Some folks here enjoyed a campfire at 9,000 ft. this past weekend. Way up a steep run of switchbacks with astounding vistas of SE Arizona - and a beautiful camp in the ponderosa forest.

Really good folks, excellent camaraderie, great food and fun shooting. Some traveled in from Arkansas, Oregon, Colorado, Texas and New Mexico. Missed the ones from Louisiana and California this year. Many photos to follow from krp and others. Stay tuned.

Glad you all enjoyed it.

Someday I may make it there. I keep wishing anyway.

I wish I could have come, but had some family conflicts. Ultimately though, I fell off a ladder and even the family stuff got cancelled. Maybe next year.

Just DO IT. I'd love to meet you at one of these, Geno.

I'm 610 feel ASL

You have oxygen up there??

Here in good ol' Jefferson our campfire is doing nicely at 66 square miles and 1% containment. Local merchants are raising the price of dogs, marshmallows and gas and diesel. Merchants wondering why we all shop in Southern Oregon.

Our campfire is about 5’ above sea level

It depends on what it's being fed:

plain Jane Mexican brown, not so high

domestic ganja, plenty high

Well, the demise of the 36MPG Matrix in the creek last fall put the kibosh on some extracurricular activities. I'd have to take the 20MPG truck and thanks to Brandon that's a bit out of the fixed income budget right now.

I keep hoping the wife hits that MegaMillions deal, even for the 5 numbers. Then I could rent someone to take me in a plane!

150’

About 350’

Around 715' ASL.

I'm wondering, do campfires at 9K feet have to be re-jetted to burn right? 😉😄

Thanks for the replies - was born and raised at about 200 ft. altitude on the Delaware River - moved out west at age 22 and gradually adjusted to the mountain conditions.

Yes, at 9k the distance between air molecules is greater, and a few of the flatlanders noticed it - but no one was slowed down very much. Lots of activity pretty much non-stop from dawn until 9 or 10 pm.

As an oldie with some significant deficiencies, I was asked to keep track of the O2 level - pulse oximeter was always below 90% and once went down to 81 after some shenanigans. Just kept going.

My take is that those on the 'Fire who never have been out here with our assorted gang face-to-face have missed some very special interactions and experiences. Upside down from the internet - real people, phony stuff nonexistent.

Looking forward to the photos.

Had our annual bbq at friend’s farm. He stacked these up because they’ve got wire fence buried in them and he doesn’t want to ruin his saw. He has plenty of firewood anyway. Was a good opportunity to burn up a lot of scrub around the farm the next day, too.

usually about 1ft ASL.

Pickin's are slim - for sure!
I cheat a bit, though - I live at 6550.

Just made it home, had to stop in Santa Fe to see a doctor. (follow - up on a previous issue)
Hope everyone else either has, or does, arrive home safely.

I’m 269 above sea level

About 800 feet.

We had 25 participants

Here's a few pictures, I still have to go through some that others have sent and get them downloaded, more this evening.

Kent

Thanks Kent

Looks nice and green up there.

Happy to see everyone had a great time, sorry I missed you all looks like a beautiful place. Rio7

Wow! Beautiful. And sorry we missed it too. Im glad y’all had a great time!

218 ASL here on beautiful Lake Champlain.

Our group camp was in the Pinaleno Mountains - part of the Coronado National Forest - and this NF consists of some disconnected mountain ranges (Chiricahua, Santa Rita, Catalina, Dragoon, Whetstone, etc) in SE Arizona and surrounded by high deserts.

The higher reaches of each of these ranges are called the "Sky Islands" and we were up on Mt. Graham in the Pinalenos - it is the highest of those "islands" and rises well above 10,000 ft.

Our camp site was a rare mildly sloped and rather clear area amidst seriously steep and heavily wooded terrain. At one time it was a Boy Scout camping site. Zero improvements. We hauled in all of our needed water and our guy RoadRunner 65 towed two Porta Potties on a trailer up from Safford - thanks again, Joe.

There is more than one road up, and the one paved route is indeed a driving challenge. If I dared trust those coming down the road, I would love to take the old Corvette over there and see how fast I could get to the top. Maybe some early Sunday AM.

Some pulled up RV trailers as long as 21 ft. and another came up in a 700 series BMW. One nitwit went up in a 1970 GMC 3500 with a 1970 Alaskan pump up camper on it. A few folks simply endured the wicked climb and arrived with noticeable jitters - but soon leveled out and had a great time.

630 HGL

Official start of the get together though most showed up Thursday, is Friday dinner.

Here Paul CCCC, is welcoming everyone and remembering our friends that have passed on... Ken Howell, crossfireoops, thomasmagnum, mudhen, bigbuck215, I'm sure I'm forgetting someone, and those that couldn't make it this time.

