Author Topic: ...to the Ajo Mountains, Arizona [many and mostly photographs]  (Read 10553 times)

Offline Daniel Kalal

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Organ Barrel Cactus National Monument is in the Ajo Mountains of southern Arizona along the Mexico  border.  I've not seen much of that part of the country, and this looked  like a good time to visit.
 
New Mexico
 
I've been up and down US-54 through New Mexico countless times and have  often noticed the sign for the town of Middle Water.  This time I stopped.
 
I walked out to the tracks, looking for any signs of a town.  That  old wood shack (below) seems to be the extent of it.  Likely the name refers to  a water stop on the Santa Fe Railroad; I'm sure there never really was much  of a town here.  The question is: why is there still a highway sign?
 

 
Tucumcari, New Mexico.  Before the Interstate Highway, everybody on Route-66 had to stop for the night  in Tucumcari.  There really wasn't any other choice east or west.  Not  all the motels on the old highway through town remain in business, even if their  sign still invites you to stop.
 

 
I stayed at the historic Blue Swallow Motel.  Not often will you  have an attached garage with a rolling door to keep your car (or motorcycle)  covered overnight.  This motel has been here since 1939.  That  Hudson sedan (below)?  It belongs to the owner of the motel and was  originally purchased at the Hudson dealership a few blocks east of here.
 
   
 
But, of course...  Chicken-fried-steak is a featured item on the menu at  Del's Restaurant (since 1956).
 
 
 
I always try to ride roads I've not been on.  This is NM-337; it  runs from Tijeras (on I-40) south to Mountainair (on US-60) just into the  mountains that are east of Albuquerque.  This is the view looking east  to the high plains while dropping down from the higher elevations.
 

 

 

 
Torreon, New Mexico.  This road traces part of the old Spanish salt  trading route.  Salt is largely why the Spanish stayed after those first  explorations through this area.
 

 
Manzano, New Mexico.
 

 
That's an interesting angel that's been carved from a single stump.
 
 
 
  Quarai-Salinas Missions National Monument
 
This was a Franciscan mission built in the 1600s.  It didn't last long  before a number of events (weather, people) came together forcing the  abandonment of the area.  This place was a long way from Spain; you have to  wonder what a soldier (or priest) would have thought when given his travel orders.
 
 
 

 
Abo Canyon was first used in 1908 by the Santa Fe Railroad as a replacement  for the original 1879 route of Raton Pass and Glorieta Pass on the transcontinental  route.  Just a few years ago, the Santa Fe completed the addition of a  second line through the canyon, eliminating what had long been a bottle-neck on  one of the most heavily used rail lines in the country.  These days, only  Amtrak uses Raton Pass.
 
Guess which line is new and which one dates from 1908...
 

 
US-60.  The highway does not go through Abo Canyon--the railroad has dibs on  that route.  Of course, most cars are north of here on I-40 (a route that  has always been unsuitable for trains).
 

 
It's pretty clear which is the newer track.
 

 
Belen rail yard (south of Albuquerque) is busy.
 

 
I-25.  If you want to follow the Rio Grande south from Albuquerque, you'll be riding the freeway, like it or not.
 

 
Truth or Consequences, New Mexico.  Main Street through town is a  pairing of two one-way streets.  This isn't the busy direction.
 

 
NM-152.  I'm figuring out where to go, on the fly.  Right now I'm  heading west towards Silver City, up out of the long, flat, Rio Grande  Valley.
 

 

 
Hillsboro, New Mexico.
 

 

 

 
NM-35.  Turn north to visit Gila Cliff Dwellings.
 

 

 
  Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument.
 
The West Fork Gila River.  Incidentally, Geronimo was born near the  headwaters of this river.
 

 
It's a steep climb to the dwellings, but not too far to walk.
 
 
 
The earliest people would have just used the open cave.  Later, walls  were built making for more substantial dwellings.  But, the ones who built  the walls didn't stay long before scattering.
 
Think on that soot on the  ceiling and the people thousands of years ago sitting by the open fire...
 

 
I believe much of the structure we see is a reconstruction done after  the time the national monument was created.
 
 
 

 
The return trail follows the creek.
 
 
 
 
 
NM-15 is not as developed as the other road to the park and is sometimes not quite wide enough for two  cars driven by people not used to mountain driving.  This is the road  to Silver City.
 

 

 
Drop a wheel off the edge of the pavement and your car (or trailer) might suffer some damage.
 

 
Silver City, New Mexico.
 

