We enjoyed our mountain trips so much that we had
a desire to share them with others. We invited friends and extended
family and all that wanted to go so they could enjoy with us by
sharing in our experiences. I am sending this to illustrate that we
tried to serve by sharing our trips with others. It was a unique way
to serve but it brought us joy in that service. We did this for
fifty years.
SERVICE BY SHARING
FROM MY JOURNAL April 29, 1979
Today Sunday has been a nice peaceful, beautiful spring
day. We attended all of the meetings enjoying the sermons of Sister
Winifred Jones and Marvin Longhurst.
Susann and Cluadia left Friday noon to go spend the
weekend with Sam and Jenene. I am sure they will have a good time.
During the Semana Santa vacation Sam and Jenene came
down to go on a mountain trip with us. We made elaborate preparations
for the trip. I sent Ruben Perez up Thursday to prepare the animals.
To find them and get them shod. When we got to the Cebadilla sawmill
site there were only eight animals available. I had invited Profesor
Saucedo to go with us but he couldn't because of a meeting in
Chihuahua. He asked if his son Nahum could go in his place. He went
with us and we enjoyed him very much. He is a young fellow about
eighteen years old. He is athletic and a good camping companion we all
enjoyed him.
When Sam and Jenene came they had Tod Sanders with
them. He is Claudia's age so she enjoyed him on the trip. The list was
Keith and Naoma Susann, Sam, Jenene, Claudia, Anthony, Martin Bluth,
Todd, Nahum and Ruben.
We packed the big mule, the Macho Negro and a mule that
was there in the corral. She turned out to be a good pack mule. While
we were packing up, Naoma, Susann, Jenene, Martin and Anthony. Walked
on ahead. I guess we were quite awhile packing up because when we
caught up with them they were in camp down on Trout Creek.
We made two trips with the packs in order to bring all
of the stuff. We could have gotten it all on four packs but not on
three. We had an enjoyable time. We had Trout and Turkey to eat along
with all of the rest of the good food.
We went out in the evening to see if we could get a
turkey. We went down the canyon horse back. I would stop frequently to
chirp on my wing bone and listen. Down just above the Lonja Trail we
heard and answering Gobble. We left the horses and mules and
approached on foot. The Turkeys were climbing the ridge to go to
roost. We very quietly followed them stopping to hear the booming
Gobbles. Suddenly the big Gobbler flew down the ridge right toward us
into a tree just above where we were. We could all see him plainly
about fifty yards away. I whispered, "Don't Move"! No one moved for
about forty five minutes until it got dark enough to not be seen by
the Turkeys. A hen flew into a tree closer still.
Anthony suggested that Nahum should shoot but I told
him that it was his turn to kill the Turkey. With a Flashlight we
approached and located the Big Gobbler high in the tree. Anthony took
careful aim at the Turkey's head and boom!! Down he came flopping
wildly until Anthony secured his wings. Anthony proudly carried him
back to the horses and tied him on the back of his saddle. We went
back to camp planning the tasty Turkey breast for Breakfast.
The Trout had been fished quite a bit on the main
stream so we fished up the small tributary called the Arroyo del Toro.
We only ate fifty six Trout, not too many compared with the many other
trips to Trout Creek.
On the way out we made two trips again because the
little Macho Negro took off and we could not find him. Even though we
fed him corn hoping to entice him into staying with us for the whole
trip.
We pressed the little mule Coyote into service as a
Pack Mule. He was quite inadequate but did a good job for his size and
being new. We went back and loaded up both vans and went home that
same day. It was a very enjoyable rest and trip with the family.
May 13, 1979. Today we honored our mothers with a
special program in Sunday School and Sacrament Meeting. Wesley, my
Brother, gave a tribute to our Mother. It was very well done.
We gave Naoma a slow cooking Crock Cooker and a wash
basin and cabinet for Mother's Day. I installed the Wash Basin and
Cabinet over a week before so it wasn't a surprise on Mother's
Day.
