MORE ADVENTURES BEYOND THE ROAD LESS TRAVELED

Living for the weekend is the mantra of the American worker, at least those fortunate enough to have a job in the Great Depression part two. I am no exception and all week have been dreaming of more exploration along the mystery road near Goldroad.

Then a few days ago I learned a number of motorcycle groups were planning on converging on Kingman. As Oatman and Route 66 through the Black Mountains is almost a Mecca for motorcyclists the vision of a quiet hike in the Black Mountains near Goldroad melted like ice cream on a sidewalk in Yuma on the 4Th of July when I heard the news.So, I closed up shop today at noon with no plan at all, just thoughts of the many projects that required my attention and an incredible urge to savor the delightful afternoon under desert skies. Again, my dearest friend saved the day by having lunch ready when I got home and a suggestion for an adventure in the Cerbat Mountains .

We hadn't pulled from the driveway when our simple "walk about" had morphed into an afternoon adventure seeking another lost highway, the Hardyville toll road that linked the river port of Hardyville on the Colorado River with the territorial capital of Prescott during the 1860s. As added incentive we decided to also seek a CCC camp in the same area near the summit of Union Pass.

We rolled out of Kingman over Coyote Pass and into Golden Valley. When I first moved into this valley in the 1960s you could count the lights at night on one hand. Now, sprawl, like a tide of suburbia is sweeping from the flanks of the Cerbat Mountains, across the Sacramento Valley, towards the Black Mountains on the western horizon erasing all vestiges of the areas historic heritage.
Highway 68 through Golden Valley, the community, and across the Sacramento Valley has morphed into a four lane super slab in recent years but in the foothills of the Black Mountains, if you know where to look, you can still find vestiges of the earlier highway. This old highway seems as a buffer separating the world of the modern era and all that entails from the desert wilderness that is unchanged since the expedition of Farther Garces through these mountains in 1776.

It would have been nice to find the Hardy road, or the CCC camp, but the primary goal was to unwind among some of God's finest handiwork. With the stunning desert landscapes that make my back yard such a wonderful place, near perfect temperatures, breathtakingly blue skies, and the company of my dearest friend it was an unequivocal success.

We started our back country adventure on the broken pavement of the old highway. Then we headed deeper into the mountains on an old rocky trace that wound through the foothills, around the boulders, across dry arroyos, and over brush choked ridges that offered awe inspiring views of quintessential western landscapes.

After an hour or so of trailing a dusty wake behind the Jeep we pulled into a clearing and savored the desert silence that refreshes like a cool shower after a long day of setting fence posts on a hot summer day. Then we began our "walkabout".

I want to experience Alaska and on occasion we give serious thought to trying Juneau for a year or two. To be honest I don't really know if that would be possible as the desert and the stunning landscapes of the southwest has a grip on our hearts.

Only the generic sprawl of suburbia and the death of the western spirit leads us, from frustration and despair, to lament and give free reign to thoughts of leaving our first love.

ROUTE 66 MEMORIES

To give you an idea how close to Route 66 we lived after moving to Arizona this photo was taken while standing on the shoulder of that illustrious highway. It was in the summer of 1967 that we moved to this house, that was fourteen years after this leg of the highway was bypassed by the Yucca realignment that would become I40.

Our Arizona adventure began when my dad threw a dart at a map and then purchased, sight unseen, some property near Kingman. As it turned out that piece of property was in the middle of absolute nowhere, almost exactly half way between the two alignments of Route 66 in the middle of the Sacramento Valley.

So, my dad bought this house. At the time it was little more than a well built shell, four exterior walls, a row of studs down the middle as support, and a roof. It was originally built to be the model home for a land boondoggle that included carving roads across the desert in a diagonal pattern towards the mountains. My dad is one of those rare fellows that can build a solar power plant from a sows ear, the guts from a '53 Chevy, and the electrical system removed from a Studebaker. Okay, that may be a bit of exaggeration.

Still, in short order he finished the interior of the house and masterfully designed a water system to alleviate many of the problems generally associated with hauling water. A few years later we added the garage built from the remains of the Episcopal church and two old houses in Kingman we razed.

The now towering Yucca plants were gathered from the surrounding desert for landscaping effect. To further enhance the illusion of a desert oasis we also hauled more than 200 barrel cactus to create a circular driveway.

In retrospect I know see we were living in grand style if it had been 1936 instead of 1966. Still, for a kid it was really a pretty neat place to grow up.

My explorations of the vast empty places started with a bicycle and hiking boots. Then I added horseback and old trucks.

On weekends and long summer days I often rode my bicycle down to the water hole at the site of Fig Springs station or to visit neighbors. These journeys were most always along old Route 66 as daily traffic numbered in the single digits.
I was a bit young to appreciate the incredible opportunity but old man Edgerton, the Ed of Ed's Camp, took a shine to me and often shared his intimate knowledge of the Black Mountains as well as their history. On more than one occasion in wandering those rock strewn palisades I have wondered what might have been if more attention had been paid to his teachings.

