Educational Adventures in Arizona

PIKE'S PEAK ~ August 31, 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Teri) — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 14:16:00 +0000

We went to Colorado over Labor Day weekend to visit some friends who live in Florissant near Colorado Springs. While there, we looked at Focus on the Family’s headquarters, saw the historic mining town of Cripple Creek, stood on the Continental Divide, and drove up Pike’s Peak. Due to its prominent height and location at the eastern edge of the Rockies where the mountains jut up from the flat prairie, Pike’s Peak was a symbol to pioneers and gold seekers heading west. "Pike’s Peak or Bust" became their motto, just as it became ours (scrawled in the dust on the back of our Ford Expedition).

To get there, first we had to wait in a long line of about 20 vehicles at the toll gate (it costs $35 per car). Then we started out on a nice winding road through the forest. Overall the road would climb 7,000 feet in 20 miles and take us through four different life zones - Foothills, Montane, Sub-Alpine, and Alpine Tundra.

Once we got above the tree line at 12,000 feet it became a continuous series of steep switchbacks, sharp hairpin turns, and dizzying drop-offs with an appalling lack of guardrails! That means 25 minutes of sheer terror for someone (like me) who’s afraid of heights!

The road took us an hour to drive one way. Most of it is paved but part of it is gravel. The posted speed is generally 20 mph but only 10 mph at certain places. You have to put your car in low gear and be careful not to ride your brakes or they will get too hot and fail. It almost looks like a highway to heaven... and let me tell you, I for one was doing plenty of praying!

It's amazing how they were able to build a road going all the way up a 14,110-foot peak. The Pikes Peak Highway really is a HIGH way. It was constructed as a toll road for tourists in 1888 and advertised as "the highest road in the world." (Today the highest road in the world is in the Indian Himalayas.) In those days, horse-drawn carriages carried passengers halfway and mule-drawn wagons transported them the rest of the way.

A cog railway was built in 1889, which made the journey easier for gentlemen in jackets and ladies in ruffled skirts going on Sunday afternoon excursions. In 1915, the original roadbed was improved for automobile travel. Nowadays the parking lot is filled with cars, many with out-of-state license plates, which shows that Pike's Peak really is "America's Mountain" and still a popular destination. In addition to a high altitude research station, you will also find a donut shop, gift store, and oxygen bar on top!

The air on the mountaintop contains about 50% less oxygen than at sea level. The two climbers in our family were fine the whole time. The rest of us had mild queasiness, breathlessness, and occasional heart pounding, but no headaches. We spent about an hour at that elevation.

The north side of the summit provides a dramatic view of a nearly vertical 1200-ft. deep ravine known as the Bottomless Pit. BE CAREFUL! HOLD ONTO YOUR CHILDREN! Sadly, it's been the site of a few suicides.

The peak temperature seldom exceeds 40F even in summer and snow is a possibility year-round. Standing in the cold thin air on the windswept summit, the view literally is breathtaking. You’ve probably heard that Katherine Lee Bates was inspired to write “America the Beautiful” based on her experience traveling to Pike’s Peak in 1893 and it’s true, we could see clearly all the way from the fruited Great Plains to the majestic Rocky Mountains (although they looked blue rather than purple), with spacious skies all around.

Click on the above image to enlarge it so you can read the commemorative plaque, then click your back button to return to this page.

On our trip up the mountain, my 8-year-old at one point began sobbing and blurted out, "I wanted to play a game when we got home, but now I probably won't even live to see tomorrow." Poor little guy! As we started back down he actually fell asleep, which I think was his body's way of handling the stress. As soon as we had safely reached the bottom he woke right up!

"I went up Pike's Peak and lived to tell about it!"

The eloquent and patriotic words of "America the Beautiful" have captivated the heart and soul of an entire nation.

Additional Resources

http://www.pikespeakcolorado.com - Pike’s Peak website.

http://www.pikes-peak.com/Page/122.aspx - Pike’s Peak Information.

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4191/is_20021013/ai_n10012355 - Pike's peak Timeline.

http://www.visitpikespeak.com/history.htm - Pike’s Peak history.

http://www2.gazette.com/pikespeak/index.php - Pike's Peak Bicentennial.

http://www.cograilway.com/ - Pike’s Peak Cog Railway.

