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| Between a rock and a hard place, AZ | |
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| | Between a rock and a hard place, AZ | | | |
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Between a rock and a hard place, AZ
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| no partners | | Tail of two ranches. One my ex and I had first hand knowledge of some years ago. The other one did not return my phone call. Private land then tantalizing old mining areas on the BLM land. What to do.
First problem was where to stash the Jeep. Old roads were now marked "Not a Road". I found an abandoned road cut and parked it behind a hill out of everyone's sight.
Camo again. I took a wash route first gratified that no quad tracks, only good cow trails. Started traversing and oops, right at the one ranch outbuildings. Up a cow tracked ravine and traversing over loose catclaw filled hillsides. The brush made for good cover. Green hillsides so hopefully flowers in a short while.
The first adit had a huge tailings platform and some collapsed workings and disappointingly fully collapsed a short way in. I located an old burro trail to some higher workings and this one went aways but was unpleasantly hot and sauna like toward the back. Unfortunately ended in a shaft that one would need a rope for to get to the lower workings.
Next adit was short and had a snake to greet me; I got around with no trouble but it ended in short order. I got down to the wash and went up a sidecanyon that showed some spring activity with some large bare sycamores but no surface water. On down the wash which would lead into the backside of the other ranch buildings. I picked up an old road that took me over a ridgeline. Then the fun began. I had left the road to go over the top. I heard some shooting but didn't think much of it. I had heard some coyotes the evening before and assumed the rancher was out varmint hunting. As I came down a finger to get off the ridgeline I spied a man in a red shirt with a long gun. I was exposed but as I was in camo head to toe and with a camo face mask he did not seem to see me. I bailed early but he was standing in my intended route back, so now I had to improvise. I marched up a sidecanyon to shooting behind me and the one guy yelling to another. Soon I had good cover. I overshot the Jeep but got to it in short order. More to do in this area. I hope I can talk the rancher into letting me walk the wash in, would be so much easier. |
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