Trans-Pecos Texas

Between 1909 and 1919, a six mile tramway carried ore between the Puerto Rico Mine in the Sierra del Carmen of Mexico and the Texas terminal, the end point of the hike. When it was operating, the tramway carried 7.5 tons of ore per hour. From the Texas terminal, the silver, lead, and zinc ore was hauled north to the railroad in Marathon. When the mine was abandoned, the tramway was left to rust and rot away. Today the rusting cables snake across the desert along the tramway route. Most of the towers have collapsed, but a number still stand, their decay slowed by the dry climate.

This trail is dry, with very little shade. Late fall to early spring are the best to do this hike, in the summer the hike can be brutal. Carry plenty of water any time of the year. The trail is lightly used and maintained only irregularly, but is generally not to difficult to follow.

The trail heads north up a broad valley into the Dead Horse Mountains. It quickly drops into the dry wash bottom, which is full of gravel and limestone. Piles of rock, or cairns, help mark the route. After about .5 miles the trail climbs up out of the wash on the right side to the first intact wooden tramway tower. The tower is easily visible from the wash. The trail follows the rusting cable to other collapsed towers only a short distance away. The trail ahead is easily visible from the towers as it follows the cable up the other side of the canyon wall.

From the towers, take the trail that follows the cable back down into and across the wash to the northwest; do not follow the Strawhouse / Marufo Vega Trail to the right. Begin the steep climb up the Ore Terminal Trail and out of the canyon.

The trail is easy to follow here; rock cairns and the white scratch marks left by mule and horse hooves add further assurance. This section of the trail follows the old tram route fairly closely. After climbing over the ridgetop into a small valley, the trail turns west, away from the tram route.

The overall route to the terminal is clear, but the trail gets a bit faint in places on the last stretch. The trail descends gradually from the divide to the terminal. Observant hikers may notice the unmarked junction on the left with the route Rio Grande Village, but it is faint.

The massive wooden beams of the ore terminal still remain solid, although the entire structure leans and is slowly collapsing. Pieces of ore lie on the ground, along with rusting cans, bolts, and other debris.

A heavy sense of isolation hangs over the terminal ruins; no other signs of humans can be seen in the broad sweep of desert and mountains. The miners are long gone; only the wind whistling around the wooden beams provides company.