“Extending as far as the eye can reach, lie the great level plains, stretched out in all their verdure and beauty, while the winding of the grand Arkansas is visible for many miles. Then the rugged rocks all around, and the almost endless succession of mountains and rocks below, the broad blue sky over our heads and seemingly so very near.” ~Julia Archibald Holmes, the first woman to climb Pike's Peak, 8/12/1858

SP CRATER HIKE ~ June 7, 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Teri) — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 20:14:00 +0000

“The Lonely Mountain! Bilbo had come far and through many adventures to see it, and now he did not like the look of it in the least.” --The Hobbit

SP Mountain, also known as SP Crater, is an excellent example of a cinder cone and its associated lava flow. Plus it's in such pristine condition, it appears to have just stopped erupting!

Quick facts:

-SP is located about 25 miles north of Flagstaff

-The unmaintained dirt road is freely accessible by car but there are no facilities for miles around.

-Best time to go is in spring or fall; in summer go early in the morning and bring plenty of water.

-The moderate 1-mile hike is more like a steep climb on a loose cinder surface.

-The elevation ranges from 6,200-7,020 ft.

-The cinder cone is 3,900 feet across at its base, and 820 feet tall.

-From the rim, SP crater is approximately 400 feet deep.

-The volcano erupted about 1,000 years ago.

We first discovered the SP Mountain area while scouting out campsites in northern Arizona last August. We were surprised to discover a large outcropping of thick black lava just north of the Coconino National Forest boundary. This was right after we had been to El Malpais National Monument in New Mexico, an extensive lava bed south of Grants.

Well, this Arizona lava flow easily rivaled that one, and yet we had never heard of it! Then it wasn’t until we got back home and Rich looked it up on Google Earth, that we saw the volcanic cinder cone from where the lava had come! It was a perfectly symmetrical conical shape with a rounded crater on top, just like the classic volcano picture that little kids draw.

U.S.

Geological Survey Photo of SP Crater and Lava Flow.
The long narrow depression in the upper left is a fault line.

Of course this meant that we had to go back there and explore some more, but most of our weekends were booked up. Then when we had a chance to go back in October, one of our kids was sick. Finally on June 7, 2008, we were able to return to SP. In the meantime, this gave us plenty of time to research the area and plan our trip.

The above USGS Digital Elevation Model shows many of the more than 600 vents that have erupted in the 1,900 square mile area of the San Francisco Volcanic Field, a localized “hot spot” where the Coconino Plateau meets the southern edge of the Colorado Plateau. SP Crater is a cinder cone located at the northern end of the volcanic field, which includes Sunset Crater to the southeast. It gets that name from the red and yellow oxidized iron and sulfur particles which give the rim a “sunset” appearance. SP Crater has a less flattering name; its initials apparently mean “Stink Pot.”

Sunset Crater, National Park Service Digital Image Archives

Sunset Crater, considered to be the state’s youngest volcano, erupted several times between A.D. 1064 and 1250. It's been preserved as a National Monument since 1930. There is not much information available about SP Crater even though it is just as good if not better than its more famous neighbor. However, SP Crater is popular with geology students for obvious reasons such as its sharp rim, steep flanks, and radial symmetry. They say that it’s one of the most symmetrical cinder cones in the world. We took this picture of SP at sunrise - that golden glow was fantastic!

You will pass by the entrance to Sunset Crater Volcanic National Monument on the way to SP Crater. To get there, head north on Hwy. 89 past Flagstaff. The picturesque San Francisco Peaks will be on your left. Once you get out of town is when you will see the signs for Sunset Crater and Wupatki National Monument. It’s a loop drive, so there will actually be two signs. Keep going north on Hwy. 89 till you pass the second sign.

Just past the second Wupatki National Monument turnoff, and just past Mile Post 447, is an unmarked cattle road. Go west on the cattle road about 5.2 miles, then watch for another unmarked dirt road which heads south and goes behind a hill. (Once you get around the other side of the hill, you will see that it is actually a reddish cinder cone.) These roads are dusty but flat and passable to most vehicles in good weather. Now you will see this view of SP crater directly west of you:

And this view of San Francisco Peaks (still snow-capped!) in the distance:

Keep driving south and shortly you will arrive at a fork in the road. Take the one that curves west toward SP. You will drive past a corral and a round metal cattle trough. We saw a bunch of cattle, including calves. When we stopped and looked at them, they stopped and stared back at us too. They were branded with the letters CO and we found out later that SP Crater is on the Babbitt family’s ranch land but they leave it open to the public.

