It was about two years ago (click here to read that blog entry) that we first drove up the Coronado Scenic Byway. Seemed like a good time to pay it another visit, so we drove out US-60, heading east until joining US-70, which passed these snow-covered mountains. We are looking for US-191 north.
Between winter and spring, we are rewarded with the colors of nature returning to vibrancy and the cool air of transition before summer starts to bake us in about 60 days.
Clifton is close to being a ghost town. Only the continuing mining operations in Morenci are keeping this old place partially inhabited. For a time, visitors came for the local hot springs, but these days, it’s hard to find a reference to them, and from the number of people on the streets of Clifton, it doesn’t seem like a hot destination. This is a shame, really, as the drive we are about to start here that goes up to Alpine, Arizona, is one of the most beautiful in the state.
Just look at all that natural beauty. This is on the edge of the large open-pit mine and not yet in the scenic part.
For over 100 years, this area has been supporting a small population to mine copper, one of the three C’s Arizona was long known for, the other two being cotton and cattle.
From desert mountains filled with ore.
To tree-covered mountains filled with switchbacks, about 400 of them. Hairpin turns are a large part of why we can only average about ten mph on this byway.
We plod along slowly, gaining elevation as we go.
Until we reach the snow line and hope for an open bathroom. I’m only pointing that out because if the snow is knee-deep and I could have taken a photo of Caroline in a scenic location, what is the significance of the building behind her? It’s an unlocked bathroom.
Please, God of the Narrow Roads, do not allow someone else to be driving south as we need to maneuver this thread of a road without snow tires or chains. The idea earlier in the day was that we’d turn around if we hit an unsafe part of the road where snow or ice blocked our way, but here there is hardly enough room for that.
Getting out to snap a selfie in the middle of the road and to catch our breath from the hairpin turns, deep snow on both sides of the car, and narrow part of the road we are still able to drive on.
We’ve reached Hannagan Meadow, and the road has widened. With only 23 miles left to Alpine, we feel that the worst is over.
And so we relax and spend some time checking out the scenery.
We remain in the snow a good majority of the drive home until we reach south of Payson. Somewhere out there, we encountered this 7-foot tall giant snowman, admiring his haircut; as much as we did, we knew we had to stop to take a picture of all three of us.
