Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Southwest Campfire Gathering Late July

It looks as though those who have participated in the past, and those who have expressed interest in our successful Summer gatherings in the SW, will have at least one more opportunity. This is an invite from three remaining members (CCCC, Darby and krp) of the SW gang that originated the event

Dates are the last weekend in July - Friday the 29th through Sunday the 31st – and the camp will be available at least one or two days before that for those who like to arrive earlier. We will be in the Coronado National Forest at about 8,0000 ft. up on Mt. Graham in the Pinaleno Mountains.

This invitational thread will run for about a month into early July, at which time we will make a final ID of all likely participants. Then, all of those signing up will be involved in a private group PM for planning, covering of tasks and essentials, and driving/location specifics.

If you need further info, have suggestions and/or wish to sign up – this is the place.

Welcome to all.

tag

Would love to attend, should have a better idea by July 1st.

TTT

tagged

This is a great event. I wish I could make it this year but my calendar won't allow it. Anyone contemplating attending will be pleased if they do.

Wife is taking time off of work to attend with her husband this year.

TTT

Beautiful area. Used to hunt deer and quail around the mountain in the '80s.

My dad was born in Thatcher and raised there on my granddad's cotton farm during the depression. Their house didn't have electricity. When he was in the 8th grade they moved 3 times, my granddad was also a mechanic/welder for the mines and El Paso gas, whichever had work.

First he got a high paying Job in mexican mine, after moving the family down my grandmother was having none of it, so she packed the kids up and came back, he followed soon after. They then went to California and an oil industry job. My grandmother took the money they had and bought 40 acres in Tempe Az, it had 4 small houses, she sold 2 that were moved away whole, the second one she gave to my dad when he married my mom and that was where I was born.

Anyway dad still deer hunted up there every year, mostly at Eagle creek or Alma Mesa, that's where I started deer hunting. Twice we did hunt Mt Graham, but the last time was 1979, it's beautiful up there and remote, we went up the west side from Pima or Thatcher, I've never been up from the east side.

Kent

I'm looking forward to your storytelling, Kent!

Ha... I've spent some time in Safford, but it's been a long time. My grandparents still had some acreage there, they leased it to an alfalfa grower, a percentage of the bales would go to my dad to feed the horses. Dad had an old dump truck and a flatbed trailer he used with a backhoe on the water company he owned in Christopher creek. He'd make me drive that to Safford and load it to the max, bring that hay back to Mesa... butt puckering coming down from 'Top of the World' to Superior.

When my granddad was young, his dad, uncle and him would homestead around Silver city NM, they'd claim a couple at a time, throw up fences and a small building, and when the claim was proved they'd sell. Dad said there was still some fence posts with the Powell name on them.

Granddad met my grandmother in Willcox at a dance, by then he and his dad had farms in Safford. They married in Miami, Az after a couple month courtship.

My grandmother was living with her married sister after both their parents died in Durango, Co a couple months apart. She was 17.

Tough days back then, tough people.

Kent

Kat and I will be there! Looking forward to another great time!

Ed

I am planning on being there, barring any unforeseen circumstances 😁

I hunted the area generally west of Mt. Graham a few times in the mid 1960s and 70s - one of the the first areas where I saw Mule Deer and Coues Deer sharing habitat, and once in a while could find a rare cross breed.

First went all the way up Mt. Graham to Riggs Flat Lake in 1971 - it was a weekend shakedown cruise for the 67 Dodge 3/4 ton crew cab, and I had put a big Red Dale cabover camper on it. It was a 2.5 or 3 hour trip from our home in Tucson and the whole family was enthusiastic about our first adventure in that rig. The four girls ranged from 2 yrs to 10 years of age at the time, and it seemed as if all of them were taking turns scooting back and forth from camper to back seat of the truck through the booted opening - all the way up the mountain - telling mom and dad the latest scene or animal they had seen.

We camped by the lake, enjoyed the blue sky mountain weather, went fishing and did some "boating" with a raft deal I had made using inner tubes (remember those?). We experienced some bears - and the gang likely will do so this July.

45 100 and his lovely wife drove us up the mountain recently to scout possible sites for this gathering. Very enjoyable.

I've been up on Graham many times. I will be there in spirit since I ain't coming to Arizona in July. Besides, I'll be deer hunting🤷‍♂️

We will miss you Dennis - until you started hanging out in AK, you were part of the fun from the very start of these gatherings out here many years ago. Have a great hunt.

TTT

Thank you, Rick Bin, for making this thread a sticky.

Yes. my thanks as well.