Friday and Saturday was the Stake Aaronic Priesthood
outing to commemorate the Restoration of the Aaronic Priesthood. They
asked me, as the Stake President of the Aaronic Priesthood, to
organize the outing and the food for all of the Stake that would be
attending. With the help of my counselors and brother Larry Memmott,
the high council adviser, we organized a successful outing. We served
Barbeque for supper and Hot Cakes and Scrambled eggs for breakfast. I
prepared the Barbeque and spiced it up with Garlic, Onions, Basil,
Oregano, Marjoram, Aniz seed, Pepper and Salt. It was a whole Heifer
and it came out very well cooked and delicious. After spending twenty
four hours sealed in the hot pit. It was all eaten and a few people
that came late did not get any. We served it with flour and corn
Tortillas with Salsa and Barbeque sauce. I made the Sauce with Catsup,
Mayonaise, Mustard, Worchestershire sauce, and Kikoman Sauce. It was
good.
I arrived early and set up the Tables and made
preparations to serve the Barbeque. Then I set up my own little camp
and put on two big pots of Herb Tea to drink with the supper. The
formula I used was Lemon Grass, Cinnamon, Laurel, Comfrey, Yarrow,.
Lemon Balm, Marjoram, Fennel, Cat Nip, Yellow Dock, Peppermint. And
Malva, sweetened with Honey and laced with Powdered milk.
Many People dropped by to have a cup of Herb Tea so it
all disappeared. I invited Profesor Saucedo and his son to go with us
and they seemed to enjoy themselves very much.
We have plans for the Saucedos and the Bowmans to go on
some trips together to become good friends in order to help them
receive the Gospel. He is the Inspector for our school and the
thirteenth Zone. His wife teaches in a school in Casas Grandes. They
are all well educated and very nice people who don't have bad
habits.
While I was frying the Hot Cakes, because I was sitting
near the fire, I felt my knees get very hot. I went on cooking the
batter. When I examined ny knees afterward I found that my knee was
blistered. I eased the pain by putting Aloe Vera on the burns.
We are planning to show a film to the Teachers, To Sir
With Love, and have a supper for all of the teachers in the Canton
Restaurant on Teachers day next Tuesday.
Keith LaRae called to ask if he and his boys could come
down and go on a mountain trip during the week of the fifteenth to the
twenty third of June 1979. We planned a trip to go to Three Rivers and
on over to the Nutria. Later Kiko called and said that he and his
family could not come. We were disappointed because we could not enjoy
the trip with his family as planned.
Early in June Anthony wanted me to take the Scouts on a
Back Packing Hike. I met with the Scouts to see how many wanted to go.
All of them wanted to go so I instructed them carefully about back
packing and what they should take in their packs. We did not have much
time to prepare but they were fairly well prepared. Brother Eddie Baum
was the assistant Scout Master so he went with us.
I took the Volkswagen Van and Ed took an old truck of
the Jones' that the ward furnished for the scouts to go in. We went up
to the Cebadilla sawmill site and on down the Cebadilla Canyon on the
road that goes around the west of the Blues. We went over the ridge
and into the Zorillo Canyon. Where the road switches back into the
Zorillo Canyon to cross the stream the road was washed out so we drove
back to a point straight across the canyon from where we would cross
over to drop into the Estribos Canyon where we wanted to camp. The
Estribos canyon had a nice Trout stream in it so that is where we
wanted to camp.
We left the vehicles on the point and all put on our
packs and equipment. I pointed out our course to the boys and
explained that we would cross the Zorillo Canyon and go straight over
the ridge and down into the Estribos Canyon and find a nice place to
camp. The boys were eager to go so while I was getting the last minute
First Aid things in my pack they all took off except Anthony and
Eddie. We hiked down together into the canyon where we found most of
the boys waiting for us. Four of the boys had gone on ahead of the
rest. We checked and found their tracks where they had started up the
climb to the ridge. Anson Call's son was visiting with his family and
had come along with some of Carl Call's sons. He had a very heavy pack
of mostly canned goods and he was so tired that he could not go on
with that heavy pack. Some of the other boys split up most of his load
between them and we continued on up the steep ascent to the top of the
ridge.