 
I stayed at the Palace Hotel.  It's been here since the boom years  of 19th century mining.  I had a bedroom and separate living room for  well less than the price of a room out on the main highway in one of the  nationwide chains.
 
   
 
   
 
Silver mining and copper mining.  Over that last 150 years, there's been  quite a bit of ore pulled out of these mountains.
 

 
US-180 dropping out of the mountains to a broad, flat desert.
 

 
Lordsburg, New Mexico faces the railroad tracks--because that was important when the  town was built.  Today, I-10 bypasses Lordsburg, so there's not much  traffic to fill four lanes.
 

 
Arizona
 
Benson, Arizona.
 

 
Tombstone, Arizona.  I wavered as to the need to even come here.   My turnoff to AZ-82 was a few miles north of the town, but I thought I'd take a  quick look, just the same.
 
The place was crowded.  This is just a side-street to the main  tourist area.  I rode past some sort of fenced arena that appeared to  be the OK-corral.  A shoot-out was in progress and the stands were full  of spectators.  Perhaps there are multiple shoot-outs each day?
 

 
Back north on the Tombstone highway and turn west on AZ-82.
 

 

 

 
Riding all the way to Nogales and the border.
 

 
But, that's as far south as I'd go.  I turned north on I-19 to pick up  the much smaller Arivaca Road, which turned out to be a remarkably curvy and  hilly little road that ran for many miles across an anything-but-flat desert.
 
Advice: make sure you have a full tank.
 

 

 
I stopped for these photographs and saw this cross and marker for Michael  Blank.  It's not next to the road; I don't know if he's buried here  (probably not), or if perhaps he just liked this spot (probably so).
 
 
 
   
 
Arivaca, Arizona.
 

 
NM-86.  There's a reason my intended route is such a zigzag.   There are steep mountain ranges that are not crossed by any roads.  You've  got to go north or south if you want to go east or west.
 

 
Kitt Peak National Observatory.  This site has the largest collection in  the world (and includes some 24 optical telescopes)
 

 
   
 

 

 
Ajo, Arizona.  Yes; I'm here, but I won't visit the National Monument until tomorrow  morning.  I think this motel might not survive a serious Kansas storm  (well, I didn't pay much).   Evidently, they do a much bigger business with the transient RVers parked out  back.
 
 
 
It's a pretty little town.  Copper mining was once big--the town is  surrounded by mountains of debris.
 

 
   
 
  Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument.
 
This is a large park with several options for off-road exploring.   Actually, without going on at least some of these roads (or the hiking  trails) you really won't be seeing much.
 
 
 
The visitor center is named for Kris Eggle, who was killed in 2002 while  on duty in the park.  Considering its location, there are postings  explaining the danger from smugglers (both people and drugs) and how to  minimize the risk to you.  I saw nothing.
 

 
The cactus on the left is the Organ Pipe cactus.  It's not rare in  the world, but this is its most northerly habitat, and one of the few places  in the United States where it can be found.
 
 
 
In general, try not to touch anything.  And, that thing on the left?   Don't even get close--it's not called “jumping cactus” for nothing.
 
   
 
Ajo Mountain Drive.  This is a 21 mile one-way dual-track loop at the  end of a couple miles of two-way graded dirt road.
 
 
 
The graded section (below) was particularly annoying as it had some  serious wash-boarding, which makes riding very uncomfortable. Mostly  wash-boarding is caused by cars braking, so I made sure to go downhill on  the left side of the road, and uphill on the right side.  There's  hardly anybody out here, so not to worry about oncoming cars.
 
 
 
The motorcycle was clean up to this point.  But, from here out, I'd  get questions about where I might have been to get so dirty.
 

 
Some sections were paved.  That's good as without it any water  runoff would quickly create deep gullies across the road.  In general,  every place that had a water crossing also had a bit of concrete (as you can  see in the first photograph).
 

 
 
 
The Stelvio did fine, but a smaller and lighter motorcycle with real off-road  knobby tires would do even better.  Parts were very choppy with large rocks  and deep holes.  Cars were ok if they were careful and drove slowly in  these places.  If not, you could easily drag something on the bottom.   Signs recommended high-clearance vehicles.
 

 
An arch!  Neat.
 

 
Visibility is limited only by the curvature of the earth.  What an  amazing place!
 

 

 

 
Twenty miles, or so, of this isn't too far, but I was also glad to be  back on mostly smooth pavement.
 
 
 
There's only one way out--return through Ajo.  I stopped for lunch. at  the plaza.
 
