Mexico. Puerto Pensaco/Rocky Point is a Mexican community on the eastern shore of the Sea of Cortez. We thought SR-85 into Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument would be lightly traveled. We were wrong! There is a lot of traffic but it is not going to Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, it is going to Rocky Point in Mexico. RV's, Trucks, boats and all terrain vehicles were headed to and from Rocky Point, Mexico. It has to be a popular place. Several stores in Why, Arizona are selling Mexican Insurance as well as gasoline and propane. The temperature was in the high 80's today and hot. That made desert hiking out of the question for us so we heades south to Ajo. The drive was punctuated by two A-10 air force tank killer aircraft flying a low level mission over the desert across us. We watched as they dodged the mountains surrounding the flat area we were crossing. We are about 30-miles south of the Barry Goldwater Range where I think the Air Force does a lot of low level training. As we navigated toward Ajo (Spanish for garlic) we could see mine tailings from miles away. That piqued my interest. To have mine tailings that extensive there had to be a huge mine. What were they mining? Who was doing the mining? Could I watch?
Mine tailings from the huge open pit copper mine in Ajo, Arizona
This is the brown tailings. They stretch for miles. Remember the open pit mine is over 1,000 feet deep and over 12/2 miles across. That is a lot of digging and a lot of tailings.
White tailings of the processed oar from the Ajo, Arizona copper mine
This is the "white" tailings consisting of processed oar that contained copper and other metals. Processing requires that the rock/oar be crushed into a fine powder. This is the residue of that process minus the copper and other metals.
White tailings of the processed oar from the Ajo, Arizona copper mine
This is a close up of the white, crushed into powder, residue of processed ore bearing rock. There were two types of tailings brown rocks and white stuff that looked like volcanic ash we have previously seen in Big Bend National Park. As it turns out the white tailing we saw was the crushed rock that had been through the processes to extract the metals. It had been crushed to a fine dust then mixed with chemicals. This white material is what remained. It was transported from the refinery to the tailing pile suspended in water. The water used for this purpose was recaptured and used over and over again to transport the processed rock dust to the tailings pile. The Phelps Dodge mine is no longer an active mine. It was closed in the early 1980 when miners went on strike. When the miners and Phelps Dodge could not reach an agreement Phelps Dodge closed the mine. It just so happened that Phelps Dodge owned several hundred or so homes in Ajo that the miners were living in. Of course Phelps Dodge informed the striking miners that it was time to evacuate the company homes. Today Ajo is a snow bird haven. Snow birds have purchased most of the old company homes and fixed them up. During the winter months the place must be lively. Now that the temperature has reached the high 80's and even into the 90's snow birds have either headed north or are hastily making arrangements to do so shortly. Date palms in Ajo, Arizona
Ajo has a beautiful town plaza with stately Canary Island date palm trees that must be over 100-years old. The stately palms really make the square stand out. Spanish architecture of the plaza and surrounding churches make this a special place. Huge bougainvillea bush in full bloom in Ajo, Arizona yard
Many of the old miner's homes have huge bougainvillea bushes in full bloom. There is nothing more spectacular than a bougainvillea in full bloom. West of the plaza is a big school of some kind. Whatever it is someone applied major money to it. It looked similar to some grand courthouse with a large bell tower.
The Spanish architecture and date palms make Ajo, Arizona look like South Florida
The Spanish architecture, Canary Island date palms and bougainvillea bushes make us feel like we are in South Florida.
Blooming Palo Verde tree on the edge of the huge-abandoned open pit copper mine in Ajo, Arizona
This is a blooming Palo Verde tree on the edge of that huge open pit copper mine with the far wall of the open pit visible in the distance (over 11/2 miles away).
The huge-abandoned open pit copper mine in Ajo, Arizona
We turned off SR-65 west on La Mina (Spanish for the mine) and followed the road to a view point where we can get a panoramic view of the 1 ½ mile wide open pit where copper was once mined. This is the mine that Phelps Dodge closed back in the 80's. Ajo's elevation is around 1,740 feet and this mine was excavated to below the 700' level. Just doing elementary math the hole is over 1000' deep. Oar was hauled out of the pit by a train over 7-miles of track that wound around the circumference of that huge pit. These man made holes in the ground that are over a mile & one half across are awesome sights. I would like to see machinery working in one of these active pits.
Our motorhome in Coyote Howl RV Park; Why, Arizona
Sunset in Coyote Howl RV Park; Why, Arizona.
We will be visiting Organ Pipe National Monument then stopping by Dateland, Arizona for a "date-shake" then make our way into Yuma tomorrow. Until next time remember how good life is. More Arizona AdventuresAdventures by State ** More 2005 Travel Adventures
Mike & Joyce Hendrix
Mike & Joyce Hendrix who we are We hope you liked this page. If you do you might be interested in some of our other Travel Adventures: Mike & Joyce Hendrix's home page Travel Adventures by Year ** Travel Adventures by State ** Plants ** Marine-Boats ** Geology ** Exciting Drives ** Cute Signs ** RV Subjects ** Miscellaneous Subjects
We would love to hear from you......just put "info" in the place of "FAKE" in this address: FAKE@travellogs.us Until next time remember how good life is.
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