TAKING THE OFF-RAMP

taking the off-ramp Ironies of History

An unidentified black “Buffalo Soldier” poses with three unnamed Apache scouts, on the sharp edge of the bitter contradictions that attended the Indian Wars in the United States. After the Civil War, many blacks headed west to start a new, free life. Many joined an all-black cavalry unit based at Fort Huachuca and spent years chasing Apache raiders like Geronimo. Commanded by white officers, the black soldiers faced many of the same racist attitudes as the Apaches they hunted. In a final twist, only the use of Apache scouts from other bands enabled the cavalry units to track the renegades. The Indians dubbed the black enlisted men “Buffalo Soldiers” because of their courage, tenacity, combat prowess and appearance on the battlefield. — Sharlot Hall Museum

The Chase for Butterflies

IF YOU NOTICE adults chasing butterflies along the historic streets of Patagonia or in Ramsey Canyon in southern Arizona, don't be alarmed. They're like census volunteers, only they're counting butterflies.

Each year, the North American Butterfly Association (NABA) sponsors butterfly counts, in which volunteers conduct a one-day census of all the elusive, airborne lepidoptera they can spot, chase or stalk in a 15-mile diameter. During a past census, folks logged 5,609 butterflies-everything from acacia skippers and acmon blues to variegated fritillaries and Western pygmy-blues in the Patagonia, Portal and Ramsey Canyon areas.

While NABA conducts most butterfly counts nationwide on the Fourth of July, Arizona's headcount occurs in August.

Information: Southeast Arizona Butterfly Association, (520) 742-0071, www.naba.org/chapter/nabasa/home. html. -Lori K. Baker

off-ramp Swimming the Colorado River in Grand Canyon

FIFTY YEARS AGO this month, insurance salesmen Bill Beer and John Daggett successfully swam through Grand Canyon wearing wet suits and long johns for insulation and military neoprene packs for storage. The idea came from a mutual friend, John Bursell, in a discussion of the dangers of such a hairbrained swim.

The going was hypothermic in the 60-degree water and especially rough when John was trapped briefly under a boulder in President Harding Rapid in Marble Canyon. The deafening rapids beat them against boulders. Swimming at eye level limited vision and planning. The partners would disappear from sight as each left the naturally occurring pool of water, sometimes called a lake, before each rapid.

When Bill and John exited the Canyon at the South Rim's Bright Angel Trail to unload movie film, the National Park Service attempted to halt the remainder of the trip. The men had been feared lost, and the media had learned of the story.

Bill said with excitement, "We probably know 50 guys who, if you stop us, will be up here next week jumping in trying to be the first ones down. We already made it this far. We've a lot better chance of finishing than anybody you know. So if you don't let us through, you're going to be swamped."

Grand Canyon National Park Superintendent John McLaughlin advised against the remainder of the swim, but legally could not stop them. "We can't stop you fellows . . . but we don't want you to go through."

The duo battled the 280 pre-Glen Canyon Dam river miles from Lee's Ferry to Lake Mead in 26 days, frying Spam in a skillet over driftwood fires. Today, the National Park Service prohibits swimming in the Colorado River. - Flood Hefley

Plants That Heal

CHARLES KANE combines his love of plants and 15 years of experience with herbal medicine in his recently published Herbal Medicine of the American Southwest. The comprehensive field guide to plants from acacia to yucca instructs on collection, preparation and use of the Southwest's botanical bounty. Each plant's chemical makeup, medicinal uses and distribution are detailed in an accessible format.

Kane believes one must interact with the land to truly understand it. Part folk medicine, part scientific study, Herbal Medicine is enhanced with more than 250 detailed color photographs and 80 vivid watercolors by Frank S. Rose, who has been painting wildflowers and other plants for decades and is a signature member of the Southern Arizona Watercolor Guild.

Information: www. tcbmed.com/book/ herbmed_am_so.html. -Kimberly Hosey

Wish Upon a Star

POTTER MARTHA KELLY captures nature's colorful palette in her Patagonia studio, putting pigment to clay in slashes of brilliant blues, bold purples and bright greens. In addition to her studio work at Shooting Star Pottery, the artist teaches classes to Santa Cruz County's disadvantaged youths and offers evening workshops for local adults. Under her tutelage, students discover every aspect of creating their own clay masterpieces, Information: (520) 394-2752. -Carrie M. Miner

Time

HERE, GERONIMO FINALLY gave himself up to roam no more forever.

Here, the one-armed Maj. John Wesley Powell's heart plunged at the roar of the rapid.

Here, the ferociously brave Gus Begold died with an arrow in his gut.

Here, the relentless Massai launched his murderous one-man war.

Here in Skeleton Canyon, in the Grand Canyon, in Prescott, in the Chiricahua Mountains, great and ruthless people did brave and terrible things.

Why is it that we yearn to stand in that same place, hear that same roar, glimpse that Online Find 18 of our favorite Arizona history travel destinations at arizonahighways.com (Click on "August Trip Planner").

MODERN ADVENTURERS FOLLOW THE PATH OF RENEGADES, REBELS AND ONE-ARMED HEROES Travel

same bend of the river? They have been dead a hundred years or more, yet when we find the precise spot they stood, it still chills our spines. Perhaps it is because we travel first in our minds and only then seek the landscapes of our imaginations. Whatever the explanation, history travel is booming-especially here in the West, which played such a vital role in national culture and character.