Desert Magazine of the Southwest

RIO BAVISPE
Continued from Page 11
The last village in this historic chain is
Huachinera, 13 miles upstream from 1
Elacerac. About halfway between the two
towns, the Rio Bavispe turns eastward
into the mountains, but before doing so,
the road fords the river three times. If
the water is high, check these crossings
c irefully before plunging in. Several of
them have a very narrow, submerged vehicle
way and even in normal water
depth, if you get off the route, you could
easily find yourself stalled in water up to
your door handles. It is always best to
put your bathing suit on and wade these
f irds on foot first, or wait until a Mexic
in comes through and follow his route.
Huachinera's history closely parallels
that of Bavispe and Bacerac. Unlike its
downstream neighbors, however, Huadiinera
boasts of still having its original
church. It is not the big church off the
present plaza with two bells in the tower,
but a simple one-story adobe building a
couple of blocks away. Anyone you encounter
on the street can point you in the
right direction. The old church is now
privately owned and not used for regular
s Tvices, but the people who live next
door have kept the building up and will
let you in to look at the altar.
If your time is limited, Huachinera will
probably be the end of the line. It need
n it be, however. If you have a fourwheel-drive
vehicle, your exploration of
the Rio Bavispe need not stop here. You
cm follow a rough track to the southeast
into the heart of the Sierra Madre Occid
>ntal to rejoin the river at Rancho Tres
Rios amid some of the most spectacular
si enery in Northern Mexico. The road
g' >es to the very headwaters of the Rio
Bivispe near Colonia Chunichupa and
b'yond to rejoin the paved highway at
Madera. Or you can follow a road to the
southwest which takes you across rough
lava and miles of desert wilderness to
Huasabas and Moctezuma, where you
c; n pick up a paved highway to Hermosillo.
Whether you visit the Rio Bavispe
Country enroute to someplace else, or as
a destination in itself, it is an area you
will fall in love with and return tirne and
ti ne again. I should know—I have gone
back many times myself. •
Di sert/ November 1978
This scene adjacent to the Hite Marina is one of many areas around the Lake Powell
concession where wood—from collector's driftwood to firewood—has stacked along
the shoreline. The wood is available to the public.
Hite Marina Happenings
iFTER OPENING a store, gas station
and boat storage in 1977, the new
owners of Lake Powell's Hite Marina
set up three objectives for 1978—more
rental boats, a new dock and a launch
ramp.
Boats were added this spring, and the
dock became a reality when it was in-
stalled and christened in August. "It's
about triple the size of the former dock,"
explains Lou Mallory, general manager
of Bullfrog and Hite marinas.
It provides fresh water, electricity and
sewage pumpout, with room to berth 47
houseboats and powerboats. An attached
new fuel dock can service either three
houseboats or six powerboats at one
time.
The new dock was built for the Del E.
Webb Corporation, which owns Hite
Resort & Marina, by the Pinkney Con-
struction Co., of Boulder City, Nevada,
which build many of the docks on the
Lower Colorado River and lakes. The
new dock was assembled at Wahweap
and floated 150 miles uplake, using the
tanker "Chevron Service" as a tugboat.
The third 1978 Hite goal—a new con-
crete launch ramp with adjoining park-
ing—did move a step closer to reality
with completion of surveying by the Na-
tional Park Service. NPS has the respon-
sibility for providing public facilities
such as roads and ramps but presently
has no funds for the project. Webb and
NPS are studying alternative ways to
have a ramp installed.
Another plus for Lake Powell enthusi-
asts is Del Webb's Midweek Houseboat
"Hobo Special" from Wahweap, Bull-
frog and Hite Marinas with a whopping
50% discount! Bullfrog and Wahweap
also extend off-season savings on room
rates and boat tours. Write them for
complete details and enjoy one of
America's most beautiful playgrounds. •
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