Page 85 - Walks In The Black Range, Vol. 4

13. Cooke’s Spring Pass
from the Tertiary. The Tbs formation on the east side of the map is Tertiary (Miocene era rock). The Ks rock to the west is from the Lower Cretaceous and the Pa unit is from the Lower Permian. (Download the Massacre Peak Geology Map)

What do you call this trail? It has been called many things by the Anglos, many more by the Spaniards, and even more by the various native peoples. During the Anglo period it was part of the Gila River Train and Wagon Road, or the Butterfield Stage Route, or . . . . Whatever you call it, the route from the west side of the range starts at the Starvation Draw Detention Dam No. 4 (“1” on the geologic map below). It terminates on the east side at the ruins of Fort Cummings (“15” on the map below). The route which is steeped in cultural history is shown in black below. See the link for an extended discussion. The number protocol is consistent throughout this article and repeats on the map at the end of the article.
1. There is a series of detention dams in Starvation Draw. This route starts at Detention Dam 4. The range land of Starvation Draw begins to change at the dam. Just to the west of the dam there are nice Cane Cholla, Cylindropuntia spinosior. (Photo top of next page.)
2. The area behind the dam to the northeast is rich in sediment and plants benefit from the greater amount of water in the soil. In this area there are numerous Desert Willow trees (photo below left) and very old Mesquite.
15 14
12 13
5
8
7
9
10
6
11
4 3
2 1
Geologically this route passes over Tertiary and Quaternary era Rock (alluvium). Most of the Tertiary rock is identified as the Rubio Peak Formation. The surrounding rock is also
Chilopsis linearis - Desert Willow - Frying Pan Canyon, Photographed on May 21, 2018.
3. A population of Echinocereus chloranthus subsp. rhyolithensis - or if you wish E. rhyolithensis, a newly described species - is found on the slopes in this area and is pictured below. Information is in short supply.