Some friends and I hiked to Raab Park in the Gila National Forest. It’s about a 3 1/2 mile hike in with some steep rocky slopes to get there, but it’s beautiful country. Most folks probably go to see the moonstone mines or the Mimbres ruins – both worth seeing. But of course, I was most excited to see this old corral made of rough-cut juniper planks. I immediately thought of my friends at Friday Fences!
It’s old, but probably still functional if all the sliding pieces for the gates can be found.
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The posts and planks are held together mostly with barbed wire.
Each side of the gate is a pair of very solid posts. Holes have been drilled in each to hold pieces of pipe – these support the sliding posts that close the opening. Nice engineering.
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From inside the corral.
Nearby are the remains of an even older corral – juniper posts held together with barbed wire. The wood is still strong – but perhaps the design wasn’t the best. Most of the posts (pickets?) have fallen but are still connected with the wire.
The old gate post can be seen on the collapsing fence.
So it was a perfect day: new place to hike and new (to me) fences!
Always Backroads 
That older corral seems like a set of dominoes – once one falls over it brings all the others down with it. All that barbed wired looks tricky to work with, but I guess one gets skilled at avoiding injuries.
ah, I am glad you shared it. My kind of stuff too. Love that old worn wood and teh shape of the fence as well as the nature. 🙂 Thanks for sharing.
My whole heart says YES to rough wooden corrals and fences!
Fence, Sky, Clouds
It’s so picturesque and so filled with haunting memories of years gone by! I love it! How fortunate to find it. I know how much you must’ve enjoyed the hike too.
What a wonderful place. I absolutely love the worn old wood, the smoothness, the wear and the texture. The sheer higgledy-piggledy form as it subsides after so many years of service. Beautiful.
Wonderful pics of the old corral.
Love the rustic charm of these!!
Even here in the Philippines barbed wires is still in demand for fences and everything. The fence looks rusty and old it adds the best view of the surrounding.
Friday Fence
i love these rustic old fences!
I very much like the look of cedar.
Nice shots….very rustic! My fave kind of fence!!!!
that’s lovely
your photos do the old beauty justice 🙂
I do like the old, rustic fences best. Very well photographed.
Very functional. Looking ast your photos, was wondering how long juniper fencing might last. Any ideas?
No real ideas. People have been running cattle here for maybe 80-100 years. I think juniper wood is very long-lasting. Some of the posts are huge and I saw only two really big junipers left. Most are small and I’m guessing that they have grown since the old ones were cut.