On Dec. 16 the Jeepers Creepers took a trip led by the Grouts to the Coke Ovens, east of Florence AZ near an old mining area . Our route was through Florence, east on the Florence Kelvin Highway, left on Cochran road and down a wash to go under a railroad bridge and to a beach on the Gila River. We forded the river and wound through tamarisk and other trees in the river bottom until reaching the 5 Coke Ovens.
There are two other ways to get there, both are longer and more challenging.
Mike Carter introduced us to the petroglyphs shown below, the route and led on the more challenging parts of the trail.
Some of our group clambering up to the petroglyphs.
Jerry Grout and the larger of the rock drawings.
Smaller drawings
More drawings
We stopped here just after turning onto the Cochran road for airing down, etc. The vehicles in order from the left were driven by Mike Carter, Jay Olson. Jeff Clyde, Keith Stone, and Duane Steen. Not shown are those driven by Jerry Grout and Bill Strong.
We turned off the Cochran road here to travel down a wash. A better road might be in the next left turn.
This bridge still in in use by the Union Pacific. Our route took us under it.
Here Jerry approaches the cut. About here a plastic panel under his XL 7 fell off. It was recovered and the next day Jerry reinstalled it.
Three of the ovens and our lunch spread
This oven is shown from the higher road in back of the row.
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