 
 
Incidentally this was the only day of the trip that I did not wear my  heated vest or my heavier gloves.  It was mid-seventies by noon--an  excellent day for my visit.
 
 
 
Salome, Arizona.  More zigs and zags to get around mountain ranges.
 

 
NM-71.
 

 
NM-89.
 

 
It would have been smart to put that heated vest on around this time.   It's dropping to the mid-fifties and getting colder.
 

 

 

 
Prescott, Arizona and time to park the bike at the courthouse plaza and  look around for a hotel.
 

 
The Hotel St. Michael faces the plaza and will be just fine.  It's a  good one.
 
 
 
Dinner on the left and breakfast on the right.
 
 
 
I'm keeping track of the weather to make sure I don't get trapped here for too  many days.  Things are looking pretty good, though.  The Colorado  passes are still in play, but riding as far north as Wyoming is definitely  off the table.
 
NM-260.  My plan is to cut directly northeast towards Winslow.
 

 
Evidence of some serious volcanic activity a long time ago.
 

 
NM-87.  I'm  above 7,000 feet and it's cold.  Mid-thirties  cold.  But, the sky is blue and I have hope for lower altitude and warmer  temperatures.
 

 
Just now leaving the forest behind me and reaching the higher plateau.
 

 
And, now dropping all the way into the high desert floor.
 

 
Winslow, Arizona.
 
“Well, I'm a standing on a corner in Winslow, Arizona and such a fine  sight to see. It's a girl, my Lord, in a flatbed Ford slowin' down to take a  look at me” - Jackson Browne, Glenn Frey.
 
It's amazing what a town can do with a song that was popular in 1972 (it  hit number 12 on the Billboard chart).
 

 

 
I still have a few new roads in Navaho Country to ride.  I love this part  of the country.  NM-87.  Traffic is never a problem.
 
Repeat advice: make sure you have a full tank.
 

 

 

 
BIA-15.  I notice that road-cuts aren't nearly as much used as I would  have expected.  If the hills are steep, expect the road to be steep, too.
 

 
BIA-15 into BIA-6 at Bidahochi where I'll turn north.
 
 
 
The towns often aren't so much towns as scattered collections of houses.   In any case, just because a town is listed on a map, you should not expect to  find fuel (or a restaurant or a hotel).
 

 

 
US-191.  Yes; the dirt is very red.
 

 
New Mexico
 
Decision: Do I head north into Colorado at four-corners?  No; the  weather doesn't look good for that.  I'll keep to the high desert and  slash diagonally southeast across New Mexico.
 
Shiprock rising nearly 1,600 feet above the desert floor.   It's cold and blowing hard and I'm walking out into the open prairie while  the sun is setting.  What an amazing place.
 

 
US-550 at Jicarilla Apache Casino.  My fingers are too cold, and after a  couple stops to warm them on my valve covers (which are surprisingly not very  warm, either), it's nice to be able to stop for soup--some sort of red chili and  vegetable affair that was perfect for what I needed.
 
 
 

 
I'd first though of crossing the mountains at Taos--it's a really nice road.   But, I haven't been on the road to Mora in several years.  I'll go that  way, instead.  And, it won't be quite so cold.
 
NM-503.
 

 

 
NM-518.  This is a terrific road.
 

 
Mora, New Mexico.
 

 
Las Vegas, New Mexico.
 

 
The Plaza Hotel is a restored old place (it was once a Harvey House) that  I've stayed at before.  If you've seen the television show “Longmire”,  you'll recognize both the hotel and the carved statue in the plaza (standing-in  for a fictional Wyoming town).
 
 
 
It's another lava field.  It's flat, but quite difficult to walk as it  is littered with loose lava rocks and outcroppings that are not loose at all (so  you'd better not casually hit one with the tow of your boot because it might not  move).
 

 
Capulin Volcano Mountain is one of several cones in the area.  This one  is classically shaped.
 

 
  Capulin Volcano National Monument.
 
 
 
There's a road that circles a full 360 to the lower part of the rim.   You'll walk the rest of the way if you want the best view. 
 
 
 
The rim is not wide.  It drops down both left and right.  I'm at  7,000 feet and feel it.
 

 
The view looking southeast.  That volcanic peak out there is even  taller, but  doesn't have the less-weathered nice cone shape as the one  I'm on.  That one was once a much larger volcano.
 

 
Folsom, New Mexico.  I'm not sure, but there might be more buildings  than people in Folsom.
 

