APACHE MOUNTAIN WONDERLAND

The Fort Apache Indian Reservation lo-cated in the White Mountains of Arizona contains 1,664,827 acres of forest and range lands. It is the largest privately-owned recreation area in the West where the public is invited to enjoy the forest and fishing streams and lakes at little expense. Climate and topography of the Reservation ranges from semi-desert to sub-alpine with elevations from 2,700 feet on lower Salt River, over 11,000 on Mt. Baldv, located on the eastern reservation boundary where often deep snow banks remain the year around. At elevations below 6,000 feet the principal trees are oak, juniper, cedars and piñion. Between 6,000 and 8,500 feet is found a mixture of cork-bark, alpine, white and Doug-las firs, Mexican, Ponderosa and Chihuahua pines. In the high mountain country above 10,000 feet are fine stands of Colorado blue spruce. At about 8,000 feet and over are found aspen groves sprung up in areas burned by forest fires of fifty years ago or more. Through the high roadless spruce, fir and aspen areas, one may find truly wilderness conditions totally devoid of signs of civilization except for a few blazed trails.

Descending to a lower level a visitor will find places of interest at every turn of the road, some natural and some man-made.

As one enters the lower open country he can see nestled on a promontory, at the junction of the East and North forks of the White river, the first military post established on the Reservation. This Fort was established about 1870 when Chief Alchesay was but a stripling. The Fort, in its day, was a large cavalry and Infantry post. The entire officers row is still in use as is the old Post Head-quarters. General Crook's log cabin home is intact. The old parade ground where troopers once carried on "mon-key drill" and where troops once stood at attention while Old Glory was being raised and lowered is now a football field for the Theodore Roosevelt Boarding School, pupils now occupying the Old Fort. There is still a vestage of the old telegraph line once strung on iron posts from the railhead at Holbrook to old Fort Bowie. One can also see traces of the old military road from Fort Apache to Fort Thomas, the deep ruts cut in solid rock from the wagon wheels at the Black River crossing have stood the ravages of time.

Four miles up stream from the Fort is the Whiteriver Agency, the seat of government for the vast Reservation. Appended to it now is a large Public School for Apache children. Many of these boys and girls still proudly claim names that come from clans dating far back through the years. About eighteen miles further north on State High-way 73 can be seen another historic landmark, the old home of Colonel Corydon Cooley.

If one takes the time to leave the beaten path of U. S. Highway 60, which crosses the western part of the Reser-vation, he can drive on a graveled road from the Carrizo Cutoff to the top of Cibecue Mountain. From the top of this mountain he can view the broad expanse of the Cibecue Valley. Cibecue Valley is the home of the largest Apache settlement on the Reservation. The present upper Cibecue Lutheran Mission is located on the site of the so-called Cibecue Massacre. Here was fought the only real battle on the Reservation during the Indian Wars in Ari-zona.

Leaving Cibecue one again goes back to Whiteriver UPPER LOG ROAD NORTHFORK TROUT CREEK U.S. FISH CUL. STA. BLUE LAKE LONE PINE NO. 2 LOWER LOG ROAD NORTHFORK ROBERTS RANCH BIG DIAMOND CR. LITTLE DIAMOND CA. WOOLSEY LAKE