10/10/98 Evelyn on her new ATV. It's a Kawasaki Bayou 300. We decided to take a short trip through Butterfield Pass for her first ATV outing. She caught on pretty quickly and really enjoyed the ride. It was a bit warm (95 F), and the notorious Arizona 'dry heat' had us gulping drinks often. A six-pack of soda was just enough for the 1-1/2 - 2 hour ride. Butterfield pass is about 40 miles south west of Phoenix, between Gila Bend and Mobile, if you have a map. The Butterfield Stage Coach line used to travel through here on its way between Tucson and Yuma. I ride the 3-wheeler. It's a 1985 Honda 200cc. It's a nice little 'mule', but not as comfortable as Evelyn's Kawasaki. The large Saguaro cactus in the background is probably 250-300 years old. By the way, who says Arizona's all brown?

Same trip. Near the top of the pass is a basin, holding a very large Saguaro 'forest' There are literally hundreds of them here, if not thousands. They go to the far end of the basin, to the base of the mountains in the distance, probably 2-3 miles. On the other side of the road the basin is a Federally protected Wilderness area. You can hike or ride horses there, but no wheeled or motorized transportation is allowed.

The sign explains things pretty well. 95 degrees and wearing a jacket? The low humidity keeps you cool as long as you keep drinking something. Feels like 80 degrees back east. The jacket protects you against sunburn and helps prevent 'road rash' if you 'unexpectedly dismount' the bike. The signs throughout the area were erected mostly by the Boy Scouts of America. Others by the US Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The Boy Scouts in Arizona are probably 90 percent sponsored by Mormon churches.

Evelyn hates this picture. Her expression was caught by accident. She's leaning on my 3-wheeler, with the Butterfield Stage Lines 'Happy Camp' water cistern in the background behind the fence. The white sign in the shape of a cow head commemorates the Mormon Battalion. This group was originally formed to fight in the war with Mexico, beginning in 1846.

Evelyn blocking traffic. Seriously, we only saw one other vehicle all day. This is a remote area. Have YOU ever been to an area where the next nearest human being is 5-10 miles away? It gives you a wonderful feeling of FREEDOM! That's why I love it here. You are free, but must be careful and self-reliant. Help is hours away. Butterfield Pass is in the background, behind the two-humped mountain, where the sky gets closest to the ground. It's about 4-5 miles in the distance.

Tumblin' along with the tumblin' tumble weeds.