 
 
 
NM-456.  The finger of the Rocky Mountains that points east is quite  diminished here, and not much trouble to climb.  Keep in mind that this is  the same range that Raton Pass takes you over (west of here).
 

 

 
Colorado
 
CO-389.  Out of the last part of the Rocky Mountains, and down to  the Great Plains that will extend all the way to the Ozark Mountains.
 

 

 
Branson, Colorado.
 

 
If you look for Branson, Colorado on a map, you'll see that it's not  going to be visited very often. I had just ridden through the small town  when I saw dozens of people walking and running on the highway. Both lanes.  I pulled up next to a man who was trailing them (walking) and asked what was  going on. He was evidently the coach and said he was exercising his track  team. By the spread of ages on the road (K-12) I'm guessing that every  student in the school is on the track team. And no, he said, there isn't  much traffic on the road for them to worry about. All of them waved at me as  I rode slowly ahead--none bothered to move off the road, though.
 

 
US-160.  This is one of the best ways to cross eastern Colorado.
 

 
A cut-stone house.  Where did they find the stones and how much trouble  was it to build this?
 

 

 
Kim, Colorado.  Fuel is available in Kim.  I'm guessing you might  need to walk around to scare up somebody to open the pump, but fuel is  available.
 

 
Pritchett, Colorado.
 

 
Kansas
 
US-160.  I'm standing in Kansas, looking at the Colorado border.   The Rocky Mountains are far over the horizon.
 

   
It can be a risk traveling in March, but it worked just fine.  It snowed  the day after I returned.
« Last Edit: March 21, 2016, 06:53:12 PM by Daniel Kalal »

canuck750

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Re: ...to the Ajo Mountains, Arizona [many and mostly photographs]
« Reply #1 on: March 20, 2016, 07:53:49 PM »
Fantastic pictures,

I have been fortunate enough to travel much of these roads on two wheels but you have shown me some spots I have missed.

Inspiration for my retirement.

Offline Guzzistajohn

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Re: ...to the Ajo Mountains, Arizona [many and mostly photographs]
« Reply #2 on: March 20, 2016, 07:59:36 PM »
 :thumb:again!
ебать Россию!   Not anti social-pro solitude

K250

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Re: ...to the Ajo Mountains, Arizona [many and mostly photographs]
« Reply #3 on: March 20, 2016, 08:02:11 PM »
Excellent ride report as always!  Good job. 

Wildguzzi.com

Re: ...to the Ajo Mountains, Arizona [many and mostly photographs]
« Reply #3 on: March 20, 2016, 08:02:11 PM »

Offline Scud

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Re: ...to the Ajo Mountains, Arizona [many and mostly photographs]
« Reply #4 on: March 20, 2016, 08:05:35 PM »
Fabulous. I'm headed to Phoenix tomorrow for work on Tuesday. Now I'm all amped up!!!
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oldbike54

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Re: ...to the Ajo Mountains, Arizona [many and mostly photographs]
« Reply #5 on: March 20, 2016, 08:28:17 PM »
 Kim Colorado is a cultural hub for Eastern Colorado  :shocked:

 Thanks Deke  :bow:

  Dusty

twowings

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Re: ...to the Ajo Mountains, Arizona [many and mostly photographs]
« Reply #6 on: March 20, 2016, 08:44:42 PM »
Nice! Just came back from a trip to Carlsbad, Rosewell, Mountainair, and Albuquerque myself...thanks for the great pics reminding why I love NM/CO/AZ!

Offline leroysch

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Re: ...to the Ajo Mountains, Arizona [many and mostly photographs]
« Reply #7 on: March 20, 2016, 10:24:50 PM »
 :1:

Arivaca Road....a riding buddy low sided his Duck on a cow grate coming out of a curve on that road.
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Online rocker59

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Re: ...to the Ajo Mountains, Arizona [many and mostly photographs]
« Reply #8 on: March 20, 2016, 10:47:42 PM »

Abo Canyon was first used in 1908 by the Santa Fe Railroad as a replacement  for the original 1879 route of Raton Pass and Glorieta Pass on the transcontinental  route.  Just a few years ago, the Santa Fe completed the addition of a  second line through the canyon, eliminating what had long been a bottle-neck on  one of the most heavily used rail lines in the country.  These days, only  Amtrak uses Raton Pass.
 
Guess which line is new and which one dates from 1908...
 

 

Abo is on the Belen Cutoff of The Southern Transcon.  The older roadbed is the curvier one on the north (right) in your pic.

