Arizona republican., 1922-01-15
Christmas In The Sierra Anchas
Great Playground Now Opened To
Valley People By State Highway

With the opening of the state high
way from Superior to Miami and the
completion of the Gila county road
across the upper Salt river and I'd
Pleasant valley through the Sierra
Anchas, a region of scenic beauty and
summer cooliness, hitherto practi-
cally inaccessible to automobile
travel, has been opened and made
available to people of the valley
towns. That the people of the valley
will freely take advantage of the OPP
portunities offered in this natural
forest. reserve playground is the de-
sire and one of the ambitions of the
forestry department.
Early in December. under sugges-
tions of Mr.. Goddard, supervisor of
the Tonic national forest, Guy e.
Rice and DR.. r. f. Palmer spent a
week visiting the various ranches and
points of interest in the Sierra Ancha
mountains and We're so impressed
with the many attractions offered
that a Christmas party, with real
snow, a real Christmas tree, and a
real Santa Claus was planned and
carried out.
The merrymakers, consisting Of
George Silverthorn and his family of
five, e. Guy Attaway with four, Jack
Hurst with three, DR.. r. Il. Palmer
with five, and Mr. Rice with Mrs.
Florence Black and Miss Yenter
started from Mesa at 10 o'clock on
Saturday, drove through Superior to
the Iron ranch, where a camp lunch
was served, thence on through Miami,
down the Apache trail to the intake
dam: then across the Salt river on
the Gila county steel bridge, and then
up the Sierra Ancha grade to the
ct,t NIT oh -pAAcAxsalf Ial-o
Crossing the summit on an easy
grade, the outlook suddenly changed
from the scenic splendor of sunset
on vast domains of mountains, lake,
and desert, to the peaceful tranquil
ity of a northern forest of pines. Here
the road winds gracefully with a
gradual downward slope among vari-
egated scenes of forest and stream,
past the famous Carr rnch on Rose
creek, over the divide, to drop down
to the beautiful Surprise valley of
Workmen creek and the Lewis Log
Cabin Lodge, closely nestled on the
side of a pine-covered slope.
BY this time the air was frosty and
crisp and the royal welcome of the
open fire and the most excellent sup
per was entirely sufficient to have
made the trip worth while, but there
was much more to come.
The Lewis Log Cabin Lodge on
Workmen creek consists of a COM
modious kitchen and dining room
and an adjoining clubhouse of 20 by
40 feet with 90 by 20 offset alcove.
Adjacent to the main building are
four large log cabins and ten we'll
constructed tent houses with ample
sleeping accommodations for 30 peo-
pie in the winter and from 40 to so
in the summer.
After supper the party gathered in
the clubroom and spent the remain
der of the evening in telling stories
around the fireplace and singing
songs around the piano.
Sleeping i'm good warm beds in the
deep stiffness of the pine forest and
with the scent of pine needles in the
air was the only tonic needed to pre-
pare the party for the glorious
Christmas morning to which they
awakened, and such morning it was,
with the grozen crystals everywhere
cleaning in the rising sun. and the
air so dry and brisk that there was
no thought of its being cold, but just !
that feeling of eXhiliration which can
be attained only in the bracing air of |
high altitude.
After a bounteous breakfast. the |
entire party took hike over the |
Rangers Trail, through Worl1men |
Creek canyon 10 the Hall ranch, just |
above the junction of Workmen and |
Reynolds creeks. Here they found a |
very delightful little valley surround