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2005 Photo Workshops Learn from the Best

PROFESSIONAL INSTRUCTION by Arizona Highways photographers will allow both film and digital photographers to improve creative and technical skills. Join a small group this year to:

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To obtain a free color catalog containing all 2005 workshops and prices, call toll-free (888) 790-7042. Details for all workshops also can be found online at www.friendsofazhighways.com

Drive Madera Canyon, Greaterville and Beyond for a Rural Escape

EARLY IN MY DRIVE toward the western foothills of the Santa Rita Mountains, I spot a roadrunner. He darts in front of my car, stops to look at me, doesn't like what he sees, pumps his little cartoon feet and speeds away. To me, roadrunners are omens of the outback. Good omens. Even though I occasionally see them in town as well, and in this case the outback isn't that far out, I know this will be a good day.

How could it be otherwise on a miniadventure that includes real backcountry beauty, the wonderful silence of a rock canyon and some Wild West lore-with a dash of jalapeño barbecue sauce tossed in? More on that diabolical creation in a moment.

The trip, appropriate for passenger cars, starts 25.5 miles south of Tucson, just past Green Valley, where Interstate 19intersects Continental Road, Exit 63. I turn left (east) onto Continental, set my trip-odometer to zero, and drive one mile before turning right onto Whitehouse Canyon Road, or Forest Service Road 62.The first few miles on FR 62 pass homes and offices, and the road is paved. But civilization soon waves its temporary goodbye, and at roughly 8 miles I come to the intersection with Forest Service Road 70, which leads to Madera Canyon, 10 miles south, in the Coronado National Forest. Madera Canyon is worth a day's visit itself for its many hiking trails, beautiful country inns and a worldwide reputation for bird-watching. Birders love to spy such wonders as the elegant trogon, which, this past summer, nested in the back yard of the Chuparosa Inn, according to manager Jenni Tobias.

February is a quiet time at Madera, right before the hectic spring migration. That makes it perfect for first-time visitors.

"If you've never seen the canyon before, it really hits you how beautiful it is," says Tobias. Parking permits are $5 per vehicle.

After turning around at the canyon's dead end at mile 13.9, I drive back to the intersection of 62 and 70, where my odometer reads 19.5. I turn right (east) onto 62, also called Box Canyon Road, and pretty soon the Santa Rita Mountains dominate my windshield.

As the road climbs, the high-desert landscape throws on a richer coat of green, and a wonderful bit of scenery begins to take shape behind me. After veering left at Santa Rita Ranch, I see several views open up back toward Green Valley. The best viewpoint lies just beyond 23.9 miles, at the intersection of Forest Service Road 411. The road has climbed high enough to afford a look back at a grand stretch of the Santa Cruz River valley, probably encompassing 20 miles or more. It takes concentration for the naked eye to spot minuscule vehicles moving on the interstate, and the red-roofed homes resemble specks on a black-water lake. Mountains of purple and black impose their ragged peaks onto the blue of the far horizon, except where they're obscured by a bank of snowy clouds.

Here, at the base of the mountains, I re-enter the Coronado National Forest. For the next 3 miles, the road curls and tilts into Box Canyon, with drop-offs to the right that command attention. In some places on the left, rock walls border the road.

Butterflies dance against my windshield and a ground squirrel provides a natural NASCAR moment as it zigzags insanely in front of my car before disappearing into the grass.

This is a terrific place for a picnic and to enjoy the sight of barrel cacti topped by orange-red flowers, countless yellow butterflies darting about and the gentlest of winds making the tall grass wave. Even with the breeze, Box Canyon remains totally quiet, which allows me to rediscover the rare goodness of absolute silence.

At just under 30 miles, the history part of this drive begins. I reach the intersection of 62 and Forest Service Road 229, make a hard right turn and drive the 1.7 miles to the former mining town of Greaterville. Although what remains