Wednesday, March 8, 2017

Robles Pass and Empire Ranch

Tucson/Lazydays KOA
Tucson, AZ
March 4 & 5, 2017


Robles Pass is a 1,000 acre parcel purchased by Pima County located in the Tucson Mountains.  Even though the well marked trails are designated multi-use for hikers and cyclists, they are never crowded.  Joe and I did a 6.2 mile hike that included Ledge Surfer Trail, Camaro Loop Trail and one wrong turn on a trail that led to W Ajo Highway (we think!). It was a pleasant day with some sunny skies, some overcast skies, and a steady cool breeze as temps climbed to 82 degrees.


It was awesome to pull into an empty parking lot.  We had the trail all to ourselves until we were almost done and met a couple of bikers just getting started.



 







FYI : the cholla are full of buds...this means lots of beautiful flowers in a few weeks !
 The next day was Sunday.  It was rather breezy, chilly and mostly overcast so we headed to Empire Ranch about 40 miles south of Tucson.  Once off I 10, it was a nice drive on AZ-83.






  Al, thebayfieldbunch.com, first posted about Empire Ranch.  Then John and Pam, ohtheplacestheygo.wordpress.com, went.  Their pictures sparked our (ummm, my) interest...a nice way to spend Sunday.




Empire Ranch is located in the Las Cienegas Conservation Area.  The ranch is located on the eastern slope of the Santa Rita Mts and surrounded by meadows of salt grass.


It is a working cattle ranch that was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.  Back in the 1870s, it was one of the largest ranches in Arizona with a range spanning over 180 miles.


Today, the Empire Ranch Foundation and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) work together to protect and restore the historical buildings and landscape as an outstanding western heritage and education center.  The ranch is open to the public everyday for a free self-guided walk/tour.  

There are lots of pictures with details and information about the buildings.  This one shows the changes made to the main house from 1871 to 1886.






Lots of western movies and tv series have been filmed here including  3:10 to Yuma (the 1957 film), Bonanza series (1959-73), and The Outlaw Josie Wales (1976).




There have been updates (during the 1950s) to the main house...an inside master bathroom... 
 a family kitchen...
and a front porch complete with daffodils...all of which bring back memories from my childhood.   



























Like Al, I took way too many pictures !  It was hard to sort through them all and pick just a few.

Our next stop for the day was Madera Canyon via E. Box Canyon Rd/NF-62.  It was a very pretty ride through the Coronado National Forest on an unpaved, twisty, narrow road.  



We weren't interested in a long hike...the 2.1 mile nature trail fit the bill.  I was mostly looking for birds as we meandered along Madera Creek under huge limbs of Arizona White Oaks and beside tiny patches of Mexican Poppies. 







Ahhhh...life is good !  Until next time, 

This old camaro gave the Camaro Loop Trail it's name.
HAPPY TRAILS !          

16 comments:

  1. Looks like a perfect day with variety to kee the adventure going, even for Pearl.

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    1. Yes Jeff...Pearl is definitely missing the dirt and rocks!

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  2. I'm so glad someone developed Robles Pass. I sure hope it continues to be undiscovered. We didn't see anyone yesterday in our loop hike. So nice! Love that you tried out the car, too! Great photos!! Glad you enjoyed Empire Farm and the dirt road. It was the perfect activity for a grey day (we had the same weather).

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    1. Robles Pass is awesome Pam...shhhh! We won't tell anybody!

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  3. The empire ranch in on our agenda while here as well, looks like a nice day trip.

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    1. It was George....I think yiu and Susie would like it.

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  4. I'd not heard of Empire Ranch until recently, looks like an interesting day trip. Though we have been to Las Cienegas before, what a pretty area!

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    1. Joe and I would definitely like to do more exploring in Las Cienegas. It's so pretty there. I love the salt grass.

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  5. Wonderful pics as usual. Love those old places on a cloudy day! As much as I love the blooming cactus, those grasses are my favorite. Did you wait to see if the tree would make it to the top of that little climb?

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    1. I'm so happy you noticed that little tree. He was hanging on with all his might...I sure hope he made it! I was blown away by the salt grass Jodee...as far as the eyes could see! It was beautiful!

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  6. Love your photos. We also love the cactus. it won't be long until you'll be able to capture many in bloom.

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    1. I'm sad to say we will leave before the Saguaro bloom this year Jeri!

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  7. Robles Park is just five miles from us and have several trails that are well kept and maintained. Empire Ranch looks interesting based on your captures, will see if we can fit this in our busy schedule :)

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    1. I love hiking in Robles Pass MonaLiza. We hardly ever see anybody else!

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  8. Interesting scenery, especially the salt grass. Is it as soft as your photo makes it appear?

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    1. I'm not sure Gayle...it was so pretty blowing in the breeze!

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