Lost Jackass Patrol 4x4 Burro Creek & Signal Ghost Town May 24-25-26-2013 (CY 6018) E CLAMPUS VITUS Lost Dutchman Chapter 5917+4
BURRO CREEK Burro Creek is situated within a very scenic Sonoran desert Canyon at an elevation of 1,960 feet. This peaceful area has long been a favorite stop of travelers on nearby Highway 93. Visitors here are invariably fascinated with the contrast between the deep blue pools and tree-lined banks of Burro Creek, and the saguaro-studded hills and cliffs of its desert setting. Location and Access Burro Creek is located 60 miles northwest of Wickenburg on Highway 93. From Kingman, travel east 17 miles on Interstate 40, then south 53 miles on Highway 93. The turnoff is one mile south of Burro Creek Bridge. From the signed turnoff, continue 1.5 miles to the recreation site via the paved access road. There are many sights to see at Burro Creek, including areas that the BLM oversees along with mining, ranching, wildlife, cultural resources, and endangered species. Wild burros are also found in the area and the herds are managed by the BLM. Big game hunters will find mule deer, javelin and mountain lions, while small game hunters will find dove, quail, waterfowl, rabbits and predators in abundance. Anglers will find black and yellow bullhead catfish, largemouth bass, green sunfish and carp. Native fishes including roundtail chubs, desert and Sonora suckers and longfin dace. The history of the campground is long. Prior to 1968 Highway 93 passed directly through the present day campground. Of course back then it wasn t a campground, only a service station and a café that was owned by Charles Shipp and his mother. The café was built in the 1950s and existed until 1968 when the highway was rerouted.
The buildings were removed and transported to Nothing, Arizona. BLM also honored the Shipp family at the dedication ceremony. Since 1922, the Shipp family has run cattle at Burro Creek (Martin, 1998). The area is known for its excellent selection of blue and purple agate and Apache tears. A desert garden has been set up at the recreation site containing a large variety of native cacti so that visitors can familiarize themselves with native plant life (U.S., 2013). Burro Creek Canyon, one of the major landmarks on the road between Phoenix and Las Vegas, comes into view suddenly: The steep, black-walled canyon and the highway bridge spanning its free-flowing creek leave an impression on all but the most unaware of travelers. Equally impressive is the invitation for nature watching in the canyon. The road, U.S. 93, links Sonoran desert with Mohave. The boundary between the two deserts is not clear, but it falls near Burro Creek. Within a few dozen miles of the creek, stands of saguaros, the Sonoran Desert s distinctive indicator, alternate with spectacular stands of Joshua trees, a massive, treelike yucca unique to the Mohave Desert. Sometimes the deserts intermingle, providing travelers with an unusual opportunity to see saguaros and Joshua trees growing side by side. The saguaro-covered slopes of Burro Creek Canyon harbor one of the northernmost pockets of Sonoran Desert vegetation. Here, a rare fish-eating hawk also reaches its northernmost limit, producing a watchable wildlife highlight. Burro Creek holds one of the highest breeding densities of black hawks north of Mexico. They nest during late spring and summer in the large cottonwoods along the creek. Visitors to Burro Creek should watch for black hawks soaring along the creek or perched quietly on tree limbs near the water, waiting for a chance to snatch a fish, frog, crayfish, or other prey item. Black hawks and wildlife watchers are attracted to Burro Creek for the same reason its undammed, free-flowing water invites an abundance of wildlife. Burro Creek s native fish, for instance, are an important food source for black hawks. Rountail chubs, Sonoran suckers, desert suckers, longfin dace, and speckled dace all inhabit the creek. These fish are food for great blue herons, common mergansers, and wintering bald eagles, as well. Black
hawks and other predators also feed on the area s numerous amphibians, which include leopard frogs, Arizona toads, and red-spotted toads. Visitors to Burro Creek hoping to add a black hawk sighting to their lists should have their bird books handy. Another Arizona specialty; the zonetailed hawk, also approaches its northern limit at Burro Creek and looks somewhat similar to the black hawk, except the zone-tailed soars holding its relatively narrow wings in a V, just like the numerous pink-headed turkey vultures in the area. Some experts believe the zone-tailed hawk is actually mimicking the vulture, which allows it to fly closer to prey species that aren t afraid of the scavenging turkey vultures. The mostly black turkey vulture is very common around Burro Creek. Its V-shaped wings in flight and small pink head are among the characteristics that help observers to distinguish it from the black hawk. Jetblack common ravens are conspicuous residents of the area, but these large, crow-like birds are entirely black and have no white on their wings and tail as black hawks do. The ever-present red-tailed hawk and American kestrel are likely sights as well. Winter visitors probably won t see black or zonetailed hawks, but they may see such species as rough-legged and ferruginous hawks. Raptors may be a highlight of a trip to Burro Creek, but visitors will be treated to a wide variety of other wildlife watching opportunities any time of year. Birds such as curve-billed thrashers and cardinals are common yearround. Visitors occasionally see desert mule deer, raccoons, and ringtails along the creek, but more often they encounter the tracks these animals leave behind at the creek s edge. Spring and fall bring a variety of migrating songbirds through the area. Mixed-species flocks of sparrows feed on the ground in winter. Waterfowl might be encountered any time, but ducks are more often seen in the winter and during migration. In spring and summer, brilliantly colored vermilion flycatchers visit the vegetation near the creek. In the canyon above the creek, swifts and swallows feed on insects. Watch and listen for greathorned owls and tiny elf owls on spring and summer nights. Bats, too, are common visitors on summer nights. You might see Townsend s big-eared bats and pallid bats swooping along the creek as they hunt nocturnal insects.
