I've been on Highway 60 through Queen Creek Canyon more times than I can count since I was kid. It's always been a fascinating place with the steep rock walls, hoodoos and remnants of the one of the most productive mining areas in the country. One thing in particular always caught my eye, high on top of a ridge right before the Queen Creek Tunnel. It was just an old metal building with what looked like an old head frame next to it. Still, for years I wondered what that building held and what the view was like from up there. The climb looked steep but no more steep than what I usually hike. I think part of it was I knew I'd hike up there and it would be an empty warehouse filled with graffiti and junk.
Yesterday, I got out of work early and decided it was day to get up that ridge. The hike up was easier than I expected, there was an old, weathered road that led to the top. The building itself was bigger than looked from below and it was not disappointing. Far from empty, it was filled with machinery from the mining boom that ran from the late 1800s to 1890. This building housed motors for either the aerial tram or the hoist house for Magma Mine. The machinery was excellent condition and the smell of grease permeated air. The structure that looked like a head frame was part of the tram or hoist system. It was impressive.
Note: I did not give exact directions for this hike because there are dangers to being around mines and abandoned buildings. I also know this blog is for hikes that are dog friendly (this one is not) or mountain biking but I also have interest in Arizona mining history and the Superior/Oak Flat Area. I admire the hard work and ingenuity of the early miners. I still hate to think about losing Oak Flat to another copper mine.
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