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Pat's Virtual Run Across America
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- North America
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Location Date California 1503702000 Arizona 
1500073200 New Mexico 1490914800 Texas 1486166400 Louisiana 1463698800 Mississippi 1457740800 Alabama 1456012800 Florida 1453507200 -
Yo from Bowie, AZ, Home of John Rambo!
Run Stats:
Day: 462
Miles Completed: 1610.6
Miles to San Diego: 489.4
Avg Miles/Day: 3.5
Marathons Completed: 61.5
Longest Run Streak: 15 days
Shoes: Skora Fit/Skora Tempo
Playlist Favs: Fun., FM Static
Guest Runners: None
Bible Verse of the Day: "My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me." John 17: 20-21 (NIV)
Run Reflections: Good morning from the virtual road. This week I passed through 2 small towns, still heading west along I-10. I crossed the 1600 mile mark and entered the state of AZ. I'm currently about 100 miles from Tucson. This has been a decent running week (about 20 miles so far) and I hope to get a longer run in this afternoon. Info on the towns and this area in this post came from wikipedia.
San Simon & Bowie, AZ: San Simon was the location of the San Simon Station of the Butterfield Overland Mail on the San Simon River between Apache Pass and Stein's Peak Stations. It was a later relay station established to provide water and change horses on the route.
Bowie is an unincorporated community in Cochise County, AZ. It was put on the map when it was revealed that it was action icon John Rambo's (played by Sylvester Stallone in the First Blood movies) hometown. This was first unveiled in the second film and elaborated on in the third film. Bowie was seen on screen for the first time in the fourth film. Sylvester Stallone has stated that a fifth film is set to take place entirely in Bowie and the Mexican border. The town of Bowie is named after Fort Bowie.
While there wasn't much news (or pictures) from these small towns, the history of Apache Pass and Fort Bowie which was later built in the vicinity is rich with stories of stagecoaches and Indian battles that you imagine when you think about the wild west. I've included a picture of Apache Pass and two pictures of Fort Bowie, one as it looked in 1893 and one from the site today which is part of a national historic site. Here's some additional info on these areas.
Apache Pass: A natural freshwater spring, Apache Spring, emerges from a geological fault line running through the pass. The history of Apache Pass begins with this spring - as the only reliable water source for many miles, the spring served as a critical resupply point for early travelers through the area. Indigenous peoples and westward migrants alike depended on the spring. For the local Apache people, the spring at Apache Pass became a sort of crossroads, with many trails from different directions converging on the site. The great Chiricahua Apache leader Cochise, along with many of his followers, favored the area as a camping spot in winter and spring. There were often hundreds of Chiricahuas living nearby. A little higher than the surrounding desert terrain, the pass was cooler on hot days, and the area around the spring provided abundant game and firewood.
Fort Bowie: Two engagements between the U.S. Army and the Chiricahua led to the construction of Fort Bowie in 1862. The 1st engagement, known as the Bascom Affair, took place in 1861 when a band of Apaches, supposedly led by Cochise, raided the ranch of John Ward. The Army retaliated by sending LT George Bascom and 54 men to Apache Pass where they were able to capture Cochise. Somehow he managed to escape. The 2nd engagement was the Battle of Apache Pass in July of 1862 (during the Civil War) where a group of Union soldiers were ambushed by a band of Apaches while they were traveling from California to New Mexico to confront confederate troops. Fort Bowie was established after these events to protect the Pass and the important source of water. The area and this fort were a focal point of military operations and battles with Apache warriors for more than 30 years culminating in the surrender of Geronimo in 1886 and the banishment of the Chiricahua to Florida and Alabama.
I hope you enjoyed the pictures and stories of this area. Personally, I love the desert scenery and these stories remind me of old movies and TV shows and playing cowboys and Indians as a kid. I remember one Christmas, we were living in England I think, when I got some Daniel Boone stuff - fake rifle, fringed jacket, etc. from Santa. Guess I'll have to go back and see if I can find a picture to include in a future blast from the past.
