Thursday, October 26, 2017
Another field session, another eight days wandering through the woods
I forgot my boots and had to buy a new pair in Payson. On the second day I got a blister on my left foot. It grew terribly painful. Sometimes I made unattractive noises when I took the boots off or hit my foot in weird ways.
List of animals seen: elk, deer, jackrabbits, cottontails, blue jays, cattle, horses, llamas, and a couple of dogs.
Of course, the excitement was on Saturday, the sixth day, when I was sauntering through the forest and was walking between two juniper trees and looked down. There was a bone. You see a lot of bones in the woods- elk, cattle, javelina, coyote.
This bone was different, it was the distal end of a right humerus. From a person. I looked at it again, yes it was human. I called Mike and Tyler on the walkie-talkie, "I have found something weird, you need to come over." They came over. Neither knew human bones. I decided to collect the bone, wrapped it in paper towel and put it in my back pack. Tyler found two small pieces that I put in a small plastic bag. We surveyed a little more while I puzzled over what to do. Finally I decided we should go back to Young (we have no phone reception where we are surveying) and 1). look at pictures of human humeri to verify it was in fact human, and 2). call someone, anyone.
The internet provided a photo and drawings that verified that yes, it was human. I called Sarah, I left messages with Denise, I called Connie who called Denise. Denise called me and told me to call 911. I called 911 and spoke to an operator, who called the Deputy Sheriff in Young, who called me back. He came over and I handed the bone over. We then took him out to the forest, met a Forest Service employee, and took them to the bone discovery site. Crime tape was put up. The deputy said that the bone might be from one of two missing hikers. The strange thing was that Chris had joked on Thursday that we might find the hiker and I said, no, that hadn't happened.
Back in Tucson I was called by the Gila County sheriff's office and chatted with a woman who said that they thought the bone was from one of three people. "Did I want to know the DNA results when they came back?" Of course I do.
I forgot my boots and had to buy a new pair in Payson. On the second day I got a blister on my left foot. It grew terribly painful. Sometimes I made unattractive noises when I took the boots off or hit my foot in weird ways.
List of animals seen: elk, deer, jackrabbits, cottontails, blue jays, cattle, horses, llamas, and a couple of dogs.
Jackrabbit.
18 sites visited this time. Sometimes you see artifacts (flaked stones and ceramics) first, and sometimes you see architecture.
Tyler stands at the west side of a structure.
Occasionally you see pretty scenery. But mostly you stare at the ground and stumble over manzanita or rocks.
Scenery.
One night Mike and I went to the Antlers and I had a salad with 1000, grilled cheese, and French fries. It was alright.
Varmints.
The last night I made mac and cheese with fried onions for supper, Mike and Tyler enjoyed this. I drank a whole bottle of cheap wine. It was nasty and at first I thought it had not affected me, but later realized I was a little buzzed.
Sunset.
The last day we looked out over the area to the east, where we have to go in the next session.
Mike and Tyler.
This bone was different, it was the distal end of a right humerus. From a person. I looked at it again, yes it was human. I called Mike and Tyler on the walkie-talkie, "I have found something weird, you need to come over." They came over. Neither knew human bones. I decided to collect the bone, wrapped it in paper towel and put it in my back pack. Tyler found two small pieces that I put in a small plastic bag. We surveyed a little more while I puzzled over what to do. Finally I decided we should go back to Young (we have no phone reception where we are surveying) and 1). look at pictures of human humeri to verify it was in fact human, and 2). call someone, anyone.
The internet provided a photo and drawings that verified that yes, it was human. I called Sarah, I left messages with Denise, I called Connie who called Denise. Denise called me and told me to call 911. I called 911 and spoke to an operator, who called the Deputy Sheriff in Young, who called me back. He came over and I handed the bone over. We then took him out to the forest, met a Forest Service employee, and took them to the bone discovery site. Crime tape was put up. The deputy said that the bone might be from one of two missing hikers. The strange thing was that Chris had joked on Thursday that we might find the hiker and I said, no, that hadn't happened.
Back in Tucson I was called by the Gila County sheriff's office and chatted with a woman who said that they thought the bone was from one of three people. "Did I want to know the DNA results when they came back?" Of course I do.
Sunday, October 15, 2017
Another field session done, eight days struggling through manzanita, cat claw acacia, and scrub oak. Searching the ground for traces of the past. We surveyed south of Payson and one day south of Strawberry.
South of Strawberry.
Easy to forget that it is fall when you are in Tucson, where it is still in the 90s and my car AC has died. But up north there are less subtle changes.
Fall colors.
The last flowers are out. In Strawberry some yellow flower made me sneeze terribly.
Purple aster.
