Looks a little overdeveloped..........should have left room for expansion.

With all of the smoke, I don't think the ;picture taking will be all that great.

As I start my climb into the White Mts. I stop by Nelson Res.

It's pretty full,but not too much spilling over for down stream.

Nice concrete boat launch

Several areas for shore side fishermen or picnickers.

About 10% of AZ is high country

There is a pretty good amount of merchantable Ponderosa Pine

I'm not sure if the sustainable yield is enough to supply a sawmill or not.

The Meadow at Hannigan Meadows

The Hannigan Meadow Lodge

Perfect riding temps up here.

Too bad it's so smokey

This is Arizonas version of the Dragon. AKA, Coronado Trail, Devils Hwy, or Hwy 191

There is always a lot of discussion of which is the better road, Deals Gap (the real dragon) or the Coronado Trail.

Having just ridden both, here are my thoughts. The Dragon in NC is a great road. It is technical, pretty well maintained surface, but it is too crowded even midweek. Not only that but it is filled with people riding it that probably shouldn't even be on a motorcycle. The Coronado is just as technical, maybe even a little more so, but there are more little straight sections that allows one to regroup their thoughts. The road surface has decayed quite a bit since I last rode it and it really needs to be redone before one tries to attack it with vigor. One other thing, If you leave the highway on the Coronado you are probably going to die. Maybe not on the Dragon. Oh yeah, the Dragon is 11 miles and the Coronado is 60 and I only saw ten cars the whole time. Yes, I was actually counting. YMMV.

Many 1000' plus drop offs.

If you leave the road you will hit one of three things. Rock, Trees, or Cactus. Let see...............?

As you reach the end riding from N to S Morenci Mine comes into view as you start your descent from the top.

The road rewards right to the end.

Leaving the national forest area.

Not quite as spectacular as the Utah version, but still nice.

The last time I rode thru here they had done very little mining on this side of the road.

Looking into the pit on the other side of the road

This is the largest open pit copper mine in North America

These giant dumps use all their gears going up this mild grade.

They are supported on 8 huge tires.

They just keep coming one after another.

A lot of different colors, but all of it must contain copper 

My mind says this is probably the good stuff. Mike will probably straighten me out. :)

I believe it is more than a mile across this pit.

Heck, it could be five miles.

This is one of those big tires.

I actually backed the old girl until she touched the tire so as not to distort the perspective.

Spare dump beds for those trucks

Ore, or tailings are being moved across the road. Hmmm, at least nothing hit me as I rode under it.

Acres and acres and acres of buildings. 

I don't actually know if the produce ingots here or not, but it looks to me like they could.

Looks like a new bike trailer for Sherm.

It took him three light changes to cross the road.

Then I had to wait for the seconds one.

I really didn't mind, very entertaining for me.

This old church is in the town of Clifton, just south of Morenci mine.

Riding thru the oldest part of town I saw this 62 (I think) T-Bird. Not restored, but certainly unmolested.

A little hungry....

I stopped at Tyler's Taste of Texas.

Not much choice in tables, so I took the biggest one.

Probably the best catfish, jalapeno hush puppies, potato salad and creamed corn I've had.