03/27/2007
Another day, another trip. Today we decided to go south of Tucson and see the Asarco Copper Mine and then try to find what's left of the old town of Helvetia.
The Asarco Copper Mine is a big pit mine like the one we visited in Bagdad(see "Bagdad Copper Mine" under our Travel site). However this tour was more formal and we did not get to go into any buildings. We did get a great view of the pit and the equipment at work, and the guide was very knowledgeable.
Then, since we were already in the area, we headed out to find what is left of Helvetia. Once it was a bustling mining town and it was also used in the movie Hombre with Paul Newman. Finding it took a bit of backtracking and wrong turns, but we finally managed it and wandered around for a while. Not much is left now except a few walls.
This is one of the old, little trucks on display at the visitor's center
The Pit!
The colors were really striking, almost like a painting
So you have some reference for size, that little yellow thing in the right corner is a port-o- jon
That shovel is electric, and it's absolutely huge
That truck is a lot bigger than the one I was standing in front of at the center
Lots of coming and going
Looks like a Tonka Toy Truck doesn't it?
This is a slurry tank. This processing building is not in use now but is being renovated
These mustangs roam over the area of the mine. We got a glimpse of them from the bus
What is left of Helvetia. Since it's near Tucson most of it has been destroyed or carried off
We are up on some old tailings looking back down at our truck