Some of the juniper trees are loaded with light blue berries- very pretty.
Juniper.
But even amid the signs of fall there are signs of renewed life. Butterflies busy collecting food, little bunnies hopping around. And grasshoppers fucking.
X-rated.
At home on six days off. One day I got up and went out to feed Buddy and discovered the water heater was leaking. Had to buy a new one for $450. This was after I discovered my bedroom ceiling leaking due to water from the swamp cooler pooling near the scupper. So I bought asphalt patch stuff and coated places and filled in the low spot and after it dries the entire roof gets coated. Joys of home ownership.
Yesterday I dressed up for living history and was hot and sweaty. I had made lemon cupcakes and they were delicious. Afterward I got a pizza and salad and Kevin and Nate played dominoes. I eventually won.
1893.
Tomorrow back north for another 8-day, this time to Young. Another adventure.
Monday, September 25, 2017
Two dates after my 54th birthday, I traveled north with three co-workers to start my next project, a big, lengthy archaeological survey of National Forest land. They are thinning trees and bushes to help prevent forest fires from affecting three communities.
The terrain varies from rocky slopes to areas overgrown with manzanita, scrub oak, and super thorny mesquite.
Looking north toward the Mogollon Rim.
Lots of archaeological sites to document. A lot of small 1000-year-old farmsteads with single rock masonry rooms. Also present, quite a lot of rock art carved onto boulders.
The terrain varies from rocky slopes to areas overgrown with manzanita, scrub oak, and super thorny mesquite.
Project area.
Over the course of seven days, 62 hours in the field, we walked 41.5 miles. At times my feet and legs hurt badly, but by the end that had mostly stopped.
Lots of archaeological sites to document. A lot of small 1000-year-old farmsteads with single rock masonry rooms. Also present, quite a lot of rock art carved onto boulders.
No one really knows what the symbols meant to the people who carved them.
On the seventh day, a surprise find- a plane crash site. Scattered all over a west-facing slope in a large area were pieces of frame, aluminum skin, various parts, and aviation oil cans.
Frame fragments.
We will be researching this to find out what happened to the plane.
Sunday, September 17, 2017
Mid-Life Crisis Road Trip 2017, days 15 to 21.
A woman at the campground had her cat in a stroller and chatted with me about our respective trips. She told me that that was beeweed and sure enough, there were plenty of bees on it.
Beeweed.
I packed up and drove toward the visitor's center, stopping at one trail leading to some petroglyphs. A small cottontail posed for me.
Cottontail.
The petroglyphs were made by the Fremont culture, roughly contemporaneous to the Hohokam here in southern Arizona.
Petroglyph.
At the visitor center I said hello to a stegosaurus. Like many kids, I was obsessed with dinosaurs when I was a kid.
Vernal.
I then drove to Salt Lake City and got a hotel room for two days. The airport Ramada. Avoid this place, it was gross. The windows are covered in see-through curtains. If you turn the light on, people walking down these rusty stairs can peek at you. The whole place was falling apart, the sidewalks cracked and buckled, cardboard patches next to AC units, nasty landscaping. A terrible Indian restaurant attached to it, the worst Indian food I have ever eaten. The "complimentary" breakfast was horrible.
Peek-a-boo.
On Saturday, August 26 (day 16) I went to the Family History Library and obtained my 4th great grandfather's will from England, in which he left my 3rd great grandfather his loom (he was a linen weaver). I walked around Temple Square and saw the LDS Temple, very grand.
Most of my pictures don't show how lovely the wide open spaces of the great American west are. These antelope were nice enough to pose for me.
A woman at the campground had her cat in a stroller and chatted with me about our respective trips. She told me that that was beeweed and sure enough, there were plenty of bees on it.
Beeweed.
I packed up and drove toward the visitor's center, stopping at one trail leading to some petroglyphs. A small cottontail posed for me.
The petroglyphs were made by the Fremont culture, roughly contemporaneous to the Hohokam here in southern Arizona.
Petroglyph.
At the visitor center I said hello to a stegosaurus. Like many kids, I was obsessed with dinosaurs when I was a kid.
Stegosaur.
You get on a little bus and it takes you up to the wall of fossils. The enclosing museum is very nice and up-to-date (and air conditioned!).
Replica skeleton.
Lot of bones visible, they are no longer exposing more. I had a little guide that I bought and gave it to the father of a boy, who was so excited because they had sold out.
Skull and cervical vertebrae.
After ward I went to Vernal, Utah and washed my clothes. I haven't been in a laundrymat since 1996.