Driving old 66 was a right of passage for the few kids who lived in the valley at that time as this meant we were old enough to haul water. On occasion we would extend our cruising range with a sneak trip to the Whiting Brothers station, now Dan's Auto Salvage, for a coke.

The miles of dirt roads provided endless opportunity to explore and to imagine we were older than we were. It also provided a litany of life lessons as well as the rare ability to enjoy the solitude that is only to be found deep in a desert wilderness.

My dad had a good job with the mine at Mineral Park but still chose to drive vehicles that reflected the hardscrabble life of those who chose to live as a Dust Bowl refugee along old 66. Our water truck was a World War II era Dodge, a two ton beast. Our first desert wagon was a cut down 1949 Mercury. Our first work truck was a 1949 Studebaker. In time this was replaced with a wonderful, one owner, 1953 Chevy truck that sparked a long love affair and great respect for the Advance Design series Chevrolet.

For years I have cruised past the old homestead without a second glance. Recently, on a return trip from Oatman I felt compelled to stop, to reflect.

Perhaps it was sparked by dad's visit in May and thoughts that he will be 83 in January. Perhaps it was just simple reflection on my life and the role that Route 66 has played in it.

My visit was short as my past is not somewhere I choose to linger, especially as the future becomes shorter with each passing year. With all of these thoughts in my head I climbed back into the Jeep, rolled east toward Kingman on Route 66, and as thoughts of my first drive on this road, an adventure that ended with several barrel cactus from the driveway under the truck, came to mind smiled to myself.

WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE

Through my endeavors as an author I have spent a great deal of the past twenty years suspended in that delightful, strange, and exciting era between 1900 and 1920. What an amazing time this was, especially here in the rugged landscapes of the desert southwest.

From 1909 to 1914 a series of races, the Desert Classic dubbed the Cactus Derby, pitted man and machine against the elements and rugged terrain. Of particular interest is the 1914 race that followed the National Old Trails Highway, predecessor to Route 66, from Los Angeles to Ashfork, Arizona, and then south through Prescott to Phoenix.

There are indications the road seen here below the pre 1953 alignment of Route 66 near Goldroad, Arizona, may have been the one driven by Louis Chevrolet and Barney Oldfield in that race.

The "Cactus Derby", as with many races at that time, was organized in an effort to promote the needs for good roads. Another catalyst for these races was to advocate the viability of gasoline engines in automobiles.
In an ironic twist the winner of the 1909 race was Dr. Fenner of Phoenix at the wheel of a White, a leading manufacturer of steam powered automobiles. Even more ironic was the fact his car was several years old and had been driven tens of thousands of miles over horrible Arizona roads before making the trek from Los Angeles to Phoenix.
In researching the history of the Desert Classic dozens of fascinating and tantalizing clues to similar events were discovered. Perhaps the most interesting was a small paragraph in the Republican, now the Arizona Republic, that noted the racers enroute from El Paso to San Francisco arrived at the fairgrounds just as the first two racers from Los Angeles were crossing the finish line. This was in 1911.
One of the most amazing aspects of the Desert Classic are the times recorded. In the 1914 race, over a course from Los Angeles across the Mohave Desert, through the mountains near Oatman, to Ashfork, through Prescott, down Yarnell Hill, to Phoenix, the winner completed the race in just over 18 hours!
As if the road conditions were not enough of a challenge the weather was deplorable. On the wide streets of Prescott it was noted that the mud was so bad Barney Oldfield was hitting both curbs as he slid through town.
One enterprising driver, in the 1914 race, was forced to use a portion of fence post and bailing wire to keep his steering components together. Another was pulled from the waters and mud of New River by local cowboys.
The zenith for the Desert Classic races was the final year, 1914. Home town boys from Phoenix competed against the world class talents of drivers such as Barney Oldfield and Louis Chevrolet. Manufacturers sponsored some teams and representatives from the international press descended on Phoenix.
The Desert Classic represents but one chapter from this exciting era that is waiting to be written. How many more are yet to be discovered?

OLD TRAILS, LOST HIGHWAYS, ROUTE 66, AND ADVENTURES ON THE ROAD LESS TRAVELED

After a lengthy series of false starts it looks as though the refurbishment of the historic Old Trails Garage is on again. The center piece of this project will be the restoration and illumination of a towering circa 1930 neon lit Packard sales and service sign.

This is but one of several projects that we are hoping will be completed before the Route 66 Fun Run next May. Others would include the repair of the Harley Davidson themed murals on the old warehouse across from the Old Trails Garage, refurbishment and update of the Power House visitor center, and, perhaps, a mural or two.

