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.

Well the genealogy thread got me looking back again, this thread needs bumping so here you go, it's only relevant as it's the area we are going to.

I misremembered a bit, in 1942 when dad was 11, they lost the rented farms in Pima and Ashurst during the depression, they were leased land, my grandmother say's my greatgrandfather was bad with money and my grandfather tried to save both farms with his one and they lost both. They moved to Globe and granddad worked in the mines for a few years before trying the mexico gig. Also they had finally gotten electricity in the Adobe house in Pima, but it was a few lines to bulbs in each room for light. There was a big hay barn and the women washed cloths in a tub, they bucketed water indoors from a storage tank, wood stove for cooking, ice box, in the summer the boys slept out on the screen porch and the girls got the bedrooms.

Reread my uncle's memoirs.

The old adobe Pima house, was still standing in 2013, everything else was gone.



Granddad with my aunt and uncle before my dad was born, horse drawn combine, about 1929.

Them Powells may be nice, upright and hard working folks, but this has been a fuzzy looking bunch.

Criminals... can't have anyone finger'n ya to the coppers...

Kent

Kent, thanks for the old pictures. I plan on being there, and might be having a couple more with me. Time will tell. miles

Good to know this, Miles, and those you have brought along in the past have been very good guys that just added to the enjoyment. Always welcome.

Sorry - I can't post any old photos of family - they all were so ugly that the camera broke the first time they tried to use it.

My Great Grandfathers house burned sometime in the past and the two story house that was built to replace it, where my Grandfather also lived after my Great Grandfather died, burned when I was 3 months old, so all of the really old pictures were lost. miles

Looks like there was a little rain, more to the east and west, but at least a couple 10ths. We need it bad.

Kent

Some clouds boiled up down this way - mid to late afternoon it looked ready to rain - but only some very light sprinkles for a few seconds at a time. There may have been some rain at higher elevation east of here in that part of the Coronado. It's time - way dry.

Now it shows 1.5 inches of rain on the mountain.

Kent

https://www.iweathernet.com/total-rainfall-map-24-hours-to-72-hours

Thanks for the cite, bud.

Now shows 2.35 inches. A good start.

Well, after all this time avoiding covid, we've got it. 12 days ago Cheryl became sick with fever and bad stuff for 3 days. I didn't credit it to covid, she has had a reoccurring boil or cyst on her back come back after years of being gone. Then she was at my daughter's watching the grandkids during the week as my daughter had seminars the State was paying her to speak at. She slipped on the stairs and hurt her back and knee. A day later she was down with a fever. I figured it was an infection from the boil or the fall. She slept for 3 days and couldn't eat, I didn't give credit to covid as there was no lung issues. Fever, bad body aches, chills, sweats, tiredness, couldn't eat. Just made sense she had an infection. Amoxicillin, nyquil, tylenol, ivermectin, she started recovering after 3 days. She thinks she must have gotten it at Target, taking the grandkids shopping.

We were the last in all my family to get it, even my 91 year old dad got it a month ago, it was not good but he's fairly recovered as best can be hoped.

I'm on day 4 and finally got some half way restful sleep last night, I credit ivermectin to having very little lung issues. Other wise I can't eat, fever dreams, body aches, eyes, fingers, teeth, wiped out energy wise.

I had really tried to have Cheryl not get it, when she was 4 they lived in Chicago, she was always sick with asthma, she had 4 older siblings that had to take turns on a hand pump to keep her alive, and they admit to times of wishing she was dead. She went into a coma, after a couple weeks she said she died, she was floating out of her body, a beautiful white light came and pushed her back in, it said something but she was 4. The doctor said she would die in Chicago so they moved back to arizona.

She pulled through fine from covid.

Life is just one disaster after another it seems, my grandmother said it was a bunch of crap with a little happiness every once in awhile. She was right. We have been going through a rough time as my daughter was forced to divorce her husband, he was constantly cheating on her, 11 times he admitted, claimed it was from drinking but wouldn't quit or agree to counseling. Worst thing is the depression my daughter is still in and how it changed the grandkids, they built this shell around themselves, wouldn't let anyone else in. You could be talking to them and they are holding each other not listening, in some strange silent communication. I've been chipping at the shell and knocked some of it off, have a long ways to go yet.

My troubles aren't as bad as some I'm sure and worse than others, we aren't looking for sympathy we've been through much worse losses, we just shrug off this chit and start back up on the important stuff.

I'm just laying here sick and venting, my sister who heals with prayer is doing her best right now, she is a marvel.

Good thing is I should be well recovered by the time of the event and will see you all then.

Kent

Dang, Kent. I hope things get better soon...and especially for those kids. Take good care of yourself.

Kent - sorry that Cheryl and you are having to deal with the misery of Covid effects and that your lovely daughter and the kids are going through what, to me, seems like a marital/family tragedy. In knowing about her very successful career as a educator, the lovely growth and development of the kids (and cool photos), and their sojourn with you and Cheryl while waiting to occupy their new home - it seemed that all was going so very well.

It's good to know that you are both getting past the crud and will be in good shape for the gathering in July, but no doubt the situation with your daughter and the children will be heavy on your minds and hearts - at least until their lives stabilize and the youngsters can again be the grand kids you have enjoyed so much.