I then drove to Salt Lake City and got a hotel room for two days. The airport Ramada. Avoid this place, it was gross. The windows are covered in see-through curtains. If you turn the light on, people walking down these rusty stairs can peek at you. The whole place was falling apart, the sidewalks cracked and buckled, cardboard patches next to AC units, nasty landscaping. A terrible Indian restaurant attached to it, the worst Indian food I have ever eaten. The "complimentary" breakfast was horrible.
Peek-a-boo.
On Saturday, August 26 (day 16) I went to the Family History Library and obtained my 4th great grandfather's will from England, in which he left my 3rd great grandfather his loom (he was a linen weaver). I walked around Temple Square and saw the LDS Temple, very grand.
Temple.
The next day I went hiking with Jon up in the mountains overlooking Salt Lake City. It was very attractive.
Jon and Homer.
Afterward I drove west from Salt Lake City across the Great Salt Lake. The Great Salt Lake Desert is in fact very salty.
Great Salt Lake Desert.
I tasted it. And later on wished I had grabbed a plastic bag and bagged a sample.
Salty Homer.
I arrived in Reno, where I spent the night at Circus Circus. Casinos are depressing as fuck. No one looks happy pulling the handle or pushing the button on slot machines. I did have an excellent pizza there.
On August 28 (day 18) I drove to Lake Tahoe and spent a day with Kevin. It was nice to see him after two years. We took his two dogs on a long walk, and he made me vegetable kabobs for supper.
Homer and Kevin.
The next day, August 29 (day 19) I drove south to Yosemite National Park. There was a controlled fire within the park and another larger one outside. Going in, it was very smokey.
Crazy smoke.
I found a space in Porcupine Flats campground, set up my tent as ash fell on me.
The sun was red from smoke.
And of course I got bored and decided to go find a candy bar. The store to the west of Porcupine Flat was closed and there was a young couple sitting there, waiting for the bus. For the first time in my life I picked up hitchhikers (Anthony and Claire), and took them back to their vehicle, which was near the only other store nearby. They bought me an ice cream bar. It was fun talking with them. That night I could hear something sniffing around the campground near my tent, I shined my phone light out but could not see anything.
So I got up, had a PBJ sandwich, and then headed eastward toward Las Vegas on August 30 (day 20). I wanted to go through Death Valley National Park but I wasn't paying attention, and Google Maps decided to send me down a deserted road north of the park. Very pretty scenery.
Once again in Nevada.
Antelope, somewhere in Nevada.
I arrived in Las Vegas only a few minutes before Jim and George got home. George made me a couple of very strong drinks.
Jim, Homer, and George.
Hadn't seen them in a couple of years, so it was nice to catch up. They are the nicest guys.
And the next morning, after a couple of bowls of cereal, I got in the car and drove to Tucson. Buddy, Snowball, and Puff were delighted to see me, as was Doug.
And there you have it, my 21-day road trip. It was lovely, even despite the lost wallet and Collin's totaled car (I gave him some money to use as a down payment for his next vehicle).
Mid-Life Crisis Road Trip 2017, Days 9-14.
Saturday, August 19. Despite drinking a lot of Fireball, I did not have a hangover. They were a number of competitions on Saturday at Rendevous. I cannot show you some of the photographs.
Panorama.
It is was so much fun sharing the eclipse experience with strangers.
The six nurses and I.
We put on our glasses. The two extra pairs I had came into use, one going to Nick from Austin and one to Jason from Colorado Springs.
Collin, George, Tom, Teddy, Abe, and Homer.
Very crowded with lots of people from Europe and Asia. Few children (yeah!). We sat down and called the car place and discovered Collin's car was totaled. Sigh. Drove back, got a hotel room, had pizza and calzone in Douglas, went to bed.
The next day I drove Collin back home to Colorado. This altered my route, I was originally going to drive through Montana and Oregon, but now I had lost two days drive time. So I ended up driving through Colorado westward. I spent the night in Glenwood Springs at a hotel under renovation.
It was snowing at one spot. The last time I drove down this road was in 1987 with Melanie, coming back from Grand Tetons, and in the 30 years since the little towns had gotten bigger as rich people buy 2nd or 3rd homes there. So much wealth, it is crazy.
Glenwood Canyon is really remarkable, the pictures I took don't reveal how beautiful it is.
Homer and Brandon.
Homer in Utah.
I bought an annual pass ($80) and then drove to the Green River Campground.
Camp site.
That night there was a program on Monarch Butterflies. I had seen the woman giving the presentation in Tucson several years ago at a Santa Cruz River Conference, and we chatted a little. Small world. Before the talk began, she spotted a Monarch flying nearby and was super excited.
The sunset was gorgeous that night. And then the stars came out. You forget how beautiful the night sky is when there is no light pollution.
Sunset along the Green River.
