Adventures |
North to Chihuahua! Deep in the Sierra Madre Mountains An Unexpected Trip North |
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A Special Job (Not for Just Anybody)
For many years, I had been fascinated by the gold and silver mines of northern Mexico. I guess it was when I read the book "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre", or maybe it was the Humphrey Bogart movie that captured my attention. One day, I got a call from an old friend about a job constructing a gold and silver mine in a remote area of Chihuahua. "It´s may not be your cup of tea," he said. "It a job living in a mining camp working 10 hours a day, 7 days a week for 30 days at a time when I think they give you 7 days off." It sounded like my kind of challenge so I applied for the job, and a week later I was on the CHEPE (Chihuahua-Pacific) train from Chihuahua through the Copper Canyon heading for my assignment in the Gold and Silver Belt of Chihuahua. I prefer not to mention the company´s name or the town I was in, and from what I´ve found about other mining operations most of them were the same. It was expected to be a short term assignment filling in where I was needed for 4 to 6 weeks in the administration of new contracts. |
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The Gold and Silver Belt of Chihuahua
As it turned out, I worked at the mine for almost 4 months, and for me it was an unusual experience where I met a lot of good people. I might also mention that the work was not easy, and it takes a tough breed of person to do this kind of work, no matter what kind of work you do. Camp life is confining, and it´s the kind of job where I don´t recommend my friends. It was a personal challenge and my rewards were personal. Plus the overtime looked good, too, and would help fund some of my future exploration projects. |
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Leaves Promptly at 6AM
I had arrived in Chihuahua the night before, and was told to be at the depot at 5:30AM when the ticket window opened. A little before 6AM the gates opened and they allowed us on the train. The seats were comfortable and it was a pleasure to be aboard the train. Most of the other passengers were tourists on vacation to see the Copper Canyon and visit the tourist areas around Creel and Urique in the High Tarahumara part of the Sierra Madre Mountains. |
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Up to the Continental Divide
As the sun came up, we were going through the low hills outside Chihuahua, and began the steady climb up to El Divisadero that would take most of the day. From the railroad magazine, the train is an engineering triumph connected the US at Ojinaga or Presidio, Tx to the Pacific Ocean at Los Mochis/Topolobampo. |
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El CHEPE
The original idea of El CHEPE was to connect the Pacific port of Los Mochis and Topolobampo with the US border at the Ojinaga/Presidio, TX. If you want to take the whole train ride to the Pacific, you leave Chihuahua at 6AM an arrive in Los Mochis around 10PM. My ride to Estación Temoris would take me about 10 hours and we would arrive around 4PM. |
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High Altitude and Cool Temperatures
Later in the morning we entered the mountains, and in the early afternoon, the train stopped at El Divisadero, or the Continental Divide. We would have a 15 minute stop to do some shopping for souvenirs, have a snack, and go take a look at the Copper Canyon. The weather was cool and the smoke from the wood cooking fires was pleasant. A lady at one of the booths told me that snow is common in the winter time, and they sometimes have flurries as late as the middle of March. |
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Souvenirs
After taking some pictures of the Copper Canyon, I stopped and bought some little baskets sold by the Tarahumara Indian ladies. They had pine like smell, and the lady told me they are made from pine needles. |
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A Stroll to See the View
There are a lot of souvenir booths selling all kinds of colorful and attractive crafts. Next, I took a stroll down to see the famous view of the Copper Canyon. Now that I´ve made the trip to El Divisadero several times, this photo was taken in July during the middle of the rainy season. It´s hard to take just one photo because the view is so huge. |
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All Aboard!
The train whistle blew several times announcing the end of our 15 minute stop at El Divisadero and the friendly conductor helped people get back on the train. The train wound its way through the mountains dropping off tourists at places like Creel, and the Posada de las Barrancas. I would have liked to stop and explore at some of these places, too, but soon I would need to think about the project that was ahead of me. I had never worked in a gold and silver mine before. April is a Dry Month in Mexico April is a very dry month all over Mexico. The temperatures can be very hot until the rains traditionally start on June 24, the Day of San Juan. The countryside is parched and bleak, and you can see that the cows are cut loose to find food and water on their own. |
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In Chihuahua, it is the same way, although in the mountain stream beds, it seems like there is always a trickle of water. According to my train schedule, soon I would be in Estación Témoris and now I began to think ahead about the job. |
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At Estación Témoris
After leaving the tourists behind, the train proceeded towards the Pacific coast at Los Mochis. We passed a couple of small towns where the stop was just long enough for some of the local people get off. The next stop was Estación Témoris where the company would have someone waiting to pick me up for the last leg of the trip to the mine. After I got off the train, I stood around looking at the platform, and a short man came up and said, "Are you Sr. John?". With his cowboy hat, he looked like a small version of Pancho Villa. He extended his hand, and said, "My name is Pepe. Are you ready to go?" "Yep, Let´s go," I said as we packed my luggage in the back of a Nissan 4X4 pick up truck. |
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Over the Mountain Roads
And off we went over the narrow mountain roads to the mine, about 2 hours away, at least the way I would drive it. But, Pepe knew these roads well, and we made it in about an hour and a half. After crossing over the last mountain range we began to see some large trucks and a lot of dust. Off in the distance, we could see the mine and the small mining town nearby. |
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First to the Office
The first thing was to report into the office and meet my boss. Since it was late in the day, it was time to have dinner first, so we went to the dining hall. They told me that from there I could see my room where I could stow my gear. |
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The Dining Hall
The dining hall was spacious and clean, and even had satellite TV. The small cafeteria line served a good variety of food, and I realized I would be eating more nutritious meals than I fixed at home! Friendly People My boss introduced me to the others at the table and I received a friendly welcome. Several people said they were glad I had come to work with them. When you are new on a project, you don´t usually get this kind of welcome. It felt good to be here. |
