The Aerial Horizon

The silver mines opened near Miami, Arizona in 1874, but closed in 1877…When silver mining halted in these mountains, copper mining began almost immediately. The Pinto Valley Copper Mine along with its adjacent mines, look like small deserts nestled in the mountains as we climb out over the range. But as we gain altitude and perspective, the depth of these mines become apparent. The deep white scrapes in the mountain tops first look like divots. They rapidly begin to show depth and spiraling shadows that turn the pitted surface into deep wells of earth. As we look into the chasm, it is as though we are looking at the mountain from the inside out.