Summer visitors will see a wide variety of reptiles, especially in the early morning and evening when it s cool. A number of lizards, including collared, zebra-tailed, and whiptail, dart among the rocks. Extremely lucky visitors may see a Gila monster, Arizona s only venomous lizard. Snakes are common, including king snakes and diamondback rattlesnakes. While the presence of these ecologically important venomous creatures is cause to be alert, it s no cause for alarm. Visitors simply need to watch where they step and sit. When such creatures are encountered, they should be left alone. Problems with the scorpions, spiders, and other arthropods that live at Burro Creek can be avoided by following the same advice, as well as by shaking out clothes and shoes in the morning. Some of the most conspicuous creatures at Burro Creek are its feral burros. These animals are descendents of burros that escaped from or were released by miners years ago. While they are interesting animals to see, burros are not native residents of Burro Creek. They compete with native wildlife for food and water, and they damage sensitive vegetation along the creek that is crucial to nesting songbirds. Visitors to Burro Creek can see other evidence left by miners, including a few old ruins. Humans were using the area, which provided an excellent source of obsidian, as long ago as 3000 B.C., any historical artifacts encountered, however, must be left in place. The Bureau of Land Management maintains a picnic area and campground at Burro Creek complete with fire grills, trash cans, restrooms with running water, and an RV/trailer waste-disposal station. A number of informative watchable wildlife signs were recently installed, and the site also has an interpretive desert garden with examples of native cacti and other plants from both the Sonoran and Mohave deserts. From the campground, hikers and backpackers can walk upstream into the extensive Burro Creek Wilderness but be ready to get your feet wet. Free parking is provided at the campground. The BLM s Burro Creek Recreation Site is 60 miles northwest of Wickenburg on U.S. Highway93. Or, if you re coming from the north, take the Highway 93 exit from Interstate 40 (17 miles east of Kingman) and travel 53 miles south to Burro Creek (Boyd, 1999).
SIGNAL GHOST TOWN Signal was founded in 1877 as a milling town for ore taken from area mines, and some say it once had 800 inhabitants and 200 buildings. It even boasted a brewery during its heyday. Isolation was a major concern of residents. Goods came by rail from San Francisco to Yuma, and then were brought by barge up the Colorado River to Aubrey landing. The last lap, some 35 miles, was made by mule team. Merchants generally ordered goods six months in advance. Five general merchandise stores were required to supply the rapidly increasing population, along with three large, prosperous restaurants and 13 saloons. When the Signal Mill was in full blast night and day, there was more than one working mine in the area. Going wage was $2.50 to $4.00 a day. Butter was scarce even at $1.50 a pound and milk was $1.00 a gallon. As with most mining towns, the initial boom and excitement passed, and by the mid-1880s the population had dwindled. Judge Levy, historians note, held the community to a low rate of misdemeanors and felonies because of his record for extreme sentences. Signal s post office was discontinued in 1932, and although some mining activity continued sporadically until much later, mining ghosts apparently have been laid to rest. When the initial rush receded, approximately 300 people were left in Signal. The mills continued to extract silver from the McCracken mine, at one point churning out $150,000 per month. The silver eventually gave out, and prosperity faded with the dropping ore grades and prices. Nearly 50 graves, most of them marked simply by a mound of stones, dot the cemetery. One good-sized cross is etched with colored marbles embedded in concrete to create the name, A. Leivas and the date, 1810-1885 (Heatwole, 1981).
References Bauer, C. (1998). GHOST TOWNS OF ARIZONA: Remnants of the Mining Days. Arizona Traveler Guidebooks. Phoenix, AZ: American Traveler Press Boyd, D. (1999, July/August). Bountiful Burro Creek. Watchable Wildlife. p. 24-25. Heatwole, T. (1981). SIGNAL: best stores in the Territory. GHOST TOWNS and Historical Haunts in ARIZONA. Phoenix, AZ: Golden West Publishers Martin, D. (1998, April 8). Burro Creek rec site gets facelift via BLM. Kingman Daily Miner. p. 7. U.S. Department of The Interior-Bureau of Land Management (2013). Historical Information by Gary MaBell Wilson April 2013