We hiked down into the Estribos canyon and found a nice
camping site near where the road came around through the canyon. We
did not find the other boys that had gone on ahead and they didn't
seem to be near our camp. It was late in the evening so we decided
that we would look for them in the morning. We were not worried about
them because they had all that they needed for their camp in their
packs on their back. They could camp anywhere and be comfortable. Soon
we were all busy fixing our own meals since in back packing each one
brings exactly what he needs for his own camp. After supper we all
gathered around the central campfire and talked of the plans for the
next day. The boys wanted to fish down the Estribos Canyon and in the
process find the lost boys that we supposed had gone down into the
canyon farther down the creek.
The next morning after breakfast The boys and Ed went
fishing down the Estribos creek planning to fish down as far as the
Gavilan river then return upstream fishing as the came back up. I went
back around the road to see if I could repair the washout enough to
get the vehicles around to our camp so that we could continue on down
to the Whetten ranch and shorten our trip back home by way of Williams
ranch.
I worked moving rocks until I figured that I could
cross with the van. I went on and brought the van back around without
any trouble. When I got back to our camp none of the others had
returned. While I was eating my lunch Ed and the boys returned. They
reported that they had not seen any sign of the lost four boys.
After lunch Ed and I decided to back track and find
where the lost boys had gone the evening before. When we looked along
the ridge we found their tracks leading down the ridge toward the
Gavilan River. I suggested to Ed that he go drive the truck around to
our camp and I would continue on following the boys tracks. He
protested that he didn't think the truck could make it across that
washed out place in the road. I told him that I had fixed it and that
the Van had made it easily. So he climbed out to get the truck and
drive it around to camp.
I tracked the boys to where they had gone down toward
the Gavilan and it was getting late so I turned back to our camp so as
to make it before dark. When I got back to camp Ed was there with the
truck and all of the boys were there busily preparing their supper. I
could smell the Trout frying and I was content to prepare my supper
and rest lazily around the campfire. The lost boys explained that they
were not lost they just didn't know where we were camped. They had
camped in a little draw between the Zorillo canyon and the Estribos
canyon on the banks of the Gavilan. They said that some cowboys came
along and told them where we were camped and how to get there.
The next morning we all packed up and started our
journey back home. We went on around the road and came out at Los
Chales and then on past the Whetten Ranch. As we traveled on toward
Rancho Willy the front spring on the Truck broke and was rubbing on
the tire. We stopped and cut a short piece of log and jacked up the
truck and tied the log in for a spring. A ways farther the clutch on
the truck completely stripped out. I always carried a Nylon tow straps
in the van. We hooked onto the Truck and towed it over the rough road
into Rancho Willy.
We decided that some of the boys would camp at Cave
Valley over night while we took one load on home since we could not
all fit in the van with all of the equipment. Then we would come back
the next day for the rest of the boys. Anthony was the most
experienced camper so he was eager to stay another night in the
beautiful camp at Cave Valley The Call boys wanted to stay also. In
all as I remember six boys stayed in Cave Valley and we drove on home.
When we reported to the Calls about leaving their boys at Cave Valley
and that we planned on going up the next day to bring them home, Carl
and Anson decided to go up immediately to get the boys and bring them
home. Later the Jones' sent after their truck and had it brought back
from Rancho Willy. Anthony expressed disappointment at not being able
to spend another night and day in Cave Valley.
July 28th 1979 This summer in nearly gone it seemed to
go so quickly. During July we all went to visit Kiko and Tracy 'and
their families. We passed by Holbrook to visit Sam and Jenene on the
way up to Alamo. On the way back we stayed over the week end with
them.
