Charlebois Springs (known as "Charlie Boy"
by the locals) is one of the few reliable year-around water sources in
the Superstition Wilderness, and it is therefore a popular destination
or overnight stop for backpackers and equestrians. Although no camping
is ever allowed within a quarter mile of water sources to protect these
fragile resources and to allow wildlife access to the water, this rule
has been widely ignored and broken over the years, and 8 or more inviting
campsites (as shown above) have been etched out and enlarged in the shade
of the trees adjacent to the various pools of water at the springs. Horses
tied to trees have been especially destructive of the area.
Our group was assigned the job of obliterating and
revegetating these areas, making them uninhabitable by overnight users.
Numerous nice camp areas are available in the open canyon below the springs,
and this is where visitors are to stay, walking the short distance to the
springs when they need to replenish water containers, or riding their horses
up to give them water. Above is the "after" example of one such
large campsite area, the same one pictured at the top of this page. We
left a trail to hike on, but filled the remaining area with boulders and
rocks and hundreds of cacti which we transplanted, all of which we brought
down from the mountainside. Signs were also posted informing visitors of
the "no camping" rule.
Gordon and I roll a large boulder up to the work area
as Peter waits to transplant a prickly pear cactus. As we brought more
boulders down from the adjacent mountainside, we naturally had to go farther
away to locate more boulders. This was heavy work, but digging up and transplanting
cactus was worse, with spines in your body a natural and unavoidable consequence
of the work. Several wrapped duct tape around the fingers of their gloves,
but many of us were still pulling spines out days after the project had
ended!
Jim and Young show one safe way to carry a cactus
for transplanting, cleverly using the shovel handle draped through the
cactus. Others carried cacti in a tarp, sling style. After transplanting,
we watered each cactus, giving it more water than it has probably gotten
in quite some time and hopefully increasing its chances for survival.
We also cut back encroaching vegetation ("brushing")
along several miles of the Lost Dutchman Trail in both directions from
the springs.
The entire, hard-working crew:
Top row (l to r): Paul, Peter, Rita,
Gordon, Chuck, Jan, Alan, Jim R., Jim I., and Judy;
