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More views as we hike down to the canyon: Enormous cottonwood on the canyon floor: After what seemed like an eternity we made it to the cliff house: Final picture:

After seeing a facebook post indicating a rather (to me) unusual program about used luggage, I began calling various agencies I thought would be able to provide an answer as to it's validity. After reaching a couple of dead ends, late Friday afternoon, I was referred to a phone number that I was told may be able to help clarify this FB luggage story. When I made the call this morning, I was pleased to learn that there is indeed a used baggage donation program (not well advertised), that accepts donations of luggage which is gently used and clean. These luggage donations are used in support of situations where kids in less than great situations, need luggage (as opposed to carrying their belongings in a plastic garbage bag) for temporary re-housing, such as foster care, kids at risk, etc. SO: If you have gently used luggage that you want to part with, rather than dumping it, or donating to Goodwill (etc.), may I suggest you consider donating to OCJ Kids, (address & contact info is below...) NOTE: They are closed this Thanksgiving week. OJC Kids 21630 N. 9th Ave. Suite 103 Phx, AZ 85027 Hours: M-F 9am - 4pm 602-429-2171

i was up early doing some solo exploring before meeting everyone for the recent Mogollon Rim Overland trip. i ended up on a new-to-me section of the rim. here's a map link to where that was taken, at the end of a very bumpy and overgrown trail. also thanks @4x4tographer for these shots of Gadget and myself during the trip:

Added my first Duck to Bumble. My Daughter gave it to me. She was so excited to have found a "Bumble Duck" to match the Jeep. And we found a plush Bumble at Hobby Lobby in the Xmas aisle.

headed in for the oil cooler again. this time i was smart enough to take off the wheels and drop the Jeep to a more comfortable working height! last time replaced it was around 100k miles. i'm at 161k now, so doing plugs again too while in there.

Here are all of the picture of people and vehicles and few select scenery pictures. I took tons of scenery photos and I'm not sure any of them truly captures the beauty of the area. Some select images:

Apparently I took a LOT of photos and it will take me time to sort them all out. I'll start with just he Redfield Canyon Cliff House itself. Here is a link to all of the photos of the house I took: https://photos.app.goo.gl/1BVCkzfSaHM9mjUAA Some selected photos... How challenging it is right now to see the house if you did not have an idea where it should be or were not looking for it Once you climb up The kitchen wing Bedroom wing The main room and to give you an impressions of how cavernous it is inside Really nice woodwork Nice sunroof ;) and view Kitchen Looking out the front door

The next morning we briefly drove the area to check out the remnants of Camp Bouse. It's amazing to think of how many soldiers were stationed here. We found the HQ for two of the divisions, the chapel, and lots of sidewalks. Group photo HQ for one of the divisions The chapel area The group then exited the area and left via Alamo road Such a fun trip. We had been to Swansea before but found new areas. I could spend a few days hunting around Swansea again in the future. Thanks to @Ladybug for leading the trip, spoiling us with sweets, and providing the history. You make trips so fun even with the occasional off-track portion!

Installed my cargo dog storage unit today....I love it

Just a wish for a Blessed and Happy thanksgiving to the ORP family...

some info for when i have to do this next time... part numbers felpro complete intake manifold gaskets: part # MS 97204 oil cooler/filter assembly (includes gaskets & a new filter): part # 68596317AB note the oil cooler no longer comes with the 2 sensors... coolant temp sensor: part # 5149077AB oil pressure sensor: part # 5149062AB spark plugs (sold individually): part # SP149125AF 10 Year coolant: part # 68163848AB i've been getting most of my OEM parts through azwholesalemopar.com lately, which is actually Larry Miller Dodge Peoria. just select free local pickup during checkout. the site seems to have as good or better prices than any other online Mopar place i've seen. torque values oil cooler heat exchanger: 35 in-lbs oil cooler assembly: 106 in-lbs lower intake manifold: 106 in-lbs upper intake manifold: 71 or 89 in-lbs? (conflicting search results) plugs: 13 ft-lbs (156 in-lbs) coils: 71 or 105 in-lbs? plug gap: 0.043" bolt tightening orders oil cooler assembly: lower intake manifold: upper intake manifold:

Sarah, you shall need to go on all my trips! You are fun to be with, plus your photos and trip reports are so very top-notch! THANKS for posting and sharing! smiles, ladybug ps - And thanks to Chris for sharing the documentation!