Thanks as always for investing the time to share this journey. Let me know if you'd be interested in joining me on a run sometime. I hope you have a great Master's weekend and a blessed Easter week!
God Bless,
Pat
Run Stats:
Day: 462
Miles Completed: 1610.6
Miles to San Diego: 489.4
Avg Miles/Day: 3.5
Marathons Completed: 61.5
Longest Run Streak: 15 days
Shoes: Skora Fit/Skora Tempo
Playlist Favs: Fun., FM Static
Guest Runners: None
Bible Verse of the Day: "My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me." John 17: 20-21 (NIV)
Run Reflections: Good morning from the virtual road. This week I passed through 2 small towns, still heading west along I-10. I crossed the 1600 mile mark and entered the state of AZ. I'm currently about 100 miles from Tucson. This has been a decent running week (about 20 miles so far) and I hope to get a longer run in this afternoon. Info on the towns and this area in this post came from wikipedia.
San Simon & Bowie, AZ: San Simon was the location of the San Simon Station of the Butterfield Overland Mail on the San Simon River between Apache Pass and Stein's Peak Stations. It was a later relay station established to provide water and change horses on the route.
Bowie is an unincorporated community in Cochise County, AZ. It was put on the map when it was revealed that it was action icon John Rambo's (played by Sylvester Stallone in the First Blood movies) hometown. This was first unveiled in the second film and elaborated on in the third film. Bowie was seen on screen for the first time in the fourth film. Sylvester Stallone has stated that a fifth film is set to take place entirely in Bowie and the Mexican border. The town of Bowie is named after Fort Bowie.
While there wasn't much news (or pictures) from these small towns, the history of Apache Pass and Fort Bowie which was later built in the vicinity is rich with stories of stagecoaches and Indian battles that you imagine when you think about the wild west. I've included a picture of Apache Pass and two pictures of Fort Bowie, one as it looked in 1893 and one from the site today which is part of a national historic site. Here's some additional info on these areas.
Apache Pass: A natural freshwater spring, Apache Spring, emerges from a geological fault line running through the pass. The history of Apache Pass begins with this spring - as the only reliable water source for many miles, the spring served as a critical resupply point for early travelers through the area. Indigenous peoples and westward migrants alike depended on the spring. For the local Apache people, the spring at Apache Pass became a sort of crossroads, with many trails from different directions converging on the site. The great Chiricahua Apache leader Cochise, along with many of his followers, favored the area as a camping spot in winter and spring. There were often hundreds of Chiricahuas living nearby. A little higher than the surrounding desert terrain, the pass was cooler on hot days, and the area around the spring provided abundant game and firewood.
Fort Bowie: Two engagements between the U.S. Army and the Chiricahua led to the construction of Fort Bowie in 1862. The 1st engagement, known as the Bascom Affair, took place in 1861 when a band of Apaches, supposedly led by Cochise, raided the ranch of John Ward. The Army retaliated by sending LT George Bascom and 54 men to Apache Pass where they were able to capture Cochise. Somehow he managed to escape. The 2nd engagement was the Battle of Apache Pass in July of 1862 (during the Civil War) where a group of Union soldiers were ambushed by a band of Apaches while they were traveling from California to New Mexico to confront confederate troops. Fort Bowie was established after these events to protect the Pass and the important source of water. The area and this fort were a focal point of military operations and battles with Apache warriors for more than 30 years culminating in the surrender of Geronimo in 1886 and the banishment of the Chiricahua to Florida and Alabama.
I hope you enjoyed the pictures and stories of this area. Personally, I love the desert scenery and these stories remind me of old movies and TV shows and playing cowboys and Indians as a kid. I remember one Christmas, we were living in England I think, when I got some Daniel Boone stuff - fake rifle, fringed jacket, etc. from Santa. Guess I'll have to go back and see if I can find a picture to include in a future blast from the past.
Thanks as always for investing the time to share this journey. Let me know if you'd be interested in joining me on a run sometime. I hope you have a great Master's weekend and a blessed Easter week!
God Bless,
Pat
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