Creel, Chihuahua
Creel (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈkril]) is a town in the Sierra Tarahumara (part of the Sierra Madre Occidental) of the Mexican state of Chihuahua. It is the second-largest town (after San Juanito) in the municipality of Bocoyna. It is located some 175 kilometres (109 mi) to the southwest of the state capital, Chihuahua, Chih. At the census of 2005 it had a population of 5,338 inhabitants.
Near Creel is Divisadero, perhaps the best-known overlook of the "Three Canyons" area of the Copper Canyon, as well as Basaseachic Falls, one of the highest waterfalls in Mexico. Creel was historically a logging town, although tourism has become the primary job source over the last 20 years. There are many hotels, restaurants and a number of tours down into the canyons and throughout the surrounding area.
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[edit] History
Creel was founded with the name ‘Estación Creel’ on May 26, 1907, as a railroad depot on the Chihuahua–Pacific line. It was named after Enrique Creel governor of Chihuahua state at the time. He was the son of Reuben W. Creel, American delegate in Chihuahua. Creel was founded as a planned agricultural settlement that was intended to have a small number of Mexicans who were supposed to spread their culture onto the Tarahumara who were supposed to be the majority of the population. It was supposed to have 25 Mexican and 75 Tarahumara families, but in its early years only had about 30 Tarahumara families although the right number of Mexicans.[1]
For many years before its completion the line ended at Creel.
[edit] Climate
Creel’s high altitude gives it a mild subtropical highland climate, characterised by warm days and cold nights with frost occurring most mornings from October to April, though daytime temperatures in those months remain comfortable. Although precipitation during the winter is not infrequent, snowfalls are rare, occurring on average only four days per year, but are more frequent on the mountain peaks.
| Climate data for Creel | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 24.5 (76.1) |
26.0 (78.8) |
26.5 (79.7) |
31.0 (87.8) |
37.0 (98.6) |
35.0 (95.0) |
34.0 (93.2) |
32.0 (89.6) |
30.0 (86.0) |
30.0 (86.0) |
29.0 (84.2) |
29.0 (84.2) |
37.0 (98.6) |
| Average high °C (°F) | 13.5 (56.3) |
15.2 (59.4) |
17.6 (63.7) |
21.0 (69.8) |
24.0 (75.2) |
26.9 (80.4) |
24.4 (75.9) |
24.1 (75.4) |
23.2 (73.8) |
21.2 (70.2) |
18.0 (64.4) |
14.8 (58.6) |
20.33 (68.59) |
| Average low °C (°F) | −5.2 (22.6) |
−4.6 (23.7) |
−3.1 (26.4) |
−0.5 (31.1) |
2.8 (37.0) |
7.5 (45.5) |
10.2 (50.4) |
9.9 (49.8) |
7.7 (45.9) |
1.8 (35.2) |
−2.1 (28.2) |
−4.3 (24.3) |
1.68 (35.02) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −20 (−4) |
−21 (−6) |
−13.5 (7.7) |
−11 (12) |
−6 (21) |
−0.5 (31.1) |
1.0 (33.8) |
3.0 (37.4) |
−1 (30) |
−6 (21) |
−12 (10) |
−20.5 (−4.9) |
−21 (−6) |
| Precipitation mm (inches) | 44.3 (1.744) |
36.6 (1.441) |
19.4 (0.764) |
14.4 (0.567) |
16.0 (0.63) |
74.3 (2.925) |
166.1 (6.539) |
144.4 (5.685) |
107.3 (4.224) |
47.9 (1.886) |
38.6 (1.52) |
66.1 (2.602) |
775.4 (30.528) |
| Avg. precipitation days | 5.3 | 3.7 | 2.2 | 2.1 | 2.2 | 9.3 | 19.5 | 17.3 | 11.7 | 4.1 | 4.0 | 5.7 | 87.1 |
| Avg. snowy days | 1.38 | 0.61 | 0.72 | 0.08 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.42 | 0.70 | 3.91 |
| Source no. 1: Servicio Meteorológico National[2] | |||||||||||||
| Source no. 2: Colegio de Postgraduados[3] | |||||||||||||
[edit] Transport
The Chihuahua al Pacífico (Chepe) railroad runs from the city of Chihuahua to Los Mochis with four passenger trains arriving daily - two from each direction. There is also bus service to Chihuahua, as well as regular service down to the small town of Batopilas, a trip that takes about five hours each way.
[edit] References
- ^ Edward H. Spicer, Cycles of Conquest: The Impact of Spain, Mexico, and the United States on the Indians of the Southwest, 1533-1960 (Tucson: University of Arizona Press, 1962), p. 40
- ^ "NORMALES CLIMATOLÓGICAS 1971-2000". Servicio Meteorológico National. 2011. http://smn.cna.gob.mx/climatologia/normales/estacion/chih/NORMAL08038.TXT. Retrieved on 9 October 2011.
- ^ "Normales climatológicas para el Estado de Chihuahua". Colegio de Postgraduados. http://www.cm.colpos.mx/meteoro/progde/norm/chihuahg.htm. Retrieved 9 October 2011.
- Link to tables of population data from Census of 2005 INEGI: Instituto Nacional de Estadística, Geografía e Informática
[edit] External links
- Municipio de Bocoyna Official website of Municipality of Bocoyna
Coordinates: 27°45′N 107°38′W / 27.75°N 107.633°W
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