AARL VHF at the Grand Canyon
September 9-14, 2021
We missed Field Day this year because Doug's Denali was getting a makeover. So we we switched our annual campout to the September AARL VHF Contest, aiming for our preferred dispersed camping location just outside Grand Canyon National Park. In addition to great free camping, the area also boasts an excellent radio horizon.
Snow Lake, Middle Fork and Loco Mountain
August 18-21, 2021
Some trips are quests, some are for a change of scenery, and some result from viriditaphobia. Yes, that's a real word meaning "fear of weeds". With our favorite travel buddy Ann H., we hatched a plan to camp at Snow Lake and hike the Middle Fork Trail.
The Great Northern New Mexico Loop
July 12-25, 2021
When our friend Ann H. proposed a joint camping trip in honor of her late husband and our dear friend, we eagerly signed on. But hey, once we drove nearly all the way to the Colorado border, why stop there?
Devils Garden
June 17-18, 2021
The hot, hot weather has arrived, and while I am profoundly grateful that Silver City temps are 10-15 degrees cooler than Tucson, I swear our sun is hotter! So were a bit skeptical when Ann H proposed a hiking and camping trip in the Piños Altos range, less than 15 miles from Silver City. But it worked out brilliantly, and it was great to get some serious outdoor time despite the heat.
Meadow Creek
June 4-5, 2021
Meadow Creek was a last-minute improv after a more ambitious trip was quashed by a combination of overwork, dentistry and unsettled weather. In retrospect, we couldn't have chosen a better place to spend the first few days of summer heat. Less than 20 miles from town, Meadow Creek is a world away.
North Star Mesa
May 20-21, 2021
We are surrounded by mountains, and just north of us is the Gila Wilderness, New Mexico's largest wilderness area, flanked by the equally impressive Aldo Leopold Wilderness Area. The two are separated by a narrow corridor of national forest land, traversed by FR 150 aka North Star Mesa Road, which runs all the way from Mimbres to Beaver Head. Let's go!
Mogollon Box
May 13, 2021
I've always wondered what the Gila River does between the Turkey Creek access and the cluster of farms in Cliff/Gila. Now I know it meanders through a sweet, sweet canyon shaded by giant cottonwoods and sycamores. With premier local guide Ann H., we spent the day just walking in the water.
Allie Canyon
April 7, 2021
A perfect spring day in a wet canyon deep in the Gila National Forest. We four-wheeled to the trailhead and then hiked into dreamy Allie Canyon, which meanders through lush meadows and Ponderosa pine forest across the Piños Altos Range.
Aravaipa East End
March 27-30, 2021
So she did it! Our dear friend Ann H, who introduced us to Four Wheel campers, finally bought her own rig, a 2013 Taco with a Fleet flatbed. Ann came home with Turtle Truck just a few days before friends Jeff and Julia invited us to join them for three days in Aravaipa Canyon. It was the perfect first joint outing, and our first backpacking trip in more than a year!
Silver City Hikes
December, 2020 to January, 2021
It's now two months since we made the move to Silver City, and while we spend most of our time working on our new home (aka "The Bungle-oh", we've still managed to squeeze in a few local hikes, expertly guided by our old friend and new neighbor, Ann H.
Snowstorm!
January 26, 2021
Since we moved to Silver City, we've been hoping for a proper snowstorm. This is what we found when we opened our door about 7:00 am on Tuesday, January 26.
The Bungle-Oh!
Before and After Photos
I don't know if we really planned on renovating a 1945 bungalow, but here we are. Since moving here in early December, we have worked nearly full-time on unpacking, organizing and, ultimately, renovating our new home in Silver City.
The Biggest Adventure of All
October-December, 2020
We spent the summer camping and hiking all over central New Mexico and northern Arizona. From the Mogollon Rim to the White Mountains, the Manzano Mountains, El Malpais, San Franciscos and the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, we spent weeks exploring areas we'd only briefly visited in the past. It was good, it was TOO good! And it gave us a taste for something more!
Chiricahua Crest Trail
October 2-3, 2020
In 2011, the Horseshoe II fire tore through the upper Chirichuas. But now nine years have passed, and we decided it was time to return to the Chiricahua Crest Trail to scout the area for a future trip.
Life on the Edge
The Mogollon Rim and the Grand Canyon
As the terrible awful summer of 2020 wears on, we are spending as much time as possible far from Tucson. After a few days along the Rim with our ham radio camping buddy, we wandered north to Sunset Crater and the Grand Canyon.
