The Devil's Road - Off-Roading From Gila Mountains to the Fortuna Mine

The Tinajas Mountains rise from the valley floor in an abrupt, towering ridge, as if the hand of Atlas had been thrust through the earth's surface a millennium ago. This parched section of the Sonoran Desert is one of the driest places in the country, with annual rainfall in the Lechuguilla Valley often measuring less than an inch. The history of the region is just as intense, with the original crossing of this route starting in 1540 with Francisco Vásquez de Coronado and his famed expedition from central Mexico to find the fabled Seven Cities of Cibola, which were purported to contain, among other riches, streets paved with gold. While streets of gold do not exist along the Road of the Devil, adventure can be found in abundance.

Our overland route began south of Yuma, Arizona, traveling east of the Gila Mountains to the Fortuna Mine. This optional trail is considerably more rugged than the Del Diablo trail and offers the chance to engage Low range and slow the pace down. I was driving the ARB '04 4Runner Limited and towing the new Adventure Trailers Chaser model. Following several fins, the track weaves through canyons and rocky wash bottoms, slowly gaining elevation to the Fortuna Mine site, which is settled against the Vopoki Ridge overlooking the Fortuna Wash. In the late 1800s, this mine was quite active and supported a saloon, post office, and stage stop for the thirsty travelers of the Devil's Highway. Water was pumped over 20 miles from the Colorado River to the town. The mine shaft and several building foundations remain, but there is little else.

Continuing south, we intersected the main Tinajas Altas Pass route and the speed increased with the improved surface. The faster speeds began to test our vehicles, causing the auto-leveling airbag suspension of a companion's Discovery to fail. Our group really came together and fashioned a stack of wood blocks fastened to the axle to support the body. The efficient teamwork had the Discovery back on the trail quickly, although we did need to split the group into two parties: the forward team to drive ahead and make camp and a small team to stay with the Disco, which needed to travel very slowly due to the lack of suspension in the one corner.

Camp one was made at Father Kino's Well, a natural cistern in the granite flanks of the Tinajas Altas that forms a series of nine pools. When full, the tanks can hold up to 20,000 gallons of water, and the location was a necessary stop for early travelers. The lower pools were often found to be empty, requiring parties to scale the steep granite to the higher tanks, often falling to their deaths. It is estimated that between 400 and several thousand people died near the tanks because of thirst. Gravesites litter the hillside, and the names of many of the dead are carved into the granite slopes.

Despite the location's grisly past, it makes for an excellent camp, with a large, flat area to accommodate a bigger party. History abounds near the tanks with large grindstones, graves, and carvings. Considerable time can be spent exploring the Tinajas Altas area, including several technical rockclimbing routes. After setting up camp, we enjoyed a great evening around the fire and a sky ablaze with stars.