Two Brothers Big Fall Adventure--Vulture Mine (Day 2)

The Road to Vulture Mine

 So, we're at it again!  We left Prescott around 8 o'clock this morning and drove down Arizona Highway 89 South through Wilhoit, Peeples Valley, Yarnell and Congress to west of Wickenburg.  Our destination was the north end of Vulture Mine Road.  We will ride over the Vulture Mountains, past Vulture and Caballeros Peaks, in search of Vulture Mine, once the largest goldmine in the Arizona.  At the intersection of Highway 89/93 and Vulture Mine Road, we find a Jack-in-the-Box restaurant, park the car, unload the bikes, put on our bike shoes, and off we go--down a short but fairly steep hill.  Maybe not a good omen, for that means we will have to climb the hill at the end of our trek. Oh, well...

The first ten miles is a gradual climb.  After a few miles traveling through the town of Wickenburg, we're out in the desert.  In the distance, we can see the unique outline of Vulture Peak.  It looks miles away.  Ok, it IS miles away!  We keep climbing.  There is virtually no traffic on the smooth, paved road except for the occasional packs of motorcycle riders and a lone truck now and then.  Not a huge surprise, as this road is really a "road to nowhere."  The two brothers have the luxury of riding side by side, talking about life as we pedal through this uninhabited piece of land.  We climb some more, until we are in groves of saguaro cacti, studding the landscape like naked trees with their grotesque arms.  Nonetheless, they are beautiful--in a desert sort of way.  We finally hit the summit, and relish the effortless ride--sometimes at roller coaster speed--for the second ten or so miles.

About Mile 13 of our adventure, we start looking for Vulture Mine.  My "Cycling Arizona" book said to look for the buildings off the road to the right.  Sure enough, we rounded a curve and nestled up against a few low hills were the remains of Vulture Mine.  Some of the buildings were obviously from the 1800s, while others were newer.  We stopped for a photo op, when a guy in a truck pulled right up to the gate plastered with "No Trespassing" signs, got out and started unlocking the gate.  Kent pulled up beside him and asked, "Do you REALLY work here?"  The answer was Yes.  Then unfolds a very interesting story.



Buildings at Vulture Mine

Evidently, Vulture Mine was bought by a mining company about two months ago.  They are in the process of reviving the place as a working goldmine.  The driver of the truck told us that they are restoring some of the old buildings, and in the process have unearthed some of the original artifacts. (The mine was opened in 1863 by Henry Wickenburg).  The mine was still producing in 1942, when President Roosevelt shut it down as a consequence of U.S. entry into World War II.  The people who lived and worked here--5,000 of them--thought they would be back to work in 6 months.  Such was not the case and Vulture Mine turned into a ghost town almost overnight.

However, this new company not only plans to reopen the mine, but also to conduct tours which showcases both the historic and contemporary parts of the operation.  We were told that tours would begin on a limited scale in January.

Pulling away from the mine we continued our journey to the end of road, which was at this point a long, straight ever-so-slightly downhill grade.  Just a few miles past the mine, a real vulture was circling over me, and kept it up for about five minutes.  What a beautiful creature in flight!  (I was tired, but I wasn't aware that I was on the brink of expiring!  I guess the bird knew something I didnt!)

Twenty two miles from the beginning, our path intersected with Wickenburg Road.  Kent, in his Canadian naivete, was expecting a convenience store with ice cold Dr. Pepper.  He asks, 'How far is the nearest civilization from here?"

"Twenty two miles," I respond.  "Back where we came from."

With a dejected look on his face, he turned his bike around and began what seemed like an interminable 15-mile climb back through the mountains.  The temperature is now pushing 90 degrees Fahrenheit, and we are feeling the full effects of 37 miles of desert cycling, 25 of those being uphill so far.  Kent, with the lower gears on his bike, succeed in leaving me in the dust and insulting my manhood.  (I'll get over it... maybe!)  But now it felt good letting gravity do most of the work.

We passed through at least three different vegetation zones on our ride.  The scenery was beautiful, and at times spectacular.  In spite of the heat and the hills, the 44.5 mile journey was well worth it!

On the drive back to Prescott, we diverted through Kirkland Junction and Skull Valley, which is the "back way" home.  Hmmm.... very intriguing.  We are contemplating the 53 mile loop, starting and ending at our house, for our end of the week trip.  Stay tuned!



Caballeros Peaks, about our half way point.