Yesterday we went for a longer-than-anticipated road trip. It’d been a while since we had been on one of our long rides and I thought we’d head up into the area where the Storm Prediction Center said there was a slim chance of thunderstorms.
We didn’t see any thunderstorms.
However, I did take a bunch of photos and video along the way, as I’m putting together a video review of my latest camera, the DJI Osmo Pocket 3. I’ll be sharing a link to that episode when it is available on my YouTube channel.
During our travels we passed through the town of Morenci, which is situated along US Route 191. While seemingly out in the middle of nowhere, Morenci has a population of around 2000 people. The biggest employer, by far, is the Morenci Mine. US Route 191 passes right through the middle of this mining operation. It was our first time in the area.
The speed limit along the roadway through the mine varies between 15 and 25 MPH. In many places, one can see nothing but the mine. It is a huge.
As we were making our way through the mine, we could see large trucks passing designated roadways, moving the results of the mining operation of where they needed to be.
I kept looking around and saw nothing but a mine. There were no trees, no birds, not even a scrub brush or anything resembling a living plant. I doubt any wildlife lived in the area.
While the area was bustling with activity, I couldn’t help but notice how incredibly lifeless the area seemed to be.
I know Morenci and nearby Clifton are nearly completely dependent on the economy generated by this mine. And I know there wouldn’t be a mine if there wasn’t a need for the copper coming from the mine. After all, it is one of the largest copper reserves in the United States.
It just makes me sad that the landscape has to be so drastically changed, and seemingly made lifeless, to accomplish this task.