Michael T.
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Offline Muzz

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Re: ...to the Ajo Mountains, Arizona [many and mostly photographs]
« Reply #9 on: March 21, 2016, 02:04:20 AM »
 :thumb: :thumb: :thumb:

Thanks again Daniel. You photo essays are the closest I will ever get to visiting the USA, so I really appreciate you taking the time and effort to post them.
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Online rocker59

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Re: ...to the Ajo Mountains, Arizona [many and mostly photographs]
« Reply #10 on: March 21, 2016, 07:57:54 AM »
Yeah!  Just looked through this thread again.  Thanks Daniel!   :thumb:

We need more ride reports like this, here on WG.

And, I need to take more rides like this!  I'm missing the west after scrolling through the pics again...
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Offline charlie b

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Re: ...to the Ajo Mountains, Arizona [many and mostly photographs]
« Reply #11 on: March 21, 2016, 08:05:06 AM »
Very nice.  You rode on one of my Sunday ride roads, NM 337, and you were only 1mile from my house when you got off I40.

It highlights how many of us take for granted the scenery in our home area.  I do love the desert areas.

Volcanic activity is easily seen almost everywhere out here.  You rode around the Valle Caldera in northern NM whose crater is many miles across.  The 'little' cones are everywhere and you can also see the opposite, volcanic 'plugs' which is the solidified lava after the rest of the cone has weathered away (Shiprock is one of those IIRC).
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Offline azguzzirep

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Re: ...to the Ajo Mountains, Arizona [many and mostly photographs]
« Reply #12 on: March 21, 2016, 08:51:09 AM »
Not so long ago I rode from Phoenix to Ajo Just a day excursions . I visited Mexican Town and the town center. Nice.

On the  ride back many fighter jets were screaming over the highway doing their bombing runs on the Barry Goldwater bombing range. Cool!
N
And my wife and I honeymooned in Benson with side trips all around the area. This was in January so no mc.

Great story and pics btw.

Tom
« Last Edit: March 21, 2016, 12:21:20 PM by azguzzirep »
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Offline O

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Re: ...to the Ajo Mountains, Arizona [many and mostly photographs]
« Reply #13 on: March 21, 2016, 09:51:32 AM »
Thanks Daniel!  Just what I needed on an unexpectedly snowy day.  I think I need to move to the Southwest!
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Offline rboe

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Re: ...to the Ajo Mountains, Arizona [many and mostly photographs]
« Reply #14 on: March 21, 2016, 09:53:48 AM »
Dang! Daring to ride in such cool weather. Do use heated pant liners too?
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Offline Daniel Kalal

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Re: ...to the Ajo Mountains, Arizona [many and mostly photographs]
« Reply #15 on: March 21, 2016, 10:02:12 AM »
Dang! Daring to ride in such cool weather. Do use heated pant liners too?

No; The Aerostich roadcrafter seems to do well enough for my legs.  I wore a Cabela's medium weight long-crew baselayer under the heated vest, which worked well.  I also own the Cabela's leggings, and I'm sure they would have been appreciated if I had only brought them on the ride...

Offline Daniel Kalal

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Re: ...to the Ajo Mountains, Arizona [many and mostly photographs]
« Reply #16 on: March 21, 2016, 10:06:52 AM »
Arivaca Road....a riding buddy low sided his Duck on a cow grate coming out of a curve on that road.

You didn't say, but I hope your Ducati friend wasn't pushing it on that road.  The shoulders are sand and there's plenty of sand on the road surface.  The turns are often blind due to the many up-and-downs and there are multiple cattle crossings in turns that are sometime in poor shape.  I rode pretty sedately.  It's a beautiful road, but not one to be aggressive on.

Offline Klaus

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Re: ...to the Ajo Mountains, Arizona [many and mostly photographs]
« Reply #17 on: March 21, 2016, 10:35:11 AM »
Vielen Dank, Daniel !

 :thumb: :thumb: :thumb:

Es ist fast, als ob man selbst dagewesen waere !

PS  "Take it easy" is still one of my favorite tunes !  :cheesy:

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Re: ...to the Ajo Mountains, Arizona [many and mostly photographs]
« Reply #18 on: March 21, 2016, 11:20:23 AM »
Arivaca road is called the 5 C's here in Green Valley.
cattle, curves, cars, cops and cracks! then the sand is like ball bearings soaked in KY jelly and the pot holes occasionally have a Ford 4x4 in them.
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Re: ...to the Ajo Mountains, Arizona [many and mostly photographs]
« Reply #19 on: March 21, 2016, 11:23:13 AM »
Thank YOU Daniel!

