Bos'n
Administrator 
PIRATES! Because ye can't do epic shyte wi' normal people.
Posts: 925
Ship's affiliation: Kokopeli's Curse
Areas of interest: Piracy, Woodworking, Koi, Folk music/instruments
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Post by Bos'n on Jun 25, 2023 19:35:01 GMT -7
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rikjohnson
Bilge Rat
Posts: 39 
Areas of interest: recreating the old technology, navigation, being on the water.
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Post by rikjohnson on Jun 29, 2023 8:31:43 GMT -7
I am thinking closer to 4 hours. I may go up Fri eve and sleep over in Showlow. If not, leave around 5:30 am sat.
The Harp Twins are there. Also a late night show until 9:30 that may or may not be worthwhile.
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rikjohnson
Bilge Rat
Posts: 39
Areas of interest: recreating the old technology, navigation, being on the water.
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Post by rikjohnson on Jun 30, 2023 9:04:12 GMT -7
I am driving up Friday eve to stay at the Lakeside campground. Will do the Faire Sat. Then camp out again Sat night and kayak the lake Sunday, returning home Sunday eve.
My grandfather owned much of Pinetop but sold it to some developers to pay his medical bills.
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Bos'n
Administrator
PIRATES! Because ye can't do epic shyte wi' normal people.
Posts: 925
Ship's affiliation: Kokopeli's Curse
Areas of interest: Piracy, Woodworking, Koi, Folk music/instruments
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Post by Bos'n on Jun 30, 2023 16:35:13 GMT -7
Think the Wife and I are gonna hit the road about 6ish on Saturday, make a few rounds of the faire then bankrupt an awesome Chinese buffet in Apache Junction.
Then get ready for DreamNight at the Zoo. Mega Mania on the 15th.
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rikjohnson
Bilge Rat
Posts: 39
Areas of interest: recreating the old technology, navigation, being on the water.
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Post by rikjohnson on Jul 4, 2023 16:35:54 GMT -7
First round is on me.
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Bos'n
Administrator
PIRATES! Because ye can't do epic shyte wi' normal people.
Posts: 925
Ship's affiliation: Kokopeli's Curse
Areas of interest: Piracy, Woodworking, Koi, Folk music/instruments
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Post by Bos'n on Jul 7, 2023 10:49:58 GMT -7
Damnation! US-60 is closed in 3 places north of Globe. Searchin' maps for an alternative route but it ain't lookin' good.
Updates as I finds 'em.
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Bos'n
Administrator
PIRATES! Because ye can't do epic shyte wi' normal people.
Posts: 925
Ship's affiliation: Kokopeli's Curse
Areas of interest: Piracy, Woodworking, Koi, Folk music/instruments
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Post by Bos'n on Jul 7, 2023 10:50:09 GMT -7
Looks like the only good route is highway 87 from Phoenix to Payson, then drift into Show low from the west. Mapquest says a little over 4 hours time. Still doable, if nothin' else catches fire.
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rikjohnson
Bilge Rat
Posts: 39
Areas of interest: recreating the old technology, navigation, being on the water.
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Post by rikjohnson on Jul 8, 2023 7:41:33 GMT -7
I got through Globe and a few miles up the road to Showlow, was turned around by a guy with the most boring and unappreciated job in the world. He sat under a canopy and turned people around, being very polite to the idiots who argued with him (note next post).
We talked, I agreed that he had a job and I would turn around so he let me through the blockade to make my turn easier. He recommended the Payson route, an extra 3-hour drive (bleep google directions which were WRONG!!!!). Called Joey to tell him to tell bos'n about the road closure and alt-route.
We went past Roosevelt lake, made plans to return and kayak-camp and reached SR-87 and headed north. We saw what looked like a forest fire being air-bombed but it was in the mountains so ignored it.
Then, around mp-236 the traffic stopped! Az511 said it was a traffic accident but no details so, it will be cleared soon and the traffic was crawling.