Interesting article about Swansea. You can read for free using your google account. Swansea, Arizona: The Fortunes and Misfortunes of a Copper Camp https://www.jstor.org/stable/41695597?read-now

We had a perfect night for sleeping and warm temps. Next morning we packed up and headed towards Lincoln Ranch. Cooper waiting on us to get going More good views of the mountains on the way over to the ranch Can start to see where the river is in the distance with all the green. Lots of burros in this area. We remarked there were more hoof prints than tire tracks all day Lincoln Ranch There were parts everywhere The main house had thick walls and was so much cooler inside. A real fixer-upper. The commute for groceries is a long one! "Guest House" . Newer construction and not as cool inside. A giant cottonwood tree crashed through the roof too! The worker apartments After checking out the ranch we attempted to find the trail to a nearby slot canyon. Unfortunately the trail was washed out badly and couldn't safely get across the irrigation canal, plus we weren't sure of how overgrown the trail got. Karma waiting on us to walk back while she enjoys the AC We backtracked to the powerline trail to continue on. Karen remembered and old manganese mine so we took a short spur trail over to that We then climbed a very long hill and just when you thought you were done the trail kept going uphill. Nothing challenging but a big elevation gain Then this view of the valley Karen then led us down some skinny washes to reach camp bouse. These were not well used but easy trails. Some new pinstriping for memory sake!

Looks like we missed a GREAT time... LOVE all the pics everyone has shared... Hope to get there myself someday... 😇

Some more https://www.amazon.com/photos/shared/bJoJmvQiTJG0LBg_H9QQvQ._dXH3gDEVYluSbN-CDMbSO

installed some jack stand holders on the wall this morning to help tidy up the garage. i'd seen ads for these before for like $100, but then ran across these on Amazon for under $30 for a pair (holds 4 stands). i can't make anything that cheap, so i bought 'em! they work with 2 or 3 ton stands, maybe 4 ton if anyone makes that size - but my 6 ton ones did have to stay on the floor. UPDATE: here are some that fit 5 & 6 ton jack stands...

We got to Camp Bouse with some time to setup camp and build a fire ring. We had a lovely sunset and the wind died down so we could have a fire. Full moon rising over the valley The flag at Camp Bouse Very enjoyable evening by the fire. Glad we put this fully out before bed as they were predicting winds. They were right. It sounded like a freight train rolling in and my tent folder over on top of me. The temperatures dropped and got cold fast too. The funny part at 1am was we wanted to move the Jeep to try to block the wind but didn't want to wake anyone. by 130 we gave up and went outside to put the tent away. Upon stepping out we discovered Mike and Karen were also outside with the same idea! They moved their Jeeps and it helped. We tried moving ours but our location the wind was hitting two sides and going under our jeep. So we gave up and packed everything up. Then "slept" upright, since our seats can't fully recline, until 7am.