We pledge allegiance to our flag and say a prayer... and don't apologize for either...

Kent

Miles and Steve's tents

Shared by RiverRider

Shared by Paladin

Happy tails... or trails... or...

Kent

According to a topo map, I'm about 917' above sea level and my keyhole fire pit is about 3' deep,..so 914'.

The fire pit got a good workout over the past 36 hours.

[url=https://poemsonly.com/poem/1208][/url]

Thanks for the photos - they set the scene much better than words.

Kent's post reminds me that, in addition to our remembrances of members of the gang who have passed on ahead of us, we surely missed some "regulars" who normally grace the event but could not join in this time. It's always a great time, but even better with you all. No need to name - you know who you are.

Those shots downhill toward the pond with folks and benches on the road show the shooting scene.

Coats! Wish we needed a coat around here.

Looks like a fun time!

Looks like a good time.
Also looks like those mountains have seen some rain; I'm glad to see the entire southwest isn't all dried up and brown.

Left about 70-100’ asl last Wednesday and crested 11,000+ several times since.

Currently camping at 2524’ asl.

Not all sunshine and puffy clouds, we had several stints of rain during the event.

8500 @ home, 10000 @elk camp

No, but it seemed the BS turbos all kicked in.

I didn't do any shooting... but wore ear plugs the whole time...

Kent

It stayed green from Safford to about the NM line - dried up towards Lordsburg and Deming, then greened a bit to Hatch.
Mostly green from there home, thank God for good rains.

You've always been a smart man, Kent!

bruinruin - Kent brought a sophisticated multi-jetted campfire canister designed to increase air flow into the heart of the fire - am thinking it was made by Kenmore or Maytag - maybe Whirlpool. Very modern approach - more fire and lower smoke. It is in the pics.

As for re-jetting, the Qjet carb on my primitive rig is jetted for normal altitude and fine tuned to about 3,000 ft. Has pretty good displacement, but once above 7k it started to feel lazy. At 9k the idle was simply lousy and I didn't want to get into that, so only started it twice - to charge the cabin battery. I could feel the smile when we got down the mountain.

Almost everyone else had fuel-injected and sensor/computer controlled systems - ran as normal.

Due to daily and typical SW seasonal rains, we had about zero danger of fire - nice green forest floor and surrounding us. I think you would enjoy one of these shindigs.

I'm thinking GE...

Kent

I was there and oxygen is in short supply. I live at 200 feet +/-. miles

Looks like everyone had a great time! I often think back to the Quemado gathering. First time in the southwest, for this old NH yankee. We got to tour New Mexico and Arizona and the Grand Canyon. Been some water over the dam, since then.

No, they come with mass air sensors and burn only the fuel that will oxidize cleanly.

I think you came the time we had 56 show up... cooking for 25 seemed leisurely.

Kent

Kent, I believe your right. There was quite a crowd! We had a great time, and met some nice people. I've been all over the country, and I have to say the sothwest is one of my favorite places. After we left Quemado we drove down towards the Reserve area. We had dinner at at a small little place, best Mexican food I've ever eaten.

Bogtrotter - we very well remember you and your wife and your enthusiasm for that big trip (as well as your NH accent) and have hoped you would be back again some year.

That little joint in Reserve still serves pretty good Mexican grub. C'mon back.

Next year! Now that I'm retired plenty of free time. My wife still talks about watching the elk in the evening.

I'm pretty sure you have the record for longest distance to our event.

Kent

950' ASL.

kwg

3600 feet.

Don't you guys have some more photos? Steve? Anyone?

I would love to come someday. My plan sometime , is to come and quail hunt later in the year too, I just need a pup soon .. I’ve never been to the Southwest but I like what I’ve see in pictures. Sea level at home is 300 feet. Elk camp is 11,000 ft.

770 ft. at home, 1,129 ft. on the mountain
Looks like a lot of fun

tzone - can't conjure a connection - what is that?

Spongebob, maybe?

Snoop looks pretty high but I don't see a campfire.

Currently fireside at 374’ in mid south Mississippi. It’s wetter than hell and I’m sweating like a ni$$er doing Chinese ‘rithmatic! That, or a fat white boy 😂

Move going along well?

Looks like good times were had by all.

Memories for a lifetime.

Swimmingly.

Heading to the Redneck Riviera tomorrow. Gonna see if anyones heard of this slumlord fella…

After that, up to see folks in GA and TN before we get to Cackalacky.

Any luck, kids will be there in time for school to start. 😁

Swimmingly is cool.

WTF is a Cackalacky?

Cackalacky isn’t a what, it’s a where. Assuming your W is a what. Common euphemism for Carolina.

Along the same lines as “Montucky”.