Just up ahead you will see the SP access road. It branches off to the right across a field and turns into a narrow two-track road that heads up a ridge adjacent to the west side of SP. However, that part of the road is closed off with a little white sign that says “Foot Access Only.” So we stopped and parked right there.

Parents with small toddlers and others who don’t want to climb up the cinder cone can explore the base of the volcano, which is where all of the larger rocks settled. Kids will love scrambling on the rocks and running around the grassy field nearby. Some of the rocks are amazingly light for their size, because they are full of air holes. On other rocks you will see melted areas and cracks. You can also find big rock “bombs” sitting out in the middle of the grass that look like they just landed there. Imagine what it must have been like during the eruption!

The path up to the saddle on the ridge skirted alongside the base of the cinder cone. It looked like it would be a nice leisurely stroll, but considering the altitude of 6,500 ft., even that gradual rise was rather tiring. It was super windy, too, and we had to hold onto our hats. In fact, the wind was so strong that it was hard to hold the camera steady to take a picture!

When you reach the saddle, you can look over and see the lava flow on the other side, with a sandstone plateau beyond. The trail you're on continues down the north side of the ridge, and will take you to the lava field (or you can drive your car around to the lava later).

SP mountain rises 800 ft. above the surrounding plain. If you start hiking up the crater from the ridge you’re now on, it will save many vertical feet of climbing. There doesn’t seem to be any particular trail, so just pick a spot and make your way up the loose cinder surface. It’s a rather steep incline, and yet it’s sloped enough that you can walk up without using your hands.
At first the climb may seem easy, but it gets tiring after a while. Just imagine you’re working out on a stair-step machine, or trudging up 1,860 stairs to the top of the Empire State Building… or Frodo and Sam on Mt. Doom. Due to the nature of the surface, for every two steps up, you slide one step back. It works better if you zigzag back and forth. So it’s a moderately strenuous climb, but well worth the effort.

Since you’re on a continuous slope, there aren’t any good spots to stop and take a break. If you do want to sit down for a minute, you have to dig in with the heels of your boots to brace yourself. As we neared the top, we got a renewed burst of energy and scurried up the rest of the way quickly. Our family made it to the top in about 40 minutes, but if you’re in good shape and don't keep stopping, you can probably do it in less time.

You will know you’re finally near the top when you see several gnarled trees and an outcropping of large rocks; that’s the edge of the rim. Stepping up there for the first time, you don’t quite know what to expect – and then all of a sudden there’s an Imax-quality panorama of a 400-ft. deep crater in front of you. It’s much wider than I thought it would be, too. A photo can’t really do it justice – we should have taken a video and panned from side to side. I attempted to simulate that by splicing two images together, as shown below. If only we had a third one for the left side it would look even better!

The summit was also higher than I anticipated. The top of the crater is at 7,027 ft. I had to sit down and force myself not to look around, or else my fear of heights would overtake me. But everyone else got an impressive view of the San Francisco Peaks, the lava flow coming out from the north side of the crater, and the high desert plateau beyond.

If you’re brave enough to look down into the crater, you can see the bottom. It’s not flat but is covered with a pile of rocks. I wouldn’t advise attempting to climb down to the center; it looked awfully steep. You can hike all the way around the rocky rim, though, if you want to.

Going back down takes about 20 minutes, and with gravity on your side it was a lot easier than climbing up. I never expected the descent to be so much fun! You really don’t have much choice but to slide down the loose scree on the heels of your boots – it felt a lot like skiing! But it’s such a gentle ride, you don’t have to worry about gaining too much speed or falling on the seat of your pants.

Just be prepared to get lots of cinders in your shoes and don’t bother trying to stop and empty them out until you reach the bottom. The cinders are so deep in some places that I actually sank over the top of my boots! Below, you can see the skid marks left behind from people sliding down:

Try to be careful and maneuver around all of the small plants so erosion is kept to a minimum. That’s why nearby Sunset Crater is closed to climbing and hiking.

When we got back to the car, we drove around the other side of SP crater to see where the lava poured out from the base. From there, the jagged black rock stretches five miles to the north. The depth of the lava varies from 50-180 feet thick.

We continued to head west on the dirt road through beautiful wide open country, with the San Francisco Peaks always looming in the background. We came across a portion of the Arizona Trail which runs through there. It’s a 790-mile non-motorized trail traversing the entire state of Arizona from Mexico to Utah. We came out at the other end of Babbitt Ranch, just before reaching Hwy. 180.

