Tranquility in the Verde Canyon

by

Words & Photos by William Ennis

It gets harder and harder to find quiet places, especially near large cities, but the steep-walled Verde Canyon with its colourful sedimentary rock layers is a perfect place to visit, and still be close to civilization.

The Colorado River cuts through the high, broad, fairly flat Colorado Plateau from which it carved the Grand Canyon. The Colorado Plateau features many miles of red rock, gaining it the name of the Red Rock Country. To the south, the plateau falls off abruptly in cliffs in a 193 km (120 mi) stretch, called the Mogollon Rim. To the west, the Verde River channeled through the Mogollon Plateau exposing similar layers to those in the Grand Canyon, creating the Verde Canyon.

The town of Clarkdale is situated at the southern entrance to Verde Canyon at the base of a mountain of copper ore. A Mr. Clark, who had interests in the mining community, thought it would be a good idea to smelt the ore in the open, flatter area at the base of the mountain. He designed Clarkdale, a town with a master plan for all the housing and supply needs of a large workforce.

The success of his venture depended upon having a cheap and reliable route to sell the ore. Not being hamstrung by government actions and protesters, he looked at the Verde Canyon as being a fairly level route north to the railroad. All he had to do was build the connecting link of the railway. He used his own money to build 61 km (38 mi) of standard gauge railway from Clarkdale to Drake on the main rail line of the Santa Fe Railway.

That was not easy. He had to squeeze between the river and the cliff. He had to carve a bench on which to lay the tracks, yet could not push all the debris into the river and risk plugging it. He had to be far enough from the cliff to avoid landslides that might destroy a train and tracks. One thing it was not going to be, was straight. He had to build many curves in the railway, and he was using standard gauge tracks which don't hug cliffs on corners the way narrow gauge tracks do. He began in 1911 and finished the next year.

Thirty-eight miles of difficult track laid by 250 men, using the old horse-drawn scrapers, men with picks, and black powder for the explosives. That was risky blasting! There was one long tunnel of 207 m (680 ft) and a long trestle across a side canyon. The cost, $1.3 million which would be almost $40 million today. His railway carried everything from people to freight used at the mine, supplies for the people living in the area, and the smelted product away to market.

Then came the end. Easily-mined copper ore was gone, the mines closed and there was very little freight to keep the railway running profitably. In 1988 it was purchased by a man who had a vision. He rode the train through Verde Canyon and decided it was a gem, and that people would pay to visit it. A trainload pulled out of Clarkdale station in November of 1990 to become the first visitors who came just to join an excursion through the canyon.

The Verde Canyon excursion train stops just out of the canyon to the north at a whistle-stop named Perkinsville and consists of a 4 hour, 64 km (40-mile) round trip through the most scenic parts of the Verde Canyon. It's a very popular trip with nearly 100,000 people per year enjoying the pristine beauty of the Verde River Canyon.

Upon your arrival at the depot in Clarkdale, take a stroll through this old Spanish-style structure to the gift shop where you will find the Ticket and Information counter. After checking on your tickets head outside and walk along the walkways. Look for the old rail coach that now acts as their museum. Although it's not very large, it contains a model showing part of the railway, and some artifacts of the area. If you've allowed enough time, the mounted panels on the wall contain a lot of information about the history of the area.

If you are riding First Class, expect comfortable seats in a home parlour seating style, plus a row of tables and chairs against one side. When choosing your seats, keep in mind that when the train reaches Perkinsville, the engine unhooks and goes around to the rear of the train and re-hooks. The passenger coaches will now travel backward on the return trip to Clarkdale. If you are seated on the riverside going, you will still be on the same side returning. Select whichever view, cliff or river, that you prefer before you start. You can, of course, head down the train to the open-air cars where you can stand in the open and get really good views of the canyon and the river.

First Class riders can expect a glass of champagne when they arrive, and a host of small snacks, maybe even some really good cookies.

As you leave the depot you will pass through a man-made canyon. This is the area where the red, hot, melted slag poured out from the containers transporting it from the smelter. It spread out forming an area that looks like a volcanic lava flow. Workmen built a wall, faced with corrugated roofing steel, to stop the flow from spreading onto the track. You can see the outline of the steel in the slag as you pass along.

Soon you begin to enter the depths of the canyon. Throughout the trip, staff will be expounding on the history, geology, and animal life along the route. You can already see the wilderness being nibbled away. Across the river are some homes and parked RVs. Fortunately, this is only in the first few miles.

The winding Verde River has carved through the plateau exposing many sedimentary layers, of varying colours. Sometimes you get the perfect mix of blue sky, white fluffy clouds, as a background to the brightly coloured rock. Just below is the river, lined with a green canopy, often some green grassy areas near the water. This is desert country and most life flourishes along the water's edge. Each turn in the river provides a new arrangement of the upcoming cliffs and rocky layers.

When you arrive at the end, at Perkinsville, take a moment to reflect on the life of Mr. Perkins who arrived here from the east with a large family, and a small herd of cows, to create a ranch and a home in the midst of the wilderness. What a challenge they must have faced!

The Verde Canyon is a peaceful place for a quiet afternoon of discovery. It's a bit of a drive from southern Arizona winter resorts, but definitely worth the effort. Visitors here often enjoy the hospitality of the Blazin M Chuckwagon supper and Western Stage show at nearby Cottonwood, or even drive over to the colourful rocks of Sedona.

For Your Information:

The trip https://verdecanyonrr.com/journey/

Blazin M Chuckwagon Supper and Western Show https://www.blazinm.com/

Visit Sedona https://visitsedona.com/