Real of Tayopa
Bronze Member
oops,
It was Feb, in the 50's I finally gve up after being wet continouslyfor some 10 days. An ikypata had set in whle I was exploring the Barracade Cobre. An ickypata is a winter version of the summer monsoons, continous rain and drizzle for days, utterly miserable if you are on the trail.
So I decided to go to Urique, a formerly prosperous town situated just above the Hi-water level of the Urique river, it drains the Baranca de Cobre complex., and was composed of two streets wide, running parallel to the river
As my mule and I plodded our way into town, I realized that I must have been an interesting sight, several days growth of whiskers, soaking wet, muddy, and with my .357 S&W pistol . In those days you went armed, you were your only protection.
The frist house that I came to happened to be that of the Mayor, where I stopped to see if there was any place that I ould spend a few days drying out. He was semi drunk, as were most of the town, they were celebrating something. He bleary eyed took down the street to an unlived hose and entered, takeing my mule with him. It was getting dark so I couldn't see anything in the room. He led my mule to the back of the house where it opened into an enclosed patio. gave my mule some food from a pile of fodder , then Left.
I set up living in the room. I noticed that someone had built a fire against a wall so I proceeded to do te same. I made my dinner then turned in, sleepng on the floor, but grateful for being out of the rain. I got up a few times to attend to nature's functions, carefully feeling my way to the patio.
The next mroning I found a low walled well i the center of the room, I had been walking withn a few feet of it that night. I still haven't figuured out why I didn't fall in. Spiritual guidance I suppose.
Th prsidente proudly showed me his version of an arrastre, it was in the river bed. It was a horizontal water wheel driven, the only one I have ever seen. He was getting a golf ball of metal every week. He tried to sell me some, but my trail money wasn't enough, sides I didn't feel too comfortable leaving town with everyone knowing that I was carrying the Gold.
After spending a few days drying out I left Urique. The trail led up the canyon wall and took all day to climb out. Generally on climbs and decents I would dismount and use my mules tail to drag me up, or down hill, thus saving my mule.
About sunset I arrived at the mesa on top and started looking for a campsite, when I spotted a lonely ranch off in the distance and headed toward it. I mde the usual sounds to let the owner that I was approaching, a healthy idea, saves getting shot. I hailed the ranch , and after a moment or two a middle aged woman appeared. I asked if I, and my mule, could be put up for the night. She hesitated, then agreed, me with my pistol
She took me to the kitchien and fed me, then told me that I could stay there for the night. This was perfectly fine with me, hot coffee during the night, warm room and a pile of goat skins to sleep on, heaven. She then left, shortly I heard a click, and sure enough she had locked me in, no matter. So I setted down with hot coffee then retired to my bed. I felt something moving, then ralized that was a mass of fleas. The goat skins were full of starving fleas, so all night long I couldn't sleep scratching. Took me week a week to get rid of them from my blankets.
She eventualky appeared and unlocked the kitchen, then I saw her reason, she had two teen aged daughters that were quite passble,and she then told me that her husband had been away that night visiting another ranch and appologized.
Such was life on the trail in those days, sigh.©
It was Feb, in the 50's I finally gve up after being wet continouslyfor some 10 days. An ikypata had set in whle I was exploring the Barracade Cobre. An ickypata is a winter version of the summer monsoons, continous rain and drizzle for days, utterly miserable if you are on the trail.
So I decided to go to Urique, a formerly prosperous town situated just above the Hi-water level of the Urique river, it drains the Baranca de Cobre complex., and was composed of two streets wide, running parallel to the river
As my mule and I plodded our way into town, I realized that I must have been an interesting sight, several days growth of whiskers, soaking wet, muddy, and with my .357 S&W pistol . In those days you went armed, you were your only protection.
The frist house that I came to happened to be that of the Mayor, where I stopped to see if there was any place that I ould spend a few days drying out. He was semi drunk, as were most of the town, they were celebrating something. He bleary eyed took down the street to an unlived hose and entered, takeing my mule with him. It was getting dark so I couldn't see anything in the room. He led my mule to the back of the house where it opened into an enclosed patio. gave my mule some food from a pile of fodder , then Left.
I set up living in the room. I noticed that someone had built a fire against a wall so I proceeded to do te same. I made my dinner then turned in, sleepng on the floor, but grateful for being out of the rain. I got up a few times to attend to nature's functions, carefully feeling my way to the patio.
The next mroning I found a low walled well i the center of the room, I had been walking withn a few feet of it that night. I still haven't figuured out why I didn't fall in. Spiritual guidance I suppose.
Th prsidente proudly showed me his version of an arrastre, it was in the river bed. It was a horizontal water wheel driven, the only one I have ever seen. He was getting a golf ball of metal every week. He tried to sell me some, but my trail money wasn't enough, sides I didn't feel too comfortable leaving town with everyone knowing that I was carrying the Gold.
After spending a few days drying out I left Urique. The trail led up the canyon wall and took all day to climb out. Generally on climbs and decents I would dismount and use my mules tail to drag me up, or down hill, thus saving my mule.
About sunset I arrived at the mesa on top and started looking for a campsite, when I spotted a lonely ranch off in the distance and headed toward it. I mde the usual sounds to let the owner that I was approaching, a healthy idea, saves getting shot. I hailed the ranch , and after a moment or two a middle aged woman appeared. I asked if I, and my mule, could be put up for the night. She hesitated, then agreed, me with my pistol
She took me to the kitchien and fed me, then told me that I could stay there for the night. This was perfectly fine with me, hot coffee during the night, warm room and a pile of goat skins to sleep on, heaven. She then left, shortly I heard a click, and sure enough she had locked me in, no matter. So I setted down with hot coffee then retired to my bed. I felt something moving, then ralized that was a mass of fleas. The goat skins were full of starving fleas, so all night long I couldn't sleep scratching. Took me week a week to get rid of them from my blankets.
She eventualky appeared and unlocked the kitchen, then I saw her reason, she had two teen aged daughters that were quite passble,and she then told me that her husband had been away that night visiting another ranch and appologized.
Such was life on the trail in those days, sigh.©
how can they reach that height ?? anyway they confirmed that they were fleas, becase We didn't get much sleep.
![JPGMERRY CHRISTMAS DEC, 7 1942.JPG[1].jpg](https://www.treasurenet.com/data/attachments/1262/1262298-6c946b378377dbe9239974e068a1c855.jpg "JPGMERRY CHRISTMAS DEC, 7 1942.JPG[1].jpg")
