Just got back from a 2 day camping and offroading trip in the Santa Rita Mountains just north of Sonoita, AZ.
It is a really cool area, the elevation starts off as a rolling, hilly plateau covered in grasslands at around 4500 feet, (there is a local Pronghorn Antelope herd) then foothills and canyons up to the highest point, Mount Wrightston at around 9500 feet. The vegitation where I was (around 5500) is grassy, with scrub oak, Juniper, and a mix of desert plants.
There are hundreds of miles of offroad trails, more than I could do in a week! Some are just stub trails winding off the forest service roads up into the canyons and ridges to abandoned gold, silver, and copper mines. There are mineshafts and mine tailing piles everywhere. The area is very rich in minerals and much mining has gone on for a hundred years. There is also an abandoned mining camp to see, (Kentucky Camp) and beautiful scenery.
I had to repack a wheel bearing in the field, and got a flat just as I got back to town. But I knew I needed tires anyway...I was on borrowed time.
The weather was great, but got a soaking in a strong series of monsoon thunderstorms on the way out, and then got to change my brother's fuel filter in a POURING rain. Glad I brought ponchos.
Had a great time, and can't wait for the next trip! The last pic is me, dirty but happy.
Jeff
