It's been a while since winter rolled into the rear view mirror, (a month if are a meteorologist, or almost two weeks if you are an astrologer) so there's a bit of catching up to do around here. It seemed like February was more spring like than March here in North Central Idaho. Here we are at April 1st and we have a winter weather warning that extends into the next couple days. Go figure.…
After wrapping up the El Camino del Diablo in Yuma, we had pretty much finished our westward trip across southern Arizona, so there was just one direction for us to go, North. It was nearing the new year and it was time to head in the direction of home. We reached Kofa National Wildlife Refuge in time to take in one more spectacular Arizona sunset.
Years ago when I first heard of the El Camino del Diablo I think I was a bit intimidated. Warnings about illegal activity close to the border, don’t go alone, all the typical chicken little things you hear, mostly from people that haven’t been. After a trip to Baja that felt safer than a lot of places you could go in the U.S., and other trips along the southern border, it now just seemed like another backcountry trip to prepare for.
The El Camino del Diablo (Spanish for the ‘Path of the Devil’) has earned it’s name, to be sure. Similar to the Mojave Trail, it was used for thousands of years by Native Americans. The Spanish used it as a path between Mexico and the California’s as early as the 1500’s by members of the Coronado expedition. Many have lost their lives along the route due to extreme heat, lack of water and the utter remoteness.