Couple pix of Rim trail trip

Back fresh from another adventure with a great group of folks, exploring the wonders of the Mogollon Rim! @theksmith @LaZorraRoja+Grace and @Mick Bowers We met up at 10am at the PIE Bar in Strawberry, a fun little outdoor restaurant that specializes in empanadas (hand pies). There are probably 20 savory selections and about 10 sweet selections along with 5-6 dipping sauce options. Good music, a nice outdoor seating area, and just 2 minutes from fuel in the town of Pine - PIE Bar was a great meeting location for a Rim Road adventure. The vast majority of our path took us along well-groomed forest roads. However, we did list the "ORP-Famous" Just a Forest Road. Also known as Clover Springs. Just a Forest Road lived up to its name, with plenty of bumpy sections. The road has certainly changed over the last 4 years, with my memory of it being quite different and more technical than in the past. There are also at least 2 new "by-passes" around some particularly bumpy sections. A welcome change (except we chose to take the bumpy way out!). The rest of our time on the trails was spent on easy-going dirt roads. Total mileage was ~120 miles, broken into roughly equal parts of about 40 miles per day. The small group and easy trails made for pretty quick days, with us arriving at camp rather early each day, leaving plenty of time for relaxing and hanging out by the campfire. On this adventure we took in the sights at: Milk Ranch Point Battleground Ridge General Cabin Myrtle Point Blue Ridge Reservoir The Mogollon Rim For our first night, we camped out overlooking the rim on our way towards Milk Ranch Point. We had a HUGE camp site all to ourselves and a nice view. We set up a potable fire ring near the edge so we could take in the views while we kept each other company around the fire. @Mick Bowers and his famous camping spaghetti! @LaZorraRoja's pup, Mochi, kept a close eye on everyone. While cooking dinner, the moon rose over the Rim. Friday night, we had pretty "mild" temperatures dipping down to about 42 degrees. Day 2 - The sun put on a heck of a show in the morning while cooking breakfast. After breaking down camp, we made our way down to Milk Ranch Point to take in panoramic views of the valleys below. On the way back we stopped by Dickinson Flat, a meadow that plays host to a famous aerial landmark you may has seen when flying into Phoenix. We also stopped by a few overlooks along the way. General Cabin - an old cabin used by the Forest Service. We also visited Battleground Ridge - the site of an ill fated ambush by Apache warriors from the San Carlos Reservation on the US Army. About 20 Apache were killed in the attack. You can still see the remains of the rock walls the Apache built to hide behind during the ambush. We made it to camp around 3pm - here was our view from our Saturday night campground - one of the "fingers" of the Blue Ridge Reservoir. Camp was on a cliff about 400ft above the water. The sunset lighting up the hills and trees Two Wise Guys crackin' jokes! Moonrise, over the trees. We had 2 back-to-back moonlit nights! Moonrise over the lake. Night 2 was much colder - we dipped down to about 35 degrees. The campsite had a well-built fire rig that did a good job reflecting the heat towards us, making for a pretty comfortable evening of social banter! Sunday morning sun! We woke up to 35 degree temps, and the sun rose shortly after - allowing us to take in some radiant heat! Sunday was all about getting to the 260 to get home. We spent about 2-2.5 hours on the trail, stopping here and there to take in the views. All in all - a great trip with great people. I had a blast hanging around the fire and getting to know everyone better, trading jokes, stories, talking rigs, and just relaxing. Already looking forward to the next adventure!

