Contributed Photo/Courtesy Angle Orchard: The public is invited to enjoy the apple and peach blossoms at Angle Orchard this Saturday, from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.
The Saturday event kicks off the orchard’s 100th-year celebration
By Jon Johnson
MOUNT GRAHAM – This Saturday, March 26, from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m., the public is invited to enjoy springtime at Angle Orchard on Mount Graham and bask in the beauty of the peach and apple blossoms.
Not only are the pink and white blossoms beautiful to look at and photograph, but the heavenly smell is a treat for your nose as well.
The event is the kickoff for the orchard’s 100th-year celebration, and attendees are encouraged to bring a blanket and water to picnic as they take in the beauty of the orchard’s blossoms.
The legend of the orchard began with a logger who disposed of a peach pit near Ladybug Trail in the early 1900s. The pit grew into a fruit-bearing tree and withstood the frigid mountain winters to produce a sweet, delectable peach.
In 1922, Andrew Preston Angle tasted the fruit and made up his mind to plant an orchard in the same area. He and his wife, Viola Cooper Angle, obtained a 12-acre lease from the United States Forest Service and began planting apple, pear, and peach seedlings from a nursery in Louisiana. Today, many in the Gila Valley and more enjoy the fruits of the labors began and continued by the family.
Angle Orchard is located in the Coronado National Forest on Mount Graham, roughly 7.4 miles west on State Route 366 (Swift Trail) from the intersection with U.S. Highway 191. Just past Noon Creek is a sign directing traffic to take a left (south) turn on a dirt road that leads to the orchard.
The owners ask that the public refrain from touching the blossoms (they need those to turn into apples) and keep dogs on leashes and leave no trace by hauling away all trash.