3 hours later I have made 5 miles! It is dark. I need to pee. And the idiots who thought that the shoulder would get them ahead faster were preventing the fire trucks and emergency vehicles from reaching the accident.
We could see southbound traffic so the accident weas not that bad.....
By the time we reached the 'front of the line', we saw that the southbound traffic was in the northbound lane. They had turned all northbound traffic around and were making them return, the wrong way. It was a geography thing. 87 at that point had split to g around a mountain so there was no other way to go back.
The guy on the road was making traffic turn around and head south. A lot of people were parking on the south-bound medium and going to sleep until the road opened. I did not live in Payson so was told to go back to Phoenix.
We turned around, headed south looking for the Globe exit but it was blocked by traffic so had to drive into Phoenix. Then we had to decide, try to find a hotel in Globe and hope the road would be open in the morning or try to find a motel on 87 and hope the road would be open in the morning or give up!
There was another option... head easy on SR-60 to I-10, then to I-17 to Flagstaff, then east to Holbrook, then south to Lakeside and we could be there by opening time.
We gave up.
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rikjohnson
Bilge Rat
Posts: 39
Areas of interest: recreating the old technology, navigation, being on the water.
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Post by rikjohnson on Jul 8, 2023 7:52:14 GMT -7
My last job with the USAF just before retiring was to assist the firefighters on that big fire on Mt Lemmon that took out Summerhaven. I was mostly security, chasing away looters, keeping tourists off the mountain, transporting food and water to the residents when they were allowed to return and, put out a few fires the actual firefighters had missed.
I had my Humm-Vee parked at the base to stop tourists and most were ok but we would always get, every few hours, some jerk who though he could get past my roadblock.
"I drove here from New Mexico so my kids could watch the firefighters put out the fire" "Sorry, go home."
One guy started to go around my Humm-Vee so I told him that I WAS obviously military. I was in charge. And if he tried to go around, I would pull my M-16 from my Humm-0Vee and shoot out his tires and then call the sheriff to arrest him. And as there was a gam on, all the deputies were NOT helping with the fire, they were at the Sheriff Office watching the game and eating the donuts they confiscated from the firefighters and would NOT be happy being dragged away from the game.
He threatened me, demanded to know my Colonel's name (I gave it to him but the Colonel liked me more than idiots like that and I was retiring next month anyway and any courts martial would take so many months to process that I'd die of old age before his complaint reached the top of the pile and I am getting angry standing in the sun arguing with you so TURN AROUND before I put a few rounds in your engine and your tires) though the project was given to a new butter-bar 2nd Lt to give him leadership experience and any decent Lt learns to listen to his non-coms or they fail to make 1st Lt.
So, I had sympathy with each of these men on the roads who had to tell people to turn around and was polite, friendly and NEVER argued or complained. I was in their shoes many a time in peacetime and wartime. (note, the gate guard outranks even the General and I made Captains back down during Desert Storm).
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Bos'n
Administrator
PIRATES! Because ye can't do epic shyte wi' normal people.
Posts: 925
Ship's affiliation: Kokopeli's Curse
Areas of interest: Piracy, Woodworking, Koi, Folk music/instruments
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Post by Bos'n on Jul 8, 2023 22:20:48 GMT -7
Back home again safe. Some kind of crash and burn wreck had 87 closed for about 12 hours. One lane had opened up by the time we went thru @8:45, Made the faire by 10:30. Wasn't too impressed with the faire. Rather smallish affair in a grassy park, NO shade, mediocre turnout by the garbed crowd. Met with a few people, missed others, studied the Harp Twins  . Took some notes on interesting projects. Checked out the junk stores in Show Low and Heber. I'll pass on this one next year, not enough flavor. |
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. Took some notes on interesting projects. Checked out the junk stores in Show Low and Heber. I'll pass on this one next year, not enough flavor.