Bisbee: Off-grid Home on North Juniper Flats Road

 From February 2022

The electric company ends service at the bottom of Juniper Flats Road and Old Divide Road.  About two thirds of the way up the mountain, there are several off-grid homes.  The first one is owned by a rock band that apparently has/had concerts on the property.  Warning signs are on the side of the road, letting fans know that those who throw objects during performances will be ejected from the property and subject to arrest.

Around the next bend is a house powered by both wind and solar.  This house is on a fairly small footprint, but has amazing views.  It wasn't just a rich person's fourth home; it was occupied and lived in.

 

Bisbee: Hiking Cochise Stronghold

 From February 2022

On February 18th, we drove north and east from Bisbee for a little over an hour to the Coronado National Forest. The Stronghold Trail has been on my bucket list for a long time, and it did not disappoint.

The four mile dirt road in was heavily rutted.  There is a national forest campground at the trailhead, and I spent some time talking to a Scamp owner before the hike.  Even though it was a weekday, the campground was full.

It was a perfect day for hiking.

The terrain was rugged.  Cochise and his group of 1000, including 250 warriors, were obviously tougher than the day hikers who spend time here now trying to capture some of the spirituality of place.

Cochise was never conquered in battle and lived in the stronghold for about 15 years.  His body was secretly buried somewhere within.  Sounds a lot better to me than a gravestone or a monument.

This is a 9 mile out and back trail.  We just did the eastern half of it to the divide and then came back the way we came.

 

The last picture was where we spent some time.  I like to think that Cochise's people thought this particular spot was special too. 

Bisbee Side Trip: San Pedro River, a Winery and Tombstone

 From February 2022

One day, we explored to the west of Bisbee and checked things out.  First, we hiked some of the trails in San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area.

 

The landscapes here provide a stark contrast to the green of Wisconsin. We continued on to Sierra Vista, which didn't seem to have a defined downtown area.  We know people who have retired here, but decided that it wasn't our vibe.

After putting up with all of my brewery stops, it was only fair that I visit a winery for Julia.  Arizona has a bunch in the Elgin area.  We stopped at Flying Leap Vineyard.  Our early adult experience with vineyards was in northern California, where the wineries, tasting rooms and grapes were all in the same location.  That's not so around Elgin.  The tasting room employees told us that the grapes were mostly grown several hours away and that land was very difficult to buy for grapes in the Elgin area.  The fields that we did see were more like representations of their fields near Wilcox.  It was still a pleasant stop.  

 

In the afternoon, we drove east on Hwy 82 until we ran into Hwy 80 south.  We couldn't resist checking out Tombstone, although we knew it would be a tourist trap, which it was. 

Don't shoot; I'm not armed

 

Bisbee: Hiking Juniper Flats

Just outside of Bisbee, my hike up to the top of Juniper Flats started at the intersection of Old Divide Road and North Juniper Flats Road.  This isn't a trail.  It's a steep, winding gravel road up to the cell phone antennas on top of the mountain.  It's driveable, but it doesn't see much traffic.  

Looking down on Old Divide Road

 

Juniper Flats Road flattens out on top of the mountain.  And it's here that free camping is available to vans, truck campers, and a few brave drivers with Class C's or travel trailers. The gravel road is very, very steep. This is BLM land.  The views on top are incredible.  Most people camp at the fire rings between where the road flattens out and the first antenna tower.  It can get extremely windy up here.  I talked to a shaken older couple who spent a windy night in their truck camper.  One night was enough, they said.  

There is also some partying that happens up here from time to time by locals.  In researching the area, I found that someone had been murdered  only two months before my hike.

For the truly brave and/or stupid, a deeply rutted dirt road continues on for many miles.  There is evidence of jeep or ATV camps in the first mile beyond that I hiked.  Normally, however, I kept going up to the next steep ascent leading to the second  antenna tower, where there are views all the way to Mexico.  This was a go-to hike for me on half a dozen occasions.  

Bisbee: Queen Mine Tour

 From February 2022

Julia went on the Queen Mine Tour in Bisbee, while I hiked up the mountain (next post) on the gravel road behind Darlene's place.  

 

I've been on enough mine and cave tours for the duration of my lifetime, but Julia is a daughter of a geologist/rock guy.  She is always fascinated.

I finished my hike and drove down to Bisbee, meeting at the Old Bisbee Brewing Company.  Due to the pandemic, I usually take advantage of the outdoor spaces of brewpubs and restaurants.  However, I couldn't resist taking a picture of the tasting room here.  The tasting room and the brewing room are the same place.  Very unusual, but it's an old building without a lot of space.

The Sky Carp

 

Yesterday, we took Justin to see a Class A minor league baseball game featuring the Beloit Sky Carp vs. the Cedar Rapids Kernels.  

 

Our original tickets were postponed due to the team having a Covid outbreak.  Our makeup game was then postponed due to the Julia and I having a Covid outbreak.  Last night, we got to see baseball.

 

I think the highlight of the game for Justin was his wild game sausage basket, which supposedly had bison, wild boar and kobe beef.  He thought it was good but tasted a lot like pork, which would have been considerably less expensive but it was a splurge spend night.

 Most people have heard of Corn Kernels, which kinda makes sense with the team from Cedar Rapids, Iowa.  But what the heck is a Sky Carp?  Well, it turns out that a sky carp is a goose that doesn't fly south for the winter.  Wut?  Yeah, that's what they say.  The team's mascot runs around doing the stadium  performing pelvic thrust dance moves, like a bad Elvis imitation.  Bad Goose!