Did You Know…? “Most of the more than 600 volcanoes in the San Francisco Volcanic Field are basalt cinder cones. Basalt has the lowest viscosity of all common magmas. Cinder cones are relatively small, usually less than 1,000 feet tall, and form within months to years. They are built when gas-charged frothy blobs of basalt magma are erupted as an upward spray, or lava fountain. During flight, these lava blobs cool and fall back to the ground as dark volcanic rock containing cavities created by trapped gas bubbles. If small, these fragments of rock are called “cinders” and, if larger, “bombs.” As the fragments accumulate, they build a cone-shaped hill. Once sufficient gas pressure has been released from the supply of magma, lava oozes quietly out to form a lava flow. This lava typically squeezes out from the base of the cone and tends to flow away for a substantial distance because of its low viscosity.” (From: Priest, Duffield, Malis-Clark, Hendley II, and Stauffer, 2001, The San Francisco Volcanic Field, Arizona: USGS Fact Sheet 017-01)

Additional Information

http://volcano.und.edu/vwdocs/volc_images/north_america/sp_mountain.html

http://volcano.und.edu/vwdocs/volc_images/north_america/sp_mountain2.html

http://geopubs.wr.usgs.gov/fact-sheet/fs017-01/

http://wrgis.wr.usgs.gov/fact-sheet/fs017-01/

http://geology.com/volcano/sp-crater.shtml

http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Volcanoes/Arizona/description_arizona_volcanoes.html

COMING SOON!

noreply@blogger.com (Teri) — Fri, 23 May 2008 16:07:00 +0000

We've been so busy going places that I haven't had a chance to upload any new entries in a while! Please check back soon for the following:

Arizona State Capitol Museum
Agua Fria National Monument
Boyce Thompson Arboretum
Picacho Peak
McCullough-Price House
Desert Botanical Garden
California Mojave Desert
New Mexico White Sands
... and more!

CIVIL WAR DEMO~ January 12, 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Teri) — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 20:01:00 +0000

American Civil War, December 1862: Major General Ambrose Burnside, in command of the Union Army of the Potomac, sent troops to occupy the vicinity of Fredericksburg. General Robert E. Lee reacted by entrenching the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia on the heights behind the town. Burnside originally planned to cross the Rappahannock River 10 miles downstream from the town of Fredericksburg, but Confederate troops arrived there and blocked him. So he decided to cross directly at Fredericksburg. On December 12th, the Federal army went over the river and through the town. Over the next couple of days, Burnside mounted a series of assaults on Prospect Hill and Marye’s Heights which proved futile. Consequently, Burnside called off the offensive on December 15 and retreated across the river, ending the campaign and resulting in a Confederate victory.

Public Domain Image: Battle of Fredericksburg by Kurz and Allison

Several families in our homeschool group stepped back in time to the day when the Union Army attacked the town of Fredericksburg in December 1862. The boys in particular really got into it and had a blast! The Battle of Fredericksburg re-enactment took place at Pioneer Village, Arizona's most historically accurate living history site, with 90 acres located off I-17 just south of Anthem.

Considering all of the unusually rainy weekends we've had lately, we were lucky that it was a beautiful clear winter day. The re-enactors said that it was perfect weather for wearing their wool uniforms - but even so, they still got hot marching out there under the bright desert sun!

We arrived at 9:00 am when the gates opened and that gave us plenty of time to visit the Union soldiers' camp before the fighting began. Both Union and Confederate re-enactors are a great bunch of guys, eager to offer information and answer questions.

A Civil War Encampment, where soldiers slept in canvas tents.

The troops would practice loading their weapons, attaching bayonets, and performing various maneuvers. The boys in our group lined up to drill with the soldiers.

"The first thing in the morning is drill. Then drill, then drill again. Then drill, drill, a little more drill. Then drill, and lastly drill."

Live demonstrations focused on Weapons, Cooking, and Camp Life. The kids rolled paper ammo cartridges, got to hold a gun (the average musket weighs 8-9 pounds), and ate a piece of hardtack (a flour-and-water biscuit, which in those days often became infested with weevils and maggots).

Relaxing around the campfire. When not drilling, standing guard, or faced with the sheer terror of battle, soldiers would spend their spare time reading, writing letters to loved ones, playing cards and other games.

Union troops getting ready for action. It was a great honor to be the flag bearer and when a flag bearer fell in battle, someone else would leap forward to take his place. But their mortality rate was quite high since the goal of the opposing force was to seize the enemies' colors.

