Coronado National Memorial and Montezuma Pass

 Wednesday, March 17, 2021 (part two)

As I mentioned at the end of the last blog this is why we could see smoke. There was nothing to indicate we needed to be cautious, that we might not get through, or we should turn around, so we continued ahead. 

I found this information on The Forest Service - Coronado National Forest Facebook page:

March 17, 2021
Border II Prescribed Burn on the Sierra Vista Ranger District proceeding nicely. All edges black lined today. Tomorrow will burn interior of the 1,821-acre project. Burn is 1.5 miles west of Montezuma Pass. Smoke will be visible.

March 18, 2021
Border II prescribed burn on the Sierra Vista Ranger District is complete. Crews are monitoring and will be mopping up hot spots tomorrow. Smoke may be visible tomorrow. 
Another success story in reducing the amount of excess vegetation on the landscape for multiple benefits!

Joaquin Creek

Sycamore Canyon

Yes, there are two guys ahead of us on bikes.

Still going up we could see Doug's Wrangler 

across the canyon from us.

We are stopped while they check to make sure we can

continue forward. Turning around here would not have been

 fun. As I recall we were about five miles from our goal.

Doug's Jeep occasionally disappeared totally into the smoke.

There was a lot of smoke.

Each time I rolled the window down to take a quick picture

I could feel the heat and ashes came in.

We stopped here and got out briefly to look around and

catch our breath. Not a ride I would care to take again.

We could still see the smoke but no flames at this point.

Looking across towards Mexico we could see the smoke haze

and areas that had been burnt with some still smoldering.

Leaving the National Forest Land behind we are almost

to the top and the Coronado National Memorial.

Montezuma Pass

This is the 3rd time we have stood and looked down at this

pass. I wrote about it and the Memorial on our first visit.

If you are interested, click here.

The road we just came up on.

We made it.

 Heading down.

 Down and back on paved roads.

The Entrance to the Memorial.

This was the second time we took this entire ride, the first

time was November 27, 2015 and we started here.

Today this is were we ended. 

Looking out from the parking in front of the sign you can

see the cottonwoods along the San Pedro River.

The border wall is visible along with Mexico in the distance.

Some of the history of the Coronado National Memorial 

Official statements indicate that it was initially designed as a gesture of goodwill and cooperation between the United States and Mexico, through the recognition of Coronado's 1540 expedition to the area. For example, in 1939 the House Committee on Foreign Affairs noted:

As a result of this expedition, what has been truly characterized by historians as one of the greatest land expeditions the world has known, a new civilization was established in the great American Southwest.

And E. K. Burlew, Acting Secretary of the Interior added in 1940:

To commemorate permanently the explorations of Francisco Vásquez de Coronado. . .would be of great value in advancing the relationship of the United States and Mexico upon a friendly basis of cultural understanding. . . [It would] stress the history and problems of the two countries and would encourage cooperation for the advancement of their common interests.

Thus the site was first designated Coronado International Memorial on August 18, 1941, with the hope that a comparable adjoining area would be established in Mexico. The arrangement might have been similar to the Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park between the United States and Canada. However, despite interest by the government of Mexico, the Mexican memorial was never created, therefore Congress changed the authorized designation to a national memorial on July 9, 1952. The memorial was established by Harry S. Truman on November 5 of that year. As with all historic areas administered by the National Park Service, the national memorial was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 15, 1966.

As I mentioned above this was the second time we had taken this ride, though it was our third visit to the Coronado National Memorial. We also visited on February 4, 2017 that blog is here. Every time we have visited I have looked up information about this memorial and added something new. Today's information is above.

As we left the Memorial we decided to go our separate ways and meet back at home. Doug was going to make a quick stop for a few groceries and we needed to stop at Walgreens for prescriptions. Plus, we had a package at the Post Office in Huachuca City to pick up.  After a long day we turned into the entrance to Las Cienegas National Conservation Area off of AZ-82. Riding along we could not believe it grazing on a hill near the road we spotted two Pronghorns. Not the large group Nancy, Kissack Adventures, saw on her way in to visit but we were still happy to spot them.

Then a little ways down the road we saw cattle.

The Whetstone Mountains in the distance. 

Back home Yuma is patiently waiting for Tom 

to come out with a treat.

We would have to say this was certainly an interesting day and one filled with beautiful views. It was special to share the day with Doug and Yuma; a day to tuck away in our memory book as a good day.

We are glad you stopped by!

If you have time to leave a comment we would enjoy hearing from you.