Travels with Bongo

Verde Hot Springs

2007-07-16T11:35:00.000-07:00

The campground near Verde Hot Springs, on the Verde River n north-central Arizona, late April 2007. I camped up here during my research on the Ressurection of Fossil Creek for Inside /outside magazine, which covers the Four Corners area.

That's a Hammock Bliss mosquito hammock - exactly one step up from the Byer my son has [see previous post below]. It's a little easier to rig, but it's chief virtue was that it was in stock in at the Glendale Cabela's the day before I left for this trip.

The stove Trail Stove pictured boils water in about ten minutes using basically garbage and wood chips, but it doesn't meet fire restrictions in AZ, so it's useless to me most of the summer.
I had to buy a Pocket Rocket for Buckskin Gulch. It works great, but you have to get to a sporting goods store to get more fuel.

Later on I'll tells the tale of how I rescued by hippies near this very spot a couple of years ago - and more about the hot springs.

WTF rock cairn

2007-07-13T21:54:00.001-07:00

This is Mark's photo from Buckskin Gulch.
It's our little buddy next to a rock cairn. The rocks sit upon a large rock in the middle of the canyon and seem to signify only that this was some sort of flat place to build a rock cairn.
And then build another one next to it.
Apparently for the practice.

There are literally only two directions to go in a slot canyon: forwards and back. You can lost in terms of distance traveled (in which respect the cairns are unlikely to help you) but you cannot get lost in terms of direction without chemical assistance.

So we took a picture of Bongo next to the useless cairns, in order to chronicle their futility.
And because we were laid up a day due to an injured companion, and had nothing better t do with our time.

Lee's Ferry

2007-07-13T12:39:00.000-07:00

These are photos from Lee's Ferry campground on the Colorado River, just upstream from the entrance to the Grand Canyon in northern Arizona, circa 27 May, 2007.

This photo faces roughly north from our campsite.:
While this photo faces roughly south:

This ended our travel day on the ill-fated Buckskin Gulch expedition, from which I will post more pictures in later posts.
Our biggest problem at this campground were the very loud drunks across the road. Whaddyagonnado?
They would have been merely an irritant except we had a 5am wake-up to make the 6am shuttle to the trailhead.

Can't wait for my photos?
My expedition mate has posted his photos here.

A Tale of Two Hammock Rigs

2007-07-10T16:49:00.000-07:00

Another photo from the Moqui group site, circa late June. [See last post].
That's not just a hammock, there - that's a habitat. It's my friend's Clark Jungle Hammock
North American deluxe model. It claims to be a four season hammock, and it colapses down t the size of a rugby ball, weighing about 3.5 lbs.
Of course, it costs over $200 as well...

Now just for contrast - not as any judgment:

his is my 10 year old son's hammock, which he got as part of his birthday present.
[Bongo's not in this photo - you can stop looking.]
It's a Byer Mosquito Hammock under some surplus tarp. It's comparable in size and weight to the Clark, except that whole rig cost less than $50.
Of course, it's definitely a summer-only hammock and doesn't have near the weight capacity.
It's great though, if you're just starting to experiment with hammock camping, and don't want to spend a bunch and then find out that hammocks make you crazy.

And yes - given the choice, I'd own a Clark.

More on Hammock camping:
Hammock Camping 101

Group Camp site

2007-07-10T00:21:00.000-07:00

Bongo, at the Moqui Group Camp site in the Coconino National Forest, not far from Blue Ridge Reservoir, and across the street from the Blue Ridge campground. Neither of these campgrounds, though, has direct access to the reservoir - just so you don't repeat our mistakes.

The occasion was my son's 10th birthday party and/or HAM radio field day. The combined attendance required a group site. Coconino National Forest gets $50/night on the weekend for this site, which will comfortably accommodate up to 50 people (we capped out at 18 - not counting dogs). There is drinking water and vault toilets.

The entire forest, however, was under campfire restrictions, so we had to do all the cooking with propane, and substituted lanterns for campfires late at night.

This is a picnic table in the center area of the Spooner Pod.
The date is June 21, 2007.

A Brief Introduction

2007-07-10T00:11:00.000-07:00

In my random travels, I often carry a 6" plastic action figure and take pictures of him. Bongo, as I call him, is a gorrilla with a green backpack and a spring-propelled grapnel launched from his left wrist. He is one of the Rescue Heroes made by Fischer Price. The name on the box said Swinger, but I call him Bongo nonetheless.

Perhaps his full name is Bongo Swinger.

Swinger is not featured on the Fischer Price Rescue Heroes website.
Perhaps he has been discontinued.

In any case, he is durable, pose able, portable and much more reliable than the lawn gnome of urban legend. Unlike the lawn gnome, he is not stolen or borrowed. I purchased him, many years ago, for my son, who has outgrown such toys. So now I play with him.

I post the pictures here, along with whatever background information I feel appropriate.