Roper Lake State Park

When we left Karchner Caverns south of Benson Arizona, we headed east on I-10, past The Thing and turned slightly north to Safford. There we made Roper Lake State Park our base in the area. From the lake you can see Mt. Graham (over 10,000 feet), snowy now, and home to several telescopes.

This being one of the few lakes in the area, it attracts alot of birds. Flocks of Yellow Headed Black Birds filled the tree tops. They sang together, flew together, sat in the sun together, bedded down in the rushes, then did it all again the next day.

We enjoyed the hot springs fed rock and concrete tub in the park. This is the one where we met the two Sisters on the Fly.

There's alot to do in Southern Arizona during the winter time - one of the trips we enjoyed from here followed a route through what they call the Black Hills into Clifton. On the way we found the grave of this convict. He was shot while trying to escape from a road construction crew.

Here's the Gila River, shot from Old Safford Bridge. Spring is coming, the Cottonwoods are starting to bud, just barely.

This trip ended in Clifton. Clifton is an old mining town, it's reason to be is the Morenci Copper Mine just down the road. Last year, when the price of copper was so high, the mine was booming. Since then, Phelps-Dodge has layed off 1500 people from the mine. Clifton is a run down ghost town, with poor folks living in buildings that should be, and perhaps are, condemned. This mine has produced more copper than any other mine in North America. It has significant proven reserves. Why is the town poverty stricken?