My first attempt failed. So did the second. After taking a break from it for a weekend ( brother-in-law had family obligations, so I went solo to another area ), we returned for yet another attempt a Bradshaw’s grave. Once again we staged on Wagoner road and headed up to Oak creek windmill, then turning south on the road to Tussock springs, turning right at the first “Y” in the road.
Along the way, we ran across a group doing some sort of geological or seismological testing or research ( they told me, but I honestly don’t remember ). They informed us that they may have wires running across the trail on the ground when we return, and to please take it slow so no damage would be done to them. We assured them that we would mind the wires…to which they thanked us, and we moved on.
Among the group was only the second Pioneer 700 I have seen on the trail ( identical to mine ) …and the first one actually in motion. I made a comment about this, but the occupants seems more bewildered than anything. I guess just because you are out riding around in a SxS doesn't make you an enthusiast…
At any rate, we had no plans of coming back anytime soon if things went as they should.
Down again to the windmill above Lehman’s Mill, and finally on the right trail to Bradshaw’s grave. This trail climbs rapidly out of the canyon, and proved to be lightly used, rough, and very narrow in places. This was to foreshadow what the day would hold for us.
After scraping and dragging over rocks and ruts, we reached the top of the first peak and took a quick break for photos.
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| The climb from the windmill is narrow and rocky. |
This is really unlike me. I know my limits…and my machines'. And in an area so remote, my enthusiasm for pushing either is tempered accordingly…but today, especially, I was not in the mood to get anywhere close to them. Perhaps it was the daunting location of this trail, running across tall ridges and around corners with the sensation of leaving you out in space. We did this for perhaps a mile or so when we dropped off a peak and rounded a corner and our plans came to a stop.
With the trail having been eroded deeply to the left, and the right side washed down to solid rock, this section would have pitched the Pioneer hard to the left and in the direction of a multiple rollover into a deep canyon that likely no one could survive. A quad or bike would have been a no-brainer here, but I happened to be in a vehicle just the right size for maximum toughness in this section. In all honesty, it was completely doable and probably would have been nothing to even think about once through ( or coming back up, if we chose ), but as I said, today I was not feeling that this was something I should try.
After walking the section, we could see the trail below and it looked to be in good enough shape. Consulting my cell-phone GPS showed we weren't very far from the grave at that point…making it all the more frustrating. I KNOW this could be done with ease…but chose not to take the chance, especially not knowing what the trail did in another mile, so we turned back.
Curiously enough, while walking the section, I noticed a very old or hardly used trail heading off on a slight uphill from just below the rough section. To me this normally indicates a by-pass for the tough section, so as we were heading back up around the turn I kept an eye out for any roads joining, but saw nothing to indicate one. Certainly, no traffic had been using such a route, if it did exist.
So of course…consulting Google Earth post-ride shows what is a very clear “chicken route” around the tough section, so the humiliation of possibly NOT making our destination may not have even been warranted.
So…thirty minutes later we were gently crossing wires En-route back to the “Y” and heading south towards Walker Gulch, just as in our last attempt. But this time, I was determined to follow this road far enough south to hit Buckhorn road, which I knew could take us to Bradshaw’s grave...from the south. All our options to make it from the north had been exhausted…at least as far as we knew at the time. It wouldn't be trail riding…but I was not going back home without pics of Bradshaw’s grave.
Eventually we came to a large, open canyon that was well used, with Buckhorn road exiting across the way. We stopped here for some snacks, with me consulting the GPS for further route planning. Shortly thereafter, a large group of SxS’s and quads passed us heading up the canyon, so I decided to check that route on the GPS, and sure enough, it looked as though this was the way we needed to go. A few miles up, I saw some locally famous art-work on the canyon walls and I realized I was on Castle Creek trail that I had seen only in pictures and video.
This was a neat few miles of riding. Some water flowing, Sand, and at one point a genuine box canyon with towering, narrow walls of solid rock. Castle creek is, in fact, a wet weather river…and not a place to be when heavy rain is expected. Judging from the debris height on some of the banks, huge amounts of water can flow here.
Eventually, we exited a road to the north towards the old mining town of Copperopolis and took a right at a split for what I expected to be Bradshaw’s grave, labeled on the TOPO map just to the south-east. When we arrived, I was immediately aware that this wasn't the grave we were looking for.
Annie May White passed away on June 8th, 1939, and at this time, I was real mad that she got buried here…but the fault is mine for making assumptions. You see, I knew that Bradshaw was buried “near” Copperopolis, and looking at that grave on my TOPO maps, I had blindly ASSumed this was Isaac. Even though his location is easy enough double check from a variety of sources, I hadn't bothered.
At this point, I decided to take a visible road to the north-east to the top of a large hill. Bradshaw’s grave is surrounded by a nice white picket fence that really stands out in a brown desert, and I hoped to spot it from there. Like all the roads in the area, this one is eroding badly, and after crossing a wash, it was obvious someone had rolled something SxS sized or larger into the wash recently. Hope they were alright.
Had they succeeded in going on up the trail, they would have encountered a road so badly washed on the inside that it had been traveled only by dirt-bikes in recent times on a narrow strip to the right. So bad that I had to lock the front diff and bash the skid-plates heavily to make it to the top. Again, the Pioneer amazes me at what I will crawl over. Once up top, there was no sign of the grave, and a quick look at the maps showed that this was the end of the trail that had turned us back last time from the east.
Backtracking to the last split south of Copperopolis, I was in desperation mode and decided to just follow this more heavily used trail to the left for a while to see where it went. Again, pretty rough…enough that I had just about given up by the time we stopped at a wash for a break. But all that bouncing had jarred a memory loose: Some years ago I attempted to get to this grave in my Cherokee from the south and Wickenburg using a popular 4WD book. In it, I recalled the author stating that an optional exit from Bradshaw’s grave headed south-east to Castle creek, but was “very difficult”. I was starting to suspect that was the trail we were on...but wouldn't you know it, I had that very book with me, and looking at the vague map showed that we were indeed on the back way to the grave, and were almost there.
Perhaps twenty minutes later, we finally made it to Bradshaw’s grave.
The only caveat was that the time wasted by my lack of preparation had cost us precious daylight, and the exploring of the mines nearby ( the real goal of finding this area ) would have to wait..though we did pass some signs...
Not so much that we care about being out after dark-thirty so much as us not wanting to worry those waiting at home, and at this point we had been out of cell phone range for hours.
So, having finally achieved our goal, we were able to backtrack to Castle creek and take a more casual look at the art-work and box canyon walls. We then turned back north on Walker gulch road ( my name ) and were trying to make our old corral for dinner, but it soon became apparent that we would be eating in total darkness if we waited that long, so a smooth flat spot on the side of the road saw us eating and drinking our usual stuff in between the Saguaro, under a half-moon bright enough to show us the Sheep mountains to the east. Everyone should be able to say they've done this at least once.
I could have stayed all night…but far too soon we cranked back up and headed for home, bouncing our way through the moonlit desert. It was nearly 11 PM by the time my lights hit my driveway, but well worth it.
I’m not sure when we will head back…but that original route and the potential bypass is sticking in my mind. We reached our destination, but even now that we know how to go, it is a few hours of riding. That direct route from Wagoner road would cut substantial time off getting to the area, and leave more time to explore the huge number of old roads...not to mention the mines.
Sounds like another ride is in order…
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