BACK ROAD ADVENTURE

travel tips WARNING: This back road drive can be hazardous and is a full day over rarely traveled rocky dirt roads. There are no facilities on the route. Carry plenty of water and food for the trip. Be aware of road conditions, and make sure your vehicle is in top shape. Don't travel alone, and let someone at home know where you're going and when you plan to return. Odometer readings in the story may vary by vehicle. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Tonto National Forest, Cave Creek Ranger District, (480) 595-3300. I snagged me, but I was determined to seek an untamed, less-visited part of the river. The unpaved, 12-mile stretch of Horseshoe Dam Road, Forest Service Road 205, is passenger-car friendly and connects to a paved section that goes west toward [CLOCKWISE FROM TOP] Verde River Sheep Bridge provides hikers access to the Mazatzal Wilderness east of the river. Seven Springs offers plenty of places for camping or picnicking. Forest Service Road 269 winds across the desert to the Verde River. [OPPOSITE PAGE] Day's last light bathes the Verde in cooling shadows. I Carefree or east to the 27,000-acre Bartlett Reservoir.

took the road toward Carefree and after 5 miles drove north on Forest Service Road 24 toward Seven Springs. FR 24 quickly gives way to a well-maintained dirt road that climbs and dips through beautiful high-desert country, with saguaros, agaves, sun-burnished volcanic outcroppings and a rolling, jagged view to the far horizon. After 9 miles on 24, you reach Seven Springs-a delightful, little-known oasis shaded by more leafy cottonwoods and sycamores. Hopis have always made kachina dolls from the roots of the cottonwood, perhaps because their gnarled shapes and the green exuberance of the tree's canopy against the harsh desert seem like a prayer. Underground rock formations force water to the surface along this segment of Seven Springs Wash, nourishing gigantic trees that provide cool picnicking and camping spots in the heat of summer. After you pass Seven Springs, the road narrows and develops rough patches that favor a high-clearance vehicle. At about 14 miles from the springs, the road runs along a canyon harboring an intermittent stream and more lush cottonwoods and sycamores, now joined by ash and mesquite trees. I pulled off to one side and climbed down under the trees for lunch, attended by the cheerful trickle of water. Some 17 miles north of Seven Springs, FR 24 encounters Bloody Basin Road, FR 269, now 26 miles from the pavement's end. Here you have three choices. You can head for Interstate 17 on Bloody Basin Road. That's a winding 20-mile drive on a mostly well-graded route that harbors occasional gullies I'd hate to tackle in a passenger car. This road leads across a high grassy mesa and several shallow canyons. One story holds that Bloody Basin earned its name when settlers gave a Tonto Apache band several sacks of corn laced with strychnine-and the relatives of the poisoned band sought revenge. Another story claims the region got its name after a narrow suspension bridge over a deep canyon collapsed under the weight of a crossing sheep herd. After a few hundred yards, you also can go north on FR 16, which winds through wildly rough country for 28 miles before it reaches the Verde River. But it's a rough road that rattles for mile after mile over tire-puncturing, sharpedged rocks. Don't tackle it without four-wheel drive, two spare tires and a tire patch kit (a bicycle pump and a can of liquid tire patch you spray inside the tube). Also, tell someone where you're going and take enough supplies to enjoy being broken down overnight. Or, you could head east on 269 as I did for a slow and rugged 12 miles to the Verde River. The road starts down into the jagged valley the patient Verde has created, crossing beautiful little canyons with intermittent streams. This section of the route is close kin to off-road driving. It requires a high-clearance four-wheel-drive vehicle that can do some boulder climbing, and a lot of patience. The road gets rougher and rockier as it progresses toward the river, but offers a spectacular view of the Verde and the rows of jagged mountain ranges that surround it. After picking my way slowly down the rocky, switchbacking, narrow road, I came at last to the Verde, an extravagant miracle in the bristling landscape. A sturdy suspension bridge spans the 40-yard-wide stream, an upgrade of the previously mentioned bridge built long ago by shepherds to move their flocks across the river. The road ends there, and you have to go far upriver to Childs at very low water or even farther downriver to the paved bridges to cross. Dusty, well-jounced and hot from the long day on dirt roads, I wasted no time in peeling off my clothes and plunging into the Verde. I suspect I've been at some point in my life submerged in wetter, more refreshing waterbut I can't recall the time. All I clearly remember is floating along in the Verde's gentle current around a bend, close up against a rock wall and beneath the implausible outline of Sheep Bridge-utterly content. I can't say exactly how long I lounged in the hot sand on the river's bank. I know it was long enough to see a bald eagle sweep overhead on a down-canyon patrol-and long enough after that to watch a summer tanager flit through the upper branches of a bankside cottonwood, so vivid and red it nearly stopped my heart. And so now when I dream of the Verde River, it's in color. AH

experience. arizona LEARN TO PHOTOGRAPH GRAND CANYON LIGHT PATTERNS

July workshop participants will focus on the dramatic light caused by the Grand Canyon's shifting weather conditions. Peter Ensenberger, director of photography for Arizona Highways, will lead the five-day workshop.