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Our Motto is Safety First
During the meal, my boss, who is from Venezuela, told me a little about the project. He said that there are many mining specialists from many countries and we work well together. Tomorrow, you will attend a safety seminar and get certified. Our motto is Safety First. It is our way of life here at the camp. He told me that Safety is about eating nourishing food and keeping yourself healthy, and working as a team. As I later found out this was very true. |
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My New Home
After dinner, my boss showed me my new home. From high on the hill where the dining hall was located, we looked down at where they were building some large tanks.Off in one corner were some small trailer houses. "Space is at a premium here, and we just installed these new living quarters," he said as he motioned down into the valley. Here we have wireless internet via satellite, and by the end of the month you´ll have satellite TV in your room. |
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Photos of Friends
During the coming days, I met a lot of people from many countries. These are the special people who work the long hours, 10 hours a day, 7 days a week. Each 30 days they give us 5-7 days off to go home. Here are some photos of the friends I made while I worked at the mine. Part of the construction project is in the background across a small but steep valley. First, here´s a bird´s eye view of the vast project. |
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Starting out the Day
Our days started out with a general staff meeting promptly at 6:55AM chaired by Herb one of the construction managers. Usually the meetings were brief. After all, there was a lot of work to do. |
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Many Kinds of Workers
In the project there are something like 450 workers of all kinds. Iron and cement workers, heavy equipment operators, welders, and a lot of others. It´s a serious project that needs to be finished by early next year. |
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Moving the Earth
Construction and Mining is about moving lots of earth. It takes precision and skill. At the same time you have to be very careful and watch your step when you are around this big equipment. Here are some of my friends who make the project happen. |
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Field Supervisors
These are the field supervisors at the Mill and Tank area in the Plant. We also had document control people, and other Field Engineers. One day, it rained and we found a dead coral snake in the riverbed near the house. |
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The Underground Mine
The underground as well as the open pit mine are still in operation, but they are areas that are off limits unless you get special permission. The "Miners Syndrome" One day my buddy, Walter, got a special permission to visit the mine, and later told me it was an interesting experience, especially the safety measures. |
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He said the miners work the day shift from 7AM to 7PM, and the night shift is from 7PM to 7AM. In time they get used to working underground in the artificial lights and the special world of the mine. Yet, he said, that when it was time to leave the mine at the end of the shift many people don´t want to go out into the sunlight because it didn´t feel right. Not wanting to leave the mine is called the "Miner´s Syndrome." |
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The Kitchen Staff
The Kitchen Staff controlled our days. Breakfast was served from 5:30AM to 7:00AM and they would even cheerfully fry up a couple of eggs for you if you didn´t like the morning selection. Lunch was from 11:30AM to 12:30PM, and dinner was served at 6PM. I took this picture one day when they were taking a break before serving the dinner meal. |
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The Daily Blast
Blasting is part of earthworks, and dynamite is used on the big boulders that get in the way. Most of the blasts were around 6:30PM after dinner, and were the special event of the day before going home and settling in for the evening. Just after the evening blast, my boss and some other friends asked me to take their picture with blast that had just ocurred in the background. You can see the dust at the top of the mountain in the open pit mine area. Life is Better at the Mine At the end of 30 days straight, you get 7 days off to go home on R&R. |
 (With his surpise gift from the Kitchen Staff) |
For me it was good to get home for a few days and take care of some chores, but I noticed that I had gotten used to camp life which is very different than living in the outside world: For example, I had gotten used to not spending money! At the mine, everything is taken care of, and there´s no reason to spend money. At home, I had to make my own bed. A real time waster at home is going to the store to buy food, then you waste some more time preparing it. Driving in traffic is a pain, too, especially when you get used to the company van taking you to the dining hall and the office and back home again. When I got back to work, I realized I was lived better at my work place than I did at home! Maybe I was beginning to suffer from the "Miner´s Syndrome." |
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El Canto de la Calandria
In May, the evenings and nights in the mountains were cool, and the daytime high temperatures were often in the low 100´s. The people in Mexico say the first rains of the season are expected on the Day of San Juan, or June 24. In June, there were clouds at dawn, and you could hear the unique song of the Calandria birds that nested around the office which sounds almost like water being poured over ice cubes in a glass. The local people told me the song of the Calandria announces the arrival of the refreshing rains. |
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 Looks Strangely like El Popo and Ixtaccihuatl |
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The Rains of Spring
Shortly after June 24, the rains came in heavy mountain showers, and we all headed for cover. Torrents came down, and the heavy machinery moved into action, making road repairs daily. All the plant life in the area drank in the cool waters, and began to grow, transforming the bleak desert into a near jungle. The change was remarkable and the project began to take on a new look. |
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 Dalice (Venezuela), Miguel(Venezuela), Walter (Mexico), Me (USA), and Ricardo (Mexico) |
Demobilization, or Time Marches On
As the project advanced, new offices were added to accomodate the new specialists moving in to do new jobs. Gradually my own job evolved along with these changes. What had started as a project that was to last 4-6 weeks had turned into one that lasted almost 4 months. When you work on projects like this, we all know that eventually we will be "demobilized" when our skills are no longer needed. When that day came for me, my boss asked if we could take one last photo of our group. Working in Chihuahua with these special people will be something I will always remember. |
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A New Project in Tampico
P.S. I just got a call about a project in Tampico, so now it looks like I´ll be moving back to the Gulf of Mexico, something I´ve been looking forward to. Especially good will be some interesting new dishes to try. It´s going to be fun exploring the area around Tampico. You never know what you´ll find... |