2018 11 29 - 2019 12 08 Leaving Tucson arriving Benson Arizona

Beautiful Skies and palm trees at RV Park in Tucson AZ.

Nov 30                                                           Dec 05

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Clanton Ranch Hike, San Pedro River Area, Arizona - 8 December 2018

Karen is our guide for this early morning walk with the Friends of the San Pedro River. The half mile walk destination is the ruins of the Clanton Ranch. The Clanton family is well known in the area for their lucrative cattle rustling business as well as their participation in the Gunfight at the OK Corral in neighboring Tombstone. 

Such curious horses were very interested in the group as we walked past their corral. There are several homesteads near the Clanton Ranch. The San Pedro River area is maintained by the BLM (Bureau of Land Management) which supports 56,000 acres of unique river environment. Back in Tombstone's boomtown days, the San Pedro River was the only nearby water for processing ore from the local silver mines. 

A hundred forty years ago, there was an adobe ranch house on this small rise surrounded by acres and acres of native grasses being enjoyed by the cattle, branded, unbranded and altered branded, acquired by the Clanton family. All that remains of the house is this rather small portion of adobe wall.  

Behind the adobe house is the remains of another structure with more recent materials built with bricks from the border town of Douglas.  

The Clanton family patriarch, Ike, is well known to Western history buffs for his part in the feud between the "Cowboys" (a loose and shifting group of rowdy ranchers/rustlers) and the Earp faction (Wyatt, Morgan and Virgil) that finally erupted in 1881 near the OK Corral in Tombstone. 

Beyond these mountains to the south is Mexico. The Clantons were known to have driven some of their procured cattle over the border to sell to Mexican ranchers. 

San Pedro House and area hike, outside Tombstone, Arizona - 8 December 2018

Photo 1&2: Gila Woodpeckers, 3: male Pyrrhuloxia, (distinct but related to the cardinal) 4: female Pyrrhuloxia, 5: White-breasted nuthatch. The San Pedro River area is a riparian  conservation area noted for the wetland adjacent to it and its variety of wildlife and vegetation. 

Little grows in height in this desert area except along the river's edge and floodplain. The San Pedro River flows north from Mexico. That really disoriented us during our walk. We had to carefully monitor the rough map we had to keep from turning the opposite direction.

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Hawk, ?thrasher. There was an outstanding diversity of birds along our path. What should have been about an hour long walk took us about 2 1/2 because we could hear the movements or calls of birds but the overgrown trees and grasses provided excellent hiding places. Patience is definitely a virtue in this environment.

Black phoebe (reminded me of a chubby junco).

Our chilly start and weak winter sun this morning required several layers. Now, we have beautiful blue skies (not a rare occurrence unlike Ohio) and the temperatures have risen sufficiently that we make our rest stops in the shade.  

A few scattered, unidentified ducks have found refuge in the small pond .