Please let Maddy and me know if there is anything we can do to be of help.

Kent, my friend, Prayers offered up for you and your family. miles

Kent, get well soon. you are tougher than that virus.

As for us, it is clear that we cannot make it. My work injury had not been successfully resolved and I ran out of money. I apologize for the late response but I was hoping for a better outcome.

I'm over the worse.

Anyway I can set up a camp early for those that want it, there is plenty of dispersed camping sites close to Paul's, and just a quick move on the day Paul's opens.

Kent

Kent - glad you are feeling better. Hope that Cheryl is too.

To all - as for arriving early, I am working on having our group site reserved from Wednesday through Sunday. If this works out (I'm almost certain that it will - "charm", you know) I will plan to get to the site by Wed noon or before and, of course, any of our participants are welcome by then as well. I will know about this soon.

There are quite a few other campgrounds up there for individuals by reservation - but most are small (built over 50 years ago) - and they are very popular in summer - hard to book. As Kent noted, there is supposed to be "dispersed camping" in some areas, but I did not notice any of that when we went up to do the search for a camp and the folks in the Ranger District office have not been encouraging about such camping.

The good things about this site I have grabbed is that it is a beautiful spot (tall pines/pond) - not worn out by every weekend campers - distance from other camps and privacy for our gang, room to spread out, space to shoot (very difficult to find that up in those campgrounds), etc.

The challenges are that we will probably need to get a porta potty in there (more on that later) and need to bring our water and/or go to a nearby campground to refill. Other than that, we will need the usual tables, pop ups, cooking gear, big tarp to hang, etc. This group does all of that very well and I am working on the list.

Heeeyyy... Are we doing a bowling pin shoot this year? My son works at a bowling alley and brought home a case of pins (10). I can bring them up if needed and possibly more .
Not sure if I'm going to be there early or not yet, still undecided, but would like to be to help set things up and get a days rest if possible.
Looking forward to seeing everybody again.

Joe

I'm going to try to attend. I have some family stuff going on that may make me day to day but we'll see how it goes.

Good to hear Rufus - will make certain that you are in the group PM.

Sorry folks, have been away from home, and the computer since sometime around June 15th or so... I finally just took the time off and made the trip... my last surviving aunt is 91 and in an assisted living... and has had some ups and downs over the last year... she was pretty much my second mom growing up, until we moved to Europe in 1963, when my dad got transferred to England serving in the Air Force...

Got to see a bunch of my cousins I have seen in years, or make that decades...just rolled in to the drive way about 1/2 an hour ago...

my wife Judie wanted to attend this gathering so she will be off work for like 3 weeks, stating 17 July. It will not be a problem for us to roll in early.
Even tho you boys always cut me an overly large amount of slack of helping out with stuff, because of coming so far... I am going to be available and with an assistant.. so you guys who work so hard each time we hold these events, need to not have so much pity on me this time around...

I am far from worn out, or broken still... so I can bring down stuff if needed, or just pick it up at Wally world once we get down to Arizona...

I have no allergies to doing my fair share, and then some...

so keep me posted of what I can do and/or bring.. or pick up...

I can only cook Boy Scout ways, roughing it sort of stuff.... but if I know how to do anything in life, its wash dishes... my old man had me standing on a chair and washing them from the age of 5. Judie and I will be down early to be available to assist with setting up before other's arrive...

and for a guy who just turned 70, I'm in pretty good overall shape, for other kinds of work that may be needed. I am not the brightest crayon in the box on some subjects... but at the same time I am far from the dullest crayon in the box also...

you guys who have always been so good to try to take care of everything for we out of towners, need to think of it from our perspective...
I don't drive all the way down to Arizona, to sit on my ass for 4 days and then go home....I'm available.. use me...

look forward to seeing all of my friends.. at least those that can make it...

I've known a lot of good people in my professional career, and from my time in the military.... but you boys are by far the very best of all of those I've had the pleasure to know in life...

every one stay safe, and we will see you that can make it there.....

Kent, you and Cheryl take it easy... don't over extend yourself after recovering from the covid...

Tracy.. (Ranger Green).. are you open to assistance on what ever it takes to allow you to make it? If it is our last one ever, its not right you won't be there... asking for a friend.. but you have a lot of friends here in case you over looked that fact...Call me in the next week or so if you still have a phone...

later.... I've been up 22 hours and its time to hit the sack....drove like 900 miles today.

Caught 54 of these today, our usual fare for fish fry.

Kent

dang...bin a while...

I will do dishes, help wherever i can...

been a while and i miss my friends from this event!!!!

Gonna borrow a good friends truck, my 2 are another story lol...

Looking forward to this and seeing my friends!!

Any thing that can travel well I am willing to bring...

Do we need a bowling pin shoot table set up/????

Kent, is there something I, can bring to go with the fish? Maybe cole slaw, potato salad, tartar sauce or something else you can think of?

Mark if you want to bring cole slaw, I don't like it so never think of it but many do like it.

Kent

OK - good job here and, for all practical purposes, this thread is done - will not be checking this one any further.

If you said you are joining in, you should have gotten the group PM by now.

bcolorado, 45 100 and others - let's get on that PM and deal with items to bring, food, etc.

Thanks.

Mr. Bin - thanks for your cooperation - and you can remove this sticky if you wish.