If the unseasonably cool weather last week did nothing to dampen the adventuresome spirit of the motorcyclist exploring Route 66, I am quite sure the unseasonably warm weather this week will truly inspire them.

Last Saturday afternoon as we were exploring the previously noted mystery road above Goldroad it almost seemed as though the parade of motorcycles on Route 66 was an endless stream. As many were flying foreign banners it would be a safe bet to assume these examples of Harley Davidson's were rentals piloted by Europeans seeking the wonders of iconic Route 66.

Ghost Towns of Route 66 is beginning to coalesce into something tangible. With the assistance of Jerry McClanahan and Jim Ross, as well as Vickie Ashcraft of the New Mexico Route 66 Association, Tom Huber in Illinois, and Debra Holden with the Barstow Harvey House and Route 66 Museum, I now have a pretty good list of communities that will be profiled.

Kerrick James has gathered the lions share of the photos of the eastern half of the route for the project. Now we will concentrate on New Mexico, Arizona, and California this winter.

The one real fly in the ointment is my inability to schedule time for driving east on Route 66. Additional reasons and excuses are fast piling up for making the trip during the Thanksgiving week. Bob Waldmire's last art show in Springfield, Illinois, on the 22ND, the showing of Bones of the Old Road by Jim Ross at the historic Coleman theater in Miami, Oklahoma, on the 24Th are two of the best reasons I can think of.

In an ideal world where fish don't smell funny and roses don't have thorns I could take the drive to Springfield on US 66 and return on US 6, another lost highway and possibly the next project after Ghost Towns of Route 66. The latter would provide an opportunity to experience one of my favorite overlooked attractions, Harold Warp's Pioneer Village in Minden, Nebraska, as well as share its wonders with my dearest friend.

In the mean time I am eagerly anticipating the opportunity to return to the Goldroad area this weekend and explore the upper end of the mystery road below Sitgreave's Pass. It would seem we may an overlooked chapter in the history of Route 66 unfolding.

LOST HIGHWAYS, FREE BOOK, AND BOB WALDMIRE

Lets start the day with a free book offer. Details have not been finalized and the cover design is still subject to editorial change but we will be giving away a free signed copy of the latest book, Ghost Towns of the Southwest next March, the scheduled release date.

The offer will be for followers and fans of Route 66 Chronicles. Complete details will be posted this weekend.

I was able to spend a few quick minutes yesterday in the archives of the Mohave Museum of History & Arts. Preliminary investigation and discussions with Dan Messersmith, Mohave County Historian, indicate the mystery road east of Goldroad and below Route 66 was built about 1905 as the mines here were developed and the town established. Improvements were made between 1910 and 1913.

At some point between 1914 and 1917 the road was bypassed in what appears to be two stages. Its replacement was the current alignment of Route 66 that was bypassed in 1953.

On a more tragic note the latest prognosis of Bob Waldmire's illness is not good. To say this free spirited artist is a Route 66 icon would be akin to saying that Arizona is dry.

His last appearance and showing of his amazing artistry is scheduled for the 22ND of this month in Springfield. Here is a link for details.

ROUTE 66 MYSTERY

From Goldroad to the summit of Sitgreaves Pass all indications are that Route 66 and the National Old Trails Highway followed the same twisted course. Then what are the origins of a half mile roadway on the other side of the canyon above Goldroad?

That was the question that compelled us to take Saturday afternoon and again walk this intriguing old road.

If one were to drive west through Goldroad and continue straight rather than follow Route 66 you would find yourself on this road. A half mile further it doesn't end as much as flow into Route 66.

In between are guard rails of cable and timber, as well as bridges constructed of dovetailed and bolted timbers, and stone pillars. The old roadway, in some places, hugs a shelf blasted from the canyon wall.
The majority of the roadside garbage as well as construction details indicate a post 1910 date. There is also ample evidence to indicate it was designed for automotive usage.

The top photo is of the guard rail construction. If you look just below the top cable you will see a silver vehicle on Route 66 just above the Goldroad town site.

In the second photo you will notice Route 66, as indicated with red text, is well above the mystery roadway. It should also be noted there is a shaft, possibly for mine ventilation, and concrete slab immediately below the Route 66 roadway.
The third photo is of the upper bridge. This bridge is of heavy stacked stone construction and features a boxed culvert of heavy timbers. Route 66 is seen in the right middle of the photo.

The fourth photo is of the railing, now laying on its side, on the upper bridge. It is constructed of heavy timber, dovetailed and bolted, with braided cable.

With the exception of the bridges the roadway is wide enough to accommodate two way traffic. The grades, however, are steeper at the upper end than those rising above Goldroad.

The next step in solving this Route 66 mystery will be to visit the archives at the Mohave Museum of History & Arts.