The Union Troops Advance Through Fredericksburg!

Confederate citizens either went into hiding, ran away, or prepared to defend their homes and businesses as the Union army invaded their town.

Some of the townspeople got involved in the street fight. (It was an exciting interactive experience for the spectators, too. A gang of boys - mine included! - ran after the Union army, tossing rolled-up newspaper "rocks" at them, but there was so much commotion at the time that I didn't get a picture of that!)

The Confederate troops fall back as the Union army advances. (Newspaper ball "rocks" can be seen on the ground behind them.)

Union soldiers ransacked the town (and got back at the boys who had pelted them with "rocks" by throwing ladies' clothing at them).

Union troops gathering in front of the bank.

Hanging out at the Sheriff's Office.

The Union Army's orders were: "Push a column of a division or more along the Plank and Telegraph roads, with a view to seizing the heights in the rear of the town." In the battle of Marye's Heights, Union troops tried to take the hill, but the Confederates were already entrenched behind a stone wall.

Confederate troops on the march.

Casualties lying in the street.

The Confederates are victorious, and the Union Army retreats. The actual battles lasted from approximately 10:30 - 2:30 with a lunch break in between. We stayed for a while afterwards to wander around and chat with the Confederate soldiers, then left at 3:00 pm although we could have stayed until 5:00.

This event was sponsored by the Arizona Civil War Council, Inc. The Arizona Civil War Council (ACWC) is a non-profit association of volunteer history enthusiasts who re-enact events of the Civil War and Arizona's Territorial Period.

WANTED: ARIZONA VOLUNTEER REENACTORS: No experience is needed and gun NOT required. Instructions will be given on making or buying uniforms, men’s civilian clothes, and costumes for ladies and children. You must be over 16 to use any weapons; under 16 may be drummers, flag bearers, or cannon-assistants IF accompanied by a parent. Dues are about $20/year to cover liability insurance. Visit their website at http://www.arizonacivilwarcouncilinc.com/ for more information.

Did you know...? Gods & Generals (the prequel to the hit movie Gettysburg) showed the Battle of Fredericksburg with its street fighting scenes. In fact, one of the re-enactors on the Confederate side with whom we were talking afterwards explained how he actually played a major role in the movie Gettysburg, as well as Glory.

Additional Info:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Fredericksburg - Battle of Fredericksburg

http://www.nps.gov/frsp/fire.htm - Fire in the Streets

http://www.nps.gov/frsp/assault.htm - Assault on Marye’s Heights

http://www.nps.gov/archive/gett/soldierlife/cwarmy.htm - What was life as a Civil War soldier like? Get more details in this fascinating article from Gettysburg National Military Park.

THANKSGIVING TRIP ~ November 22-25, 2007

noreply@blogger.com (Teri) — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 23:37:00 +0000

I don’t know about you, but the day after Thanksgiving my e-mail inbox was inundated with special sales, deals, and other offers. It seems that everyone was jumping on the “Black Friday” bandwagon. Of course I love a good sale as much as everyone else, but I don’t see why we have to be bombarded all at once over Thanksgiving weekend when most of us would rather be spending time with our families than spending money on retail commodities. Okay, I admit being a little disappointed at having to miss out on some such giveaways because I was busy traveling with my husband and children... but we had great fun on our trip together so I suppose it was a worthy trade-off!

After a big turkey dinner, we brought some leftovers with us and spent Thanksgiving night camping out in the middle of the California desert.

On Friday morning we went to the General Patton Museum.

Later on Friday afternoon and evening we took a look at Hollywood, the Santa Monica Pier, and the Third Street Promenade.

On Saturday we saw the big cloud of smoke from the Malibu fire, but the highlight of the day was getting to meet evangelist and author Ray Comfort who was open-air preaching at Huntington Beach.

On Sunday we drove back to Arizona via Route 66 from San Bernardino to Victorville and through Barstow, Amboy, and Needles.

We had a long distance to go so we didn't have much time to stop and explore along the way, but the area around Amboy in particular was a beautiful scenic (and desolate!) part of the Mohave Desert that I would love to visit again soon.

I hope you are taking an opportunity to enjoy some quality time with your families and loved ones amid the hustle and bustle of the holidays.

Click on this link to read our family newsletter:

http://www.knowledgehouse.info/Xmas%20Letter%202007.pdf