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  A
lot has happened in Mexico's Copper Canyon area since its pyroclastic origin
some 25 million years ago. Great mountains rose in a fiery display of smoke and
ash. Torrents of rain and wind cut deep slashes in the rising igneous colossus
that we now know as the Sierra Madre, forming immense canyons.
Some
11 or 12,000 years ago, the first humans arrived, migrating bands of nomadic
hunters seeking fate and fortune in dangerous, unknown lands. During the ensuing
millennia, multitudes of unknown peoples passed through, some eventually staying
to take up residence in the area’s many sheltering caves to practice simple
farming.
And so it was in the spring of 1541 when a passing detachment of conquistadores
from Coronado's expedition in search of the seven golden cities of Cibola first
encountered a group of Copper Canyon indigenes, whom they called the Tarahumara.
The Spanish soon departed and the
Tarahumara (or Raramuri, as they called themselves) returned to planting maize and
warring
with their southern neighbors, the Tepahuanes.
In
1607 an event took place that would change life forever in the canyon country.
Jesuit missionaries arrived with mandate from the Spanish Crown to Christianize
and civilize, the policy they called reducción which changed forever the
way of life in Spanish America. The story of the survival and adaptation of the
Tarahumara during the colonial years and later under the Mexican Republic, is a
fascinating, complex epic that I leave for a long evening around the campfire.
Mysteries abound in a multitude of inaccessible, forgotten arroyos and cerros
(hills) that climb and plunge in rugged highlands separating the
great canyons. Who built the Mogollon-style houses that occupy several cliff
sites? Who built the carefully made stone terraces? What early people lived in
round houses? These are a few of many enigmas that capture our imagination.
It was with these thoughts in mind that naturalist guide Amy Finger, author Carl
Franz (People’s Guide To Mexico) and I sat out to explore several new
areas in the rugged hill country north and east of the Copper Canyon in November
1995. With a local rancher, Esteban Cobos, we searched lower Cusarare Canyon for
evidence of pre-Tarahumara occupation, finding a number of shelter cave sites
Our next goal was to locate a new route down into the upper Urique Canyon (Barranca
del Cobre), by which Amy could bring her small adventurer groups. We were
excited to follow a stone paved mule trail that proved to be part of Alexander
Shepard's (the silver baron of Batapilas) Camino Real, a systems of trails built
to transport silver from the depths of the Batapilas Canyon.
Although
part of the trail showed recent use by Tarahumara, we cleared and repaired many
places to allow our loaded burros to pass. A broad beach camp site at the Urique
river was everyone's romantic fantasy, where we were miles away from the
backpacking hordes. In our wanderings from camp we located an abandoned mine
with hot springs and a hidden grotto canyon with a magical swimming pool beneath
a waterfall. We shared the canyon with an elegant trogon and magpie jays.
In November 1997, Carl and I returned with a group of nine participants.
Starting with a pampered night at Skip Mcwilliams comfortable Copper Canyon
Lodge at Cusarare, we plunged back into the depths of the main Barranca del
Cobre (unfortunately now closed to travel).
 From a camp part way down in the canyon, we explored a densely wooded arroyo
which showed signs of terracing. Forcing our way through tangled Arizona cypress
and oak thicket, we discovered a series of shelter caves with mortared stone
storage rooms. These were sealed with hand-carved pine doors secured by a
carefully made wood latch system. Metates (corn grinding stone), fired clay
pots, bowls and the occasional metal can indicated recent Tarahumara use,
although no trail was in evidence and the canyon was impassable without
machetes.
The
overgrown farming plots carved out of the narrow steep canyon seemed a poor
location. Our theory is that this hidden canyon may have been a refuge and
supply depot during periods of armed conflict, such as the rebellion against
Spanish authority and Jesuit missions in the late 17th Century. The caves may
have served as ceremonial sites in recent times or a spiritual retreat for a few
nearby families
Setting up a beachside camp at the Urique River again, we spent several pleasant
days climbing side canyons and examining caves for evidence of pre-Tarahumara
occupation. At the upper end of a steep arroyo, some 800 feet above the river,
we located an undercut ledge walled in with field stone and mortar containing
multiple burials. Although the open part of the wall had been badly disturbed by
animals, we found several intact decorated clay pots, gourd vessels and most
interesting of all, a spinning kit containing a beautifully made spinning whorl.
Skeletal remains appeared to be that of a young adult. After photos, we
carefully replaced everything and sealed off the wall. Although possibly
Tarahumara, I suspect that the burials may date from an earlier time. Pottery
type is similar to a Mogollon like style that we have seen elsewhere in the
Sierra Madre.
Since these explorations, Amy, Carl and I have visited many other canyons in the
Sierra Madre but our favorite route remains the steep trail descending to the
Urique River down from near Divisedero. It seems to have a bit of everything,
microcosmically capturing the best of the region within a space of a few square
miles. Fearing that the area would become overused now that three large hotels
claim the rim above, we sought alternate routes but have now returned to this
most magical of trips.
Our
concerns were fortunately unfounded as the train touring tourists seem to never
venture more than a few hundred yards from the hotels above. Each season we
continue to introduce several groups of interesting adventure travelers to the
remote wonders of this great Canyon.
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