Saturday, August 19. Despite drinking a lot of Fireball, I did not have a hangover. They were a number of competitions on Saturday at Rendevous. I cannot show you some of the photographs.
Contestants.
I participated in the tug-of-war in the mud pit, unfortunately no photographs. My team of three men and a woman won, although we were smaller than the opposing team of four burly men. I may have tripped their lead man. I ended up being covered in head-to-toe in mud.
That night Steve Grand performed. He is one of the three gay singers (also Tom Goss and Matt Alber) that go around the country. He had been in Provincetown, where Jimbo saw him a few days earlier. He did some of his own songs and covers, a nice job. Very friendly.
Homer and Steve.
The next morning I drove north to Douglas, Wyoming. I wanted to be in the best area for eclipse viewing the next day. I camped out in Medicine Bow, again, but a long way from the unit where Rendevous took place. The camp site was 37 miles south of Douglas, including 12 miles of bumpy dirt road.
Medicine Bow, dirt road.
From my camp site.
I got bored, it was hours until sunset. Ended up driving back to Douglas, where I ended up running in an acquaintance, Collin from Colorado. We watched the Douglas Eclipse Street Festival, and then Collin followed me back to my campsite. Almost. Unfortunately, he managed to skid out in his 2022 Chevy Cavalier, ran into a dirt embankment, and totaled his car. Sigh. As he panicked I told him everything would be alright. So that was exciting.
The next morning, Monday August 21, we drove into Douglas, called a couple of tow places, and then drove back out to a spot I thought would make a good viewing area. There were a number of other people parked there- four people from Austin, Texas; six pediatric nurses from Colorado; a father, two of his kids, and three or four of their friends from Colorado Springs; a pair of men from Montreal; some people from Switzerland; and some others. Click on the panorama I took below of the crowd.
It is was so much fun sharing the eclipse experience with strangers.
We put on our glasses. The two extra pairs I had came into use, one going to Nick from Austin and one to Jason from Colorado Springs.
Collin and Homer not burning our eyes out.
Gradually the moon crossed over the sun. It became cooler and darker, a sort of pinkish glow. It was still pretty light out until the very last moment. Then totality. We shouted with excitement.
Totality as viewed from my cell phone.
I was expecting to be rather emotional, this was one of the things I wanted to do before I die. Surprisingly, it was just a fun experience, shared with instant new friends. In seven years I am going to Austin, Texas to see the next one.
We camped out at the Wyoming State Fairground with the four Austinites (Nik, Julia, Mike, and Carl[?], and their dog. Sipping beer and talking. The next morning Collin and I went over to the car repair place and met with them, and then drove off to Mount Rushmore.
Three states I had not been to: South Dakota, Alaska, and Florida. Now only two left.
South Dakota.
Nothing special about the drive. Passed through long areas with few houses. Small dying towns. Paid $10 for parking at Mount Rushmore and ate a picnic lunch on the trunk of my car.
To say Mount Rushmore is underwhelming would be to under-exaggerate how boring it is. Four giant heads sculpted on a mountain. Weird.
Collin, George, Tom, Teddy, Abe, and Homer.
Very crowded with lots of people from Europe and Asia. Few children (yeah!). We sat down and called the car place and discovered Collin's car was totaled. Sigh. Drove back, got a hotel room, had pizza and calzone in Douglas, went to bed.
The next day I drove Collin back home to Colorado. This altered my route, I was originally going to drive through Montana and Oregon, but now I had lost two days drive time. So I ended up driving through Colorado westward. I spent the night in Glenwood Springs at a hotel under renovation.
It was snowing at one spot. The last time I drove down this road was in 1987 with Melanie, coming back from Grand Tetons, and in the 30 years since the little towns had gotten bigger as rich people buy 2nd or 3rd homes there. So much wealth, it is crazy.
Glenwood Canyon is really remarkable, the pictures I took don't reveal how beautiful it is.
Glenwood Canyon.
Several tunnels, I am a big fan of tunnels.
Tunnel.
Thursday, August 24 I drove back a ways and had lunch with Brandon. That was fun, the food very hipser-ish (cucumbers three ways, the warm cucumber was gross).
I then drove north to go see Dinosaur National Monument. Google maps took me the back route (something that became increasingly common the more remote I was). I finally reached Utah.
I bought an annual pass ($80) and then drove to the Green River Campground.
That night there was a program on Monarch Butterflies. I had seen the woman giving the presentation in Tucson several years ago at a Santa Cruz River Conference, and we chatted a little. Small world. Before the talk began, she spotted a Monarch flying nearby and was super excited.
The sunset was gorgeous that night. And then the stars came out. You forget how beautiful the night sky is when there is no light pollution.