During the workshop sponsored by the Friends of Arizona Highways, Ensenberger will demonstrate how to translate the annual summer storm clouds and rainbows over the Canyon into colorfully lit photographs.

The workshop will be held from July 26 to 30 on the Canyon's remote North Rim, giving participants access to Cape Royal, Point Imperial and other dramatic viewpoints. The group will stay in cabins on the North Rim.

For more information on this or other upcoming workshops, call the Friends of Arizona Highways at (602) 712-2004, or toll-free at (888) 790-7042.

To view photography portfolios by workshop leaders and for information on other programs, visit the Friends of Arizona Highways Web site at www.friendsofazhighways.com.

OTHER PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOPS

July 20-25 Summer Wildflowers

September 6-10 Spirits of the Navajo

September 24-28 Slot Canyons

October 4-8 Autumn at the North Rim

COMING UP ROSES

April 13-14; Tombstone Nellie Cashman, an "Irish rose" from County Cork, emigrated to the United States in the 1860s and, a few years later, headed west. During her stint in Arizona, Nellie's kindness and generosity earned her several nicknames, including Miner's Angel and the Angel of Tombstone. Biographer Don Chaput described her as "pretty as a Victorian cameo and, when necessary, tougher than two-penny nails."

The 2002 Rose Festival honors Cashman with a rose parade, picnic basket auction and a best-tasting-cake contest. Information: (520) 457-9317.

GO FLY A KITE

April 27-28; Springerville Kite-flying originated in Asia and ancient Egypt, but kites have soared a long way from the early paper-and-stick days. Today, kites come in a variety of designs, colors and sizes and are flown competitively as well as for carefree fun. Although a leisurely afternoon in the park may spring to mind when thinking of these colorful creations, they have also played a role in historical scientific experiments, among them investigations of atmospheric electricity, meteorology and military observations.

While not officially known as "the windy city," Springerville makes the charts as one of breeziest places in the United States. Competitive kite-flyers, amateurs and spectators will enjoy the mountain town's fresh air at Windfest 2002 and Kite Festival at Springerville Municipal Airport. Information: (928) 333-2123.

BEHIND THE SCENES

April 6; Tucson Founded in 1893 on the University of Arizona campus, Arizona State Museumthe oldest and largest anthropology museum in the Southwest-houses an extensive collection of Indian artifacts from prehistoric to contemporary cultures of the Southwest.

To take a behind-the-scenes look at the museum's world-renowned collections, visit the Arizona State Museum Annual Open House. Tour the storage rooms, explore the archaeology labs, browse the book sale and participate in traditional Indian activities, including pinch pot-making, spear-throwing and corn-grinding. Information: (520) 621-6302.

Winner of the Chance-of-aLifetime amateur photography contest sponsored by the Friends of Arizona Highways, Douglas Basco of Cleveland captured reflections of morning light at Buck Farm Canyon at Grand Canyon National Park.

A COUNTY AFFAIR

April 18-28; Tucson In 1807, Massachu-setts merchant Elkanah Watson set a trend in agricultural fairs when he exhibited his prize sheep in the Pittsfield town square. Taking his new focus on animal husbandry, annual county fairs spread through rural America. These fairs continue today, awarding prizes for livestock, produce, homemade foods and crafts.

Pima County celebrates its rich agricultural heritage, which began in A.D. 100 with the farming of the Hohokam Indians, at the 92nd Annual Pima County Fair. Horse shows, 4-H exhibitions, arts and crafts displays, a petting zoo, barbecue and entertainment highlight the fun. Information: (520) 762-3247.

Other Events

Spring Festival of the Arts; April 5-7; Tempe; (480) 967-4877. Entertainment and food on Mill Avenue.

Exploring the Canyons of the Colorado Plateau; April 9; Glendale; (623) 930-3844. Author Craig Childs and photographer Gary Ladd.

Arizona Outback Spring Fiddlefest; April 19-21; Salome; (928) 859-3346. Bluegrass and country music.

Mining Country Boom Town Spree; April 19-21; Miami; (928) 425-4495. Mining competitions and a wild bed race.

Arizona's Longest Hole; April 20; Topock; (928) 7685432. One-mile, one-hole golf tournament with prizes.

Celebration of Earth Day; April 21; Bisbee; (520) 4325421. Music performances, crafts and natural foods.

Grand Canyon Forests Festival; April 27-May 4; Flagstaff; toll-free (800) 842-7293. Nature walks and workshops.