Four members began this trip which Jo and I led. We had led a run there around 2007 in our stock Suzuki Vitara 4 door without problems with the road. But 7 years, and a recent fire in the area and heavy rains changed conditions considerably. Members attending were Jeff Clyde, Mike and Bill Carter, the Robertsons and Strongs with guests Lindsey and Rosa Ashby from Colorado. Pictures are by my cell phone 10 mp camera.
Here Mike is going through a very rocky area. The red cast in the cliff is due to cinnabar mineral from which mercury is extracted.
And here is the most challenging part of the road. By the time we reached this one the Robertsons had decided that rock crawling was not on their agenda for the day and had turned back. Our Grand Cherokee was high-centered off the picture to the left and Jeff pulled us off. Both other Jeeps made it through without help. Lindsey commented that AZ did have some challenging 4 wd roads after all.
About noon we arrived at the millsite for the National Mine which produced mercury for many years. The books on Arizona 4 wheeling call this the Sunflower Mine, so I have used that in the title of this blog.
Left to right, Lindsey and Rosa Ashby, Jeff Clyde, Jo, and Bill and Mike Carter.
Lindsey took this so I could get in one!
There are a few mine entrances on this hill accessed by the zig zag road. Mike told us that road had so deteriorated that it was impassible for Jeeps. He also said that the road north (FR 25A) was wiped out by a landslide.
When I was here several years ago, a two story wooden mill stood over this big piece of machinery. The fire a couple of years ago destroyed the building and a lot of the surviving iron was removed, including an old dump truck which had rested on its top nearby. This long tube was used to extract the mercury from the cinnabar ore by heating the ore as the tube rotated (I hope that is right!).
The long tube is turned through these gears, reminiscent of the gears on a Shay locomotive.
Looking the opposite direction along the tube, with a little fall color thrown in.
Jeff climbed down to inspect what appears to be a conveyor. Waste from the mill is found a few hundred yards down the canyon from here.
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