Sam had gotten me an appointment with a Doctor Ray
Musner to see if he could help my face jumping problem by Cranial
Adjustment. We went down to Prescott to see the Doctor. He took x-rays
of my head and said that I had a fracture of the skull and that he
needed more adjustments to see if he could get more movement of the
skull bones. We returned to Prescott on Monday and had two adjustments
one in the morning and one in the afternoon. In Between we visited
with Naoma's cousin Joe Peterson and got better acquainted with him
and his wife. The Doctor wanted me to come back but we could not see
any improvement so I never went back.
Karl is coming home from his mission on the 8th of
August 1979. He wants to go on a mountain trip before he goes up to
School. He has invited his companions Elder Martineau and Elder
Martindale to go with us. Elder Martineau has invited his father to
come with him. His father is Reed Martineau an old friend of ours that
used to live in Colonia Juarez. He is a twin and the son of Lee and
Irene Brown Martineau.
Aunt Clara called and wants to come and bring Gwen and
Wes and their kids. It will make a group of about nineteen or twenty.
We took a group of twenty explorers that Tracy brought from California
so I'm sure we can swing this one and get the animals ready.
October 28 1979. The Martineau's did not come but Kent
Martindale did and Claudia and he really hit it off and had a good
time. Aunt Clara, Gwen, Cole, Bret and Jacob came from Douglas plus
with all of us we had a nice group. Karl drove the white van and I
drove the red van and Gwen drove Aunt Clara's pick up truck.
Max Spilsbury had let me take four of his mules so as
to have enough animals for the trip. We sent them up on one of Emilio
Burgos' trucks the week before so that they would be there when we got
there. When we got to the Cebadilla Rafael Perez said that he had not
seen the mules. We went down to Emilio's Sawmill on the Gavilan and
found the mules there. The man that was supposed to take the mules up
had gotten drunk but was planning to take the mules up the next
morning. When we got back up to the Cebadilla we made a comfortable
camp and waited for the mules to arrive the next morning. They arrived
just before noon the next day so we began to get organized for the
trek down the trail to Trout Creek.
We had so much stuff and so many people that we had to
make two trips with four pack mules to get all of our stuff down to
our camp on Trout Creek. We camped about 100 yards down the creek from
where the trail comes down from the Cebadilla. On the south side of
the creek at that point there are some wide level terraces made by the
ancients that are overgrown with big Black Oak trees that make it a
beautiful place to camp. We set up two kitchen flies and got every
one's tent set up with good rain flies over them. We helped them all
get their Rubber Foam mats down and their beds ready for the
night.
Mary and Kim and Jeremy were with us and they were
anxious to learn to fish. They learned quickly and soon were catching
trout along the Stream. Jeremy caught the biggest one of the trip. It
was about twelve inches long.
One of the days we all went to the Gavilan down the
Trout Creek trail and over the mountains, to have a nice swim. Kim and
Jeremy had their own horses that we gave them for the trip and they
were proud and happy to ride alone. We had a good swim and a wonderful
ride over and back on the old Chuhuichipa trail to the Gavilan.
When we got back Karl asked Claudia for his rings and
she said that she had left them on a rock by the swimming hole over on
the Gavilan River. She and Kent Martindale decided to hurry back over
to the Gavilan and get the rings. They got back just before dark with
Karls rings. Teódolo and I took a load of stuff on the pack mules back
up to the Vehicles that evening so we could get an early start the
next morning to get home. We got back just at dark.
The next morning we had a good breakfast and all rode
out on the familiar trail following the pack mules that were anxious
to get back to the Cebadilla to get turned loose. That was a memorable
trip.
Teódolo with Anthony's help rode the horses and mules
down to Juarez.
We left Max's mules in Juarez and had the kids ride the
rest down to the ranch. Anthony, Claudia, Kim and Edgar Saucedo rode
them down from Juarez to the ranch. They rode the Sorrel and Anthony's
Black horse and another horse. Kim rode the blue mule all the way down
from Juarez to the ranch. I went to the ranch and waited for them to
come with the animals and took some tired and hungry kids home after
their long ride.