Stop Signs, Canyons, and Pretty Rocks

It was a beautiful day out in the desert.  We, my friend Sandie and I, were driving through the desert on a gravel road.   It was a fun drive- flying along at 50mph over hills, rocks, and bumps.  I had been on this road before.  In some places you can go airborne if you hit a hill just right.  You can tell for miles ahead of you if anyone is coming from the other direction, because you see their dust cloud.   On this day, we saw only two other vehicles over the course of two hours, one coming toward us and one heading the same direction ahead of us.  They were just putzing along, so we passed them and left them in a cloud of dust.  Today was a play day- and we were anxious to get out to enjoy the desert before the season kicked in and there was no more play time for several months.

We were heading to Planet Ranch to collect a beautiful combination of Chrysacolla in Rhyolite.  I saw some pieces from this site last year- someone I had met at Desert Gardens in Quartzsite had shown it to me.  The Rhyolite is dense, not crumbly like most of the rhyolite in Arizona.  It sparkles with galena and is crisscrossed with veins of chrysacolla.  A really pretty rock.  It also slabs well on the saw, and will probably make some gorgeous cabs, although so far I have not had time to work it.

Up ahead we saw it- the landmark.  A stop sign at a dirt road crossroads in the middle of nowhere in the middle of the desert.   Go figure- a stop sign planted smack in the middle of the desert.   Granted, there was a four way intersection there, though it was an intersection of two dirt roads in the middle of a desert wilderness, 25 miles from anywhere in all directions.  But it was an intersection, nonetheless.   I guess Arizona has so much excess cash in their treasury that they feel the need to drive around in the desert looking for 4-wheel drive road intersections to plant stop signs at.  It really is kind of funny- a stop sign rising up out of the desert floor at a crossroads that probably has never seen two vehicles simultaneously in its lifetime.  But here it was - that lone stop sign in the middle of nowhere in the middle of the desert.  And on the pole, just under the stop sign, was another small sign that said "Planet Ranch"- with an arrow pointing to the right fork.  That was our turn.    

The road narrowed as we headed into the Buckskin Mountains and down into some canyons.   After another half hour or so, we came to Planet Ranch.  We headed off-road into a wash and up into the mouth of a canyon, where we parked.   Sandie had been here before, but this was a new place for me.  I love exploring the desert here in Arizona - it is full of beautiful hidden treasures way off the beaten path:  Ghost Towns, old mines, cabins,  ruins, petroglyphs, canyons, caves, and arches.   And while I was excited to be here and collect Chrysacolla in Rhyolite, I wondered what other treasures lie waiting for me here in this canyon.

We hiked up canyon.  The first stop yielded our goal- the prized Chrysacolla in Rhyolite.   We gathered as much as we could carry and hiked back to the SUV.  "What next?", I asked.    I knew we hadn't driven all the way out here just to spend a half hour collecting Chrysacolla, no matter how choice the specimens were.    Sandie smiled and said, "Just wait.  You'll see."  We headed up canyon a little further in the SUV.  Then Sandie said, "Here is my special place.  Let's go."  We parked, grabbed our backpacks and some empty Walmart bags, and headed into the canyon.  A flash of green caught my eye and I stopped to pick it up.  It was Malachite- another iron-oxide based mineral associated with copper, and a nice specimen.  "Wow!"  I exclaimed.  Sandie giggled and said, "Yeah, just wait, you'll see.  Let's head all the way up canyon- then we can take our time on the way back to collect more rocks."  Easier said than done, I thought- as I spotted at least 15 more interesting and pretty rocks within the next 10 feet.  I stopped to pick up rocks and take pictures.  And then, at Sandie's prodding, I stopped looking at the ground, at all the rocks I wanted to pick up, and started hiking.  It was easier once I started focusing on the beautiful canyon that was ahead of me.

There were several dry falls, lots of volcanic boulders jutting up, and over 100 old abandoned mines back in this canyon.  This area is rich in copper, galena, silver, and copper oxide minerals.  The copper oxides form in beautiful colors of turquoise- the chrysacolla we had come for- as well as greens and royal blues.   The greens  are malachite, and the blues are azurite.   Other colors were abundant, too-  deep orangey-yellows and deep reddish browns.  There was even some purple to be found- though I am still trying to find out what the purple is.  It was an amazing place.   The ground was just littered with red, orange and brown that sparkled with galena- the lead that is associated with copper, silver, and gold. There were some quartz veins running through the purplish volcanic outcrops.   Many of the boulders were covered with beautiful bubbly formations of malachite and chrysacolla.   I found a few choice pieces that had azurite mixed in- a much rarer find than the more common malachite and chrysacolla.  I was in heaven.

We spent our afternoon happily exploring some of the mines and picking up several bags of rocks to bring back.   I was glad Sandie convinced me to hike first and collect later- otherwise we would not have made it to the end of the canyon.  We would have missed one of the most beautiful parts of the desert here in Arizona that I have been to yet, at least as far as rocks go.  To see boulders covered with malachite just sitting there in their natural home in the middle of this gorgeous canyon was a rare treat.  Standing inside a mine shaft that swirled with all the colors of the rainbow, and sparkled with galena, was an amazing experience.   I have been in many caves and mines in my lifetime- none were as colorful as these.

The sun was getting low, and we were 50 miles out in the desert.  It was time to head out of this beautiful canyon and back to civilization.  We hiked out slowly, admiring the beauty and collecting treasures along the way.  Some would go out in the booth for sale and display when I got back, and some would be special treasures that would go into my own personal collection- a couple of choice malachite pieces, and a gorgeous piece of malachite with azurite crystals growing on it- and a really sparkly piece of galena with a unique crystalline formation.  This was a desert excursion I would remember forever.

We headed out onto the road.  We drove more slowly now, savoring the beauty of the desert in the amber glow of the late afternoon sun.  Sandie told me of how Planet Ranch had been purchased by Freeport-McMoran and that they were going to start mining there again.   That doesn't surprise me.   That area is rich in mineral wealth and water from the Bill Williams River.  Several government agencies have been fighting over that land for years because of the water rights and the mineral rights.  Water is a precious resource here in the desert.  The value of copper is heading skyward thanks to developing industrial nations like China and India, as well as the growing alternative energy industry.  Copper is essential in the manufacture of wind turbines, solar panels, and electric/hybrid cars.     Now Planet Ranch will be owned by Freeport McMoran.   We may never get to see that gorgeous canyon again.   I am glad I got to see it before it was too late.  The time spent savoring and photographing it, and bringing back some of its beautiful specimens was well worth it.

For more photos of the Planet Ranch canyon and mines, go to  www.facebook.com/RocksInMyHead


FOR MORE ABOUT COPPER MINING IN ARIZONA, HERE ARE TWO GREAT BOOKS:

Copper Mining in the United States, Including Michigan and Arizona




 Arizona Ghost Towns and Mining Camps, A Travel History