May 1998

In some ways this has been a very long month and, in other ways, it went by very quickly. We were finally able to finish off the Tonto, Coronado, Apache and Sitgreaves national forests. In the middle of our work, we would think, "we have a home in Arizona!" Seemed a little strange since we hadn't really considered Arizona until we saw our little house in Bisbee.

Many of you have asked "What happened to Montana?" Nothing happened except - our age and our health. Montana/Wyoming/Idaho are somewhere beyond beautiful and we hope to visit them many, many times. However, the idea of three digits worth of snow and more cold months than warm brought home the fact we are not getting any younger. Suzi still laments not buying that 7-acre parcel outside of Darby but folks in that area, as part of closing up their cabins for winter, encircle it with a belt-like devise to keep the weight of the snow from collapsing the walls. Can you imagine how much snow that must be?!?!?!

Except for small concerns with weight and cholesterol, our health is good. But do you remember last summer's minor medical emergencies we experienced? It's one thing to schedule appointments for medical or dental check-ups but in those northern regions where we considered relocating, "emergencies" also have to be planned and scheduled. Imagine serious chest pains and being two-hundred or more miles from a treatment center. We hope never to visit an emergency room or have to deal with a long-term medical problem but, in Bisbee, such services are more accessible.

One thing you must understand is Arizona is an amazingly diverse place. From Bisbee, nestled in the middle of the Mule Mountains (something like a cross between the Shenandoah National Park and the California coastal mountains) we are within a half-hour drive of the towering Miller Peak, a wilderness, and the prettiest campground we have found so far in Arizona. Here, there are large Ponderosa pines and vistas that go on forever. In the other direction, the Dragoon Mountains (the former home region of Apache warrior, Cochise) have a Badlands appearance and 1000-plus years of human history. We could go on about the Bisbee area but it is probably best if you come out and experience Arizona, in general, and Bisbee, specifically, for yourself.

Here we've been talking all about the Bisbee area and haven't given the rest of the state any attention. The Coronado National Forest is a collection of "sky islands." In each District we visited we would start in a desert and climb through various eco-systems (life zones). It was a little strange to start the day with a temperature warmer in the morning than at noon and going from creosote bush to Douglas fir. Once in the Apache and Sitgreaves National Forests (called the A-B, as in A bar S, by locals), it's all mountains and Ponderosa pine forests.

It seems to us, the A-S are the last National Forests to be discovered in Arizona and the most attractive. These two Forests have a shape similar to the state of Florida. The Apache is the dangle-down portion and has the Coronado Trail Scenic Byway (possibly the most breathtaking drive we have taken) running north/south through the Forest. The Sitgreaves is along the Mogollon (pronounced MUGGY-ohn) Rim and is the "gun-barrel" portion of the two Forests. In the western section of the Apache, just east of where the Forests join, are some delightful campgrounds and interesting geology. The area was formed through a series of volcanic events that covered valley's floor with layers of lava, volcanic ash, and cinders. Today, this erosion resistive material forms a plateau overlooking the southern edge of the Painted Desert. The rest of the Apache NF alternates between rolling meadows and thick forests.

We learned of an interesting challenge the A-S folks must resolve (one of many) concerning a newly released pack of Mexican Grey Wolves. The wolves were raised in captivity and do not have a "healthy" fear of man. They lost the alpha male earlier this spring to a camper who felt his dogs were in danger and then a female killed by a car. Now, the Rainbow People are considering Apache NF for their annual gathering. There are some very serious concerns that with upwards of 30,000-plus people and an estimated 9,000 dogs, the wolf pack will be in additional danger.

You know how you know something but it doesn't really sink in until much later. Well, we knew the Forest Service dealt with more than recreation but it never fails to amaze us just how extensive are their concerns. The Sitgreaves, which doesn't have any wolves, is trying to resolve the problem of a very healthy and robust elk population. The size of the herd plus the cattle grazing on Forest land is beginning to impact the health of vegetation. While the size of either herd is a problem, the major issue, according to the Forest Service and some civilians, is with the Arizona Game and Fish folks (now does that sound familiar?). The herd is actually the responsibility of these guys and they suggest the Forest reduce the number of cattle on the land. Of course, the cattlemen and the Forest Service would prefer the elk herd be reduced but that idea went over like a lead balloon with everyone else. Unless they can develop some resolution you may be hearing about a huge elk calf kill in Arizona some winter's day.

Another item of discovery is the origin of the different communities' names. Show Low is called that because the town was won in a card game with a deuce of clubs (the name of town's main street). Pinetop was named for a tall and lanky bartender at the favorite "watering hole" used by the African-American calvary soldiers from Fort Apache. Springerville was named by rustlers-gone-honest for the man they earlier had cheated into bankruptcy. Many of the communities were established by the Mormon church and the town's name reflect either the founding father or their readings. Then, there are towns that recall the people here long ago such as Moencopi (Hopi for "place of the running water") or Tucson (a Pima word for "black at the foot of"). And another popular naming method is using a feature like the abundant wild strawberries from which Strawberry, AZ got it's name, and the placer gold found in a canyon, provided a small community the name of Canada del Oro (Canyon of Gold).

It is strange to think in this state, which was admitted into the Union some 87 years ago, one can visit 1000-plus year old communities on roads built only in the last forty years, and residents still must generate their own electric power. By this time in July we will be in Montana. In between now and then, we have Arizona's Coconino, Prescott, and Kaibab National Forests to complete. Another busy month with so much to see, do, experience, explore, discover and learn. Tough job but if not us, who???

Suzi and Fred