BACK ROAD ADVENTURE

Old Coppermine Trading Post Keeps a Lonely Vigil in Navajoland

NIP IN THE air signals snow in the high country, but I'm in Page at an elevation of 4,300 feet, and snow won't reach here. I'm off to explore an old trading post called Coppermine, site of an abandoned copper mine on the Navajo Indian Reservation. flat-topped mesas that characterize Navajoland. A sign warns that the pavement ends 11.5 miles ahead, but this is a well-maintained school bus route.

Storm clouds put on a show that Navajo photographer LeRoy DeJolie calls “dancing light.” Like a stage spotlight, the sun lances through clouds to highlight first one scene, then another. This country is hundreds of square miles of sandstone weather-sculpted into red and white pinnacles, buttes and cliffs. What isn't sandstone is plain sand held in place by bluegray sagebrush.

As I begin the drive southward on Indian Route 20, morning sun showcases the Driving and gawking at scenery isn't safe, so after a few miles I stop. Navajo Mountain, at 10,388 feet elevation, looms to the northeast, while the Navajo Generating Plant sits east of Page near 186-mile long Lake Powell. Westward, the Vermilion Cliffs rise sharply above the Colorado River.

The road climbs steadily across the Kaibito Plateau. Utah junipers appear as dark green splotches. I pass White Dome Tank and pull off at an interesting white cliff. My heart and tires both sink as I realize this sand is deep. My truck pulls out, but I make a mental note to avoid sand. Soon the paved highway turns into a hard-packed road covered by a squishy layer of sand flanked by soft, sandy shoulders. You can traverse this road in a passenger car in dry weather if you avoid the shoulders, but beware of fishtailing.

Turning right onto Indian Route 6210 after 19 miles, I follow the road west .3 mile to the abandoned Coppermine Trading Post. Mining claims for ore in the area were filed in 1892, but copper mining was stymied by 110 miles of rough country to Flagstaff, the nearest railhead. Sand covered 25 miles of that route, making wagon travel impossible.

Tests in 1905 proved the turquoise rock a rich 32 percent-grade copper, but investors balked at the cost of building a railroad. World War I created a copper shortage, sparking new interest in the mine. So when the Caterpillar tractor promised to solve the sand problem, investors ordered a dozen. Bobsberg, a town named for general manager Robert Mitchell, sprang up near the mine.

The Caterpillars worked through the sand, pulling 10 ore cars at 5 mph. At war's end, copper prices plunged and the ore petered out. By 1918, the company had financial woes, and in 1924 the last Caterpillars were sold for back taxes.

The mine reopened sporadically. Local resident John C. Begay recalls, “There were no other jobs, so I worked there from 1963 to '65.” John Lane, 75, of the Many Goats Clan, remembers the hard manual labor required to load the copper into the cargo cars. But all efforts failed, andin the 1980s the mine was covered and the land reclaimed. Only a white hill resembling a sand dune remains.

The Coppermine Trading Post lasted until the 1980s. Wilford Lane remembers, “Canned goods and merchandise lined the walls with a counter in the middle. The trader stood behind the counter, and customers pointed at what they wanted. Navajos charged items and paid up when they sold fall lambs or wool in the spring.” The now-abandoned trading post, a dark wooden building with a white sign above the door, is attached to a sandstone building studded with turquoise-colored ore. A rock patio and short stone walls provided outside seating for customers. Other small buildings, including a rock hogan, served as living quarters or storage. Rotting tiresand a pile of rusting orange metal remain from a tractor, and a pine board outhouse lies tipped over.

Piñon trees grow at this 6,300-foot elevation with wild four-o'clocks, Mormon tea and an out-of-place elm tree. It is eerily quiet. A gust of wind rattles a tin door and I jump, spooked by Coppermine ghosts.

Leaving behind the silent spirits, I backtrack the short distance on Indian 6210 and turn south on 20 again. The road, now narrow and rough, allows only 25 mph. Within a few minutes, I turn right onto a well-traveled but unnumbered road leading to Coppermine Chapter House. (I later learned there's a better route to the chapter house; see “Route Finder” on opposite page.) White rock formations are cracked in checkerboard patterns, and hoodoo pillars rise

Luckily Ron Wood, an APS employee out checking equipment, takes pity on me. After an hour of shoveling and pulling, he rescues me and I meekly head another mile to the chapter house. Chapter houses serve much like town halls and are a meeting place for local Navajos. A windmill provides water in this high desert.

From this point, I head west to meet U.S. Route 89. As I pass through an open gate, I bear right. The unsigned road soon connects with 6210 at a Y intersection.

A sign lists U.S. 89 as 14 miles away. There are some rough washboards, and I'm tempted to drive in the smoother shoulder until I remember that sand.

Approximately three hours after leaving Page, including the time I was stuck, I hit U.S. 89 at Milepost 530. Sand turns to pavement and glowering clouds part, lighting the Echo Cliffs in red glory.

As I watch nature's display, I remember life is a circle. Sand hardens to sandstone, then wears away back to sand, then sandstone again.

In an eon or two, there will be another sandstone formation here. Maybe that sand that captured me will be called the Janet Sandstone Formation. Then again, maybe not. Also from the sand. Wanting a closer look, I foolishly pull off onto a sandy side road. It is my downfall. The bottomless sand traps my four-wheel drive and I'm hopelessly stuck. My cell phone reads "No service." Adding to my misery, clouds that earlier produced dancing light, now sprinkle cold raindrops.

route finder

VEHICLE REQUIREMENTS: Dirt roads accessible by passenger cars in dry weather. WARNING: Do not pull onto soft sand on shoulders. Be aware of weather and road conditions. Carry plenty of water. Don't travel alone, and let someone know where you're going and when you plan to return. TRAVEL ADVISORY: Navajo Nation permits are not needed as long as you stay on numbered roads. To hike or camp, get a permit. Please respect the Navajo people's privacy. Do not remove anything. Food and lodging are available in Page. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Navajo Nation Parks and Recreation, (928) 871-6636; Page Chamber of Commerce, toll-free (888) 261-7243, www.page-lakepowell.com.