i built my own propane powered campfire-in-a-box using an old toolbox @Number7 got from a yard-sale. i've had this a while but didn't get to test it out for an extended period until the recent UT Annular Eclipse Trip. since it didn't explode or anything, i figured i could finally do a short write-up on it! ;) DISCLAIMER: this is just something i did - i'm not suggesting anyone else try it. you might blow yourself up, i suppose! the finished product: the box itself appears to be a SpeeCo 75015 "Tractor mounted toolbox". it was just barely wide enough to fit an 18x6 "H" shaped burner. on the end of the burner, i added a 1/2" air mix valve, then a 1/2" female to 3/8" male elbow, and finally a 3/8" propane quick connect fitting. the mix valve helps reduce soot by adding air in to make the burn leaner. i used teflon tape on all the joints. the burner was secured using one-hole EMT mounting straps and recessed about a third of the way down into the box. i had to make a hole of course on one end of the box for the fittings to stick out. i then cut a rectangle of expanded steel mesh to fit over the burner. i drilled several air holes around the box below the burner, and also cut a large hole in one end of the box so that i could store the hose inside. everything starting to come together: i purchased an 8ft steel braided hose with adjustable 20psi regulator and added the other half of the quick-connect fitting to it. a 10psi regulator would be more appropriate, but the 20psi was all i could find in that style/length hose. here's the hose and a lighter sliding into the box for storage. i made a door out of aluminum to keep that stuff in the box. i used a little brass hinge i had laying around and pop-rivets. the door is held closed just with tension. i drilled a couple holes in the wrap-around edge to line up with 2 pop-rivets to provide a positive snap-in location. to help spread the flames out for a more natural/interesting appearance, i added these super light-weight ceramic fiber fire pebbles. i was going to add some small latches on top, but it turned out the fake pebbles sit high enough to put tension on the lid when closed so the existing hasp holds it shut nicely. testing it out: note that the air holes all around the box below the burner turned out to be critical! before i drilled those, when i turned it off most of the flame would go out right away and so as the hose emptied, a small bit of propane would slowly fill the box up - then that would suddenly ignite from the last bit of dying flame and make a surprising little boom! it's easily adjustable with the regulator from a small "ambience" setting to full on "i'm cold, make some heat!". i made this specifically for a larger group to sit around when there is a wood fire ban. i think it came out fairly compact considering it's intended use. it fits nicely in my rear footwell and weighs next to nothing. the final step after the recent successful campout test was to cover it with some Rust-Oleum High Heat flat black spray paint. we used almost my entire 10lb tank of propane in one evening while in UT, so it's definitely best suited to campouts where i could bring along a full-size 20lb tank. we did have it up high enough to actually feel some heat though! on a very low setting i might could get 2 nights out of the little half-size tank.

We had a wonderful few days following "Moses" around the desert. It's always neat to find new parts of a ghost town you have visited before. Karen spoiled us with cherry cobbler and some very tasty cookies too! I owe a much more detailed trip report but for now here are my photos.

Hi Frank! Nice to “meet” you and welcome back! @WILL E frequents Bulldog on the weekends. He might be out there too!

It's been a while and a lot of major life events has kept me away from this group, but I finally am ready to get involved! I no longer have the 4Runner, but recently picked up a 2004 WJ that I'm itching to get out in the dirt.

SonoranWanderer (Woody), CAVU2 (Kevin), Offroadfun (Jack), and Scott and Kim Miller met up with me in Mammoth Friday Nov. 10th to hike to the storied Redfield Cliff House. Thanks to everyone who decided to join me in this endeavor. The hike was well worth the effort with stunning views and scenery, but make no mistake, it was no walk in the park. The trail was overgrown, rocky, and washed out most of the way. Luckily, everyone made it home safely with no broken bones or dislocated joints (joking, kind of). :) Here are a few photos from the trip: Almost there: Enjoying the views from camp: We were treated to some orographic clouds the next morning: The following pictures were taken as we descended into the canyon: Kevin looking back at me and laughing because I am old, fat, and slow: :) Continued:

THAT's so COOL! Great pics!!! Thanks for sharing! smiles, ladybug

Okay Get better Khris, Can you take him off the list please? Can’t seem to make it happen

Who amongst us can honestly say that they were NEVER caught getting a scolding from Mom for this very thing... LOL...

i have 4 waterproof boxes for sale, $50 each. used but great condition. cash only! buyer must pickup in North Phoenix (almost Anthem). (2) Pelican Storm Case iM2306, both with the foam inserts. these are similar in size to a 18" toolbox. Interior dimensions: 17" x 6.3" x 6.2" Exterior size: 18.2" x 8.4" x 6.7" (2) Seahorse 710, only one has the foam inserts. these are about briefcase size. Interior dimensions: 18.1” x 12.9” x 4.0” Exterior size: 20.1” x 15.5” x 5.5”

Just ordered one. https://youtube.com/shorts/hjsI-26D9Ag?feature=shared

I was talking to Kristopher today and he had a great idea. For those members who use inreach and spot for emergencies, Kris mentioned using members from the club would be a great way to ensure someone can help in an emergency. I thought that was brilliant because not only does it spread the emergency call to more people it also allows for better coverage in the State. Just another way belonging to a Club can help!!!!

I relate to this.

