crEasing into Retirement: Road Trip

It has been 8 years since the two of us have traveled Apache Trail from Apache Junction to the Roosevelt Dam and Lake and onto Globe and back to Gold Canyon. It is a 120 mile loop. Eight years ago we rode with a couple from WI, in their truck. We enjoyed the scenery on that trip, but agreed after traveling the narrow gravel switch-back roads, we did not have to make the trip anytime soon. I guess eight years qualifies as not too soon. Lil' Red was up to the challenge.

For those who don't know, the Apache Trail was first a stagecoach trail through the Superstition Mountains and later used to build the Roosevelt Dam. "It (the dam) was originally constructed between 1905 and 1911 to control the erratic flow of the Salt River and to harness the water for irrigation." Teams of mules used the mountainous path along the Salt River to bring materials and supplies during the construction years. Today, the Apache Trail winds steeply through 40 miles of rugged desert mountains and past deep reservoir lakes. The narrow, winding road is unpaved for almost half the miles. There are steep cliff drops and little in the way of safety barriers. This is state highway 88. After Wednesday's trip we can add wash board to most of the gravel road.

Canyon Lake

Four Peaks in the background

Yellow flowers

Apache Lake

An excellent place for lunch or dinner

A cardinal played hide-and-seek with me

The restaurant...great food!

18 or 23 mile long lake on the Salt River water system

map on the wall in the marina

Pulpit's purpose...holding the menus in the dining room

Rifle, plaque & photo of Poncho Villa

on the dining room wall

An interesting aside...

"(The events of the Mexican border incident are described below in this story by Robert Webb, Master Sgt. (ret), Aberdeen, SD.)

During the early years of the 20th century, South Dakota was experiencing a quiet existence which not even the outbreak of war in Europe in 1914 could disturb. Then, on March 9, 1916, Francisco "Pancho" Villa led a force of Mexican irregulars in an attack on Columbus, New Mexico, killing 19 Americans. This episode had reverberations in South Dakota on June 18, 1916, when President Woodrow Wilson ordered the mobilization of the 4th South Dakota Infantry Regiment for service on the Mexican Border. Colonel Boyd Wales, who had served as Color Sergeant with the 1st South Dakota Infantry Regiment in the Philippine Islands in 1898-99, commanded the regiment.

On June 23, 1916 the 4th South Dakota Infantry Regiment, consisting of units from Hot Springs, Selby, Rapid City, Ipswich, Pierre, Sioux Falls, Brookings, Parker, Canton, Mitchell, Redfield, Faulkton, Lemmon, Yankton, and Aberdeen, assembled at the state mobilization point at Camp Hagman near Redfield. On June 30th, the Guardsmen took the National Defense Act Oath which bound them to serve on active duty for a period of up to three years. One month later the regiment was ordered to San Benito, Texas, a small town of about 2,300 people, 11 miles north of Brownsville, which with the exception of Miami, Florida, is the southernmost town in the continental limits of the United States. At San Benito the regiment was brigaded with the 26th U.S. Infantry Regiment and the National Guard regiments from Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Tennessee. Colonel Robert L. Bullard, a regular Army officer commanded the brigade. For seven months, the 4th South Dakota Infantry Regiment served along the Rio Grande River, on guard duty and in training maneuvers with "Bullard's Brigade."

During this monotonous period of "watching waiting" not one single act of hostility was committed by Mexicans in the area assigned to the South Dakotans. On Feb. 18, 1917, the 4th South Dakota Infantry Regiment left San Benito for Ft. Crook, near Omaha, Neb. There, on March 3, 1917, it was mustered out of Federal service and back into the South Dakota National Guard. Within a few weeks of its return to South Dakota the regiment was again mobilized for service in World War 1."