viernes, 11 de enero de 2008

Nice contributions by a friend.

My friend Jan Alsen just send me some nice info on the different canyon systems around the area, i hope you enjoy it.

Some of the major Canyons of the Sierra Madre

Urique Canyon
- accessible via country highway from the town of Creel, - the gateway to the Copper Canyon
- deepest canyon of the system
- excellent vantage points at Divisadero (good vistas), the Mesa de Arturo and the Cerro del Gallo, near the valley village of Cerocahui - accessible by dirt road from the Bahuichivo train station,
- visit the Misión San Francisco Javier de Cerocahui and take a walk up to the Yepáravo and El Salto waterfalls nearby.
- thermal hot springs at La Huerta, as well as wonderful Bisabirachi rock formations and the Chomachi cave paintings near the town of San Ignacio de Arareko. At Lake Arareko, too, are camping and light boating facilities.
- most visited waterfall, the 30 meter high Cusárare Falls, is accessible from the town of the same name along a good path. The Rukiraso, also 30 ft in height, is located 10 km from Creel in the Tararecua Canyon, which joins the Urique. It can be reached by vehicle

Sinforosa Canyon
- Accessible by road from Creel or Parral, Sinforosa Canyon, called the "Queen of the Canyons", offers breathtaking natural scenery on all sides from several fabulous vantage points. There are a number of Tarahumara caves to visit, and many waterfalls with drops of between 5 and 80 meters, the tallest being the Rosalinda. These falls and caves are accessible via walking trails. Thermal waters spring from the earth at Agua Caliente (Aboreachi) and Esmeralda, on the Nonoava river.

Batopilas Canyon
- accessed by road from Creel or from Guachochi. Taking the Samachique turnoff, it is then a 55 km trip winding down into the depths of the chasm - it takes about 3 hours to cover that distance. - From La Bufa overlook along the route, one has a view down 1,300 meters to the town of Batopilas and the La Bufa mine.
- greatest history of silver mining. The mining towns nestled in its depths are its main attraction, and include the towns of Batopilas and Cerro Colorado.
- interesting architectural productions of the mining era such as the San Miguel Hacienda, the Temple of the Virgin of Carmen, Casa Barffuson, Casa Bigleer and Casa Morales, as well as the Sor Juana Inés School

Candameña Canyon
-main attractions are the Basaseachi and Piedra Volada Falls. The small community of Basaseachi is located about 280 km. west of Chihuahua and is accessible via road along the highway to Hermosillo.

At the head of Candameña Canyon, Basaseachi Falls, with a drop of 246 meters and located within Basaseachi National Park, can be viewed from several vantage points along the walking trail. A somewhat difficult path leads to the Piedra Volada lookout, from whence you are afforded a spectacular view of the deep, narrow chasm and are faced with a great wall of stone called El Gigante. It is the highest vertical rock face in the country, dropping a straight 885 meters to the Candameña River at its base.

Piedra Volada Falls drop an incredible 453 meters, and was only recently discovered in 1995. It is the largest falls of the Copper Canyon System. If you want to see Piedra Volada Falls at its best, visit it at the end of the rainy season - September or October - as during the dry season so little water makes it over the Falls that it dissipates into the air before reaching the bottom. Piedra Volada Falls are accessible by vehicle.

Other things to see in Candameña include the Cave of Padre Glandorff, an 18th C. missionary who, according to Tarahumara tradition, lived in this cave located near Las Estrellas; the mining towns of the area such as Ocampo and Pinos Altos, with their typical sierra-mining-town architecture, and the Jesuit Missions of Nuestra Señora de Aranzazu in Cajurichi, the Purisima Concepción de Tomochi and an original adobe Church from the late 17th C., at Jicamórachi.

Huapoca Canyon
Ciudad Madera, located in the Huapoca Canyon, is accessible from Chihuahua City by car or bus via the Cuauhtémoc Highway and Highway 16.

In the Huapoca Canyon are found impressive ruins of past cultures - the Cueva del Puente, near Cuarenta Casas, holds dwellings dating from over 800 years ago. Cuarenta Casas itself, or the Cueva de las Ventanas, is a gathering of 15 adobe dwellings constructed about 1000 years ago, protected by a looming overhang of rock. The Paquimé (Magallón) Group of caves lies about 33 km west of Cd. Madera - there, after a fairly tough hike, you can view a number of cave abodes in excellent condition. Other cave dwelling sites in the Huapoca Canyon are located at Cueva Grande and La Ranchería.

Huapoca is also host to the remains of various Haciendas: The Ex-Hacienda Nahuérachi, 10 km. from Madera; what remains of the Ex-Hacienda Sirupa, some 50 km from Madera, is now only just a shell; and Ex-Hacienda San José de Bahicora, which was one of the most extensive in the country, is located 60 km east of Madera. It was once owned by William R. Hearst.

Huapoca Canyon envelops some great trout lakes: Peñitas Lake, near Madera on the La Norteña highway, offers boat trips and fishing. There is also a trout farm for the purchase of fresh fish. Cebadillas Lake is located near Cebadilla de Dolores, what is now almost a ghost town 90 km from Madera.

The Oteros and Chinipas Canyons
One of the least explored areas, the Oteros and Chinipas Canyons form one of the longest canyon systems in the region. They are accessible from Creel and Divisadero, via the mining town of Manguarichi or through the town of Uruachi. Near Uruachi, in the Otachique valley, is the Cave of the Mummies where three mummies and their related burial artifacts were found. The Las Estrellas valley holds a number of caves with dwellings constructed in the Paquimé style. Unusual rock formations that give the impression of a labyrinth are found in the Otachique Valley at Los Altares.

At the bottom of the Oteros Canyon is a small community called La Finca, with a hanging bridge over the river and adobe dwellings surrounded by fruit orchards laden with mangos, citrus, papaya and avocado.

The Missions of the area include the Santa Inés de Chinipas Mission, Santa Teresa de Guazapares and Santa María Magdalena de Temoris. The town of Chinipas is an excellently preserved mining town with 19th C adobe architecture and an aqueduct which is no longer in use.

At Palmarejo, near Chinipas, mines are still functioning and the Nuestra Señora del Refugio Temple is worth a visit. Maguarichi, a town founded in 1749, is now practically abandoned. In it are found the Santa Barbara Temple (18th C), an old hospital and several other two-storey buildings of typical adobe construction.

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2 comentarios:

A las 12 de enero de 2008, 10:13 , Blogger Unknown ha dicho...

Este comentario ha sido eliminado por el autor.

 
A las 12 de enero de 2008, 10:14 , Blogger Unknown ha dicho...

Hey Edmundo, Thanks for the kudos on your blog about the canyons. Keep up the great work, love it! Cheers, Jan

 

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