Memorial Day Campout
By Paul Thompson (Trail Tales June 2007)
The annual Memorial Day campout and trail ride was fun and relaxing for 10 member families and 4 guests. Eight of us (Peeples, Bontly/Montano/Griego, Berglund, Hurt, Wolf, Thompson, Caskey, and guest John Fisher and Devin) camped out for at least 2 nights, while 5 additional vehicles (Kausche, Whiston Sr., Whiston Jr., and guests Keith and Jennifer Johnson and Derek and Dawn sorry-we-didn’t-get-your-lastname) showed up for the Saturday run, and guests Tim and Pat Nash joined us on Sunday.
A rain shower on Friday afternoon sent campers for cover and made for slippery conditions for those arriving to set up camp later in the day. Aside from a slightly muddy start to Saturday’s run, the conditions and the weather were perfect for the remainder of our stay. This and earlier rains have made the forest green and lush with only moderate fire danger.
With 13 vehicles ready to go at 9:00 am Saturday morning, we set out for a run up Joaquin Canyon. A side trip to the old log skidder has become a tradition for returning members and is a big hit for guests and newcomers. We would have been stopped in our tracks by a sizable log across the road, but Tom Hurt and his trusty chain saw saved the day. As we progressed up the canyon we encountered more downed trees that required more sawing and winching to make the trail passable. After lunch, we spent a few minutes exploring some old log cabins probably associated with logging activities in years past. When we reached FR 534, some of the group headed back to camp while the rest of us proceeded to the top of San Miguel Mountain. At Tom’s suggestion, we returned via the north side of the mountain, a route that was new to most of us.
The highlight of Saturday evening’s pot luck was the Navajo Tacos provided by Ethel May Peeples.
Chuck did an excellent job as fry bread cook. As usual, there was way more food than we could eat.
The evening ended with a roaring campfire and good conversation.
On Sunday, having a slightly smaller group, we started our run with a little exploration. We identified and followed the trail leading up McMillan Canyon until we encountered a tree across the trail too large to be removed without considerable effort. After vowing to return another day to clear the obstruction, we proceeded to our original goal of ascending Church Canyon. At the top of the ridge, we connected with FR 535 and followed it north to our lunch stop next to the Rio del Indio. We crossed the wash and followed it up stream where we encountered more trees and brush that needed to be cleared. Again, Tom’s chain saw was crucial in opening the trail and making the run (and the weekend) a success. Eventually we made our way back to FR 535 and back to camp.
Believing that we should leave the forest cleaner than we find it, we all picked up trash as we encountered it on the trail and at the camp site. Mark and Joan Wolf deserve credit for the bulk of the collecting and hauling, including a truck bumper!
By Sunday night or Monday morning we all had to break camp and head for home. We relish the relaxation and good company as we look forward to the next outing.
