Travels with Two Sisters: Greer’s beauty, adventure, history | Get Out

Baxter spent seven years traveling through Arizona documenting the state’s ranching history. He documented 100 families who have been ranching in this area for more than 100 years. We attended two exhibits of his photography. This Centennial Project introduced us to Wink Crigler and the X Diamond Ranch in Greer.

Wink, the current owner of the ranch, is the third generation of her family to ranch in Arizona. She was recognized as Arizona’s top ranch manager in 2011 and was named as an Arizona Culturekeeper by the Arizona Historical Foundation in 2012. The X Diamond Ranch is known for its fly-fishing, beef, hospitality and spectacular views. Thousands of visitors come to the ranch per year for relaxation, horse riding, weddings, fly fishing, archeological digs or to visit the museum. Wink clearly stated her view on Arizona’s ranching future: “I don’t think the roots of the cowboy legacy will ever be plowed under, but the ranchers who survive are going to have to diversify. I think the cowboy legacy has to be perpetuated. If it isn’t, we’re going to lose what made the West.”

Finally, the time had arrived: it was time to take the X Diamond Ranch off the to-do list! We packed the car, located our list of things to see, loaded up the cooler, grabbed the camera and off we headed on one of our favorite routes through Globe, across the Salt River Canyon and east on Route 260.

On the way to the ranch, we had one site we wanted to explore. Just east of McNary, a former booming lumber town, we turned onto Route 473 south headed to Hawley Lake.

This 300-acre lake on the White Mountain Indian Reservation is a remnant of volcanic activity on the Mogollon Rim and has been artificially extended to be used as a reservoir for irrigation. It is known for its trout fishing and ice fishing. We had gathered information on this small lake and we were eager to see it.

Upon turning onto Route 473, the road immediately started heading down. The first nine miles of our journey, we traveled on a narrow paved road, through healthy Ponderosa Pine forests, navigated many curves and saw several free-range cattle. The last two miles to the water’s edge was on a well-maintained dirt road.

The reward was worth the adventure! Green grass, blue skies, large aspen groves, Ponderosa pines and summer flowers created a peaceful and relaxing environment. For those who love Common Mulleins, an interesting and intriguing summer flower, this is the place to go.

Finally, we were back on Route 260 and we headed to the X Diamond Ranch to settle in and enjoy the historic ranch that was tucked into the South Fork Canyon. We immediately fell in love with our huge and elegant log cabin. With an open-concept kitchen and living room, two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a huge deck and a large four-season room, we had plenty of space to roam around.

We spent most of our time, however, in the four-season room looking for wildlife, enjoying the spectacular scenery, looking for wildlife, listening to the babbling brook and looking for wildlife. Later, we discovered that the brook which flowed in back of our cabin was actually the Little Colorado River. Yes, the same river that flows through the Little Colorado River gorge and joins with the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon. Wow! It was such a cute, little stream in Greer.

After a peaceful and restful night, we were ready to discover the many aspects of this gorgeous ranch. Off we went to the ranch headquarters to meet Wink and explore the Little House Museum. It consists of several older buildings restored to their original condition. The museum offers information on a variety of topics such as the early settlers of eastern Arizona, the Clanton gang and Butch Cassidy. Antiques and artifacts of the Old West, including saddles, silver plates, furniture, jars, appliances, clothing, and photographs of an earlier time in Arizona’s history are thoughtfully displayed.

The Music building includes several one-of-a-kind instruments including an antique Violano, a Swiss music box and a nickelodeon. All of the instruments are in working order. The museum was educational, interesting and having Wink as a personal guide was a treat. Throughout the tour, we talked about the history of Greer, her grandmother (Molly Butler), her family’s connection to Lee’s Ferry in Northern Arizona, and the history of the ranch.

The Little Bear Ruin on the ranch property was within walking distance of our cabin. This archeological site is believed to have been inhabited from A.D. 600 to 800. Ranch guests can tour the prehistoric settlement, participate in a one-day excavation, or enroll for a one-week Archeological Field School. When we arrived at the site, we were amazed at its size.

A number of the rooms have been excavated and several pottery sherds were displayed on the stone walls. It appeared that the site also contains several other structures that have not been excavated. The architectural style of the ruins was reminiscent of the structures we have seen in other sites in northern Arizona and northern New Mexico.

Our next stop: Greer, often called the town on “The Road to Nowhere” because it sits at a dead end on Route 373 South. Founded by the Lee family in 1879, it’s known for its ponderosa pine forests, wild horses, large groves of aspens, lakes, and cooler summer temperatures which make the area a popular summer vacation destination. In the small downtown area, there are several historic structures currently occupied, and many vacation/rental cabins to the south of town. The Wallow fire in 2016 altered the appearance and size of this small community. According to the 2010 census, 41 people called this place home. The beauty and tranquility of the area makes it a great place to visit.

The Molly Butler Lodge and Restaurant is the largest and most visible building in the small downtown area. This two-story rustic and elegant structure was built in 1910 and is known as the oldest lodge in the state of Arizona. Molly and her husband, John, also established the X Diamond Ranch in the early 1900s. The Butler’s Lodge became the center of life in the growing community as Molly continued to provide good food and great service to all visitors. It is currently rated as one of the top 25 places to dine in Arizona. It is said that President Herbert Hoover was one of the dignitaries that spent time at the lodge. Reportedly, he gifted Molly a copy of the White House Cookbook and she adopted some of the recipes, some still in use today. While we were there, the lodge was abuzz with tourists coming and going. We explored the community then headed to the next adventure.

The Butterfly Lodge Museum, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is a historic lodge that was owned by the author James Schultz. It later became the home and studio of his son, Lone Wolf. We were eager to see this museum, but it was closed on the day we arrived. We did, however, read the historical information panels, strolled around the grounds and photographed the well-maintained hunting lodge. Upon arriving home, to satisfy our curiosity, we looked at photos of the museum exhibits. An interesting and unique stop.

We were done for the day — energy all gone — time to renew the body and spirit, so we headed back to the ranch to spend more time surrounded by gorgeous horses and spectacular scenery. We continued the same procedure as the prior day — sitting in the four-season room, reading a book, looking for wildlife, listening to the babbling brook, looking for wildlife and enjoying the spectacular views. For those who are curious: we did not see any wildlife during our stay in the log cabin by the babbling brook!

Heading home, we had one more area we wanted to explore. Heading west on Route 260, we turned south on Route 273 in search of the large aspen groves we had heard about. Wow! We were not disappointed! They glowed in the sun and prompted us to stop and take numerous pictures of these tall, brilliant white and breathtakingly beautiful trees. Farther down the road, we discovered Sunrise Lake with its brilliant blue water, surrounded by green foliage and wide open space. This area has large, wide open spaces that offer a different view of the Arizona landscape.

The list was done — it was time to head home. We grabbed a water from the cooler, took one last picture, folded our list of places to see, put the beautiful memories in a safe place and headed south towards our desert home.

Travels with Two Sisters is a series of adventures in Arizona with Green Valley residents Marie “Midge” Lemay and Suzanne “Sue” Poirier. For more discoveries, check out their first three books: “One Mile at a Time,” “A Gypsy in Our Souls,” and “Connecting Dots.”