2. Richinbar Mine Site and Rock Art (Feb 13, 2018)

1 The location of this outing (the gold circle along the Black Canyon highway [I-17]). Most Arizonans have no idea this is here.	2 More definition of its location.	3 The GPS track of our hike (the red line).	4 We pull off I-17 and drive to the closed gate, where we park the car and prepare to hike.
5 It's a good day for rain but we are prepared. Fortunately it never rained on us except when we were on I-17.	6 Suzanne is at the gate ready to go. It's locked, but that didn't stop us.	7 A previous hiker's trip report post filed on http://hikearizona.com, said he tore his pants getting across the barbed wire fence, so we took a safer approach.	8 In about 1/4 of a mile, you come to a wind mill (visible from I-17) and cattle pens.The wind mill, like many of those we have seen in the state, has been decommisioned and switched to solar power electric pumps. Note the solar panels on the top of one of the water storage tanks.
9 The cattle pens.	10	11 The metal stucture in the enclosure is a read-out end of a scale.	12 Looking up river from the cattle pens.
13 An area which had been impacted by mining operations.	14 The old road on to the mine site.	15 Bob finds our first mining activity artifact.	16 Our meandering around the Richinbar site
17 The foundation of an old building, along with a lot of artifacts.	18	19 Baby carriage wheel? From a tricycle?	20 One of many old clay bricks. Looks like they may have been made in Los Angeles, Californai.
21 Apparently, there are some documents claiming that, in 1897, "Richinbar had phones, electricity & daily stage services. How long do we have to wait until the stage comes by? Couldn't find a stage schedule anywhere.	22	23 Don't have a clue about these springs. ????	24 Part of the piping network for the site?
25 Careful, Suzanne. Don't get too close to that canyon	26 SUZANNE!	27 The east-westcanyon ahead is the Perry Tank Canyon, cut by a stream that flows into the Agua Fria River. The AFRiver has cut a 1000 ft deep, north (left)-south (right) canyon through (lower right quadrant of this photo) the National Monument. Both rims of Perry Tank Cayon are homes to ruins of Pueblo Indians (Perry Tank Canyon Ruins on the north rim and Rattlesnake Perry Tank Canyon Ruins on the south rim, both of which we plan to visit n the future.	28 The remains of an old wooden building as we head north to the reported rock art (petroglyph) area
29 And its foundation	30 The sun breaks through the clouds and backlights the Saguaro along the side of the canyom	31 We find our first rock art or petroglyphs for this outing. These are 700 to 900 years old, and were probably put there by the Pueblo Indians who lived in the area long ago.	32
33 BobF and Suzanne photographing the rock art. Notice the rock art to the left of BobF's head near the edge of the photo	34	35 Looking up stream (north) of the Aqua Fria River in it's canyon	36
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45	46	47	48 A reclining human stick figure (here, male) sometimes means 'death' according to the book "A Field Guide to Rock Art Symbols of the Greater Southwest" by Alex Patterson.
49	50	51 Looking south from the rock art area, you can make out a concrete foundation, the highlighted circle in the middle left in this photo.	52 We think this foundation was for the "pump house." Late in the mine's life it had compressed air (for running pnuematic drills, etc.) So this may be where the air compressors were located. It could not be used to pump water up from the Agua Fria River, since that is about 1000' below this site (you can only "suck" water vertically about 34 feet). There had to be a pump down at the Agua Fria River.
53 A chimney which, according the the research we did, has some graves in the vicinity, just up the hill.	54 Near the chimney, is the remains of an old water tank.	55 This may be the grave of miner, Ed Barden. "He was killed on 8/2/1897 when he was getting out of the mine, had a heart attack & fell off the ladder into the shaft just as some TNT went off. They made him a coffin & then: 'The body was interred on the hill above the mine.' " As BobF pointed out, a curious set of coincidents. Story from Arizona Pioneer & Cemetery Research Project (APCRP) at http://apcrp.org.	56 Other graves a short distance away. The APCRP estimates that there are 15 to 30 graves around here.
57	58 An earthen water tank at the top of a small, but highest, hill. This was probably used as a "water tower" to provide nearly constant pressure in the sites water system.	59 From a http://hikearizona.com web posting by R. Schulhauser. "Part of the 142 photo collection donate by Friends of the Agua Fria NM to the AZ Dept of Mines & Minerals."	60 Part of our track (red line) superimposed on the previous pic for reference.
61 The Richinbar mining community.	62 A good view of the top of the 500' shaft. A "stone dropping test" scientifically verified this number (approximately) ;-)	63 Another view of the top of the 500' shaft. Bob offered to descend on a rope, but then remembered that he only brought a 50 ft. rope.	64 Miners at work in one of the stopes off the vertical shaft. Let me get this straight: these guys climbed ladders (or were hoisted) down the big shaft, then went horizontally in one of the stopes (horizontal shafts), carved out this cavern by drilling holes and filling them with dynamite, then lighting fuses, and high-tailing it out of the shaft before the explosion occurred. Piece of cake!
65 Looking toward where the stamp mill was located south of the 500' shaft. A stamp mill is basically an ore crusher.	66 Suddenly we get some sun coming through the clouds.	67 Part of the stamp mill ?	68 Suzanne ventures downhill from the stamp mill to photograph this side of the structure in the last photo. BobF and Don remain uphill in case they have to rescue her.
69 Is part of one of these fine automobiles still there? See next pic.	70 Don said he would fully restore this vehicle IF BobF & Suzanne would carry it back to the Xterror. Frankly, he's glad they didn't.	71	72
73	74 A nearby geological survey marker. Note the date - long after the mine was shut down.	75 We got back to the Xterror with enough time remaining to visit two sites that are just inside to Agua Fria National Monument boundary, but north from where we were. We stoped to see the site of an old territorial school (at the yellow map pin that should read "ParKed for School" and an early ranch site (at the yellow map pin that does read "Parked for Homesite"). We then followed the road that goes past the Homesite, drove through a working ranch and aross the Agua Fria River with no bridge. About a mile on the other side of the river, we turned around and headed back to the Rock Springs Cafe for lunch and some pie.	76 The school site, which we found underwhelming - except for the skinny dipping couple swimming in one of the deep pools found in the stretch of the Agua Fria River that flows nearby. Oops!
77 A lot of interesting info about early schools in Arizona. This is on a sign near the school site.	78 The rest of the sign.	79 We head back to the Xterror after our visit ended (quickly).	80 Next we drive to the Teskey Home Site along Big Bug Creek, a tributary of the Agua Fria River.
81 The history of the site.	82 The location of the original well. (it has been filled in)	83 The remains of the home.	84 What it looked like.
85 There's been some restoration of this fire place.	86 Don drives the Xterror across Big Bug Creek. Probably killed 10 big bugs. The video is paused in the middle of the crossing.

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