Okay, not a big deal but I don't normally 'work' on my Colorado. The windshield wiper fluid motor quit. Average price to fix is $130 to $170. I picked up a new OEM part for around $22 bucks and did it myself. That's a win.

First time tenting for us in almost a year. We did pretty good and didn't forget anything. The full moon rose quickly while we were enjoying the fire. Karen then spoiled us with a cherry cobbler dutch oven and taught me how to make it. That was tasty! Chris and Mike carved the pumpkin and Chris was the winner for this competition. Karen even had a very cool prize for him. Next year I'll bring a pumpkin but I'm still not safe enough with a knife in the wilderness to carve anything!!

The group checked out the covered mine shafts next to the housing. I was overheated and waiting in the Jeep sucking up that AC We the drove a short distanced and walked to the dust blower/furnance I swear there was another wall up the last time we visited but this is still neat to see the dust collector and smelter. Check out those views

Some highlights from the Swansea trip. The views on the way to the Swansea pump station were beautiful. We dropped down into a beautiful canyon and found a baby burro. Poor thing kept running down the trail instead of to the side even with us going super slow. Hopefully the baby made its way back to the herd. We walked to what we thought was the river but it was so overgrown could only see mud and couldn't get to any actual water. We found the remains of the pump station on the cliff and a large water cistern in the ground. It was neat to see this new area of Swansea and hard to image them laying ceramic pipe or ditches to bring the water 5 miles back to Swansea. We did find the old ceramic water pipes later near the brick kiln area. See main photo album for more pictures of this area. We made our way back to Swansea and hunted for new areas. On my map scrolling way in found the North Cemetery marked. We parked next to the brick kiln and walked it. Hunted for quite some time and then figured out the cemetery was a large stone hill with grave indentations. Not much left. There were a ton of cans, nails, bottles, etc in this area. Chris found a whole bottle which is a first for us. He left the brown bottle where he found it. Here is an old coffee can lid The housing that's been preserved

wow @Ladybug - that's a TON of info! thanks for putting that together (and thank you @Bradywgn71 for scanning it).

I scanned the history packet Karen made for the trip. Some interesting history of the area that I though you might enjoy! Swansea Lincoln Rach and Camp Bouse History.pdf

Post it. Its worth a second trek.

I have experienced relatedly similar issues modifying fire tables. If you want to use fire glass in a fire table bowl that came with lava rocks, you need to leave the lava rocks below the glass and up to the propane fire ring to allow for adequate free airflow. (You also need to keep the ignition chamber and sensor completely surrounded with lava rocks and not covered with glass.)

Unfortunately the concept is not unique for the purposes of a patent. However, as one would expect of @theksmith the implementation is superb, and less expensive if you are a DYI type.

Bobbie’s Spaghetti Sauce I pound ground beef ( can add Italian sausage if desired) Chopped onion to taste Chopped garlic to taste Fresh sliced mushrooms (if desired) 1 jar Rao’s Tomato Basil sauce 1 14 oz Hunt’s fire roasted diced tomatoes 1 14 oz Hunt’s tomato sauce 1 Tbsp dried basil 1Tbsp dried oregano 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning Brown ground beef in large pot. When brown, add chopped onions, mushrooms,and garlic. Cook until onions are softened. Add Rao’s sauce, fire roasted tomatoes, tomato sauce. Stir to mix. Add basil, oregano, and Italian seasoning. Simmer for at least 30 min., but can simmer longer if desired.

Ryan, These photos are beautiful. Its like being up there again! Re. the spaghetti makes it and the meat/mushroom sauce the night before and I just heat it up in a skillet. I only add some mild cheddar and a dash of green chili sauce. Bobbie (wife) doesn’t use a recipe, but she is writing one up now and l’ll try to post it. I don follow Jeep Recon on FB. Maybe I should i like his videos. Darryl, The next time we’re on the same trip remind me and I will bring an individual container for you.

Frankly, I think they're pretty absurd, childish, and obnoxious. I want one. 😁