What a wonderful travelog.  I suspect it would take you have as long to ride if you weren't taking pictures.  About how many miles did you average a day? What was the total mileage?
 
And can you give us a link to a more exploded version of the map of your travels?  I just might follow in your tire tracks.

With gratitude, Spud
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Offline Daniel Kalal

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Re: ...to the Ajo Mountains, Arizona [many and mostly photographs]
« Reply #20 on: March 21, 2016, 11:44:14 AM »
About how many miles did you average a day? What was the total mileage?

This trip was around 3,100 miles over 9 days.  It's a big loop; the point isn't to get it over with as quickly as possible.

Offline Daniel Kalal

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Re: ...to the Ajo Mountains, Arizona [many and mostly photographs]
« Reply #21 on: March 21, 2016, 11:48:55 AM »
And can you give us a link to a more exploded version of the map of your travels?

here's a link to a much larger image of the route:

http://www.dankalal.net/wildgoose/Ajomap.jpg

Offline Mark West

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Re: ...to the Ajo Mountains, Arizona [many and mostly photographs]
« Reply #22 on: March 21, 2016, 03:04:07 PM »
Was that a Flat bead Ford?
 


Great pictures and write-up as usual. Thanks for sharing.
 
Mark West
Hollister, CA
MGNOC L-752

Offline wavedog

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Re: ...to the Ajo Mountains, Arizona [many and mostly photographs]
« Reply #23 on: March 21, 2016, 03:07:33 PM »
Great ride report. Thanks for posting it. After looking at your photos I realize how much I miss riding the west.

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Re: ...to the Ajo Mountains, Arizona [many and mostly photographs]
« Reply #24 on: March 21, 2016, 03:34:22 PM »
Was that a Flat bed Ford?
 




Yes.  I've seen it in a lot of photos of the corner of West 2nd and North Kinsley. 

It's either always there, or there quite often.
Michael T.
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2004 California EV Touring II
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Re: ...to the Ajo Mountains, Arizona [many and mostly photographs]
« Reply #25 on: March 21, 2016, 06:35:45 PM »
Wonderful photos! Thank you.
And Winslow isn't the only town you mentioned in Arizona to be immortalised in a song!
Bensen Arizona was the title song of the strange but great movie, "Dark Star"  :thumb:
http://youtu.be/eTa2vXL7FI8
John

I ain't too young to realize, that I ain't too old to try ...

Offline Daniel Kalal

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Re: ...to the Ajo Mountains, Arizona [many and mostly photographs]
« Reply #26 on: March 21, 2016, 06:36:24 PM »
Abo is on the Belen Cutoff...

Mike, it sound like you know this stuff (and you'll know why I stopped at the Belen yards), so you might have some information on the pronunciation of the canyon...

The nearby National Monument ranger says: ah-BO  (accent on the second)
Some NM natives say: AH-bo (accent on the first)
The Santa Fe Railroad video on the construction project says: AY-bo  (the Fonzie approach, I guess)

I was going to stop in the town of Abo, but it turns out that there really isn't a town of Abo (although it's on the map).

I give weight to the Santa Fe, but  they seem to be in the minority. It could be that the word has no meaning (being something the Spanish mangled from the original native language), so perhaps anybody can pronounce it as they want.

Offline Daniel Kalal

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Re: ...to the Ajo Mountains, Arizona [many and mostly photographs]
« Reply #27 on: March 21, 2016, 06:37:58 PM »
And Winslow isn't the only town you mentioned in Arizona to be immortalised in a song!
Bensen Arizona was the title song of the strange but great movie, "Dark Star"  :thumb:
http://youtu.be/eTa2vXL7FI8

Ha!  I'd never heard that.  Thanks.  Who knew?

Offline charlie b

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Re: ...to the Ajo Mountains, Arizona [many and mostly photographs]
« Reply #28 on: March 21, 2016, 07:26:38 PM »
Not sure on pronunciation of Abo.  I suspect some pronounce it following same rules as Ajo (AH-ho).  But, if it is native American it might be the reverse, ah-BO.

I have to admit I've never paid it much mind.  There are so many towns around here that are pronounced differently than they look, like many other native American places around the country. 
1984 850 T5 (sold)
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Offline charlie b

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Re: ...to the Ajo Mountains, Arizona [many and mostly photographs]
« Reply #29 on: March 21, 2016, 07:34:49 PM »
Partly solved I think.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abo_(historic_place)

Note the different spelling... the hash mark above the o...that leads to ah-BO, if I remember correctly.
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